Introduction:

As a programmer, you might come across code snippets that are verbose and lengthy. These examples can make it harder for you to read, understand, and maintain the codebase. In this blog post, we will take a look at how you can shorten code examples to improve readability and maintainability.

We will be using PHP code examples in this post, and we'll focus on the following code snippet:

if($user->isLoggedIn() && $user->hasPermission('admin')) {
  return true;
} else {
  return false;
}

This code checks if a user is logged in and has admin permissions. If they do, it returns ´true´, otherwise, it returns ´false´. This code works, but it can be shortened to improve readability.

Ternary Operator

One way to shorten this code is to use the ternary operator. The ternary operator is a shorthand way of writing an if-else statement. Here is an example of how you can use the ternary operator to shorten the above code:

return $user->isLoggedIn() && $user->hasPermission('admin') ? true : false;

In this code, we're checking the same conditions as before. However, instead of using an if-else statement, we're using the ternary operator. The ternary operator evaluates the condition before the ? symbol. If it's true, it returns the value after the ? symbol. Otherwise, it returns the value after the : symbol.

While this code is shorter than the original code, it can still be shortened further.

Boolean Expression

The shortest way to write the above code is to use a boolean expression. A boolean expression is a logical expression that evaluates to either ´true´ or ´false´. In this case, we can use the boolean expression to return the result directly:

return $user->isLoggedIn() && $user->hasPermission('admin');

In this code, we're checking the same conditions as before, but we're returning the result directly. The expression ´$user->isLoggedIn() && $user->hasPermission('admin')´ evaluates to either ´true´ or ´false´, so we can return it directly.

Conclusion

Shortening code examples can improve readability and maintainability. Using the ternary operator or boolean expressions can help you write more concise and readable code. The next time you come across a lengthy code snippet, consider using these techniques to shorten it.