🚫 Stop Writing If-Else Like a Beginner: Try This Instead (Java Edition)

Ramesh Fadatare

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6 min read

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Apr 7, 2025

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🔒 This is a Medium member-only article. If you’re not a Medium member, you can read the full article for free on my blog: Stop Writing If-Else Like a Beginner: Try This Instead.

Also, check 🚫 Stop Writing Loops Like a Beginner: Try This Instead.

Every developer, especially when starting out, gets comfortable with if-else statements. They’re simple, easy to use, and get the job done.

But as your codebase grows and your applications become more complex, relying too much on if-else can make your code messy, hard to test, and difficult to maintain.

In this article, we’ll explore why excessive if-else usage is a problem, and introduce you to modern, cleaner, and more readable alternatives that can help you write professional, scalable code.

Why Overusing If-Else Is a Problem

Let’s say you’ve got a piece of business logic like this:

public double calculateDiscount(String userType) {
    if (userType.equals("regular")) {
        return 0.05;
    } else if (userType.equals("premium")) {
        return 0.10;
    } else if (userType.equals("vip")) {
        return 0.20;
    } else {
        return 0.0;
    }
}

Sure, it works. But imagine adding more user types or applying new discount rules. Your if-else tree will grow fast and become hard to maintain.

❌ Problems with this approach:

• Poor readability
• Harder to test
• Difficult to extend (violates Open/Closed Principle)