Question

Consider:

if (something) {
    // Code...
}

With CodeRush installed it recommended doing:

if (!something) {
    return;
}
// Code...

Could someone explain how this is better? Surely there is no benefit what so ever.

Answer 1

Isolated, as you’ve presented it – no benefit. But mark4o is right on: it’s less nesting, which becomes very clear if you look at even, say a 4-level nesting:

public void foo() {
    if (a)
        if (b)
            if (c)
                if (d)
                    doSomething();
}

versus

public void foo() {
    if (!a)
        return;
    if (!b)
        return;
    if (!c)
        return;
    if (!d)
        return;
    doSomething();
}

early returns like this improve readability.