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From: Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP>
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: New VSI post on Youtube
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2024 17:39:32 -0000 (UTC)
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On 2024-08-21, Dave Froble <davef@tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
> On 8/20/2024 1:34 PM, bill wrote:
>> On 8/20/2024 8:36 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>> On 2024-08-20, chrisq <devzero@nospam.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I guess another complication is that some functions return
>>>> -1, which implies a signed variable. To fix all that would require a
>>>> complete rewrite of the library and probably most of the os and
>>>> applications as well, so it will never happen. Just have to write
>>>> unsigned equivalents, or slip functions with casts, but it's a lot
>>>> of additional work.
>>>>
>>>
>>> One thing I wish was available in all languages is the ability to return
>>> multiple values from a function call so you can return both a status and
>>> the value(s) in one assignment. Ie: "a, b, c = demo_function(param1, param2);".
>>>
>>> In languages with dynamic associative arrays (such as PHP), I simulate
>>> this by returning an associative array from a function call with both
>>> status and value fields. Makes coding _so_ much cleaner and robust.
>>>
>>
>> And probably much harder to understand in anything but the most
>> trivial usage.
>>
>
> Would that not be rather clear with adequate comments about what is being done?
>

Look at the example Arne posted. Very clean and very easy to understand
without having to use comments (and I am actually a fan of the liberal
use of comments. :-) ).

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.