Re: Clever UNIX/C Constructs

[John Hall <jhall@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >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?
> 

I once knew a programmer who insisted that the LET statement in basic
was required for that same reason.

Of course he was wrong but boy he was adamant about it.

He would say that there was no way the following could be true

x = x + 1  unless x was equal to infinity.

LET x = x + 1    was ok of course.

A math major trying to apply math rules to a computer .... 

John Hall
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