Early Return from Functions
Return early when result is determined to skip unnecessary processing. This optimization is especially valuable when the skipped branch is frequently taken or when the deferred operation is expensive.
Incorrect (processes all items even after finding answer):
function validateUsers(users: User[]) {
let hasError = false
let errorMessage = ''
for (const user of users) { if (!user.email) { hasError = true errorMessage = 'Email required' } if (!user.name) { hasError = true errorMessage = 'Name required' } // Continues checking all users even after error found }
return hasError ? { valid: false, error: errorMessage } : { valid: true } }
**Correct (returns immediately on first error):**
```typescript
function validateUsers(users: User[]) {
for (const user of users) {
if (!user.email) {
return { valid: false, error: 'Email required' }
}
if (!user.name) {
return { valid: false, error: 'Name required' }
}
}
return { valid: true }
}