In what context can you avoid branches?

▲ thornewolf 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

some initial function like

  v = setup()
  if v == 1:
    side_effect_1()
  elif v > 1:
    side_effect_1()
    side_effect_2(v)
  else:
    raise Exception()

then we can "refactor"

  v = setup()
  if v < 1:
    raise Exception()
  
  side_effect_1()
  if v > 1:
    side_effect_2(v)

i know that this might seem "dumb" that the code was ever setup the first way but code can grow into that shape pretty easily. this refactor "removes" the v==1 branch. this new code also follows the "early return" pattern, which improves readability.

▲ lscharen 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Maybe something (contrived) like this providing no-op defaults?

  total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
  if (user.isPremiumMember) {
    total = total * 0.9;        // 10% discount

versus

  total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
  discount = calculateDiscount(user);  // Returns 0.9 or 1.0
  total = total * discount;

▲ metabagel 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

OK, or maybe...

  total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
  total = total * user.discount;

	▲	1718627440 an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Or: `total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order); total = user.discount;` or: `return calculateOrderTotal(user.order) user.discount;`

▲ Narishma 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Didn't you just shift the branch to the calculateDiscount() function?

	▲	1718627440 an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Not necessarily. `return 1 - user.isPremiumMember * 0.1;` would also cut it.