Using NOT operator in IF conditions

Question

Is it really a good practice to avoid using NOT operator in IF conditions in order to make your code better readable? I heard the if (doSomething()) is better t

Answer 1

No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the ! operator in if..then..else statements.

The naming of variables, and in your example, methods is what is important. If you are using:

if(!isPerson()) { ... } // Nothing wrong with this

However:

if(!balloons()) { ... } // method is named badly

It all comes down to readability. Always aim for what is the most readable and you won't go wrong. Always try to keep your code continuous as well, for instance, look at Bill the Lizards answer.