Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ncar!tank!mimsy!chris
From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: `if (a = b)' (was Standard indentation?)
Message-ID: <14993@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 14 Dec 88 07:00:04 GMT
References: <1988Dec8.173158.11839@utzoo.uucp> <846@starfish.Convergent.COM> <1683@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 29

>In article <14945@mimsy.UUCP> I wrote:
>>I still prefer ....

In article <1683@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu> badri@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu
(Badri Lokanathan) writes:
>I am missing something here. Why is
>
>a = expr; if (a == b) {statement}
>
>preferable, in general, to
>
>if ((a = expr) == b) {statement}

It is not.  That is why I said `I prefer' rather than `it is better'.
The one that I believe is objectively worse than its alternatives is

	if (l = r) ...

vs any of

0.	l = r;
	if (l) ...

1.	l = r;
	if (l != 0) ...

2.	if ((l = r) != 0) ...
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris