From: zdennis <zdennis@...>
Date: 2006-04-12T18:55:58+09:00
Subject: Re: Style question: if !x vs. unless x

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Logan Capaldo wrote:
> 
> On Apr 12, 2006, at 2:31 AM, David Brady wrote:
> 
>> Oh, wait.  By multiconditional unless, you mean stuff like this:
>>
>> unless ( a || b || c )
>>  do_something
>> end
>>
>> ...yes?
> 
> 
> I'm pretty sure he means:
> 
> unless condition
>  ...
> else
>   ..
> end
> 
> or
> 
> unless condition
>   ...
> elsif othercondition
>  ...
> else
>  ...
> end
> 


I mean what Logan said plus the second half of what Dave said. I do not like the following, and I find it a) sometimes confusing
to read and b) my brain has to think twice when reading, which is twice to much:

  unless condition
   ...
  elsif
   ...
  else
   ...
  end

  unless cond1 and cond2 and cond3
    ...
  end

  unless (cond1 and cond2) or cond3
    ...
  end

  do_something unless cond1 and cond2

In regards to the first half of Dave's email:

>
> if x
>  do_something
> end unless y
>
> I do like this syntax, though:
>
> do_something if condition unless exception
>

I have never thought of chaining conditionals like that, although the idea is very cool... and I find it readable in the case of
error handling. (I wont say exception handling because IMO the two differ and exceptions should be handled by a different
mechanism then what error conditions should be handled under, the whole 90/10 rule applies of course.) =)

Zach


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