Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/3/85; site ukma.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!david From: david@ukma.UUCP (David Herron, NPR Lover) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: Re: "C" wish list/semicolons Message-ID: <2364@ukma.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 11:04:20 EST Article-I.D.: ukma.2364 Posted: Thu Nov 7 11:04:20 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 22:02:14 EST References: <335@graffiti.UUCP> <895@rlvd.UUCP> <742@mmintl.UUCP> <6107@utzoo.UUCP> <142@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU> Reply-To: david@ukma.UUCP (David Herron, NPR Lover) Organization: Univ. of KY Mathematical Sciences Lines: 46 Keywords: language design C semicolons argh In article <142@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU> mwm@ucbopal.UUCP (Mike (I'll be mellow when I'm dead) Meyer) writes: > >Humbug! People arguing about whether semicolons should separate or terminate >statements are in the same class as people arguing whether 8080's or 6502's >are the microprocessor of choice. There's a commonly used better way than >either alternative. > >The thing to remember is that PEOPLE are the most important readers of a >program. If they can't read and understand it, they can't maintain it. >Taking that into account, the best thing for semicolons is: I agree. But I have a solution which will solve *everything* (:-)). >For example, a block could look like: > > { > x = 23; y = 40 > z = x + y > printf("Messy Format", x, y, z, > f) /* Statement didn't end, as it wouldn't parse */ > f = x + 7 /* Does this end? */ > * y /* Uh, no... */ > } > >No mess, no sweat when adding statements. Fewer kestrokes, and it's easier >to read than either other version. Welllll.... "*y" is a legal C statement all by itself. All this stuff with blocks (and whether to use begin...end or {..}) is silliness. Why not be totally visual about it? When you want a block of stuff, simply draw a box around it. For goto statements, draw a line from the box to wherever you want to go. Sigh. It doesn't solve the seperator problem (unless you want to have one box per statement). -- David Herron, cbosgd!ukma!david, david@UKMA.BITNET. English is a second language to me -- Baby talk was my first language.