Re: RPG read loops

[James Rich <james@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005, Paul Morgan wrote:

> Most programmers seem to code with the single read/exfmt style which IMHO
> complicates the code.  In a DoU/Read loop the body of the loop is nested two
> deep inside the DoU and an If statement.  In a Read/DoW/Read loop the body
> of the loop is nested one deep inside a DoW.  Doesn't this reduction in the
> nesting of the body of the loop improve the program?  Readability is
> improved.  Performance is also improved (although minor) with the removal of
> one test against the end of loop.
>
> Other programmers I work with are adamant about not coding more than one
> read statement.  Why is coding more than one read statement such a problem?

This is personal preference, but I hate having two read statements.  The 
reason is that for me two read statements destroys the logical progression 
of cause and effect.  A single read statement logically looks like this:

cause (read)
effects (what you do with what you've just read)

Whereas two read statements reverses this sensible logic.  Once you have 
entered the loop you have:

effects
cause

This just really bugs the heck out of me.

James Rich

It's not the software that's free; it's you.
        - billyskank on Groklaw