On Fri, 18 Jun 2021, at 16:57, Bob Bridges wrote:
> Ack! To my mind
>
> if fx then
> do
> ntim=ntim+1
> end
> else
> do
> nres=nres+1
> end
>
> ...is much harder to read than
>
> if fx then ntim=ntim+1
> else nres=nres+1
Yes, I agree. But a more compact style like
if fx then do
ntim=ntim+1
end
else do
nres=nres+1
end
is less of an eyesore, and if one is using a text editor that matches
if then do/end/else/end the extra space used is a small compromise
for getting the visual coloured confirmation that the structure is right,
I do use the simple form, but usually only when the actions are
very similar eg
if number = 1 then thingmsg = "The thing is"
else thingmsg = "The things are"
say thingmsg "working perfectly."
I'm generally not happy to mix the forms as eg
if simple then say "something simple"
else do
...
. ...
say "phew! that was complex!"
end
Also in my experience it's often necessary to add extra lines of code
(eg for debugging) on one or other arm of a test and it's a lot easier
later to add code within the do/ends of
if fx then do
ntim=ntim+1
end
else do
nres=nres+1
end
than to have to add all the do/end stuff as well as the debugging
code later on. It's also easier, if need be, to comment the if and
else parts of that if you've got unlimited space in the two arms of
the structure.
--
Jeremy Nicoll - my opinions are my own.
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