stylistic question -- optional return value

[Andrew Koenig]

Hans> Still, I believe that rewriting the function (or splitting it up)
Hans> might be a better idea. <0.3 wink>

I've considered that, and I really don't think it works in this case.

You might think of the optional result as being similar to debugging
information -- you really don't want to put the code that getnerates
debugging information into a separate function, because then it will
surely diverge from the code about which it is providing the information.

-- 
Andrew Koenig, ark at research.att.com, http://www.research.att.com/info/ark