Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!ncar!gatech!prism!gt4512c From: gt4512c@prism.gatech.EDU (BRADBERRY,JOHN L) Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran Subject: Re: Is this kosher? Message-ID: <20785@hydra.gatech.EDU> Date: 30 Jan 91 15:04:29 GMT References: <2787@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <20773@hydra.gatech.EDU> <2796@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 31 In article <2796@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> jim@jagubox.gsfc.nasa.gov (Jim Jagielski) writes: >In article <20773@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4512c@prism.gatech.EDU (BRADBERRY,JOHN L) writes: >}In article <2787@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> jim@jagubox.gsfc.nasa.gov (Jim Jagielski) writes: > >It ain't my code... I've seen this quite a few times on VAX machines (their >FORTRAN accepts it without even a hiccup) but, of course, when porting to >other machines the code dies a horrible death. Sometimes it does make sense >to do this if the block you are referring back to is large... of course, in >that case is better to just make it "into" a subroutine and use it as such. > Sorry about the 'assumption' implied in my response! I have also had the 'pleasure' of converting/fixing/porting VAX Fortran programs with similar constructs. Some compilers are VERY forgiving (stupid) when it comes to the 'semantics' of program statements. Unfortunately, this often causes false assumptions that the code is 'good'. After all, how many times have we heard "...but it works fine, it compiled OK!". Suggesting that it makes sense to violate structured programming techniques in this manner is similar to the arguments for GOTO's,COMEFROM'S,LINE NUMBERS, and other ingredients that frequently result in 'spaghetti code'. I'll admit that I have been guilty of this technique in fits of EXTREME desperation (you know, code you hope NOBODY ever looks at!). However, as one of my programmers used to say, "...there's always time to do it over, but NEVER enough time to do it right in the first place". -- John L. Bradberry |Georgia Tech Research Inst|001100110011001100110011 Scientific Concepts Inc. |Microwaves and Antenna Lab|Int : gt4512c@prism 2359 Windy Hill Rd. 201-J|404 528-5325 (GTRI) |GTRI:jbrad@msd.gatech. Marietta, Ga. 30067 |404 438-4181 (SCI) |'...is this thing on..?'