Re: interesting use of NEXT SENTENCE vs. CONTINUE


"Chuck Stevens" <charles.stevens@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:d84fb0$1qbd$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Pete Dashwood" <dashwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:3gk48iFcotqsU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > It isn't. And it has been dropped from the 02 standard (not that I
really
> > care about that...)
>
> Well... not exactly. Its use is *disparaged by* the '02 standard, but
> support for it in compliant compilers is still required by that same
> standard.

An important but subtle distinction. Thanks for clarifying that Chuck. I
understood it had been dropped form a previous post in this thread.

(Which just goes to show, you shouldn't always believe what people write in
CLC...<g>)

To digress for a moment, in Odene Dayse I worked on sites where ALTER was
used as a matter of course. It was extremely efficient and, in machines
with limited memory, was MUCH better than using IF for a first time switch,
for example. With IF, the first time condition is tested for every iteration
of the code; with ALTER, once only...(and IF required other machine code
overheads, which ALTER didn't.)

We had conventions for using it and it wasn't just sprinkled willy nilly
through our code. When it fell into disfavour, and, eventually, disuse, none
of us could figure why... We had never had a problem with understanding,
using, or debugging it.

I still believe it was a case of the loonies taking over the asylum.

(Some people are idiots, so let's not let them play with matches...
Meanwhile, the rest of us have to suffer the cold as well... That is one
reason why I am a firm believer in ENCOURAGING, rather than ENFORCING,
installation standards. The ones who are mature enough to use matches
responsibly, should not be dragged down to the level of the ones who aren't.
Instead, the ones who aren't, should be taught to use matches
responsibly...)

As I have made abundantly clear here, I would never personally use NEXT
SENTENCE, but I don't particularly want it banned.

There is far too much 'one way; the standard way...' on many sites and I
think they are poorer for it.

Installation standards should encourage a common style that all agree with
for axiomatic reasons. When standards are used in this way they actually
help programmers, rather than stifling their thought and creativity.

Pete.



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