View Category
Structure
Conditionals

Perform an action if a condition is true (IF .. THEN)

Given a variable name, if the value is "Bob", display the string "Hello, Bob!". Perform no action if the name is not equal.
groovy
if (name=='Bob')
println "Hello, Bob!"
erlang
if (Name == "Bob") -> io:format("Hello, ~s!~n", [Name]) ; true -> false end.
case Name of "Bob" -> io:format("Hello, ~s!~n", [Name]) ; _ -> false end.
Name == "Bob" andalso (begin io:format("Hello, ~s!~n", [Name]), true end).

Perform different actions depending on a boolean condition (IF .. THEN .. ELSE)

Given a variable age, if the value is greater than 42 display "You are old", otherwise display "You are young"
groovy
if (age > 42)
println "You are old"
else
println "You are young"
println "You are " + (age > 42 ? "old" : "young")
erlang
if Age > 42 -> io:format("You are old~n") ; true -> io:format("You are young~n") end.
Message = if Age > 42 -> "old" ; true -> "young" end, io:format("You are ~s~n", [Message]).
case Age > 42 of true -> io:format("You are old~n") ; false -> io:format("You are young~n") end.
case Age of _ when Age > 42 -> io:format("You are old~n") ; _ -> io:format("You are young~n") end.
Message = case Age of _ when Age > 42 -> "old" ; _ -> "young" end, io:format("You are ~s~n", [Message]).
Age > 42 andalso (begin io:format("You are old~n"), true end) orelse (begin io:format("You are young~n"), true end).
(fun (X) when X > 42 -> io:format("You are old~n"); (_) -> io:format("You are young~n") end)(Age).
(fun () when Age > 42 -> io:format("You are old~n"); () -> io:format("You are young~n") end)().
io:format("You are ~s~n", [if Age > 42 -> "old" ; true -> "young" end]).

Perform different actions depending on several boolean conditions (IF .. THEN .. ELSIF .. ELSE)

groovy
if (age > 84)
println "You are really ancient"
else if (age > 30)
println "You are middle-aged"
else
println "You are young"
erlang
if
Age > 84 -> io:format("You are really ancient~n");
Age > 30 -> io:format("You are middle-aged~n");
true -> io:format("You are young~n")
end.
case Age of
_ when Age > 84 -> io:format("You are really ancient~n");
_ when Age > 30 -> io:format("You are middle-aged~n");
true -> io:format("You are young~n")
end.

Replacing a conditional with many branches with a switch/case statement

Many languages support more compact forms of branching than just if ... then ... else such as switch or case or match. Use such a form to add an appropriate placing suffix to the numbers 1..40, e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ..., 11th, 12th, ... 39th, 40th
groovy
def suffix(n) {
switch(n) {
case { n % 100 in 4..20 } : return 'th'
case { n % 10 == 1 } : return 'st'
case { n % 10 == 2 } : return 'nd'
case { n % 10 == 3 } : return 'rd'
default : return 'th'
}
}
(1..40).each { n ->
println "$n${suffix(n)}"
}
erlang
Suffix = case Num of
N when N > 10, N < 20 -> "th";
N when N rem 10 =:= 1 -> "st";
N when N rem 10 =:= 2 -> "nd";
N when N rem 10 =:= 3 -> "rd";
_ -> "th"
end,
io_lib:format("~w~s", [Num, Suffix])
Loops

Perform an action multiple times based on a boolean condition, checked before the first action (WHILE .. DO)

Starting with a variable x=1, Print the sequence "1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128," by doubling x and checking that x is less than 150.
groovy
x = 1
while (x < 150) {
print x + ","
x *= 2
}
println()
erlang
X = 1, print_while_X_less_150(X).
Pred = fun (X) -> X < 150 end,
Action = fun (X) -> io:format("~B,", [X]), X * 2 end,
X = 1,

while_do(Pred, Action, X).

Perform an action multiple times based on a boolean condition, checked after the first action (DO .. WHILE)

Simulate rolling a die until you get a six. Produce random numbers, printing them until a six is rolled. An example output might be "4,2,1,2,6"
groovy
// Groovy has no do..while; use a normal while
int dice = 0
while (dice != 6) {
dice = Math.random() * 6 + 1
print dice
if (dice != 6) print ','
}
erlang
Pred = fun (DiceRoll) -> DiceRoll =/= 6 end,
Action = fun (DiceRoll) -> io:format("~B,", [DiceRoll]), dice_roll() end,

do_while(Pred, Action, dice_roll()).
-module(dice).
-export([start/0]).

start() ->
roll(dice_roll()).

roll(6) ->
io:format("6~n", []);
roll(N) ->
io:format("~B,", [N]),
roll(dice_roll()).

dice_roll() -> random:uniform(6).

Perform an action a fixed number of times (FOR)

Display the string "Hello" five times like "HelloHelloHelloHelloHello"
groovy
println "Hello" * 5
5.times { print "Hello" }; println()
erlang
dotimes(5, fun () -> io:format("Hello") end).
lists:foreach(fun (_) -> io:format("Hello") end, lists:seq(1, 5)).

Perform an action a fixed number of times with a counter

Display the string "10 .. 9 .. 8 .. 7 .. 6 .. 5 .. 4 .. 3 .. 2 .. 1 .. Liftoff!"
groovy
10.downto(1) { print it + " .. " }
println "Liftoff!"
erlang
fromto(10, 1, -1, fun (X) -> io:format("~B .. ", [X]) end), io:format("Liftoff!~n").
lists:foreach(fun (X) -> io:format("~B .. ", [X]) end, lists:seq(10, 1, -1)), io:format("Liftoff!~n").