Re: %EOF - more on GOTO

[Bob Spinks <rspinks@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<This last observation is kind of misleading.
GOTO or DOW - unstructured or structured code gets all compiled to same
processor branch instructions.
Processor does not care if branch instruction was generated from despised
GOTO
or from respectable DOW.
Old dispute between using or avoiding GOTOs is all about human readability
of
code.

Best regards
    Alexei Pytel>

Concerning branch prediction:
     Soltis states in his book, "A branch instruction can create havoc in a
pipeline, causing it to stall
     until the system can decide the next instruction to use." 

Assuming that your statement is correct that DOW and GOTO are COMPILED
similarly,
I'm theorizing that optimization done thru the TRANSLATOR handles them
differently
when the instructions are actually created. 

I'm suggesting that between Iterations and "branches to Nowhere as far as
the processor is concerned",
Iterations are processed with much less stress(prediction required) on the
hardware. 

Alexei, are you with IBM(Rochester) and if so, maybe you are privy to these
benchmark tests? 

If so, please post the results or where they can be found.

Also, if you have additional info concerning "branch prediction" on the
AS/400, I would appreciate it if 
you would post the references or e-mail me.

Thanks,
Bob Spinks



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