1. misleading error message
- Posted by irvm at ellijay.com
Jun 20, 2003
constant list = {"A","B","C"}
procedure report()
return list
.....
OK, the above was supposed to be a function, but I typed procedure
instead. So what was the helpful error message?
test.exu:4
may not change the value of a constant
return list
^
Warning: test.exu:4 - statement after return will never be executed
Press Enter...
Who's trying to change the value of the constant, I ask? Not me!
And if that statement after return will never be executed, just
when _is_ the list going to be changed, anyway :)
Irv
2. Re: misleading error message
irvm at ellijay.com wrote:
> constant list = {"A","B","C"}
>
> procedure report()
> return list
> .....
>
> OK, the above was supposed to be a function, but I typed procedure
> instead. So what was the helpful error message?
>
> test.exu:4
> may not change the value of a constant
> return list
> ^
> Warning: test.exu:4 - statement after return will never be executed
>
> Press Enter...
>
> Who's trying to change the value of the constant, I ask? Not me!
> And if that statement after return will never be executed, just
> when _is_ the list going to be changed, anyway :)
Like all language translators, Euphoria only looks a narrow
context. It can't see the "big picture".
In a procedure, you can only have a simple:
return
You can't have:
return expression
so:
return list
is seen by Euphoria as being two statements on one line.
i.e.
return
list ...
It looked like you were starting a new statement:
list ...
which looks like the start of an illegal statement to
assign to a constant.
The warning about "statement after return"
is just a bonus that most other languages
won't give you.
Regards,
Rob Craig
Rapid Deployment Software
http://www.RapidEuphoria.com
