Is the length filter required when checking if a field has content or not?

Question

When checking if a field has content or not in my templates I usually write something along the lines of:

{% if entry.fieldHandle|length %}
    <h1>{{ entry.fieldHandle }}</h1> 
{% endif %}

Writing the same code without the |length filter does also work, so can I just exclude the use of the filter from my code altogether? Are there any caveats with not using the filter?

As an aside, I am aware that |length does have its uses. You can use this to check the exact value of something, etc etc.

This question was more suited for a simple yes/no check to see if a field has any content and outputting something if it does.

Another example of the |length filter in my code would be something like:

{% set homepageServices = craft.entries.section('services').type('serviceGroup').level(1) %}
{% if homepageServices|length %}
    <p>Output the services here</p>
{% endif %}

Would removing |length (which does work at the moment) cause me any headaches down the line?

Answer 1

You can probably get away with removing |length for most conditionals that check for the existence of content in a custom field and just check on entry.fieldHandle instead.

One exception to this would be for lightswitch fields, which always return true for a |length check, but return true or false when checking on entry.fieldHandle depending on whether the lightswitch is on or off.

StraightUpCraft has a great article on Testing if something exists and another on How to check if a variable or value exists using Twig, which cover a multitude of cases and ways of accessing variables using Twig.