total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
if (user.isPremiumMember) {
total = total * 0.9; // 10% discount
versus total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
discount = calculateDiscount(user); // Returns 0.9 or 1.0
total = total * discount; total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
total = total * user.discount; total = calculateOrderTotal(user.order);
total *= user.discount;
or: return
calculateOrderTotal(user.order)
* user.discount; return 1 - user.isPremiumMember * 0.1;
would also cut it. v = setup()
if v == 1:
side_effect_1()
elif v > 1:
side_effect_1()
side_effect_2(v)
else:
raise Exception()
then we can "refactor" v = setup()
if v < 1:
raise Exception()
side_effect_1()
if v > 1:
side_effect_2(v)
i know that this might seem "dumb" that the code was ever setup the first way but code can grow into that shape pretty easily. this refactor "removes" the v==1 branch. this new code also follows the "early return" pattern, which improves readability.