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| Newer page: | version 8 | Last edited on Saturday, May 14, 2005 1:42:28 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | |
| Older page: | version 7 | Last edited on Thursday, November 25, 2004 2:29:55 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
A statement in many ProgrammingLanguage~s which causes an unconditional branch to an arbitary point in the current function or method. In a host of early [BASIC] dialects, it was the only control structure available besides <tt>if</tt> statements.
Despite being maligned in general use, GoTo is still the best way to describe FiniteStateMachine~s such as parsers in these languages.
-It'
s also used in [C] programming a lot to provide something resembling "
exceptions"
, particularly "
finally"
clauses: a <tt>goto out</tt> where <tt>out</tt> is a label just before the final <tt>return</tt>.
+ The apprentice uses it without thinking.
+ <br> The journeyman avoids it without thinking.
+ <br> The master uses it thoughtfully.
+
+
It’
s also used in [C] programming a lot to provide something resembling “
exceptions”
, particularly “
finally”
clauses: a <tt>goto out</tt> where <tt>out</tt> is a label just before the final <tt>return</tt>.
See GoToStatementConsideredHarmful.
----
Part of CategoryProgramming
