how I would rewrite the pseudocode from http://www.cocos2d-x.org/boards/6/topics/16774

gistfile1.txt

bool foo(char* p1, int* p2)
{
    // local variable declaration
    bool bRet = false;  // init all local variables here, assume everything is wrong
    int*  ptr = NULL;
 
    PROFILER_START();
 
    // check input params
    if (p1 && p2)
    {
        // start our affairs
        if (createSomething() && initSomething())
 	      {
		      if (cond)
		      {
		          ptr = (int*)mallc(123123243);  
		      }
		      bRet = (ptr && doSomething(ptr));
 	      }
    }
 
    // start clean up phase
    if (ptr)     
    {
        delete ptr;
        ptr = NULL;
    }
 
    if (!bRet)
    {
        reserveSomething();
    }
 
    // So we haven't missed anything until here.
    // Make sure the local variables are cleaned, especially the pointer's are deleted.
    // A function should have only one return point! 
    // In this way, it's very easy to add profiler into each function, only one line at start and one at the end.
    PROFILER_STOP();
    return bRet;
}


The second example is moot, just let the if/else run to the end:

 1bool foo()
 2{
      bool bRet = false;
 3    PROFILER_START();
 4
 5    if (condition1 && condition2)
 6    {
 8        bRet = true;
 9    }
10    else if (condition3)
11    {
12        if (condition4)
13        {
15            bRet = true;
16        }
17        else
18        {
20            bRet = false;
21        }
22    }
23    // Are you sure you have return value for each condition cases? Code reviewer will kick your ass.
      // Huh? Yes, of course!
7     PROFILER_STOP();
      return bRet;
24}