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: 1108a1,9a0ff0bffdf63657 X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public X-Google-Thread: fac41,9a0ff0bffdf63657 X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,4b06f8f15f01a568 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Patrick Logan Subject: Re: Software landmines (loops) Date: 1998/08/31 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 386465562 References: <6r1glm$bvh$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6r9f8h$jtm$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6renh8$ga7$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6rf59b$2ud$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6rfra4$rul$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <35DBDD24.D003404D@calfp.co.uk> <6sbuod$fra$1@hirame.wwa.com> <35f51e53.48044143@news.erols.com> <6sdiav$e0g$1@hirame.wwa.com> Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 09:06:03 PDT Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada Date: 1998-08-31T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In comp.object Matthew Heaney wrote: : > Actually this section says that there are two different kinds of : > loops. one that is tested at the top; and another which is tested at : > the bottom. But in all cases, the elements of structure programming : > have a single entry and a single exit. A loop that exits in the : > middle, violates this maxim. : I think the issue is meaning vs syntax. When I use an exit from the : middle, it's to say that "I want to terminate the loop, NOW." Almost every time I am tempted to terminate a loop in the middle, I ultimately choose not to. More important than that, IMHO, is that a loop's body not have a lot of text in it. If it is a five or ten line loop, at the most, then even if it terminates in the middle it will be easier to read. So a loop should communicate the control aspect of the operation, the body should rely on procedures/methods to carry out the bulk of the work. This also has the benefit of making the bulk of the work more reusable. -- Patrick Logan (H) mailto:plogan@teleport.com (W) mailto:patrickl@gemstone.com http://www.gemstone.com