java - How to avoid if/else when using multple suppliers? -

is there way avoid using if/else statements when data can queried multiple locations , should returned on first non null instance?

i'm trying load preferences user 3 different locations (user preferences, group preferences , system preferences). example:

preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type) {      preference preference = getuserpreferencefor(user, type);     if (preference != null) {         return preference;     }      preference = getgrouppreferencefor(user, type);     if (preference != null) {         return preference;     }      return getsystempreferencefor(user, type); }      

i avoid using these if checks , chain these methods behavior remain same code wouldn't have ugly duplication.

i have thought of few solutions non of these strike elegant one. example, 1 way to have each of these methods provide default scatter if statements.

preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type) {     preference preference = getuserpreferencefor(user, type);     if (preference != null) {         return preference;     }      return getgrouppreferencefor(user, type); }  preference preference getgrouppreferencefor(      if (preference != null) {         return preference;     }      return getsystempreferencefor(user, type); }  

another way use provider interface, create subclasses each , iterate on providers until first non null found.

public interface preferenceprovider {     preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type); }  public class userpreferenceprovider implements preferenceprovider {     public preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type) {         ...     } } ... group , system provider same way  final static preferenceprovider[] providers = new preferenceprovider[] {     new userpreferenceprovider(),     new grouppreferenceprovider(),     new systempreferenceprovider() };  preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type) {     preference preference = null;     (preferenceprovider provider : providers) {         preference = provider.getuserpreferencefor(user, type);         if (preference != null) {             return preference;         }     } } 

the last 1 close enough still has null check (which i'd avoid) , i'm pretty confident there's design pattern solves problem. can't remember 1 ...

what about:

preference getpreference(user user, preference.type type) {      preference preference = getuserpreferencefor(user, type);     if (preference == null) {         preference = getgrouppreferencefor(user, type);         if (preference == null) {            preference = getsystempreferencefor(user, type);         }     }     return preference; } 

it still uses ifs looks elegant enough me.