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From: milgr@teapot.prime.COM (Marc Milgram)
Newsgroups: comp.theory
Subject: Re: Procedures with multiple out parameters: why not?
Message-ID: <736@primerd.PRIME.COM>
Date: 17 Aug 90 21:07:45 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.231838.5664@zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu> <21458@grebyn.com> <516@roo.UUCP>
Sender: news@primerd.PRIME.COM
Reply-To: milgr@teapot.prime.COM (Marc Milgram)
Lines: 18

As an implementation issue, many traditional programming languages
implimentations
returning a value by storing it in a register, and executing a return
instruction (or
an indirect jump ...).  Languages implimented as such are limited to returning
simple values as complex structures would not fit in the user register set.

More recent language implimentations use other methods for returning
structures.


Data flow analysis becomes significantly harder when functions can modify their
arguments -- also modifying a variable in another function.



Marc Milgram
milgr@teapot.prime.com