🚀 go-pugleaf

a-cnadc@microsoft.com (Dann Corbit) writes:
> In article <3151B47F.70FD@connix.com>, shawley@connix.com says...
> >
> >What to you think? Loops without using loops?
> >
> >a loop:
> >
> >for(i=0;i<10;i++)
> >{
> >  stuff
> >}
> >
> >Looping with out a loop
> >
> >no_loop(0,10);
> >
> >no_loop(int start, int end)
> >{
> >    if(start != end) {
> >        stuff
> >        no_loop(start+1,end);
> >    }
> >}
> >
> >I haven't tested this but you get the idea.
> Yes, recursion can be used to loop "without a loop".
> There is no practical advantage to this method.
> The recursive version has 10 function calls to add
> to its overhead.

Actually, since this function is tail recursive, any good compiler
will optimize the recursive function call to a jump to the start of
the program block, effectively making this a loop.  Note that non-tail
recursive functions will not be subject to this optimization, however.

Steve Zdancewic
Carnegie Mellon University