神奇的 null >= 0

背景

今天在写代码的时候遇到一个 bug,价格竟然显示了 null.非常莫名其妙,我明明做了错误处理,打断点之后发现问题

if (item.customPrice >= 0) {
    item.price = item.customPrice;
} else {
    item.price = 10;
}   

也就是说 item.customPrice 需要是数字且大于等于0,才会赋值给price,否则会调用默认值.
但是我发现当 customPrice = null 时这个判断也会为真值,此时 item.price = null;

null >= 0?那 null == 0?

我用 Chrome 的 console 写了几个判断

发现只有 null >= 0 和 null <= 0的判断为真值,其他都是 false

查资料

如果想明确，这个问题具体是怎么回事，那么我们需要重新来回顾一下我们的 ECMAScript Language Specification (HTML version)，翻译过来就是ECMAScript语言规范(HTML版本)。

内部相等性运算算法

首先我们来看一下 ES3 关于 内部相等性运算的算法实现。

11.9.3 The Abstract Equality Comparison Algorithm
The comparison x == y, where x and y are values, produces true or false. Such a comparison is performed as follows:

If Type(x) is different from Type(y), go to step 14.
If Type(x) is Undefined, return true.

If Type(x) is Null, return true.

If Type(x) is not Number, go to step 11.
If x is NaN, return false.
If y is NaN, return false.
If x is the same number value as y, return true.
If x is +0 and y is -0, return true.
If x is -0 and y is +0, return true.
Return false.

If Type(x) is String, then return true if x and y are exactly the same sequence of characters (same length and same characters in corresponding positions). Otherwise, return false.

If Type(x) is Boolean, return true if x and y are both true or both false. Otherwise, return false.
Return true if x and y refer to the same object or if they refer to objects joined to each other (see 13.1.2). Otherwise, return false.

If x is null and y is undefined, return true.
If x is undefined and y is null, return true.
If Type(x) is Number and Type(y) is String, return the result of the comparison x == ToNumber(y).
If Type(x) is String and Type(y) is Number, return the result of the comparison ToNumber(x)== y.
If Type(x) is Boolean, return the result of the comparison ToNumber(x)== y.
If Type(y) is Boolean, return the result of the comparison x == ToNumber(y).
If Type(x) is either String or Number and Type(y) is Object, return the result of the comparison x == ToPrimitive(y).
If Type(x) is Object and Type(y) is either String or Number, return the result of the comparison ToPrimitive(x)== y.
Return false.

内部关系运算算法

接下来我们再来看一下 ES3 关于 内部关系运算的算法实现。

11.8.5 The Abstract Relational Comparison Algorithm
The comparison x < y, where x and y are values, produces true, false, or undefined (which indicates that at least one operand is NaN). Such a comparison is performed as follows:

Call ToPrimitive(x, hint Number).**
Call ToPrimitive(y, hint Number).**
If Type(Result(1)) is String and Type(Result(2)) is String, go to step 16. (Note that this step differs from step 7 in the algorithm for the addition operator **+
** in using and instead of or.)
Call ToNumber(Result(1)).
Call ToNumber(Result(2)).
If Result(4) is NaN, return undefined.
If Result(5) is NaN, return undefined.
If Result(4) and Result(5) are the same number value, return false.

If Result(4) is +0 and Result(5) is -0, return false.
If Result(4) is -0 and Result(5) is +0, return false.
If Result(4) is +∞, return false.
If Result(5) is +∞, return true.
If Result(5) is -∞, return false.
If Result(4) is -∞, return true.
If the mathematical value of Result(4) is less than the mathematical value of Result(5) --- note that these mathematical values are both finite and not both zero --- return true. Otherwise, return false.
If Result(2) is a prefix of Result(1), return false. (A string value p is a prefix of string value q if q can be the result of concatenating p and some other stringr. Note that any string is a prefix of itself, because r may be the empty string.)
If Result(1) is a prefix of Result(2), return true.

Let k be the smallest nonnegative integer such that the character at position k within Result(1) is different from the character at position k within Result(2). (There must be such a k, for neither string is a prefix of the other.)
Let m be the integer that is the code point value for the character at position k within Result(1).
Let n be the integer that is the code point value for the character at position k within Result(2).
If m < n, return true. Otherwise, return false.

ES3 的 运算符

ES3 的 “>” 运算符:

The Greater-than Operator ( > )
The production RelationalExpression :
RelationalExpression > ShiftExpression is evaluated as follows:

Evaluate RelationalExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(1)).
Evaluate ShiftExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(3)).
**Perform the comparison Result(4) < Result(2). **
If Result(5) is undefined, return false. Otherwise, return Result(5).

ES3 的”>=” 运算符:

The Greater-than-or-equal Operator ( >= )
The production RelationalExpression :
RelationalExpression >= ShiftExpression is evaluated as follows:

Evaluate RelationalExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(1)).
Evaluate ShiftExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(3)).
Perform the comparison Result(2) < Result(4). (see 11.8.5).
If Result(5) is true or undefined, return false. Otherwise, return true.

ES3 的 “==” 运算符 :

The Equals Operator ( == )
The production EqualityExpression :
EqualityExpression == RelationalExpression is evaluated as
follows:

Evaluate EqualityExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(1)).
Evaluate RelationalExpression.
Call GetValue(Result(3)).
Perform the comparison Result(4) == Result(2). (see 11.9.3).
Return Result(5).

根据资料得出的内容

着重看一下，上面特意加粗的地方，我们可以明确下面三件事。

关系运算符 和 相等运算符 并不是一个类别的.
关系运算符,在设计上,总是需要运算元尝试转为一个number . 而相等运算符在设计上,则没有这方面的考虑.
最重要的一点, 不要把 拿 a > b , a == b 的结果 想当然的去和 a >= b 建立联系. 正确的符合最初设计思想的关系是 a > b 与 a >= b是一组 . a == b 和其他相等运算符才是一组. 比如 a === b , a != b, a !== b .

那么我们就可以反过来看这个问题了。

null > 0     //  null 尝试转型为number , 则为0 . 所以结果为 false, 
null >= 0    //  null 尝试转为number ,则为0 , 结果为 true. 
null == 0    //  null在设计上，在此处不尝试转型. 所以 结果为false. 

这里引用一下 Franky大大的话。

a >= b 运算符只是简单的去对 a < b的结果取反. 我以为这是一个设计上的失误的另一个理由是 undefined,在标准中，被单拎出来.细心的你，也一定发现了这一点. 对于undefined的设计, undefined > 0 , undefined < 0, undefined == 0 的结果是符合设计上,逻辑的一致性的. 而null是被遗漏的东西.直到今天早上.我重新翻阅了ES3,5.相关章节. 才恍然大悟自己没有从根本上理解到这个问题.

虽然前面的例子,我catch到了BE当初的设计思想. 但是从全局的角度来看. 从关系运算符到相等运算符，尤其是相等运算符的设计上. 真的十分混乱不堪. BE在信中提到,他对 == 的现状也很无奈. 甚至用愚蠢这个词来形容自己当初的实现(当然他还提到,当初只是为了在10天内设计出js,并跑过qa的测试用例). 即使如此, 但是他仍然表示 null == 0 这个结果是他想要的.
　　　　
好吧,到了这里,我也有种无力感. 我认为纵观javascript，对关系运算和相等运算的设计.除了混乱,我想不出还有什么词来形容它们更恰当. 这一点从，我们生产环境代码中,大量的类型检查,和防御性代码的的存在,就可以证明这一点.

同时 Franky大大还举了另外一个例子。

function case1(a){
    if(a == null){
          ....
    }
} 
 
function case2(a){
    if(a == undefined){
        ...
    }    
}
 
// 上面两组完全等价, 这就是一种不明确表述.
// 我们永远不知道代码编写者的目的到底是同时匹配null 和 undefined还是只匹配其中某一个
 
 
function case3(a){
    if(a === null || a === undefined){
        ...
    }
}
 
// case3 才是最好的表述. 我们明确知道代码编写者的意图. 
// 即使很多人可能认为这个代码很愚蠢. 但我坚定的认为这才是好代码.

最后, 不得不提到,我发出null >= 0 这封信后, Andrea Giammarchi 表示了对我之前看法的支持,他同我最初的看法一样,认为 null >= 0 的结果应该为 false . 并建议在 ES7 中的严格模式中,修改这个结果. 虽然同样遭到 David Bruant 的反对. 好吧为他和我的这个错误看法,默哀一分钟…