RE: %EOF - more on GOTO

["John Taylor" <John.Taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com]On
> Behalf Of Bob Spinks
> Sent: Saturday, June 19, 1999 5:09 AM
> To: INTERNET:RPG400-L@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: %EOF - more on GOTO
>
>
> What about n-way(pipeline/scalar) processing using multiple
> chips(up to 12)
> on the 720 box.
>
> Conditional branching(i.e. GOTOs,CABs,etc.) clogs up the pipelines due to
> prediction
> algorithms which must be used for the branch instructions.
>
> Optimization is achieved when all pipelines are full and an instruction is
> completed with each
> cycle. This is impossible when branching is used in the pgm.
>
> Information on this subject can be gotten from Soltis' book "Inside The
> AS/400".
>
> One last vent, GOTO is synonomous for Spaghetti!
>
> Bob Spinks


I wasn't aware of the optimization issue with n-way machines. However, it
wouldn't have made much difference to me because I never trade off
maintainability for performance.

One last reply, GOTO is a tool! I wouldn't remove the hammer from my toolbox
just because it has the *potential* to do bad things. FWIW, I've never found
the need to use a GOTO in any other language than RPG. But within it's fixed
column constraints, nested structures are just a mess to try and untangle.

John Taylor

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