Condition precedent


A condition precedent is an event or state of affairs that is required before something else will occur. In contract law, a condition precedent is an event which must occur, unless its non-occurrence is excused, before performance under a contract becomes due, i.e., before any contractual duty exists.
In estate and trust law, it is a provision in a will or trust that prevents the vesting of a gift or bequest until something occurs or fails to occur, e.g. the attainment of a certain age or the predecease of another person. For comparison, a condition subsequent brings a duty to an end whereas a condition precedent initiates a duty.
In computing, a while loop sets the truth of a statement as a condition precedent for the execution of a given subroutine or other code segment. By contrast, a do while loop provides for the action's ongoing execution unless a given condition is determined to be false, i.e., provides for that action's execution subject to defeasance by the condition's falsity, which falsity is set as a condition subsequent.

Cases