From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: f43e6,9a0ff0bffdf63657
X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public
X-Google-Thread: fac41,9a0ff0bffdf63657
X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public
X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,9a0ff0bffdf63657
X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public
X-Google-Thread: 103376,4b06f8f15f01a568
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
From: Charles Hixson <charleshixsn@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Software landmines (loops)
Date: 1998/09/06
Message-ID: <35F2EC39.E33C7C60@earthlink.net>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 388480685
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
References: <slrn6sopmg.4fg.jdege@jdege.visi.com>
 <rfzpddz3s2.fsf@bnp-eng.remcomp.com>
 <902934874.2099.0.nnrp-10.c246a717@news.demon.co.uk> <dewar.903074236@merv>
 <6r1glm$bvh$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <dewar.903281994@merv>
 <6r9f8h$jtm$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6renh8$ga7$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
 <6rf59b$2ud$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <l5HC1.6840$wN.1856764@news.giganews.com>
 <6rfra4$rul$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <35DBDD24.D003404D@calfp.co.uk>
 <m3ogt3qgca.fsf@mheaney.ni.net> <6sbuod$fra$1@hirame.wwa.com>
 <35f51e53.48044143@ <904556531.666222@miso.it.uq.edu.au>
 <6sgror$je8$3@news.indigo.ie> <6sh3qn$9p2$1@hirame.wwa.com>
 <Oi4H1.219$qj1.315418@newsread.com> <6simjo$jnh$1@hirame.wwa.com>
 <6skcr2$i4o$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
X-Posted-Path-Was: not-for-mail
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
X-ELN-Date: Sun Sep  6 13:07:39 1998
Organization: Mandala Fluteworks
Mime-Version: 1.0
Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada
Date: 1998-09-06T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

adam@irvine.com wrote:
... 
> be little more than speculation.  Someone might say, "Putting all the
> predicate information at the top of the loop leads to better code",
> but where's the empirical evidence that this is the case?  I mean, we
> could come up with all sorts of logic about why doing this should be
> better, but without some sort of study, our logic is based on
> assumptions about what *seems* like it should be more maintainable,
> assumptions that may or may not hold water.
> 
> At best, these assumptions may reflect the poster's personal
> experience; but since not everyone thinks the same way, an assertion
> based on someone's experience may not be all that useful.  One person
... 
> experience produces better judgment.  But I just haven't seen any
> compelling evidence that, for a programmer who understands the
> importance of readability and has good judgment, any particular style
> will be preferable to any other particular style (occasional GOTO's
> vs. avoiding them like the plague, single-exit vs.  multiple-exit,
> using return's in the middle of your procedures, etc.).  I just don't
> see that we have enough empirical evidence to support any such
> conclusion.
> 
>                                 -- Adam
> 
> -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
> http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp   Create Your Own Free Member Forum

A very important point.  There is probably a range of "best choice"s,
and it may be that no one person is in a position to recognize all of
them.