A goto-like usage of a function

[Grant Edwards]

On 2004-07-29, Bart Nessux <bart_nessux at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I understand recursion to be a loop or a loop to 
> be recursion... however you prefer to look at it.

A loop uses a finite amount of memory no matter how many times
it loops.  Recursion uses an unbounded amount of memory unless
it's tail recursion and the compiler transforms it into a loop
[the Python compiler does not].

> Whether it's a function calling itself until the user gets the
> input right or a while statement w/i a function waiting for
> correct input... IMO, it's the same thing. With that said,
> there may be performance issues that I'm unaware of that make 
> your approach better or worse than mine...  outside that, I
> think either approach is worthwhile.

Just make sure you place bounds on the depth of the recurstion
so you don't run out of stack space.

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