Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!uunet!pdn!tscs!tct!chip
From: chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg)
Newsgroups: comp.object
Subject: Re: Documenting OO Systems
Keywords: operators
Message-ID: <27F4D3F3.6CD@tct.uucp>
Date: 30 Mar 91 18:07:46 GMT
References: <1991Mar26.191259.14470@i88.isc.com> <4693@osc.COM> <jls.670218725@rutabaga>
Organization: Teltronics/TCT, Sarasota, FL
Lines: 35

According to jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Jim Showalter):
>>One thing i like about C is that when you type something you know what it's
>>going to do.
>
>Okay, what is this going to do?:
>
>    int j (int y, int m, int d) {
>    int m_d[12] = {31,28,31,30,31,30,31,31,30,31,30,31};
>    if (m<1 || m>12) return 0;
>    int l = !(y%4) && y&400;
>    if (d<1 || d>(m_d[m-1] + (m==2 && y))) return 0;
>    int dd = 0;
>    for (int i=0; i<m-1; i++) dd += m_d[i];
>    return dd + d + (m>2 && y);
>    }

Actually, this code isn't legal C, what with the declarations in the
middle of the function.  And it's badly formatted.  And it has a bug
or two -- I think the two "&& y" phrases should be "&& l".  And the
rule for leap years is "(y%4)==0 && ((y%100)!=0 || (y%400)==0".

Nevertheless, it is easily recognized as the classic month/day/year to
Julian day conversion, with zero as the error return.

>You should be able to tell me right off the bat--you think English sucks
>as a programming language, and this is DEFINITELY not written in English.

Sigh.  Jim, you fell victim to one of the classic blunders:

    "English = Bad" does NOT necessarily imply "!English = Good".

-- 
Chip Salzenberg at Teltronics/TCT     <chip@tct.uucp>, <uunet!pdn!tct!chip>
   "All this is conjecture of course, since I *only* post in the nude.
    Nothing comes between me and my t.b.  Nothing."   -- Bill Coderre