Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!pyrnj!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!chrisj
From: chrisj@ut-emx.UUCP (Chris Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: Too Much Recursion!  Where?
Message-ID: <5948@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 12 Sep 88 15:19:50 GMT
References: <3150006@vx2.NYU.EDU> <3140@sdsu.UUCP>
Reply-To: chrisj@emx.UUCP (Chris Johnson)
Organization: U.T. Austin Computation Center
Lines: 65

I can tell you what too much recursion is.  But, better still, let me
show you.  Just attach the following script to a button anytime you
want a recursion error.

on mouseUp
  get Level1()
end mouseUp


function Level1
  get Level2()
end Level1


function Level2
  get Level3()
end Level2


function Level3
  get Level4()
end Level3


function Level4
  get Level5()
end Level4


function Level5
  get Level6()
end Level5


function Level6
  get Level7()
end Level6


function Level7
  get Level8()
end Level7


function Level8
  get Level9()
end Level8


function Level9
end Level9

As you can see this is not recursion by any traditional definition (at least
not one that I know of).  'Recursion' in this case seems to mean 'levels of
subroutines'; which is why the above script will generate the 'recursion' 
error when it reaches the "get Level9()" call.  [It reminds me of my old
HP-41 calculator - it only had a seven level return stack.]  For me, this 
error is really a serious problem.  Evidently, though, it doesn't effect most
HyperCard users.

I should add that if you make all of those functions into procedures, the
'Recursion' error doesn't show up.  It seems likely that its still there, but
you may have to go quite a few levels deeper to find it.

----Chris