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

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    "title": [
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            "value": "Don't use \"else\"\n"
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            "value": "\n          <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.\nIf I look at some code, I want to see as few indentation levels as possible, making the code easier to read and understand.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-should-i-do-instead%3F\">What should I do instead?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Instead, you check for a condition; if that isn't met, you return early.\nFor\u00a0example, here is some code I saw recently during a meetup talk:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">$callingClass = $scope-&gt;getClassReflection()-&gt;getName();\n\nif ($callingClass === TextMessageQueueProcessor::class) {\n\u00a0 \u00a0 return [];\n}\n\n$type = $scope-&gt;getType($node-&gt;var);\n\nforeach ($type-&gt;getReferencedClasses() as $targetClass) {\n\u00a0 \u00a0 if ($targetClass === TextMessageSender::class) {\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 return [\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 RuleErrorBuilder::message(\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 sprintf(\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \"Can not call %s from %s\",\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 $targetClass,\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 $callingClass\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 )\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 )-&gt;build()\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ];\n\u00a0 \u00a0 }\n}\n\nreturn [];\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>There are no <code>else<\/code> statements.<\/p>\n\n<p>If the calling class isn't of the required type, it returns immediately with no violations, and we continue, knowing the calling class must be what we need.<\/p>\n\n<p>If the target class is one where the code shouldn't be called from, it returns immediately with the\u00a0violation.<\/p>\n\n<p>Finally, if no violations were found within the referenced classes, it returns an empty array.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"here%27s-the-thing\">Here's the thing<\/h2>\n\n<p>The code always returns an array of rule violations but does so as soon as possible at each point.<\/p>\n\n<p>The code is clean and readable, and I can understand it, knowing once each condition is passed, I don't need to continue thinking about it.<\/p>\n\n<p>Whilst there are some situations to use <code>else<\/code>, most of the time I've found that I can use an early return instead.<\/p>\n\n        ",
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            "processed": "\n          <p>A popular approach to writing clean code is to avoid the \"else\" keyword and, if possible, avoid nesting <code>if<\/code> statements within other <code>if<\/code> statements.\nIf I look at some code, I want to see as few indentation levels as possible, making the code easier to read and understand.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-should-i-do-instead%3F\">What should I do instead?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Instead, you check for a condition; if that isn't met, you return early.\nFor&nbsp;example, here is some code I saw recently during a meetup talk:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">$callingClass = $scope-&gt;getClassReflection()-&gt;getName();\n\nif ($callingClass === TextMessageQueueProcessor::class) {\n&nbsp; &nbsp; return [];\n}\n\n$type = $scope-&gt;getType($node-&gt;var);\n\nforeach ($type-&gt;getReferencedClasses() as $targetClass) {\n&nbsp; &nbsp; if ($targetClass === TextMessageSender::class) {\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; return [\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RuleErrorBuilder::message(\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sprintf(\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \"Can not call %s from %s\",\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; $targetClass,\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; $callingClass\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; )\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; )-&gt;build()\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ];\n&nbsp; &nbsp; }\n}\n\nreturn [];\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>There are no <code>else<\/code> statements.<\/p>\n\n<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>\n\n<p>If the target class is one where the code shouldn't be called from, it returns immediately with the&nbsp;violation.<\/p>\n\n<p>Finally, if no violations were found within the referenced classes, it returns an empty array.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"here%27s-the-thing\">Here's the thing<\/h2>\n\n<p>The code always returns an array of rule violations but does so as soon as possible at each point.<\/p>\n\n<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>\n\n<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>\n\n        ",
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