# Replacing excessive conditionals with a list......maybe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Python Help\ **Created:** [October 1, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315 "2026-10-01T23:06:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adrianofdoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/adrianofdoom/32/22114_2.png) [@adrianofdoom](https://discuss.python.org/u/adrianofdoom)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/1 "2026-10-01T23:06:28Z")
self.chk\_var verifies the type and length of a var and calls a method if correct, or prints an error message if not. self.\_chk\_var also returns a True if the type and length of the var is correct, False if it is not correct. Currently, I am ignoring the return values. Code Snippet, ```python nbin=NBin() if not self.splice_event_cancel_indicator: self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "out_of_network_indicator", 1) self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "program_splice_flag", 1) self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "duration_flag", 1) self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "splice_immediate_flag", 1) self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "event_id_compliance_flag", 1) nbin.forward(3) if self.program_splice_flag: if not self.splice_immediate_flag: self._encode_splice_time(nbin) if self.duration_flag: self._encode_break_duration(nbin) self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "unique_program_id", 16) self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avail_num", 8) self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avails_expected", 8) self.command_length = len(nbin.bites) return nbin.bites ``` Here’s the problem, I have about one hundred vars to verify, and if any of them are wrong I do Not want to execute the last two lines, ```python self.command_length = len(nbin.bites) return nbin.bites ``` There’s already a bunch of conditionals and with so many vars I do Not want to do a bunch of nested if statements like this ```python if self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "unique_program_id", 16): if self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avail_num", 8): if self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avails_expected", 8): ``` My best idea so far is something like, ```python if not self.splice_event_cancel_indicator: # Check if False is in the list of return values if False in [ self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "out_of_network_indicator", 1), self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "program_splice_flag", 1), self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "duration_flag", 1), self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "splice_immediate_flag", 1), self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "event_id_compliance_flag", 1), ]: return False nbin.forward(3) if self.program_splice_flag: if not self.splice_immediate_flag: self._encode_splice_time(nbin) if self.duration_flag: self._encode_break_duration(nbin) # Check if False is in the list if False in [ self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "unique_program_id", 16), self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avail_num", 8), self._chk_var(int, nbin.add_int, "avails_expected", 8), ]: return False self.command_length = len(nbin.bites) return nbin.bites ``` ## **Does anyone have a better idea?** ---
**Author:** ![MRAB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@MRAB](https://discuss.python.org/u/MRAB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/2 "2026-10-02T00:19:56Z")
How about this: ```python if not self.splice_event_cancel_indicator: checks = (bool, nbin.add_flag, "out_of_network_indicator", 1), (bool, nbin.add_flag, "program_splice_flag", 1), (bool, nbin.add_flag, "duration_flag", 1), (bool, nbin.add_flag, "splice_immediate_flag", 1), (bool, nbin.add_flag, "event_id_compliance_flag", 1), ] if not all(self._chk_var(*args) for args in checks): return False nbin.forward(3) if self.program_splice_flag: if not self.splice_immediate_flag: self._encode_splice_time(nbin) if self.duration_flag: self._encode_break_duration(nbin) checks = [ (int, nbin.add_int, "unique_program_id", 16), (int, nbin.add_int, "avail_num", 8), (int, nbin.add_int, "avails_expected", 8), ] if not all(self._chk_var(*args) for args in checks): return False self.command_length = len(nbin.bites) return nbin.bites ``` ---
**Author:** ![adrianofdoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/adrianofdoom/32/22114_2.png) [@adrianofdoom](https://discuss.python.org/u/adrianofdoom)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/3 "2026-10-02T00:34:02Z")
I like that, it does come out a cleaner and more readable. If I put ```python if not all(self._chk_var(*args) for args in checks): return False ``` in a method like ````python def check_these(self,checks): if not all(self._chk_var(*args) for args in checks): return False``` ```` I can do ```python checks = [ (int, nbin.add_int, "unique_program_id", 16), (int, nbin.add_int, "avail_num", 8), (int, nbin.add_int, "avails_expected", 8), ] if not self.check_these(checks): return False ``` **Thank you man, I like it.** ---
**Author:** ![MRAB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@MRAB](https://discuss.python.org/u/MRAB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/4 "2026-10-02T00:56:01Z")
A further change would be to have, say: ```python checks = (bool, "out_of_network_indicator", 1), (bool, "program_splice_flag", 1), (bool, "duration_flag", 1), (bool, "splice_immediate_flag", 1), (bool, "event_id_compliance_flag", 1), ] ``` and use a dict to tell you which of the `nbin.add_*` methods should be called: ```python add_method = {bool: nbin.add_flag, int: nbin.add_int} ``` assuming that all of the `bool` and `int` checks will be using the appropriate method. Just a thought! ---
**Author:** ![peterc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@peterc](https://discuss.python.org/u/peterc)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:03am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/5 "2026-10-02T10:03:24Z")
three approaches to refactor this come to my mind: 1: use early returns example: ```python def f(...) -> Error | int: if not self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, "out_of_network_indicator", 1): return Error("out of network indicator not bool") # more checks self.command_length = len(nbin.bites) return nbin.bites ``` 2: use lists “more appropriately” example: ```python bool_vars = ["out_of_network_indicator", "program_splice_flag", ...] if any(self._chk_var(bool, nbin.add_flag, var_name, 1) for var_name in bool_vars): ... ``` 3: raise errors All of these techniques will avoid nesting a million if statements. ---
**Author:** ![adrianofdoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/adrianofdoom/32/22114_2.png) [@adrianofdoom](https://discuss.python.org/u/adrianofdoom)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/6 "2026-10-02T22:56:41Z")
2 is what I wanted to do and it would work for boolean values , because they are all 1 bit, but I also have int, hex, and byte values of various lengths. I’m going to think about 1 and 3 though. Thank you for taking the time, I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![adrianofdoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/adrianofdoom/32/22114_2.png) [@adrianofdoom](https://discuss.python.org/u/adrianofdoom)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/replacing-excessive-conditionals-with-a-list-maybe/109315/7 "2026-10-02T23:02:31Z")
I didn’t even think about that, you think since they have names like “add\_int” I would have thought of that, but I didn’t. I like that, because I really hate how long the calls to \_chk\_var are, a lot of the variable names are so long but they are from a spec so I thought it best to keep them as the come.