[erlang-questions] How do I elegantly check many conditions?

[mats cronqvist]

Hynek Vychodil <vychodil.hynek@REDACTED> writes:

> code
>
> ok = is_new_email1(Email).
>
> doesn't looks like same amount of code
>
> try is_new_email2(Email) catch throw:email_in_use -> email_in_use end.
>
> First one turns return value to exception, second one turns exception to
> return value. Second one seems more code, does not?

  but the exception generated in example 1 is a worthless 'badmatch'.

> Even code
>
> is_new_email1(Email) ->
>   case mnesia:dirty_read(email, Email) of
>     []    -> ok;
>     _ -> email_in_use
>   end.
>
> seems less than
>
> is_new_email2(Email) ->
>   case mnesia:dirty_read(email, Email) of
>     []    -> ok;
>     _ -> throw(email_in_use)
>   end.

  I think it should be written like this;

is_new_email2(Email) ->
  try [] = mnesia:dirty_read(email, Email)
  catch _:_ -> throw({email_in_use,Email})
  end.

  This is how your example 1 above has to be written too, if it is to
  give a helpful error message.

  mats