Refining Your Java Code: Removing ‘if-else’ for Elegance

Writing clean and comprehensible code is pivotal for collaborative development. Here are four strategies to elegantly eliminate if-else blocks from your Java codebase.

1. Option 1: Early Return

In scenarios requiring simple conditional checks, employ early returns to streamline the code flow:

public boolean isValid(String condition) {
  if (condition == null) {
    return false;
  }

  return condition.equals("hi");
}

2. Option 2: Enumeration

Leverage enums for mapping fixed values to more descriptive labels, enhancing code readability:

public enum StatusLabelEnum {
  Padding(1, "Padding"),
  Paid(2, "Paid"),
  Success(3, "Success"),
  Failed(4, "Failed");

// Constructor, fields, and methods...
  public static String getLabelByStatus(int status) {
    // Logic to fetch label by status...
  }
}
public String getLabel(int status) {
  return StatusLabelEnum.getLabelByStatus(status);
}

3. Option 3: Optional

Utilize Java Optional to elegantly handle potential null values:

public int getOrderStatus(UUID id) {
  Order order = getOrderById(id);
  return Optional.ofNullable(order)
                 .map(Order::getOrderStatus)
                 .orElse(1);
}

4. Option 4: Table-Driven Method

Implement a table-driven approach for cleaner branching logic, reducing nested if-else blocks:

// Interface for action services
public interface ActionService {
    void doAction();
}

// Sample implementation
public class ActionService1 implements ActionService {
    public void doAction() {
        // Implementation for action 1
    }
}
// Usage of the table-driven method
Map<String, ActionService> actionMap = new HashMap<>();
actionMap.put("code1", new ActionService1());
// Add other codes and corresponding services...
// Invoke action based on code
actionMap.get(action).doAction();

Embrace these techniques judiciously to enhance code readability and maintainability. Each approach caters to specific scenarios, ensuring your code remains elegant and easily understandable.

Happy coding!