[erlang-questions] style question - best way to test multiple non-guard conditions sequentially

[Dmitry Kolesnikov]

Hello,

I am solving this problem in following way:

run() ->
   maybe_cond1(cond1(), …).

maybe_cond1(false, …) ->
   maybe_cond2(cond2(), …);
maybe_cond1(true,  …) ->
   % do cond1.

maybe_cond2(false, …) ->
   maybe_cond2(cond3(), …);
maybe_cond2(true,  …) ->
   % do cond2.

maybe_cond3(false, …) ->
   % do failure
maybe_cond3(true,  …) ->
   % do cond3.

this approach allows you to have as many conditions as you like. 
The code can be simplified by using lists:fold and closers e.g.

lists:foldl(fun assert/2, false, [fun cond1/0, fun cond2/0, fun cond3/0]).

assert(_, true) ->
   true;
assert(Fun, false) ->
   Fun().

cond1() ->
   case is_cond1() of
      true ->
         % do condition 1
         true;
      false ->
         false
   end.

…

but I do prefer the first approach.


Best Regards, 
Dmitry

On Jun 19, 2013, at 9:23 PM, Jonathan Leivent <jleivent@REDACTED> wrote:

> Suppose one has multiple conditions that are not guards that need to be tested sequentially (meaning, only test condition N+1 after condition N tests false) in a function.  Using a case or if in a simplistic way would then produce considerable nesting, especially as the number of conditions increases above 2 or 3.
> 
> Is there some way in Erlang to write such code without either breaking up the function clause or using high degrees of nesting?
> 
> The closest I can come is something like:
> 
> fun(...) ->
>  C1 = cond1(...),
>  C2 = C1 orelse cond2(...),
>  C3 = C2 orelse cond3(...),
>  if C1 -> ...;
>     C2 -> ...;
>     C3 -> ...;
>     true -> ...
>  end.
> 
> Which works, but looks rather cryptic.  It also seems like it is doing all of the branching at least twice.
> 
> I guess this also implies the question: why does Erlang require the conditions in an if statement to be guards?
> 
> -- Jonathan
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