Adaptive Software Solutions

To control program flow in Groovy we can use all control structures available in Java, but with additional power. In Java, branching statements like 'if', and 'while' accept an expression which evaluates to a boolean value. We cannot use an object where a boolean is required. Groovy, on the other hand has the concept of Groovy truth, which coerces non boolean values into boolean values. Thus statement like these are perfectly valid in Groovy. List list = ['apples'] if(list) { println 'This list is not empty' } Here the list object evaluates to a boolean value. Any non empty list will evaluate to true. This article explains coercion rules for the Groovy truth. Groovy truth allows us to use non booleans inside conditionals. It evaluates objects to their (truth) boolean values. With Groovy truth we can use booleans, Strings, GStrings, List, Map, Numbers, and any arbitrary object where a boolean is expected. Groovy also gives greater power to switch statem...