Question

Why must both branches of the if statement have the same type?

a) For efficiency purposes
b) To avoid runtime errors
c) For logical consistency
d) To enable proper debugging

Answer 1

In programming, both branches of an if statement must have the same type to ensure logical consistency and prevent runtime errors. This uniformity allows for reliable further operations on the result.

Step-by-step explanation:

When dealing with an if statement in programming, it is essential for both branches to have the same type for logical consistency. When an if statement branches into two possible paths - the 'if branch' and the 'else branch,' they often need to produce a result that is consistent regardless of which branch is taken. This is particularly important if the result is to be used later in the code, as it ensures that any operations performed on the result do not result in type errors or unexpected behavior.

For instance, if an if statement evaluates a condition to determine if a user is an adult based on their age and intends to return a string message, both branches should return a string. One branch might return 'You are an adult,' while the other returns 'You are not an adult.' Mixing types, such as returning a boolean in one branch and a string in another, can lead to runtime errors when the code expects a specific type.