A number of years ago I knew a guy who avoided using = as both assignment and conditional, preferring to use = only for assignment and EQ for conditions. His rationale, which I agree with, was that it removes ambiguity and forces spaces around the EQ to improve readability.
That was probably 12 years ago at least, and I still try to do that today because once you get used it it, it really does improve readability, particularly months after the original implementation. -Kevin [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.PrecisOnline.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Les Hewkin Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 9:05 AM To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org Subject: RE: [U2] [UV] making 00001 our of 1 I don't like to disagree with people BUT...... I like the first example best. Why not compare like with like This is how I would write it BEGIN CASE CASE RATE.INDICATOR = 5 TOTAL.AMT = AMOUNT * MAIN.RATE CASE RATE.INDICATOR = 6 TOTAL.AMT = AMOUNT * SECONDARY.RATE CASE 1 ERROR.CODE = INVALID.RATE.ERROR.CODE END CASE We each have our own style. They are all just as good as each other. It's just what you are used to. Les. -----Original Message----- From: Adrian Matthews [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 03 March 2005 14:55 To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org Subject: RE: [U2] [UV] making 00001 our of 1 Personally I find well spaced and structured code easier to read. Consider the following: BEGIN CASE CASE V=5 TOTAL = AMT*RATE CASE V=6 TOTAL = AMT*RATE2 CASE 1 ERR = 14 END CASE Is much better as: Begin Case Case RateIndicator = 5 TotalAmt = Amount * MainRate Case RateIndicator = 6 TotaAmt = Amount * SecondaryRate Case ELSE ErrorCode = INVALID_RATE_ERROR_CODE End Case Obviously ELSE and INVALID... are equates. Humans can read mixed case a great deal easier than all uppercase and the spacing helps the logic. Sensible variable naming negates the need for comments. All above IMHO and how long will this thread survive before going to community!! -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Johnson Sent: 03 March 2005 13:53 To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org Subject: Re: [U2] [UV] making 00001 our of 1 IMHO I use the term 'overly grand' when i review existing prior code on my current and new clients and there is a very large verbose nature to it. Not being conclusive, but often times the code looks nice but there's way too much 'air' in the program at the expense of being better in the logic area. Certainly I've not read everyone's code. But what I've seen over the years has taught me that when I see grandness, that grandness takes a 200 line program and makes it 700. Case in point: *************** * * OPEN MD FILE * *************** OPEN "","MD" TO F.MD ELSE ERRMSG="CANNOT OPEN THE MD FILE. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROGRAMMER" GOSUB 90000 STOP END ********************* * * OPEN PRODUCT FILE * ********************* OPEN "","PRODUCT" TO F.PRODUCT ELSE ERRMSG="CANNOT OPEN THE PRODUCT FILE. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROGRAMMER" GOSUB 90000 STOP END ************************ * * END OF OPENING FILES * ************************ What gets me is the time spent to make the asterisks match the length of the comments. I see your variable assignment style a lot yet if a new variable were needed, say CUSTOMER.LAST.SALE.DATE = "" would you re-indent all of the other variables just to look pretty? (I don't mean pretty in a derogatory way, I mean to spend your time and the client's $ for something that really doesn't matter) I know that there are some system-generated source code 4GL's that may create the comments for you. But I can see past that with the inconsistent content of the actual code. There is a command which escapes me now that formats source code (not necessarily databasic) in the editor to match old-school BAL programming. I've tripped over it by accident and then lose my changes as I EXit and then re-edit to not have all the 'air'. Some could argue that a 200 line program becoming 700 could fall under the concept of standardized programming or making it easier for the next guy. Well, I'm that 'next guy' plenty of times and since it's very inconsistent, it's certainly not a standard. I could write a book on the wide variety of programming 'standards' I've inherited and the ineffeciencies found. It's unfortunate that in my travels the grandness happens to have a related brother of reduced logic and a more brute force approach. It's just harder to research with all of that clutter. My 2 cents. Mark Johnson ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 6:56 AM Subject: Re: [U2] [UV] making 00001 our of 1 > Mark, > > I'm one of those programmers who use the "overly grand" way of spacing you > describe. I believe that > > ASDTFY = '' > AS = '' > DRT = 0 > > is much more readable than > > ASDTFY='' > AS='' > DRT=0 > > especially when there is a lot more code than in this example, and > everything else around it is crammed together as tightly as it can be as well. Code is > written for the human as much as the compiler, and I like it to be as easy > to read (and spot errors) as possible. > > This spacing won't bother a find program if you wrote it or have the source, > and teach it better. > > My 4 cents. > > Regards, > Charlie Noah > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) writes: > > [snip] > P.S. If you use my concept, you may want to have your search strings contain > no spaces and convert to "" the spaces in each reviewed line. There is a > overly grand way people program with spaces between operators and even > though the complier doesn't care, FIND programs or the editor will miss them > if they don't match exactly. > > My 3 cents. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Barry Brevik" [EMAIL PROTECTED] > (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > > >I have always used "R%5" but I may miss programs > > >that use other techniques to arrive at the same result. > > >Can someone give me examples that they have seen for changing 1 to 00001? > > > > I don't want to start a religious war, but I think it is completely normal > > to use: > > > > NBR = NBR "5'0'R" > > > > or > > > > NBR = NBR"5'0'R" > > > > Barry > > ------- > ------- > u2-users mailing list > u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ ------- u2-users mailing list u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ The information contained in this email is strictly confidential and for the use of the addressee only, unless otherwise indicated. 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