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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:40:08 -0800 (PST)
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Subject: Re: Tests in a software release
From: Robert Eachus <rieachus@comcast.net>
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Xref: feeder.eternal-september.org comp.lang.ada:49069
Date: 2017-11-22T12:40:08-08:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

On Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 7:20:22 PM UTC-5, Randy Brukardt wrote:

> The main reason to use a goto in Ada 2012 is for the (missing) loop=20
> continue statement. I do this quite often (and so does the GNAT code,
> if I'm remembering correctly) -- real code being much more complex
> than this:

>     loop=20
>         ...=20
>        if ...=20
>            ...=20
>            goto Continue; -- Start next iteration.=20
>        end if;=20
>         ...=20
>         <<Continue>>=20
>     end loop;=20

Shrug. Even if the loop is intended to run until the power shuts off--an ex=
ample is the flight control software for an airplane--that construct clearl=
y implements a finite state machine, and I'd probably include the FSM in th=
e documentation.  I'd definitely include the FSM if there is another way ou=
t of that loop other than power failing usually one or more return statemen=
ts. One or more exceptions can do the same thing, and it helps to document =
how you can get to the exception handler from the loop.

And by 'it helps' I don't mean only during maintenance.  I've spent days wo=
rking back and forth from the documentation to the source code until they a=
greed, and agreed with the requirements.

More simply said, most FSMs in Ada are implemented as loops without for or =
while clauses.  The alternative has a label at the entrance and several got=
os
back to it.