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From: R.J.Hare@edinburgh.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.lang.icon
Subject: Case statements and string scanning
Message-ID: <26.Feb.91..12:24:40.gmt..060488@EMAS-A>
Date: 26 Feb 91 12:24:40 GMT
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Thanks to those who replied.
 
The method involving paired tests and operations seems an intersting idea, I
shall certainly try it out when I get a chance.
 
RGs comments on the use of if statements highlight the 'problem'. If I do
 
if expr1 then ...
if expr2 then ...
if expr3 then ...
 
obviously with varied 'expr's, I could have more than one block of code being
executed when I only want one. The alternative:
 
if expr1
then ...
else if expr2
     then ...
     else if expr3
          then ...
          else ...
 
is fine but awful hard to read (which is the part I am unhappy about). What is
really needed is something like the Fortran ELSEIF construct:
 
IF (test1) THEN
  .
ELSEIF (test2) THEN
  .
ELSEIF (test3) THEN
  .
ELSE
  .
ENDIF
 
which is only a case statement with a different hat on.
 
Is there such a thing in Icon (ie: have I missed it?). Should there be?
 
Roger Hare.