🚀 go-pugleaf

A.Main@dcs.warwick.ac.uk (Zefram) wrote:
>When used with a loop construct, the situation identifier is just a
>break.  The (already suggested) syntax that would attach an optional
>label to each loop, and allow break and continue to use that label,
>would be more general (because continue works),

>and wouldn't complicate
>the grammar nearly as much.

That's for sure.

>When used with an arbitrary statement, the
>situation identifier merely acts as a goto to the end of the statement,
>which I think is sufficiently rarely used

I couple of weeks ago, I would have agreed with you. Recently, however, from
articles posted here, private correspondence, and a couple of books (_Windows
95_ and _Code Complete_). I've discovered that this is a common idiom for error
handling. I think that there are much better solutions, but apparently
(otherwise :-) ) good programmers goto the bottom of a function to handle all
errors encountered in that function. Situation indicators would, IMO, be a
slight improvement.

>that another syntax for it
>would not be useful.

"Useful," I think so; "warranted," maybe not.

-- 
Paul Long                               45:29:14N 122:48:09W
plong@perf.com                          http://www.teleport.com/~pciwww/
    "Where time or intelligence are lacking, a goto may do the job."
        - M.E. Hopkins, "A Case for the GOTO," 1972.