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Discussion on: 5 ways to refactor if/else statements in JS functions

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Replies for: Suppose you have a code like this: function foo(arg) { if (arg === "a") return 1 if (arg === "b") return 2 return 3 //default value } ...

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yerlanyr profile image
yerlanyr •

This thing I use a lot!

function foo(arg) {
  if (arg === "a") return 1
  if (arg === "b") return 2
  return 3 //default value
}
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At this point I always format if statements as if code block, because condition in if statement could be very long so that return would be lost dangling somewhere outside of field of view which could lead to bad mistakes.

function foo(arg) {
  if (arg % 3 === 0 && arg % 5 == 0 /* let's pretend there is very long condition*/) return 'foobar'
  if (arg % 3 === 0) return 'foo'
  if (arg % 5 === 0) return 'foo'
}
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Data structures are good for reducing code's complexity. Sometimes it is clearer to use switch case or if's.

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sylwiavargas profile image
Sylwia Vargas •

I love these examples — thank you!

condition in if statement could be very long so that return would be lost dangling somewhere outside of field of view
I really couldn't agree more. This is definitely one of the main things that bother me about JS specifically — that there's no strict standard/expectation of writing really short code.