Re: Procedure, function and return
- Posted by irv Jan 06, 2019
- 1159 views
I usually think of it this way:
A procedure is handy when I find myself needing to do something more than once, and would rather not write out the same code multiple times (with the possibility for making multiple errors). A return is never required, and there are only a few instances where a return makes code simpler.
A function always requires a return (but you aren't obligated to use it). Is that "bad programming" ? Well, the alternative, if your program sometimes needs to use the return value, and sometimes doesn't need to use it, would be to clutter your code with dummy assignments:
object junk = myfunc(x)
While that construct makes it plain to the reader that you are discarding the return value, it also looks like you didn't plan things out as thoroughly as a "good programmer" would have done.
Modifying global variables inside functions or procedures is great - by that, I mean a great way to introduce hard-to-find "bugs" that can occur randomly and unpredictably. It's also a great way to obfuscate your code, so that no one (including yourself) can easily figure out what is going on.
