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Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 19:04:59 +0100
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Subject: RE: [PHP-DEV] GOTO operator
From: M.Ford@leedsmet.ac.uk ("Ford, Mike               [LSS]")

On 30 July 2004 18:45, Andi Gutmans wrote:

> At 10:32 AM 7/30/2004 -0700, Sara Golemon wrote:
> > > Secondly, I just don't understand what the sudden necessity for
> > > the goto construct is when over the years we have barely ever had
> > > a PHP developer asking for it. 
> > > 
> > We clearly travel in different circles.  I've heard GOTO requested
> > at least monthly from a different person each time and have never
> > heard someone say "I can't wait till PHP5 is ready so I can use
> > exceptions". 
> 
> I guess so, because I haven't hear the former but have heard the
> latter :) 
> 
> Anyway goto tends to be used mostly when you need a double or triple
> break, which is no problem with PHP as it is.

Well, it *is* a problem in that (i) you have to count the levels in the
first place and (ii) if you add another level somewhere in between, you have
to *remember* that you've got that break <n> in that now needs to be a break
<n+1>.  I've been bitten by this a couple times and spent a good few hours
debugging it each time (yes, I do write monster loops!).  (This has also
been mentioned in a Feature Request (not mine!):
http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=29287)

I'm just about +0 on goto, but if the part of this patch that allows
labelled statements could also be applied to provide a labelled break, I'd
be +several gazillion for that!!

Cheers!

Mike

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