Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!aioe.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "R.Wieser" Newsgroups: microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript Subject: Re: inline "End If" bug, was Re: Weird bug Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2015 20:47:36 +0100 Organization: Aioe.org NNTP Server Lines: 137 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: XSLsI1Jcl7NultOj/0AyIg.user.speranza.aioe.org X-Complaints-To: abuse@aioe.org X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 X-Notice: Filtered by postfilter v. 0.8.2 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Xref: csiph.com microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript:11203 Evertjan, > I am not interested in "other languages" here, > only in the developement of this: > > Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Than our conversation ends here. Not because of the language, but as you are going into the realm of the "what if's". I have no interest in second-guessing what a language designer might decide *his* language should evolve in. > Seen in the light of other languages, > Basic was as bad as Edsger Wybe Dijkstra > promised it to be, IMO: Which version of it please ? > "BASIC programmers are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration" > said Edsger Wybe Dijkstra in > How do we tell truths that might hurt? (1975-06-18) So, you take that statement outof its context and time and are trying to put it on several BASIC variants that have evolved sinds than, meaning for the last 40 years ? BASIC *might* have been bad in those days, but so is *any* programming language in the hands of a nitwit. I've seen enough junk over the years, in all sorts of languages (PHP, Java, .NET, C{something}, BASIC, you name it). > The "End If" was never, formally or otherwise planned, introduced > in the older single line If, it only was discovered in this NG > and recognised as a bug by MS. So ? They *stated* it was a bug, but I doubt it. And even if it was introduced by accident, what does that matter if the result is quite usefull, and does not break anything else (read: is consistent with the rest of the language) ? You know what *I* find odd ? That an "end if" may be followed by a colon and than more code. That certainly breaks the "multi-line if" approach. :-) Ofcorse, *not* allowing that would be an exception to the rule that *any* command may be followed by a colon ... > > Ofcourse, several of those languages have "command grouping" Too bad you have taken a stance, bluntly disregarding this, quite important difference between two types of implementation of a language, where VBScript is in the group of "do not have it", and has, to solve it, created the "end if". The *only* squabble we have here is if it should be allowed in a single-line "if" or not. Nothing more, nothing less. Regards, Rudy Wieser -- Origional message: Evertjan. schreef in berichtnieuws XnsA555C799E3BFDeejj99@194.109.6.166... > "R.Wieser" wrote on 17 Nov 2015 in > microsoft.public.scripting.vbscript: > >> Correct is: > >> > >> If boolean Then statement Else statement > > > > Nope. Its just how quite a few (but definitly not all!) languages have > > defined it. It does not mean its the *only way* anyone may implement > > it in his language. > > > > I know of languages which use your above description and work as > > Mayayana described (continuing after a "then" if no "else" is found, or > > after the first command after the "else"). > > I am not interested in "other languages" here, > only in the developement of this: > > Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. > > Seen in the light of other languages, > Basic was as bad as Edsger Wybe Dijkstra promised it to be, IMO: > > "BASIC programmers are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration" > said Edsger Wybe Dijkstra in > How do we tell truths that might hurt? (1975-06-18) > > [In fact our Edsger was primarily fighting a language that did everything > with GoTo, no subroutines, no functions, so no modularity or black box > testing, just making a unresolvable knot of even the smallest logical > construct. And no possibility to sensibly name variables other than by a > single Capital letter plus a number. Referring to his 1975 words however is > a joy in itself] > > ========================= > > In principio [in the beginning] there was only: > > If boolean GoTo linenumber > > then came: > > If boolean Then statement > > and then: > > If boolean Then statement Else statement > > after that the multiline If was introduced: > > If boolean Then > statement > Else > statement > End If > > The multiline "ElseIf" addition even later. > > The "End If" was never, formally or otherwise planned, introduced > in the older single line If, it only was discovered in this NG > and recognised as a bug by MS. > > > > > Ofcourse, several of those languages have "command grouping" > > [snip] > > -- > Evertjan. > The Netherlands. > (Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)