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Why you should care

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This rule applies whenever an if statement is followed by one or more else if statements; the final else if should be followed by an else statement.

The requirement for a final else statement is defensive programming.

The else statement should either take appropriate action or contain a suitable comment as to why no action is taken. This is consistent with the requirement to have a final default clause in a switch statement.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”12px”][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

How we detect

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]CAST Highlight counts one occurrence each time if-else if statements are not ended by else clause, except when all branches of an if-else if end with return, the code that comes after the if implicitly behaves as if it was in an else clause.

Bad Code

if x == 0 {
	doSomething()
} else if x == 1 {
	doSomethingElse()
}

Good Code

if x == 0 {
	doSomething()
} else if x == 1 {
	doSomethingElse()
} else {
	return errors.New("unsupported int")
}
 
if x == 0 {
	doSomething()
	return 1
} else if x == 1 {
	return 2
} else if {
	return errors.New("unsupported int")
}

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References

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35053371/what-is-the-benefit-of-terminating-if-else-if-constructs-with-an-else-clause
https://rules.sonarsource.com/java/RSPEC-126
https://wiki.sei.cmu.edu/confluence/display/java/MSC57-J.+Strive+for+logical+completeness[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”5362″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]

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