Re: First language with conditional assignment?

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:


>> if e > f then a := b else a := c;


> It's very sad that programmers are trained to artificially separate the
> world into "statements" and "expressions" and hence end up, as above,
> preferring the less precise and more redundant form.


> a := if e > f then b else c;


Also, when reading it, one has to verify that the same variable
is used in both cases. Now, if you instead (and I usually don't) write:


      if e > f then
            a := b
      else
            a := c;


Then it is at least a little easier to see that they are both a.


In addition, Java compilers tend to verify that a variable is
assigned to before it is used. It might be that this case is
now recognized, but there are many that the compiler isn't sure
about. (It is not just a warning in Java.)


-- glen

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