classic General Motors analysis found that 50 to 80 percent of if statements should have had an else clause (Elshoff 1976). One option is to code the else clause--with a null statement if necessary--to show that the else case has been considered. Coding null elses just to show that that case has been considered might be overkill, but at the very least, take the else case into account. When you have an if test without an else, unless the reason is obvious, use comments to explain why the else clause isn't necessary, like so: