oliverdavies.uk/content/node.94d78d4d-fcd1-4d1a-a0fc-e6f8c39d084b.yml

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revision_timestamp:
  - value: '2025-05-11T09:00:32+00:00'
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title:
  - value: |
      Don't use "else"
created:
  - value: '2023-09-11T00:00:00+00:00'
changed:
  - value: '2025-05-11T09:00:32+00:00'
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  - alias: /daily/2023/09/11/dont-use-else
    langcode: en
body:
  - value: |
      <p>A popular approach to writing clean code is to avoid the "else" keyword and, if possible, avoid nesting <code>if</code> statements within other <code>if</code> statements.
      If I look at some code, I want to see as few indentation levels as possible, making the code easier to read and understand.</p>

      <h2 id="what-should-i-do-instead%3F">What should I do instead?</h2>

      <p>Instead, you check for a condition; if that isn't met, you return early.
      For example, here is some code I saw recently during a meetup talk:</p>

      <pre><code class="language-php">$callingClass = $scope-&gt;getClassReflection()-&gt;getName();

      if ($callingClass === TextMessageQueueProcessor::class) {
          return [];
      }

      $type = $scope-&gt;getType($node-&gt;var);

      foreach ($type-&gt;getReferencedClasses() as $targetClass) {
          if ($targetClass === TextMessageSender::class) {
              return [
                  RuleErrorBuilder::message(
                      sprintf(
                          "Can not call %s from %s",
                          $targetClass,
                          $callingClass
                      )
                  )-&gt;build()
              ];
          }
      }

      return [];
      </code></pre>

      <p>There are no <code>else</code> statements.</p>

      <p>If the calling class isn't of the required type, it returns immediately with no violations, and we continue, knowing the calling class must be what we need.</p>

      <p>If the target class is one where the code shouldn't be called from, it returns immediately with the violation.</p>

      <p>Finally, if no violations were found within the referenced classes, it returns an empty array.</p>

      <h2 id="here%27s-the-thing">Here's the thing</h2>

      <p>The code always returns an array of rule violations but does so as soon as possible at each point.</p>

      <p>The code is clean and readable, and I can understand it, knowing once each condition is passed, I don't need to continue thinking about it.</p>

      <p>Whilst there are some situations to use <code>else</code>, most of the time I've found that I can use an early return instead.</p>

              
    format: full_html
    processed: |
      <p>A popular approach to writing clean code is to avoid the "else" keyword and, if possible, avoid nesting <code>if</code> statements within other <code>if</code> statements.
      If I look at some code, I want to see as few indentation levels as possible, making the code easier to read and understand.</p>

      <h2 id="what-should-i-do-instead%3F">What should I do instead?</h2>

      <p>Instead, you check for a condition; if that isn't met, you return early.
      For&nbsp;example, here is some code I saw recently during a meetup talk:</p>

      <pre><code class="language-php">$callingClass = $scope-&gt;getClassReflection()-&gt;getName();

      if ($callingClass === TextMessageQueueProcessor::class) {
      &nbsp; &nbsp; return [];
      }

      $type = $scope-&gt;getType($node-&gt;var);

      foreach ($type-&gt;getReferencedClasses() as $targetClass) {
      &nbsp; &nbsp; if ($targetClass === TextMessageSender::class) {
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; return [
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RuleErrorBuilder::message(
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sprintf(
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Can not call %s from %s",
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; $targetClass,
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; $callingClass
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; )
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; )-&gt;build()
      &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ];
      &nbsp; &nbsp; }
      }

      return [];
      </code></pre>

      <p>There are no <code>else</code> statements.</p>

      <p>If the calling class isn't of the required type, it returns immediately with no violations, and we continue, knowing the calling class must be what we need.</p>

      <p>If the target class is one where the code shouldn't be called from, it returns immediately with the&nbsp;violation.</p>

      <p>Finally, if no violations were found within the referenced classes, it returns an empty array.</p>

      <h2 id="here%27s-the-thing">Here's the thing</h2>

      <p>The code always returns an array of rule violations but does so as soon as possible at each point.</p>

      <p>The code is clean and readable, and I can understand it, knowing once each condition is passed, I don't need to continue thinking about it.</p>

      <p>Whilst there are some situations to use <code>else</code>, most of the time I've found that I can use an early return instead.</p>

              
    summary: null
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