further cleanup of binary search

lib/util.js

@@ -1193,56 +1193,37 @@ exports.binarySearchGeneric = function(orderedItems, target, field, sidePreferen
   var iteration = 0;
   var low = 0;
   var high = orderedItems.length - 1;
-  var newLow = low;
-  var newHigh = high;
   var prevValue, value, nextValue, middle;
 
-  if (orderedItems.length == 0) {
-    return -1;      // did not find the target value
-  }
-  else if (orderedItems.length == 1) {
-    if (orderedItems[0][field] == target) {return  0;}  // if the value matched the value we look for, return index 0
-    else                                  {return -1;}
-  }
-  else {
-    while (iteration < maxIterations) {
-      // get a new guess
-      middle = Math.floor(0.5*(high+low));
-      prevValue = orderedItems[Math.max(0,middle - 1)][field];
-      value     = orderedItems[middle][field];
-      nextValue = orderedItems[Math.min(orderedItems.length-1,middle + 1)][field];
-
-      if (value == target) { // we found the target
-        return middle;
-      }
-      else if (prevValue < target && value > target) {  // target is in between of the previous and the current
-        return sidePreference == 'before' ? Math.max(0,middle - 1) : middle;
-      }
-      else if (value < target && nextValue > target) { // target is in between of the current and the next
-        return sidePreference == 'before' ? middle : Math.min(orderedItems.length-1,middle + 1);
-      }
-      else {  // didnt find the target, we need to change our boundaries.
-        if (value < target) { // it is too small --> increase low
-          newLow = middle;
-        }
-        else {  // it is too big --> decrease high
-          newHigh = middle;
-        }
+  while (low <= high && iteration < maxIterations) {
+    // get a new guess
+    middle = Math.floor(0.5*(high+low));
+    prevValue = orderedItems[Math.max(0,middle - 1)][field];
+    value     = orderedItems[middle][field];
+    nextValue = orderedItems[Math.min(orderedItems.length-1,middle + 1)][field];
 
-        if (low == newLow && high == newHigh) { // if we did not find it and our new boundaries are the same as the old, the target is not in the list
-          return -1;
-        }
-        else { // we have new boundaries, lets use them!
-          high = newHigh;
-          low = newLow;
-        }
+    if (value == target) { // we found the target
+      return middle;
+    }
+    else if (prevValue < target && value > target) {  // target is in between of the previous and the current
+      return sidePreference == 'before' ? Math.max(0,middle - 1) : middle;
+    }
+    else if (value < target && nextValue > target) { // target is in between of the current and the next
+      return sidePreference == 'before' ? middle : Math.min(orderedItems.length-1,middle + 1);
+    }
+    else {  // didnt find the target, we need to change our boundaries.
+      if (value < target) { // it is too small --> increase low
+        low = middle + 1;
+      }
+      else {  // it is too big --> decrease high
+        high = middle - 1;
       }
-      iteration++;
     }
+    iteration++;
   }
-  // didnt find anything. Return the last guess.
-  console.log("BinarySearchGeneric did too many iterations. Aborting.");
-  return middle;
+
+  // didnt find anything. Return -1.
+  return -1;
 };
 
 /**