No, that's not good. If condition() is true, x shouldn't take the value 5, even temporarily. The combination of (x = 5, condition()) is inconsistent state (

No, that's not good. If condition() is true, x shouldn't take the value 5, even temporarily. The combination of (x = 5, condition()) is inconsistent state (using the word "consistent" in the same sense as the C in ACID). It really is clearest and safest to avoid inconsistent state, even if is only transient. There are so many ways programs can be wrong; no need to deliberately create inconsistent state when there's no need to.