Rainer Weikusat schreef op 2016-06-24 18:17:

> Peter Olson <peabo@???> writes:
>>> On June 23, 2016 at 10:48 AM Edward Bartolo <edbarx@???> wrote:
>>>   if (count > 0)
>>>     while(putchar(' ') && --count);

>>
>> I strongly recommend using the continue statement here:
>>

>>       while(putchar(' ') && --count) continue;

>
> I and I strongly recommend against it. The continue has absolutely no
> meaning here which means its only conceivable effect is to puzzle the
> reader. Insofar inline documentation is desired, the way to include it
> are comments, not technically functionless statements at whose
> intention
> can only be guessed at. Better yet, use a sensible loop:
>
> if (count > 0) while (putchar(' ') && --count);
>
> is exactly the same as
>

> while (count > 0) {
>     putchar(' ');
>         --count;
> }

>
> Unless there's a reason to assume that count could also be < 0, this
> would better be written as
>

> while (count) {
>     putchar(' ');
>         --count;
> }

Or even
    while( count-- ) putchar(' ');
which I read as print `count' (possibly zero) characters without even
  thinking about it.
Also it makes it clear that the return value of putchar() is ignored
even if it is EOF.

>
>> Another habit I have is to avoid a statement like:
>>

>>     if (abc == 42)

>>
>> and write it as
>>

>>     if (42 == abc)

>>
>> instead.
>
> That's a habit of many people who either believe to be master yoda
> ('Your sister she is') or who believe their heart-felt support for
> Nikolaus Wirth is so important that it trumps writing clear code.

Sorry, but that means your brain is not wired correctly to recognize
== as the symmetric operation that it is.
Would you be equally fuzzy about
    mask = 0x42 & abc;
versus
    mask = abc & 0x42;
?
<SNIP>

>
> So, program in Algol 60/ Pascal/ Modula/ Oberon or "take your := and
> shove it". The world has moved on.

Not using := but = instead is one of the biggest mistakes in c.
With Java C++ inheriting it, even Python couldn't get away from it.
With moving on you mean probably that we must accept that this mistake
can never be fixed. I for me don't give up hope.

Not trying to start a flamewar. Just demonstrating that there is a
different opinion possible regards this.

--
Suffering is the prerogative of the strong, the weak -- perish.
Albert van der Horst