[Tutor] Multiple exits in a function...

[Jeff Shannon]

Alan Gauld wrote:

>>I think that it's important to remember that everything involved in
>>programming is a trade-off -- everything has a cost and a benefit.
> 
> Absolutely, and we mneed to understand the trade-offs. In this
> case the trade off is between rapid comprehension and double
> maintenance.

I can agree with that.  :)  In this case I feel that the double 
maintenance is more onerous than the slower comprehension, but it's 
important to be aware of both sides of it.

>>Of course, all of this is just my opinion, and I've had considerably
>>less education in this area than Alan has,
> 
> Hmm, I've just read a lot of books... :-)

Well, you've probably read a lot more books than I have. ;)  I'm a 
relative newcomer to all of this, really...  But, through this thread, 
I've learned a bit more about the principles of structured 
programming, which is a good thing!

> And as I said above i'm much less religious about this issue in
> practice than I am in principle!

Heh.  "Practicality beats purity", and most of us wouldn't be using 
Python if we didn't agree with that to some fair degree.  :)  But it 
is important to understand the pure forms in order to know best how to 
cheat on them for practical purposes.

Jeff Shannon
Technician/Programmer
Credit International