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Control Flow

Klar’s control flow is strict by design, aiming to eliminate ambiguity in nested structures.

The Two Golden Rules of Klar Flow:​

  1. No Shorthands: Blocks always use { }. Single-line if statements without braces are prohibited.
  2. Explicit Termination: Conditional chains must always terminate with the afterall keyword.

if / otherwise / afterall​

Basic if​

Even a simple if requires the afterall; terminator.

if (condition) {
    // code to execute
} afterall;

if with Fallback (Else)​

In Klar, what other languages call else is handled by the afterall block.

if (condition) {
    // code
} afterall {
    // fallback logic
}

The otherwise Clause (Else-if)​

The otherwise keyword requires a because clause. This forces the developer to document the intent of the alternative branch directly in the syntax.

if (score > 90) {
    println("A");
} otherwise (score > 80) because "high performer threshold" {
    println("B");
} afterall {
    println("F");
}

Syntax Rules
  • because "..." is mandatory on every otherwise block.
  • afterall is mandatory to close the if chain.
  • The body of afterall { ... } is optional, but the keyword (or semicolon afterall;) is not.

Loops​

while​

Klar supports standard while loops. Unlike the conditional chain, while does not require a special terminator beyond the closing brace.

while (condition) {
    // repeat logic
}

Notes on Loops:

  • Braces {} are mandatory even for single statements.
  • while does not use afterall.
Syntax Rules
  • for loops
  • foreach / Iterator-based loops
  • switch / Pattern matching

All of these do not exist at Klar.