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From: David Hogan <dhog@cs.su.oz.au> (FROBOZZ MAGIC MUTATED GRUE BREEDER CO.)
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 19:47:30 -0600
To: rc whining list <rc@archone.tamu.edu>
Subject: Re: A lighter read function 
In-Reply-To: <26539.692585936@golem.UUCP>
Message-ID: <199112131247.3606.rc.badus@cs.su.oz.au>
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 X%

"David J. Fiander"  writes:

> 	x = `{line || echo 1^$nl^1; echo 0}
>
> Then, if line fails, we get
>
> 	x = (1 1)
>
>  otherwise we get
>
> 	x = ('the line' 0)

Well, actually, if line fails, x is set to (1 1 0).  While it is true that
the value of the 3rd element of the list (if one exists) is ignored by the
rest of the function, this is rather sloppy coding.  Why not use an if
statement?  Ok, so it's more lines of code, but at least you can see at a
glance what is going on (and you avoid making silly logic mistakes like the
one above).

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to clean out my in box.