Mark Johnson wrote:
> I just acquired a new client and found an interesting
> programming style that
> for the life of me I cannot understand why anyone in their
> right mind would do such a thing.
>
> Not on all programs but it seems that for programs that open
> less than 4-5
> files, the programmer continues the logic in the THEN section
> of the open statement. Example:
>
> OPEN FILE1 TO F.FILE1 THEN
> OPEN FILE2 TO F.FILE2 THEN
> OPEN FILE3 TO F.FILE3 THEN
> EOF=0
> LOOP READNEXT ID ELSE EOF=1 UNTIL EOF DO
> PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS
> REPEAT
> END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE3"
> END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE2"
> END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE1"
> END
Yes Mark, this is a new fangled thing that I believe is called 'Structured
Programming'. I suspect it'll never catch on, obviously it's only just
reaching your part of the world. ;^)
> There could be 200-300 lines between the OPEN for FILE3 and
> its error message.
Well, that part I don't like, but shit happens I suppose. A bit like:
OPEN FILE1 TO F.FILE1 ELSE GOTO 999
where 999 is a long way away.
Personally, I'd code the above example as:
OPEN FILE1 TO F.FILE1 THEN
OPEN FILE2 TO F.FILE2 THEN
OPEN FILE3 TO F.FILE3 THEN
GOSUB PROCESS_STUFF
END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE3"
END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE2"
END ELSE PRINT "CAN'T OPEN FILE1"
STOP
PROCESS_STUFF:
EOF=0
LOOP READNEXT ID ELSE EOF=1 UNTIL EOF DO
PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS
REPEAT
RETURN
END
or even as:
GOSUB OPEN_FILES
IF SHIT_HAPPENED ELSE
GOSUB PROCESS_STUFF
END
STOP
OPEN_FILES:
SHIT_HAPPENED = ""
OPEN FILE1 TO F.FILE1 THEN
OPEN FILE2 TO F.FILE2 THEN
OPEN FILE3 TO F.FILE3 ELSE
SHIT_HAPPENED = FILE3
END
END ELSE
SHIT_HAPPENED = FILE2
END
END ELSE
SHIT_HAPPENED = FILE1
END
IF SHIT_HAPPENED THEN
PRINT "Can't open ":SHIT_HAPPENED
END
RETURN
PROCESS_STUFF:
EOF=0
LOOP READNEXT ID ELSE EOF=1 UNTIL EOF DO
PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS
REPEAT
RETURN
END
> Now I know that Pick is pretty loose and forgiving. But what
> could be the sanity behind this.
You know the funny thing is that programmers who use decent editors don't
seem
to find the whole indentation thing so challenging. ;^)
Cheers,
Ken
-------
u2-users mailing list
u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org
To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/
