Sometimes the if/else flow will not cut it: I go binary.
The problem
There are times when functions and methods will get flags and options coming from many places and handling those using if/else checks becomes a unelegant and unmaintainable chore:
function someFunction($option1 = true, $option2 = false, $option3 = true, $option4 = false)
{
if($option1){
if($option2 && $option3){
...
} else if($option2 && !$option3 && $option4){
...
}
}
...and so on...
}
while slimming down the options or the function/method responsibilities might be the best way to do it I work with WordPress and often have to deal with legacy code that has stratified over time and what was a small responsibility function or method became a mess of related and interwoven options.
Bits
Binary system to the rescue a good way to go might be to convert all those boolean options into the base 2 mask everyone loves
function someFunction($option1 = true, $option2 = false, $option3 = true, $option4 = false)
{
$options = 1 * $option1 + 2 * $option2 + 4 * $option3 + 8 * $option4;
switch($options){
case 0:
// all false
....
break;
case 1:
// just option1
....
break;
case 2:
// just option2
....
break;
case 3:
// option1 and option2
....
break;
case 5:
// option1 and option3
....
break;
case ...:
}
}
if not all the combinations are possible than the case entry needs not to be added to the switch loop. Further delegation and DRY code might make things even better.