You have a point and i do agree, but what happens when you scale your example up? That's what i am talking about here. Consider this:

if ( $foo > 7 ) {
 if ( $bar ) {
  bar_func( $foo );
 }
 elsif ( $baz ) {
  baz_func( $foo );
 }
 elsif ( $qux ) {
  baz_func( $foo );
 }
}
elsif ( $foo <= 7 ) {
 if ( $bar ) {
  other_bar_func();
 }
 elsif ( $baz ) {
  other_baz_func();
 }
 elsif ( $qux ) {
  other_qux_func();
 }
}
[download]

Get's hairy quick. At that point, i would definetaly try a dispatch table with sub references. Now, to _really_ go out on a limb, how about a goto as a replacement for your first example, since you are only concerned with calling the subs if one condition is true:

goto SKIP unless $foo > 7;

if ($bar) {
   bar_func($foo);
}
elsif ($baz) {
   baz_func($foo);
}

SKIP:
# more code
[download]

Notice i didn't get rid of the outer if, i just seperated it from the inner if. Even though i use a goto, it looks more readable to me, simply because the indention level. Well, it looks more readable as long as i don't have to scan more than 10 lines to find where the goto is going! Besides, if this were inside a sub, i could replace the goto with return.

BUT ... I do agree that your first example is more readable than your second, and is much better form than my goto solution.

Did i just use a goto?!?

jeffa

L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
F--F--F--F--F--F--F--F--
(the triplet paradiddle)

---

---

• Are you posting in the right place? Check out Where do I post X? to know for sure.
• Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags. Currently these include the following:

  <code> <a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br /> <dd> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr /> <i> <li> <nbsp> <ol> <p> <small> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul>

• Snippets of code should be wrapped in <code> tags not <pre> tags. In fact, <pre> tags should generally be avoided. If they must be used, extreme care should be taken to ensure that their contents do not have long lines (<70 chars), in order to prevent horizontal scrolling (and possible janitor intervention).
• Want more info? How to link or How to display code and escape characters are good places to start.