Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!bruce!goanna!ok
From: ok@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Pascal (was Re: for(;;) vs. while(1) is a draw)
Message-ID: <3104@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au>
Date: 30 May 90 07:23:04 GMT
References: <5876@buengc.BU.EDU> <12955@smoke.BRL.MIL> <5879@buengc.BU.EDU> <1751@tkou02.enet.dec.com>
Organization: Comp Sci, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia
Lines: 35

In article <1751@tkou02.enet.dec.com>, diamond@tkou02.enet.dec.com (diamond@tkovoa) writes:
: >Um, I've recently had a lot more contact with people from a Pascal
: >background than I really wanted.  Quickly now, what's wrong with this:
: 1>	program main;
--------------------^ (output) should be declared because it is used!
: 2>	    var i: integer;
: 3>	    procedure p(n: integer);
: 4>		begin
: 5>		    for i := 1 to n do write(' ');
------------------------^ the loop control variable must be LOCAL
: 6>		    writeln(i);
----------------------------^ the loop control variable is now UNDEFINED
: 7>		end;
: 8>	    begin
: 9>		p(10);
:10>	    end.
: >(I count three violations of the Pascal Standard.)

: Then read the Pascal Standard and count again.  There is one violation.

Here are slightly edited error messages from a compiler:
Line 5: FOR-loop control variable must be declared at this level
Line 5: Standard file "output" must be declared by PROGRAM statement
Line 6: Must assign value before using variable
Line 6: Standard file "output" must be declared by PROGRAM statement

: (Did you think that Pascal lacks a null statement?)

No of course I didn't.  I do hope that winning this argument helps to
convince people that I'm right about the superiority of for (;;) over
while (1) as well, but somehow I don't suppose it will.  Too bad.

-- 
"A 7th class of programs, correct in every way, is believed to exist by a
few computer scientists.  However, no example could be found to include here."