---
title: "Write better code and be a better programmer by NEVER USING ELSE statements"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/write-better-code-and-be-a-better-programmer-by-never-using-else-statements-vpfhwwuko
source_url: https://dglsparsons.hashnode.dev/write-better-code-and-be-a-better-programmer-by-never-using-else-statements
type: article
source: "Hashnode"
author: "Douglas Parsons"
published: 2020-11-11T05:46:26.822Z
updated: 2021-10-07T14:17:10.317Z
tags: ["general-programming"]
reading_time: 6
upvotes: 41
comments: 4
language: en
---

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# Write better code and be a better programmer by NEVER USING ELSE statements

**[Hashnode](https://daily.dev/sources/hashnode)** · [@dgls](https://daily.dev/dgls) · 6 min read · 41 upvotes · 4 comments

## Summary

The Art of Computer Programming is a book by Donald Knuth. In it, Knuth explains how to avoid using else statements in your code. Else statements break the line-of-sight rule, and they always lack context. Here, we show how to remove else statements from your code in two ways.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://dglsparsons.hashnode.dev/write-better-code-and-be-a-better-programmer-by-never-using-else-statements>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@hunterp** · 4 upvotes

> Great clickbait....and you clearly have thought it through well....but its going to take a LOT more to convince me an else statement is not the bedrock of defensive programming! ;-)

**@krook1024** · 2 upvotes

> never use else, use helper functions instead so ur code is more readable

**@tolis659** · 2 upvotes

> Clickbait and straight-up toxic gatekeeping bullshit.

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---

Tags: [#general-programming](https://daily.dev/tags/general-programming)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/write-better-code-and-be-a-better-programmer-by-never-using-else-statements-vpfhwwuko)