CSvax:Pucc-H:Pucc-I:Pucc-K:ags@pur-ee.UUCP (10/29/83)
The fact that Apple Pascal places a limit on the length of procedures does
not make it a toy. I have been using Apple Pascal for about 3 years, and
for many applications I prefer it to Berkeley Pascal (on a VAX) or to Pascal
6000 on CDC machines. Yes, I know it is slower and supports less memory
than those implementations. It is still quite capable of compiling and
running useful programs.
Yes, I once got the "procedure too long" message. I don't know what the
maximum is, but I suspect it depends more on the amount of code generated than
on the number of source lines. My procedure consisted of a single case
statement with a huge number of branches. I got around the problem by writing
three case statements, each in a separate procedure, with all three enclosed in
an executive procedure which determined the proper subrange and called the
appropriate sub-procedure. This didn't make me particularly happy at the time,
but since it has happened only once in three years I do not consider it a major
problem. There are other ways to express algorithms as alternatives to huge
case statements.
I am not surprised that beginners would run into the "procedure too long"
limitation. Beginners' programs typically contain long stretches of straight-
line "stream-of-consciousness" code. An experienced programmer structures his
program as a large number of short procedures (no more than a page in length),
not out of fear that the compiler will deem them "too long," but for at least
two other reasons:
1. A procedure should do one thing, and do it well. A procedure which
does two things is less likely to be of general use throughout the
rest of the program.
2. Long procedures are harder to understand and harder to modify. The
benefits of well-structured code become increasingly obvious over time.
Dave Seaman
..!pur-ee!pucc-k:ags