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From: hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: misc.misc,comp.misc
Subject: Re: The "evil" GOTO (Was: 25 Years of BASIC)
Keywords: Guinness, phlegm, mackerel, intestines
Message-ID: <4397@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 9 May 89 20:38:11 GMT
References: <1791@ubu.warwick.UUCP> <1436@onion.reading.ac.uk> <1814@ubu.warwick.UUCP> <11136@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <1383@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 41

In article <1383@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS> mark@cygnet.UUCP (Mark Quattrocchi) writes:
}In article <11136@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> jik@athena.mit.edu (Jonathan I. Kamens) writes:
}>In article <1814@ubu.warwick.UUCP> mirk@uk.ac.warwick.cs (Mike Taylor) writes:
}>>How many times have you seen this kind of code?
}>>
}>>	printf ("Enter your sex: ");
}>>	while (sex != "m" && sex != "f") {
}>>		gets (sex);
}>>		if  (sex != "m" && sex != "f")
}>>			printf ("<m> or <f> only: ");
}>>	}
}>
}>Indeed, this is a pretty bad example of where a goto would be useful,
}>because you are simply illustrating what the purpose of the C do ...
}>while construct is for:
}>
}>do {
}>   fprintf(stdout, "Enter your sex (<m> or <f> only): ");
}>   fflush(stdout);
}>   fgets(stdin, sex, 2);
}>   fflush(stdin);
}>} while ((*sex != 'm') && (*sex != 'f'));

}Speaking of jumping to conclusions, your code is not a one for one
}equivalent of the original. Even though I agree with your interpretation,
}you are cheating by combining the print statements together. Try again
}only don't cheat.

This isn't cheating.  Both code fragments accomplish the same function --
getting the user's sex.  The second fragment does it better on several
counts.  Not only is the code simpler, more efficient and easier to
maintain, but it helps prevent the end user from making an avoidable
error.

Human factors is part of programming.

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@ttidca.tti.com)  Illegitimati Nil
Citicorp(+)TTI                                                 Carborundum
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