Alternatives to If-Else, For, and While Loops

In software development, simplicity and readability are key. As projects scale, codebases with excessive if-else, for, and while constructs can quickly become unmanageable. In this blog, we explore modern approaches and alternatives to these constructs, aiming to improve both readability and maintainability.

1. Replacing If-Else Statements

If-else statements are great for basic control flow, but excessive use can make your code cluttered and hard to maintain. Here are some alternatives:

a. Switch-Case (or Match Expressions)

Switch-case or pattern matching (available in many modern languages like Java, Python, and Scala) provides a cleaner way to handle multiple conditions.

Example in Java:

switch (status) {
    case "NEW" -> handleNew();
    case "IN_PROGRESS" -> handleInProgress();
    case "COMPLETED" -> handleCompleted();
    default -> handleUnknown();
}

Example in Python:

match status:
    case "NEW":
        handle_new()
    case "IN_PROGRESS":
        handle_in_progress()
    case "COMPLETED":
        handle_completed()
    case _:
        handle_unknown()

b. Polymorphism