Re: else ladders practice

On 07/11/2024 16:23, David Brown wrote:

On 06/11/2024 20:38, Bart wrote:

[Functions vs. procedures]

   void F();
   void (*G);
   void *H();
   void (*I)();
>
OK, 4 things declared here. Are they procedures, functions, variables, or pointers to functions? (I avoided using a typedef in place of 'void' to make things easier.)
>
I /think/ they are as follows: procedure, pointer variable, function (returning void*), and pointer to a procedure. But I had to work at it, even though the examples are very simple.
>
I don't know about you, but I prefer syntax like this:
>
    proc F
    ref void G
    ref proc H
    func I -> ref void

(The last two might be wrong interpretations of the C. I've stared at the C code for a minute and I'm still not sure.
If I put it through my C compiler and examine the ST listing, it seems I I'd just swapped the last two:
    func H -> ref void
    ref proc I
But you shouldn't need to employ a tool to figure out if a declaration is even a function, let alone whether it is also a procedure. That syntax is not fit for purpose. This is a HLL, so let's have some some HL syntax, not gobbledygook.)

It is not the use of a keyword for functions that I disagree with, nor am I arguing for C's syntax or against your use of "ref" or ordering.  I simply don't think there is much to be gained by using "proc F" instead of "func F -> void" (assuming that's the right syntax) - or just "func F".
 But I think there is quite a bit to be gained if the func/proc distinction told us something useful and new, rather than just the existence or lack of a return type.

I use the same syntax for my dynamic language where type annotations are not used, including indicating a return type for a function. That means that without distinct keywords here:
   func F =
   end
   proc G =
   end
I can't tell whether each a returns value or not. So 'func'/'proc' is useful to me, to readers, and makes it possible to detect errors and omissions:
-  'return' without a value in functions
-  'return x' used in procedures
-  A missing return or missing return value in functions (since this
    is also expression-based and the "return" keyword is optional in the
    last statement/expression)
-  A missing 'else' clause of multi-way constructs within functions
-  Trying to use the value of a function call when that is not a
    function.