Subj : Re: Syntax, style, the infinite monkey theorum and coding
To   : comp.programming
From : Willem
Date : Mon Aug 22 2005 06:02 pm

Rob wrote:
)> > Ed Prochak wrote:
)> > > how about a C program with a seven page while() loop where the
)> > > condition on the while() loop was seven full lines long (where full
)> > > means about 70characters per line, not counting whitespace)? Sorry I
)> > > don't have the code available. That was at a job nearly twenty years
)> > > ago. It was written by a contractor that the company respected and was
)> > > considered a great programmer. Needless to say I did not share that
)> > > opinion when I was assigned to maintain and debug this beast.
)
) Yeah, I've seen code like this that is perfectly understandable.  The
) conditions to break-out of doing something complex can be quite
) complex.

Why are you all assuming the seven lines of while-condition are actually
only doing the testing on the conditions ?  If it was that nasty, I'm sure
there was some actual work being done in that while-condition as well.

As a simple example:

  i = 0, j = 10;
  do {
    if (test(i)) {
     something(i, j);
     continue;
    }
    something_else(j);
  } while (i = i + 2, j = j * 2, i < N);


SaSW, Willem
-- 
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
            made in the above text. For all I know I might be
            drugged or something..
            No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT

.