Checking value for null after using property of value. Method "attr"

[deltaplans@…]

Checking value for null after using property of value. There is next code (start from 2511 row) in current version (source code, but in min version code is same):

 attr: function( elem, name, value, pass ) {
                var ret, hooks, notxml,
                  nType = elem.nodeType;

		// don't get/set attributes on text, comment and attribute nodes
		if ( !elem || nType === 3 || nType === 8 || nType === 2 ) {
			return;
		}

For getting nType value used elem.nodeType, but elem didn't check for null before. It will checked after that (in the next rows). It seems that it should be lik this:

if ( !elem) return;

var ret, hooks, notxml,
                  nType = elem.nodeType;
 if(nType === 3 || nType === 8 || nType === 2 ) {
			return;
		}

[dmethvin]

What code is this affecting? Since null is not an element it shouldn't be passed there.

[anonymous]

ok, just I use jqGrid and it call this method with null value. I looked to version 1.5.2 and this have checking for null or undefined first here.

But anyway maybe it is right to do checking elem, and than get his property?

[addyosmani]

null shouldn't be getting passed as an element reference to attr() and if jqGrid is doing this then they should be updating their code to perform checks on the input being passed through through the chain. imo, the current behavior shouldn't change. Garbage in, garbage out :)

[deltaplan]

ok, thank you