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From: Biju Thomas <"Biju Thomas">
Subject: Re: Software landmines (loops)
Date: 1998/09/16
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Date: 1998-09-16T00:00:00+00:00
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Giovanni 8 wrote:
> 
> > Gerry Quinn wrote:
> >> adam wrote:
> >> Sigh... does anyone *try* to write spaghetti code?
> >> The thing is, someone who's inexperienced and hasn't read
> >> enough code to know whether code is readable or not, is
> >> certainly capable of writing unreadable, convoluted code
> >> without using GOTO.
> 
> > I agree - in fact I would argue that if you are carrying a
> > flag for deciding when to exit, the flag is part of the
> > flow of control - with all the potential pasta that entails.
> 
> Spaghetti code is in the eye of the beholder.
> 
> Some people find jumps or gotos, written in their own
> particular style, to be much more elegant and clear
> than the so-called control structures.  Others really
> like flags popping up in one place & then not being
> seen through vast piles of listing until, layers removed,
> they are used again (even in a different context with
> different conceptual significance for the values of
> the flag).  I've seen people, brows furrowed, puzzled
> over code that was the epitome of structured design,
> who could follow the jumps of assembly language with
> ease.

Reminds me of what Dijkstra told about the effect of COBOL and BASIC on
minds:

"The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be
regarded as a criminal offense."

"It is practically impossible to teach good programming style to
students that have had prior exposure to BASIC; as potential programmers
they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration"

Biju Thomas