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From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Poll on style issue in comparison
Message-ID: <65@opus.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Sep-85 23:10:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: opus.65
Posted: Thu Sep 19 23:10:46 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Sep-85 06:37:42 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO
Lines: 38

I'd like to poll you folks on a small matter of style.  I've seen it
mentioned from time to time in lang.c.  PLEASE email (DON'T POST) answers
to the questions below; I'll post responses and comments in a bit.

The issue is this:  People tend to stumble over the difference between ==
and =.  It's not that they don't know the difference; they just screw up,
typically writing something like
	if (x=0) ...
when they mean
	if (x==0) ...
Some people have suggested reversing the order of comparisons, viz:
	if (0==x) ...
so that the compiler will complain if = is substituted for ==.
One argument against this form is that it is an unconventional order which
is harder to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The questions:

1.  Do you use this form of comparison?

2.  Regardless of whether you use it, how do you feel about it (e.g., other
    people using it in code that you will maintain)?
	- dislike it
	- neutral (OK if you want to do it)
	- like it

3.  If you use or like this way of writing comparisons, how do you feel
    about also writing ordering tests with the constant first, as
	if (0