Non-recommended Ruby multi-line if conditional assignment of value

multi_line_if_value_assignment.rb

# Not easy to parse and read.
value = if conditional
  # do some work
  # do more work
  value1
else
  # do some work
  # do more work
  value2
end
# use value for something

multi_line_if_value_assignment_alternatives.rb

# Clearer approach for cases when if branches are multi-line even if a little more verbose
value = nil # this line helps clarify the scope for the value, also needed if there is no else block.
if conditional
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value = value1
else
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value = value2
end
# use value for something

# I tend to prefer the extract method approach though
value = get_value
# use value for something

# Method usually has a more descriptive name clarifying this step in the algorithm 
def get_value
  if conditional
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value1
  else
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value2
  end
end

# Of course if branches were not multi line, just use the ternary operator 
value = cond ? value1 : value2

#What about this
value = 
  if conditional
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value1
  else
    # do some work
    # do more work
    value2
  end

tking, that looks better, but I've seen examples that made it tough to connect the end of the if/else conditional to the assignment of the value since they were more than a page long. Of course, long methods is an orthogonal problem, but compounding that with multi line if/else value assignment made it even harder to discern the high-level algorithm/workflow at a glance. From your tweet, it seems like you and I agree that the extract method approach works best generally as it abstracts that step of the algorithm into a one line statement (provided the get_value method is named properly to describe the algorithm step clearly)