Date   : Sat, 08 Dec 2012 09:54:46 +0000
From   : beeb@... (Kris Adcock)
Subject: Granny's Garden

Thanks for everyone's replies, gents!


On 07/12/2012 18:21, J.G.Harston wrote:
> Kris Adcock wrote:
>> I was quite shocked to discover that the code is really quite
>> dreadful!
>
> Just because a language /allows/ you to write like crap doesn't mean
> the /language/ is crap. I've seen some quite horrendous C code.

Indeed. I'm a senior programmer in the computer games industry, and have 
to monitor juniors and what they produce. IMHO, there is no language in 
the universe that forces you to write good code! Instead we tend to rely 
on good-natured abuse. :)

>
>> But I was just wondering: were FNs and multi-line IFs only added to
>> later versions of BASIC?
>
> No, PROCs and FNs existed from the start of BBC BASIC version 0 (System
> New BASIC, the development version of BBC BASIC 1 -
> http://mdfs.net/Software/BBCBasic/6502 ). Also, you don't always need
> multi-line IFs, IF x THEN PROCy accomplishes it just as well.
>

There are a number of places in GG where multi-line IFs would have been 
perfect. I just found it odd that this technique was NEVER used (and 
instead, some horrible GOTOs within PROCs were employed).

>> This might explain some of the programmer's
>> choices ... or was it just that he didn't know about them?
>
> Or maybe he was just a crap spaghetti programmer. I was certainly
> writing better laid-out and structured BBC BASIC code back in 1985 or
> so.
>

That's my opinion, too. But I wanted to double-check before I started 
bitchin' about someone's work. :)

Cheers,

Kris.