Branching

Branching typically looks a little something like this:

if (something === something){
  do stuff;
} else if (something === somethingElse) {
  do something different;
} else {
  do something even differenter;
}

and now here comes some words.

Equals = Equals: Always use "===" when checking if something is the same as something else. You technically can use "==" on occasion (like when comparing integers), but in most instances you'll want the datatypes to match too. So stick with the triple ='s whenever you can. Don't use "=" when comparing values, as the single equal sign is for assigning values, not comparing values.

Parentheses If You Please: Be sure to keep your parentheses in check when setting your conditionals, especially when you have multiple comparisons occuring. Check it:

if ((x > 1) || (y > 2)) {
  console.log("Those parentheses are on fleek.");
}

Not weighing the number of your closing and opening parentheses (or not having them at all) can create some very confusing errors!

Do This, Or Else: Always try your best to account for every situation when branching. They should always end with an else to catch every curveball that might be sent your way. While this might seem a little overkill, teachers will be on the lookout for those elses.

Line 'em up: Always think about the order of your if statements, especially if you're chaining else ifs. This can be super-duper important when you get into using breaks or returns to exit branching/functions.

Pro-tip: The != (not equal to) comparison operator is often forgotten and is the bees knees, especially when executed creatively. For example: if (x != NaN) (good old double negative).

You are the One, This is True: The conditional part of an if statement returns a boolean. "If" is looking for "true" or "false" and then away it goes. So, if you're feeling frisky, it totally makes sense to do something like this:

let x = true; // boolean set to true
let y = 1; // 1 is a flag variable for true
if ((x) && (y)) { // x AND y are true, so the code carries on
  ...
}

There's a lot of ways a branching statement can start, but it's helpful to have a list of comparison operators at the ready so you remember how you can compare operands.

Captain's Console.Log: If you ever are unsure of how your code is routing through your branching statements, a handsome console.log("Checkpoint 1!"); can indicate what's going where. (Yes, console.log will continue to be a very helpful tool whenever things go sideways.)

Wishing we had different information here? Tell us what we should put! (after you wake up, of course.)