Re: Help with an errant 'IF' statement please.

[Austin Obyrne <austin.obyrne@hotmail.com>]

On Sunday, November 30, 2014 1:46:58 PM UTC, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2014-11-30, Austin Obyrne <austin.obyrne@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > On Sunday, November 30, 2014 11:18:33 AM UTC, Simon Clubley wrote:
> >> 
> >> Do what I told you to do and write a stripped down standalone test program
> >> around the fragment you posted.
> >> 
> >> You will then see what Dennis (and myself) are telling you.
> >> 
> >> I could tell you what the problem is, but I think it's more important for
> >> you to understand how to find this yourself.
> >> 
> >
> > Hi Simon - herewith the program sourcecode of the procedure in
> > question - I would like to know for future - my main preoccupation is
> > with problem solving but the elegance and efficacy of Ada are
> > important to me also - bear with me -this a an experimental program by
> > me and is not a fine example of programming in Ada. I would appreciate
> > your help - I am going flat out with research work in cryptoland - Ada
> > is a tool to me at the moment until I get more time to 'smell the
> > flowers' of the language proper.
> >
> 
> Hello Austin,
> 
> I said a standalone, compilable, test version.
> 
> The idea is that you post a small standalone example of your code which
> can be directly copied from the posting into a file and then compiled
> on a person's system.
> 
> You also need to reduce the code to the minimum necessary to demonstrate
> the problem. BTW, it is during this reduction process that the reason for
> the problem has a habit of becoming clear. :-)
> 
> Along with posting the code, you also state the _specific_ problem you
> are having with this code (doesn't exit a loop, doesn't add up correctly,
> etc) along with the output you are seeing.
> 
> Only at this point do we have enough information to try and help you.
> 
> For example, in the code you have posted, there are no variable definitions,
> there are functions (such as Time_Ex_1) which are used and not defined and
> you have not stated what the specific problem is with this version of the
> code.
> 
> BTW, I'm not being difficult here, I'm trying to get you to help yourself
> by explaining what is needed before you can be given some suggestions.
> 
> The process you need to go through here is the exact same process we all
> go through when trying to isolate some specific problem.
> 
> To everyone else: Austin doesn't seem to understand what I am asking him
> to do. Could my comments be improved in some way ?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Simon.
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
> Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

Thanks a million again.

This is the only program in several hundred where this method of stalling the program does not work and it is only when I used this type of loop i.e. being terminated by a 'sentinel' character that it happens.  It is not a problem in the current cipher now but I have taken on board your advice for future - I do understand what I must do sometime soon in the future and I may have to come back to you again - you are saying I should create some innocuous program and try stalling it by the same means and the reason why it won't work should surface - I hadn't thought of that.  I will be doing that asap.

Thanks for your much appreciated help - am I right in my intentions?.

I have scrapped the program in hand but I need to know for future in other programs. - I think I've got you right ! - Austin