Java By Comparison

Simplify Boolean Expressions

class SpaceShip {

    Crew crew;
    FuelTank fuelTank;
    Hull hull;
    Navigator navigator;
    OxygenTank oxygenTank;

    boolean willCrewSurvive() {
        return hull.holes == 0 &&
                fuelTank.fuel >= navigator.requiredFuelToEarth() &&
                oxygenTank.lastsFor(crew.size) > navigator.timeToEarth();
    }
}

Boolean expressions that combine multiple conditions are often hard to understand and easy to get wrong. But you can make them easier with a few simple tricks.

As in the previous comparison, you can see an example of a validation method. The condition is more complex than the previous one, but it’s already condensed in a single return statement according to ​Return Boolean Expressions Directly​.

The sheer size of the ...