Re: [FWP] Goal oriented programming

[John Porter <jdporter@min.net>]

Ed Perry wrote:
> John Porter wrote:
> > I don't think you can categorically say the condition is always more
> > important.  Many times in my code I have lines like this:
> > 
> > 	$activity_log->dump()  if $debug;
> > 
> > or:
> > 
> > 	$activity_log->dump()  if -t STDIN;
> > 
> > The condition is NOT more important in cases like this.
> 
> My computer thinks so, it alway processes the condition first.

You are making the mistake of thinking that order of execution has
any relation to "importance".  It does not, as illustrated by the
following program:

	$| = 1;
	unlink '/vmunix';

"importance" is only meaningful for humans; the computer simply does
what it's told.  Thankfully we have a programming language which allows
the human to express the algorithm in a way that can include emphasis
of "importance".  Perl works for us, instead of us having to bend
to Perl.  (Only true to an extent, of course; but to a greater extent
than other popular languages.)


> Intentionally writing instructions out of order seems to be of
> no benefit

"seems" being the operative word here, as writing next unless length
seems to me, and to many others, to be of significant benefit, in some
cases.

John Porter


==== Want to unsubscribe from Fun With Perl?
==== Well, if you insist... Send mail with body "unsubscribe" to
==== fwp-request@technofile.org