if else in a php function

Question

i have methods in a php class which returns boolean response the code i have used is.

public function checkIfExist($table ,$key, $value)
{
    $sth = $this->dbh->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $table WHERE $key = :value");
    $sth->bindParam(':value', $value);
    $sth->execute();
    if($sth->fetchColumn() >= 1)
    {   
        return true;
    }
        return false;
}

the above method works for me without the else condition being included, logically it should work because once the functions get the true as boolean response it will exit the method. but is it the right way or should i be including else condition there?

3 people beat me to it, just return the result of the comparison. — Andrew Charlton
– Andrew Charlton, Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 17:41
@mhitza and upvoters: it is a big questionmark, whether or not this way of writing this is better, it is definitely less readable and likely less maintainable. — markus
– markus, Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 17:49
@markus people still debate about which bracket styles are less/more readable, I'd rather not go there :) — mhitza
– mhitza, Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 17:51
@mhitza not about brackets, brackets have nothing to do with maintainability of code. — markus
– markus, Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 17:53

Matt Ball · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:39:44Z

5

This is a perfectly fine way to write this logic. If you return from an if body, you can definitely omit the else.

It would be more concise, however, to just do this:

return $sth->fetchColumn() >= 1;

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:39

Matt Ball

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4 Comments

Ibrahim Azhar Armar Over a year ago

it looks neat and readable and i think better then what i have used, thank you :)

Matt Ball Over a year ago

@markus: do you write if statements like this? if ((a > b) == true) {...} Or like this? if (a > b) {...}

markus Over a year ago

The second, of course. And if the first, then if (true == (a > b)) and not vice versa. But we're talking something else here!

markus Over a year ago

The if statement has an 'if' which gives the semantic information which the notation we're talking about lacks.

anubhava · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:39:31Z

2

Better to have your return like this:

return ($sth->fetchColumn() >= 1);

instead of if and else

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:39

anubhava

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1 Comment

Iulius Curt Over a year ago

Not necessarily better. Just more compact. Because if he wants later to add one single instruction before that return true he'll have to change all of it.

markus · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:42:34Z

2

That's fine coding.

You don't need the else.

this is because if anything in that if statement was true --> you are returning, and if it is not true --> you are returning.

So the function is correct in its implementation.

edited Apr 4, 2011 at 17:42

markus

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answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:38

Naftali

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Comments

Daff · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:39:44Z

1

This is fine since as you said the method returns already. Since your condition already returns a boolean you might also write

public function checkIfExist($table ,$key, $value)
{
    $sth = $this->dbh->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $table WHERE $key = :value");
    $sth->bindParam(':value', $value);
    $sth->execute();
    return $sth->fetchColumn() >= 1;
}

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:39

Daff

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Comments

Infotekka · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:40:50Z

1

Just return the result of the comparison:

public function checkIfExist($table ,$key, $value)
{
    $sth = $this->dbh->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $table WHERE $key = :value");
    $sth->bindParam(':value', $value);
    $sth->execute();
    return ($sth->fetchColumn() >= 1);
}

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:40

Infotekka

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Comments

Michael Banzon · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:40:01Z

0

It is really a matter of preferences.

Personally I like having only one return statement per function/method. This would require the use of a variable to hold the return value - but hopefully the gain is more readable code.

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:40

Michael Banzon

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Comments

Iulius Curt · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:40:04Z

0

It is right. And also very practiced.

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:40

Iulius Curt

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Comments

andrew · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-04 17:41:53Z

0

I use this kind of coding a lot:

function do_something($arg)
{
    if(some_condition_fails($arg))
    {
        return false;
    }

    if(some_other_condition_fails($arg))
    {
        return false;
    }

    //do it
    return $result;
}

There's no need to nest everything in else's...in fact, adding extra blocks around code that doesn't need it is dirtier (in my opinion) than leaving it out.

answered Apr 4, 2011 at 17:41

andrew

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