Meyer argues that a language shouldn't have a separate block statement. Instead block structure should be integrated in the control flow statements. That would result in this code: (I'm keeping your indentation style)
if error_of_fifth_kind
then goto fail end
then goto fail end
Interesting. This works because there's no explicit "begin" to go with the "end". I would normally consider this kind of asymmetry to be a language design flaw, but I suppose it does address this particular problem.
Of course, I think you could still end up with this pretty easily:
if error_of_fifth_kind then
goto fail
end
goto fail
if error of sixth_kind then
goto fail
end
Well, Meyer doesn't let any chance to bash C/C++ go unused :) But a good syntax should minimize the chance that an accidental insertion/transposition/deletion of a character/word/line results in a valid program.
[A dramatic example of bad syntax comes from a FORTRAN, where a loop between the current line and the line with label 10 looks like this:
DO 10 I=1,100
and this code:
DO 10 I=1.100
declares a variable named "DO10I". Hopefully your compiler will warn that label 10 is unused.]
if error_5 {
goto fail;
}
/* line deleted here */
goto fail;
}
if error_7 {
goto fail;
}
Many ways to skin the same cat, but it boils down to following good practices that emphasize errors like this (presumably removing an error condition and leaving the goto).
