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Refactor if-else Statements to match-case for Improved Readability and Maintainability in Python 3.10+ #453

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@Anselmoo

Description

Checklist

  • I think this refactoring is useful for everyone (if it's too specific, consider a custom rule)
  • I have checked there are no similar issues suggesting the same thing; at least I didnt' find anything 😄

Description

In Python >=3.10 and higher, the match statement provides a more Pythonic way to handle multiple conditions compared to the traditional if else statement. The match statement is inspired by pattern matching found in other languages, offering a cleaner and more readable way to manage complex conditional logic.

Code Before

def http_status_code_message(code):
    if code == 200:
        return "OK"
    elif code == 404:
        return "Not Found"
    elif code == 500:
        return "Internal Server Error"
    else:
        return "Unknown Status Code"

Code After

def http_status_code_message(code):
    match code:
        case 200:
            return "OK"
        case 404:
            return "Not Found"
        case 500:
            return "Internal Server Error"
        case _:
            return "Unknown Status Code"

Benefits of Using match over if else

  1. Readability: The match statement is more readable, especially when dealing with multiple conditions. Each case is clearly separated, making it easier to understand the logic at a glance.
  2. Maintainability: The structure of the match statement makes it easier to add or modify cases without affecting the rest of the code. Each case is self-contained and does not require additional elif or else blocks.
  3. Pattern Matching: The match statement allows for more complex pattern matching, including destructuring of data structures, which can lead to more concise and expressive code.

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