else clauses in while and for loops
Chuck Esterbrook
echuck at mindspring.com
Fri Apr 14 18:28:35 EDT 2000
So did anyone present, in this thread, an example that shows a real need?
That seemed to have gotten lost in the poor example and the strange tangent about removing features from Python...
-Chuck
Ralph Corderoy wrote:
> Hi,
>
> > > I don't think that is a real need.
> >
> > so? do you suggest that we should remove it, and force people to
> > rewrite their perfectly working pro- grams, just to make you happy?
> > or maybe we could use all that energy to work on something more
> > important?
>
> I suggest you go back and read my post properly. In particular, the
> original poster's request.
>
> > > Please give some examples showing the real need for else clauses in
> > > this context.
>
> Someone replied giving a pointless use of else. I said out that this
> was a pointless use of else and therefore didn't match the original
> poster's request of an example `showing the real need'.
>
> I didn't say there wasn't a real need for else, I said `I don't think
> that is a real need' immediately after quoting the pointless example.
>
> Ralph.
>
> -------- Original post follows
>
> > > Please give some examples showing the real need for else clauses in
> > > this context.
> >
> > def lookup(stringList, word):
> > """Finds the first instance of word in stringList. Returns -1 if not
> > found"""
> > i = 0
> > while i < len(stringList):
> > if stringList[i] == word:
> > break
> > i = i + 1
> > else:
> > # is only executed if we never hit that break
> > return -1
> > return i
>
> I don't think that is a real need. Wouldn't it normally be written to
> return ASAP rather than jump through hoops.
>
> def lookup(stringList, word):
> i = 0
> while i < len(stringList):
> if stringList[i] == word:
> return i
> i = i + 1
> return -1
>
> Ralph.
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