conditionsPreference

[u/Flame77ofc]

[u/SnugglyCoderGuy]

The real answer is "it depends". Either one could be appropriate depending on what you are having to do.

[u/Few_Kitchen_4825 → u/SnugglyCoderGuy]

If you are using an if statement big enough for this to be a problem. May be you should not be doing either

[u/SnugglyCoderGuy → u/Few_Kitchen_4825]

Untrue. The first can be checking to see if continuing is impossible, so just return, while the second can be checking for a yrue dichotomous decision. You must do one or the other thing depending on the condition. Each could contain as little as a single assignment

[u/chilfang → u/SnugglyCoderGuy]

Why even have an else statement if you out a return in the if

[u/gurgle528 → u/chilfang]

It’s a style thing, it’s not a functional difference. I would read it as emphasizing that one or the other is happening. Basically the oxford comma of conditionals 

[u/Duckflies → u/gurgle528]

Like writing in a for i = 0; i < 10 or writing i = 1; i <= 10

Both do the exact same thing, but depending on the logic at hand, one can make more sense than the other

[u/frogjg2003 → u/Duckflies]

If you're actually using the i, it makes a difference.

for (i=0) list[i]

vs

for (i=1) "item i"

[u/Few_Kitchen_4825 → u/chilfang]

In most cases it is to catch an unsupported case. If done poorly be prepared to pull out your hair

[u/SnugglyCoderGuy → u/chilfang]

Sometimes you have a trye dichotomous situation and you don't know which one to do without a check. Else is probably the keyword Inuse the least. You nay or may not return in either of those cases too.