How to avoid defensive if conditions in python?

defensive-programming, python

Solution

try:
    return monkey.TypeWriter().Manufacturer().Shareholders().EthnicDistribution()
except AttributeError:
    return None

Try to get the thing. If it doesn't work, you know one of the levels was missing. This works particularly nicely if those `GetBelowObject` calls aren't actually all the same method.

Problem

I am writing a code which tries to dig deep into the input object and find out a value lying inside that object. Here is a sample code: ``` def GetThatValue(inObj): if inObj: level1 = inObj.GetBelowObject() if level1: level2 = level1.GetBelowObject() if level2: level3 = level2.GetBelowObject() if level3: return level3.GetBelowObject() return None ``` There are many situations where I end up with these "slanted if conditions". How can I avoid this? This looks dirty and also it is kind of defensive programming.

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