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Jesse Vorvick
6,047 PointsWhy no `else` statement?
In the teacher's code for the function saveSearchString(str), I was (painfully) aware that there was no else statement following the if statement:
function saveSearchString(str) {
var searches = getRecentSearches();
if(!str || searches.indexOf(str) > -1) {
return false;
}
searches.push(str);
localStorage.setItem('recentSearches', JSON.stringify(searches));
return true;
}
As we all saw, this worked fine. Wouldn't this cause the function to return true in either case, or try to return both?
3 Answers
Steven Parker
229,732 PointsYou never need an "else" when the body of an "if" ends with a "return". The return terminates the function, so no other code within the function will be executed.
In a sense, you can say that everything after the conditional block is "else" code, because it will only run when the if condition is not true.
Jesse Vorvick
6,047 PointsThanks! Is this functionally the same as, say, a break statement, apart from the fact that a value is being returned?
Steven Parker
229,732 PointsIt's perhaps slightly similar. A "return" ends a function or method, a "break" ends a loop.
Jesse Vorvick
6,047 PointsPerfect, thanks a lot!