# Conditionals

## Basic `if` and `else`

If you store the builder object in a variable, you can use `if` and `else` statements like you would expect.

```
var builder = builder.from( "posts" );
if ( rc.recent ) {
    builder.orderBy( "published_date", "desc" );
}
var results = builder.get();
```

This works, but breaks chainability. A better way is to use the `when` helper method.

## `when`

| Name      | Type    | Required | Default                     | Description                                                                                                   |
| --------- | ------- | -------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| condition | boolean | true     |                             | The condition to switch on.                                                                                   |
| onTrue    | Closure | true     |                             | The callback to execute if the condition is true.  It is passed the `builder` object as the only parameter.   |
| onFalse   | Closure | false    | function( q ) { return q; } | The callback to execute if the conditions is false.  It is passed the `builder` object as the only parameter. |

We can rewrite the above query like so:

```
var results = builder.from( "posts" )
    .when( rc.recent, function( q ) {
        q.orderBy( "published_date", "desc" );
    } )
    .get();
```

Nice. We keep chainability this way and reduce the number of temporary variables we need.


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