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From: Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Fixing a sample from K&R book using cake static analyser
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2024 01:31:36 -0000 (UTC)
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On 2024-06-23, Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com> wrote:
> On 2024-06-23, Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.moc> wrote:
>> Kaz Kylheku:
>>
>>> What scatter-brained drivel. Watch and learn:
>>>
>>>   struct nlist *install(char *name, char *defn)
>>>   {
>>>     struct nlist *existing = lookup(name);
>>>
>>>     if (existing) {
>>>       return existing;
>>>     } else {
>>
>> When the if-branch ends with a return, the else-branch is
>> redundant, and its body shall be written bare, removing one
>> (useless) level of nesting and indentation.
>
> I did that because there are declarations in the else case.
>
> I avoid mising declarations and statements, because I consider
> that a language misfeature.
>
> In a block structured language, declarations should come first,
> then statements.

Also:

You generally want parallel elements at the same level of indentation.

The following structure can be grating on the eyes:

  if (key == node->key)
    return node;
  else if (key < node->key)
    return tree_search(node->right, key);
  return tree_search(node->left, key);

This is just an example; I realize we are not handling the case
of the key being found.

This is better:

  if (key == node->key)
    return node;
  else if (key < node->key)
    return tree_search(node->right, key);
  else
    return tree_search(node->left, key);

the parallel elements align at the same indentation level.

The structure being recommended by Anton is most at home in imperative
situations like this:

  stmt1;
  stmt2;
  if (condition1)
    return early;
  stmt3;
  stmt4;
  if (condition2)
    return early;
  stmt5;
  ...

When we have multiple cases that are all parallel and of equivalent
importance (they could be in in any order), not so much.

-- 
TXR Programming Language: http://nongnu.org/txr
Cygnal: Cygwin Native Application Library: http://kylheku.com/cygnal
Mastodon: @Kazinator@mstdn.ca