RE: No Subroutines (was Re: Debugging many subprocedures)

Hi Joe,

Regarding your 2nd point, I've run into that more than once, and find that
simply having the procedure put the value to be returned into a temporary
variable takes care of the problem.

Better

        a = b + c;
        return a;

than

        return b + c;

And if there's a problem following the logic, use F10 to step through it and
see what it's doing.  That applies whether using single or multiple returns.
Procedures should normally be short and relatively simple so figuring them
out should not be too difficult.

Peter Dow
Dow Software Services, Inc.
www.dowsoftware.com
909 793-9050 voice
909 793-4480 fax


> -----Original Message-----
> [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Joe Pluta

> Second, coding multiple returns in a routine CAN be a bad technique in
> and of itself.  Multiple returns get to be problematic when you're
> actually returning a value, and the value you return depends on which
> point you're exiting from.  Even with a breakpoint on a P-E, it can be
> difficult to tell what is actually being returned.  And if the calling
> routine is not placing the value into a temporary value but instead
> using it as a parameter to another routine (possibly one for which you
> have no source), or worse yet returning the value to ITS caller, the
> code can get difficult to debug.
>
> That being said, I'm not against multiple returns.  There are few things
> I am adamantly opposed to because of their intrinsic nature.  But be
> consistent and use common sense, and you'll be okay.
>
> Joe
>
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