Question

What is the best way (pattern) around return method1() || method2() not invoking method2() if method1() returns true?

Example

I’m using this class to bound a table:

class Bounds {
    // return true iff bounds changed
    boolean set(int start, int end);
}

and I want this function to resize both the rows and columns and return true iff either was modified:

public boolean resizeToFirstCell(Bounds rows, Bounds columns) {
   return rows.set(0, 1) || columns.set(0, 1);
}

Answer 1

Use a non-short circuiting (sometimes called “Eager”) operator, |.

public boolean resizeToFirstCell(Bounds rows, Bounds columns) {
    return rows.set(0, 1) | columns.set(0, 1);
}

You can read more about that in the operator documentation for || (C# specific link, but still holds true for Java and C++).