&& is the perfectionist, || is the opportunist - both quit when they get what they want!

By Fuat Can Köseoğlu, 2025-09-11

Short-circuit evaluation is a fundamental behavior of logical operators (&& and ||) where evaluation stops as soon as the final result is determined: AND (&&) Operator: • If any condition is false, the entire expression is false • C# stops checking remaining conditions once it finds a false one • All conditions must be true for the expression to be true OR (||) Operator: • If any condition is true, the entire expression is true • C# stops checking remaining conditions once it finds a true one • Only one condition needs to be true for the expression to be true Organize conditions from lowest to highest cost when possible. This way, expensive operations only run when necessary. General Guidelines • Null checks first - prevent null reference exceptions and eliminate invalid cases quickly (if needed) • Simple field comparisons - fast memory operations • Method calls - may involve computation but usually fast • External operations last - database, file system, network calls Good Practices • Understand the behavior - Know that && and || stop evaluating when the result is determined • Consider operation costs - Put faster operations before slower ones when logical • Think about common failure cases - Structure conditions to eliminate invalid cases quickly • Maintain code readability - Don't sacrifice clarity for minor optimizations Follow for O(1) access to daily game dev tips!