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  3. When I say "goto", my parrot says "Spaghetti Code"

When I say "goto", my parrot says "Spaghetti Code"

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  • R RandyBuchholz

    Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Marc Clifton
    wrote on last edited by
    #9

    Sacrilege! You will goto hell for such thoughts! Oh wait. Even hell has been refactored: while (true) burnInHellForever(); ;)

    Latest Article - Building a Prototype Web-Based Diagramming Tool with SVG and Javascript Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

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    • C CodeWraith

      RandyBuchholz wrote:

      Have we developed an irrational fear of

      Speak for yourself. :-) Just look what I'm working on right now. Every opcode that starts with B is a branch (= goto). :-)

      ; =========================================================================================
      ; BIOS Command selection
      ;
      ; Parameters:
      ; ---
      ;
      ; Returns:
      ; ---
      ; =========================================================================================

      BIOS_Command: LDI hi(TxtEnterCommand)
      STXD
      LDI lo(TxtEnterCommand)
      STXD
      SEP R4
      dw WriteLine

      CMD_Repeat: LDI 00FFH ; get RS232 input, max. timeout
      STXD
      SEP R4
      dw RS232InSoftware

      				IRX								; timeout?				
      				LDX
      				BZ   CMD\_Skip
      
      				STXD							; echo input
      				STXD
      				SEP	 R4
      				dw   RS232Out
      
      				IRX
      				LDX
      				SDI  006EH						; test input = n	
      				BZ   CMD\_Exit
      				
      				LDX
      				SDI  0079H				
      				BNZ  CMD\_Repeat
      
      				LDI  hi(TxtNewLine)				; announce BIOS CMD
      				STXD
      				LDI  lo(TxtNewLine)
      				STXD
      				SEP  R4
      				dw   WriteLine
      
      				LDI  hi(TxtNewLine)
      				STXD
      				LDI  lo(TxtNewLine)
      				STXD
      				SEP  R4
      				dw   WriteLine
      
      				LDI  hi(TxtCmdTitle)
      				STXD
      				LDI  lo(TxtCmdTitle)
      				STXD
      				SEP  R4
      				dw   WriteLine
      

      CMD_Prompt: LDI hi(TxtCmdPrompt) ; output the prompt
      STXD
      LDI lo(TxtCmdPrompt)
      STXD
      SEP R4
      dw WriteLine

      				LDI  00H						; get RS232 input, no timeout
      				STXD
      				SEP  R4
      				dw   RS232InSoftware
      				LDI  TRUE
      				PLO  RF
      
      				IRX								; echo input								
      				LDX
      				STXD
      				STXD
      				SEP	 R4
      				dw   RS232Out
      				
      				IRX				
      				LDX								; test input = x
      				SDI  0078H				
      				BZ   CMD\_Exit
      
      				LDX								; test input = X
      				SDI  0058H				
      				BZ   CMD\_Exit
      
      				LDX								; test input = h
      				SDI  0068H				
      				BZ   CMD\_Help
      
      				LDX								; test input = H
      				SDI  0048H				
      				BZ   CMD\_Help
      

      CMD_Invalid: LDI hi(TxtCmdInvalid) ; error message (invalid command)
      STXD
      LDI lo(TxtCmdInvalid)
      STXD
      SEP R4
      dw WriteLine
      BR CMD_Prompt

      CMD_Help: LDI hi(TxtCmdHelp) ; help text
      STXD
      LDI lo(TxtCmdHelp)
      STXD
      SEP R4
      dw WriteLine

      				LDI  hi(TxtCmdHelp1)
      				STXD
      				LDI  lo(TxtCmdHelp1)
      				STXD
      				SEP  R4
      				dw   WriteLine
      				BR
      
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      RandyBuchholz
      wrote on last edited by
      #10

      I have no fears! :-D My education is EE, and I still see registers (68xx architecture) in my head no matter what language I'm programming in. I don't actually see the code that way, it's just kind of a background image. It's amazing how many developers don't know that the only branching a CPU has is a `goto`.

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      • R RandyBuchholz

        Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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        Gary Wheeler
        wrote on last edited by
        #11

        I've not used the goto keyword in any of my C/C++/C# code over the last 20 years or so. I routinely use break (goto's more civilized brother, as it were) to exit for loops early. I do this in cases where expressing the iteration as a for loop is more appropriate for the general case, and the break handles the exceptions. I don't tend to use continue nearly as much in similar situations; I'm not sure why. I dislike when code uses exceptions as an exotic form of iteration/flow control. My least favorite mechanism would have to be setjmp()/longjmp(), which is a very old C runtime library mechanism that fortunately doesn't see a lot of use today.

        Software Zen: delete this;

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        • M Marc Clifton

          Sacrilege! You will goto hell for such thoughts! Oh wait. Even hell has been refactored: while (true) burnInHellForever(); ;)

          Latest Article - Building a Prototype Web-Based Diagramming Tool with SVG and Javascript Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

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          RandyBuchholz
          wrote on last edited by
          #12

          Not:

          Quote:

          while (true) burnInHellForever();

          `while (false) burnInHellForever();` "true" believers go to heaven! ;P

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          • R RandyBuchholz

            I have no fears! :-D My education is EE, and I still see registers (68xx architecture) in my head no matter what language I'm programming in. I don't actually see the code that way, it's just kind of a background image. It's amazing how many developers don't know that the only branching a CPU has is a `goto`.

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            C Offline
            CodeWraith
            wrote on last edited by
            #13

            Even one as unconventional as this one here. :-)

            I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • R RandyBuchholz

              Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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              Rick York
              wrote on last edited by
              #14

              I think it depends on the context. In C it's not so bad and I can think of a few notable examples where it is used. One instance I found rather humorous and posted in a coding 'hall of fame' page we used to have here, is in the default procedure of Windows v3.0 and the label used was "IcantBelieveIactuallyUsedAgoto." The source code of it was published in an old book by Peter Norton on windows programming. On the other hand, I think using goto in C++ is a really bad idea. Since objects are automatically deleted when they fall out of scope, a goto could result in memory leaks if not used very carefully. As far as I am concerned this opinion is not based on fear nor is it irrational. YMMV.

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              • R RandyBuchholz

                Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                GuyThiebaut
                wrote on last edited by
                #15

                Back in 1988 when I went to university to study computer science we were taught that we were never to use goto except in one particular circumstance with COBOL. We were strictly taught structured programming and in the first year had 2 hours of computer time each week. Most of our work was done on paper. Fast forward to now and I am quite happy to use a return statement in code which in essence is a goto. I think in principle it's good to learn the rules of structured programming to know when it is ok to break those rules.

                “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                ― Christopher Hitchens

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                • R RandyBuchholz

                  Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                  N Offline
                  Nathan Minier
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #16

                  For several years programmers have had OOAD and OOP pounded into their heads, and goto is an inherently structured code construct. If you use goto in an object oriented program, you _are_ creating spaghetti code, which is why that particular reflex exists.

                  "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • R RandyBuchholz

                    Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                    M Offline
                    Maximilien
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #17

                    I don't have an existentialism issue with goto. It can have its uses, very limited, but can be useful. We have a few in some of our older legacy C code. None in the new C++ code.

                    I'd rather be phishing!

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • R RandyBuchholz

                      Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriff
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #18

                      It's not an irrational fear: it's a sensible precaution. goto is a "shortcut" for lazy lecturers and lazy students - it positively encourages poor quality code and bad habits. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be used, just that you have to understand why you aren't using it before you should be allowed to use it. It has its place (try doing assembly code, or time critical embedded C / C++ without it) but generally speaking it's a bad idea in "modern" languages which have rich flow control constructs and a set of good practices which should mean that it isn't that necessary. For example, I've been coding in C# for nine years now, and not once have I needed to use a goto, nor have I had to "fudge round" not using one. It annoys me when it's taught early because the idiot running the course can't be bothered to teach a while, for, or foreach loop to beginners. Because once you start using a hammer, every problem looks like a nail...

                      Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • R RandyBuchholz

                        Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                        Lost User
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #19

                        RandyBuchholz wrote:

                        Have we developed an irrational fear of goto born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is goto inherently and absolutely evil? :)

                        Are we asking annoying questions, just for the sake of asking? Jumping to a label was once an improvement ovr jumping to a specific linenumber. You are doing as if using a "GOTO 40" still has a place in modern C# coding. It doesn't. No, it's not a dogma; you don't have to believe me and can feel free to GOTO anywhere in your code - it will be your problem, not mine :)

                        Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                        R 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • L Lost User

                          RandyBuchholz wrote:

                          Have we developed an irrational fear of goto born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is goto inherently and absolutely evil? :)

                          Are we asking annoying questions, just for the sake of asking? Jumping to a label was once an improvement ovr jumping to a specific linenumber. You are doing as if using a "GOTO 40" still has a place in modern C# coding. It doesn't. No, it's not a dogma; you don't have to believe me and can feel free to GOTO anywhere in your code - it will be your problem, not mine :)

                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

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                          R Offline
                          RandyBuchholz
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #20

                          Quote:

                          Are we asking annoying questions, just for the sake of asking?

                          No, not just for the sake of asking, just for the sake of annoying. :) Also to see how many mind readers would jump on me for using them - even though I didn't say I used them. :) And don't, except in rare, low-level performance cases. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                          • G GuyThiebaut

                            Back in 1988 when I went to university to study computer science we were taught that we were never to use goto except in one particular circumstance with COBOL. We were strictly taught structured programming and in the first year had 2 hours of computer time each week. Most of our work was done on paper. Fast forward to now and I am quite happy to use a return statement in code which in essence is a goto. I think in principle it's good to learn the rules of structured programming to know when it is ok to break those rules.

                            “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                            ― Christopher Hitchens

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                            C Offline
                            CodeWraith
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #21

                            GuyThiebaut wrote:

                            use a return statement in code which in essence is a goto.

                            No, it's that other thing, calling and returning from subroutines. A totally different animal, down to the machine code of the processor.

                            I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • G GuyThiebaut

                              Back in 1988 when I went to university to study computer science we were taught that we were never to use goto except in one particular circumstance with COBOL. We were strictly taught structured programming and in the first year had 2 hours of computer time each week. Most of our work was done on paper. Fast forward to now and I am quite happy to use a return statement in code which in essence is a goto. I think in principle it's good to learn the rules of structured programming to know when it is ok to break those rules.

                              “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                              ― Christopher Hitchens

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                              K Offline
                              kmoorevs
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #22

                              GuyThiebaut wrote:

                              Back in 1988

                              GuyThiebaut wrote:

                              the first year had 2 hours of computer time each week. Most of our work was done on paper.

                              I remember those days well!...being a CS major from around '87 to '89 when my part-time afternoon job turned into full-time, which meant almost no lab time. I quit school for 10 years and finally went back and finished. During my 10 year hiatus, I had very little contact with computers so coming back to it after a decade I was more than a little pleased to find that I could finally do homework at home...even in the wee hours of the morning! :-D :-D Somewhere in a box, in a closet, are notebooks with handwritten C, Pascal, and Fortran homework assignments. I also have some greenbar printouts with notes/grade. Deliverables for an assignment were typically handwritten pseudo-code and/or flowchart and the printout which contained source code and results. That junk probably won't make the next move! :laugh: It amazes me now to think about how different it was to learn programming back then. Nowadays, an answer to a question is usually just a few clicks away, back then we relied on books, our own wits, and occasionally teachers/aides who sometimes knew little more than we did. :) Thanks for the memories! :)

                              "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

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                              • R RandyBuchholz

                                Quote:

                                Are we asking annoying questions, just for the sake of asking?

                                No, not just for the sake of asking, just for the sake of annoying. :) Also to see how many mind readers would jump on me for using them - even though I didn't say I used them. :) And don't, except in rare, low-level performance cases. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                                L Offline
                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #23

                                RandyBuchholz wrote:

                                even though I didn't say I used them. :)

                                That's not relevant to me, you're implying they may not be bad.

                                RandyBuchholz wrote:

                                This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

                                No, it hasn't. We have simple rules for the monkeys to follow; anyone who can actually think doesn't need them. So we can't do without that faith, since some people continously ignore everything in the manual. While I agree that a single goto won't kill anyone, I also haven't seen any practical C# example where using one would be justified.

                                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • R RandyBuchholz

                                  Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                                  Mycroft Holmes
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #24

                                  This old chestnut again :sigh: there are better constructs available with less risk of abuse. I've not used a goto in well over 20 years and am quite happy to leave it that way.

                                  Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH

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                                  • R RandyBuchholz

                                    Mention "goto" to many programmers and they'll say, "Never use them, they lead to spaghetti code." It's a conditioned response. It seems to be a definition - "Dad, what's for dinner?" - "We're having `goto`." - "Again?". Ask them to explain why it is so bad, and you'll likely get a blank stare, or they just chant "spaghetti, spaghetti, …" Of course, a misused `goto` can lead to spaghetti code, but a (misused) [`any reserved word`] can lead to [`some bad thing`]. Have we developed an irrational fear of `goto` born out of ancient coding dogma? Or is `goto` inherently and absolutely evil? :) Update: As suggested by englebart, I'm adding why I asked this question. It came out of a recent discussion. I was reviewing some code someone showed me (they didn't write it) that had a `goto` in it. He said the code was Spaghetti Code. When I asked why, he said because it had a `goto`. I asked why that made it spaghetti, and all he could come up with was that he was taught that. I asked about a few other "programming truths", and had much the same response. This is good, that is bad, but I don't really know why. I started thinking about how for some things, aspects of programming have become more faith than science.

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                                    CarelAgain
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #25

                                    'the imperative goto == the object oriented if', both have their uses and allow misuse. The degree of misuse is telling ...

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                                    • K kmoorevs

                                      GuyThiebaut wrote:

                                      Back in 1988

                                      GuyThiebaut wrote:

                                      the first year had 2 hours of computer time each week. Most of our work was done on paper.

                                      I remember those days well!...being a CS major from around '87 to '89 when my part-time afternoon job turned into full-time, which meant almost no lab time. I quit school for 10 years and finally went back and finished. During my 10 year hiatus, I had very little contact with computers so coming back to it after a decade I was more than a little pleased to find that I could finally do homework at home...even in the wee hours of the morning! :-D :-D Somewhere in a box, in a closet, are notebooks with handwritten C, Pascal, and Fortran homework assignments. I also have some greenbar printouts with notes/grade. Deliverables for an assignment were typically handwritten pseudo-code and/or flowchart and the printout which contained source code and results. That junk probably won't make the next move! :laugh: It amazes me now to think about how different it was to learn programming back then. Nowadays, an answer to a question is usually just a few clicks away, back then we relied on books, our own wits, and occasionally teachers/aides who sometimes knew little more than we did. :) Thanks for the memories! :)

                                      "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

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                                      GuyThiebaut
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #26

                                      Thanks for the post! I am ambivalent as to whether I would rather learn CS now or back in the 80's. Back in the 80's there was no WWW or everything that came with it(given the internet did exist with JANET being the network we had access to). In some ways I think people have it harder nowadays because there is so much more to learn. On the other hand a kid with a laptop and network connection can easily educate themselves, to the same level I was at when I graduated, before they even start their course in CS. I think we expect more of graduates nowadays than we did back in the 90's when it was a given that your first few years would be on the job training and you understood that when you graduated that you basically knew very little.

                                      “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                                      ― Christopher Hitchens

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                                      • R RandyBuchholz

                                        I would say your examples are good examples of misuse, and not problems with `goto` itself. I don't use `goto` myself, except in rare cases to short-circuit a function.

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                                        den2k88
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #27

                                        That's a nice spot to use goto, I have used it twice in my life precisely for that: later I ended up removing them due to a refactor that improved every aspect of those functions (performance, readability, debuggability). That said, I don't discard it out of hand as it is a powerful tool. As TNCaver said "You think goto is evil: try writing Assembly programs without JMP" (it has been in my signature for years... and I do also write Assembly code so it was really appropriate).

                                        GCS d-- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L+@ E-- W++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

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                                        • R RandyBuchholz

                                          I would say your examples are good examples of misuse, and not problems with `goto` itself. I don't use `goto` myself, except in rare cases to short-circuit a function.

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                                          KBZX5000
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #28

                                          You can use goto to short-circuit time-constrained algorithms for academic or scientific purposes. Don't use it anywhere else, especially not in a professional setting, or people will be strongly compelled to gut, rape and murder your code the first chance they get. And can you really blame them for it?

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