torvalds

What problem does it solve?

Remove the need for special-case branches when handling common data-structure operations by adjusting representation to make head and non-head cases uniform.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Change the data to remove the branch: adopt an indirect-pointer approach so head and non-head updates share a single code path.
• Change the algorithm to remove the branch: implement a single loop that updates a target pointer regardless of its position.
• Choose the representation before adding flags or special-case logic to simplify maintenance and improve readability.

Quick Start

Rewrite the target code to unify head and non-head handling by using an indirect pointer pattern that patches the target's next field without a dedicated head-case branch.