Comment by ai_

if let makes a lot more sense when you learn that a normal let expression also takes a pattern[1].

  let Coordinates(x, y) = get_coords();

But this is intended for "exhaustive patterns". If you can't express an exhaustive pattern, like with an Option, then you can use let ... else

  let Some((x, y)) = get_coords() else { return };

if let is just an extension of this "let pattern" system.

Once you internalize how patterns work (and they really work everywhere) it all starts to really make sense and feels a lot cleaner.

[1]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/patterns.html