Re: transpiling to low level C

On 17/12/2024 01:19, Keith Thompson wrote:

bart <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
[SNIP]

In that case I've no idea what you were trying to say.
>
When somebody says that 'goto' can emulate any control structure, then
clearly some of them need to be conditional; that is implied.
>
Your reply suggested they you can do away with 'goto', and use
recursive functions, in a scenario where no other control structures
need exist.
>
OK, if this is not for an IL, then it's not a language I would care
for either. Why tie one hand behind your back for no good reason?

 I read Janis's post.  I saw a suggestion that certain constructs are
*theoretically* unnecessary.  I saw no suggestion of any advocacy for
such an approach.
 """
A 'goto' may be used but it isn't strictly *necessary*. What *is*
necessary, though, that is an 'if' (some conditional branch), and
either 'goto' or recursive functions.
"""

This doesn't actually make much sense. So 'goto' is necessary, but 'goto' *is*?
If you try to extract any meaning, it is that any control flow can be expressed either with 'goto' or with 'recursive functions'.
This is what I picked up on. Who on earth would eschew 'goto' and use such a disproportionately more complex and inefficient method like recursive functions?
How would you even express an arbitrary goto from random point X in a function to random point Y, which may be inside differently nested blocks, via a recursive function?
If this is suppposed to be theoretically possible, then neither do you need a compiler OR a computer to run any program! Pencil and paper will work.