Re: Clever UNIX/C Constructs

[bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx]

>Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 09:55:03 -0800
>From: Jim Langston <jimlangston@conexfreight.com>
>
>Another reason "they" came up with the += construct is because
>A = A + 5
>just does not make since from a algebraic point of view.  A can not be
equal
>to A plus 5.  That would evaluate to false.

Jim, do you have a reference for this statement that += was needed
because a = a + 5 was nonsense algebraically?

C allows a = a + 5;, and anyway, in C, "a = b;" has nothing to do
with algebra or evaluating to true or false.

>It is not "hard to follow" but harder to follow than a = a + 5.  The
simple
>expressions don't show the real issue, however.  Not until you get into
those
>expressions that are half a yard long and use += and -- and ++ all over
the
>place.

Please don't group ++ and -- in with += and -= since they are two different
sets of operators.  It's ++ and -- that can lead to difficult-to-understand
and impossible-to-maintain code.

The proposed RPG enhancement would limit expressions to a single += used
as the assignment operator.  They would allow you to take expressions that
are half a yard long and make them a quarter of a yard long.  In my book,
that's easier to read and more maintainable.

Barbara Morris


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