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From: COK2@MTS.DURHAM.AC.UK
Newsgroups: comp.lang.modula2
Subject: Layout of CASE Statements
Message-ID: <INFO-M2%89033108531194@UCF1VM>
Date: 31 Mar 89 13:51:16 GMT
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Reply-To: Modula2 List <INFO-M2%UCF1VM.bitnet@jade.berkeley.edu>
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I like the structure of my programs to yell themselves at me.
Hence, the layout of a program is important to me.

Here is how I have laid out CASE statements up to now:
   CASE month OF
   |  jan, mar, may, jul, aug, oct, dec:
            len:= 31
   |  feb:
            IF (year MOD 4 = 0) AND (year MOD 100 <> 0)
               THEN
                  len:= 29
               ELSE
                  len:= 28
            END
   |  apr, jun, sep, nov:
            len:= 30
   END
Note the line of | lined up between the C of CASE and the E of END.
This line helps to show the extent of the CASE statement, and
clearly shows where each arm starts.

Note that the first bar is superfluous --- it is allowed by the 3rd (and
subsequent) edtions of Wirth's "Programming in Modula-2".   The first | is
there to re-inforce the line of | characters.

Recently, I have thought of a new layout for CASE statements.
Here a row of | characters are used to separate the arms of the CASE
statement:
   CASE month OF
   jan, mar, may, jul, aug, oct, dec:
      len:= 31
   |||||||||||||
   feb:
      IF (year MOD 4 = 0) AND (year MOD 100 <> 0)
         THEN
            len:= 29
         ELSE
            len:= 28
      END
   |||||||||||||
   apr, jun, sep, nov:
      len:= 30
   END
I currently have two problems with this:
(a) how long to make the row? --- the length of the line containing CASE?
    or the length of the longest line in the CASE statement?
(b) whether to include a row of | characters both before the first arm
    and after the last arm?
==
IMPORTANT: the following are new electronic mail addresses.
==
Barry Cornelius
==
Computer Science Group, School of Engineering and Applied Science,
University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE, England
              JANET:       Barry.Cornelius@uk.ac.durham
              Internet:    Barry.Cornelius%durham.ac.uk@cunyvm.cuny.edu
              UUCP:        ...ukc!cs.nott.ac.uk!bjc
              BITNET/EARN: Barry.Cornelius%DURHAM@AC.UK
Tel: Durham (091 or +44 91) 374 2638, Secretary: 374 2630, Fax: 374 3741