From: John Joyce <dangerwillrobinsondanger@...>
Date: 2007-03-15T14:41:53+09:00
Subject: Re: Newbie: if / elseif

So it doesn't work like the C variety?

if ( condition )
	statement  // maybe done
else if ( condition )
	statement  // or maybe done
else
	statement  // done if the 1st and 2nd are not done


Honestly, my biggest difficulties so far are that I think of code  
somewhere between C and PHP (I like to call it a nicer C)
On Mar 15, 2007, at 12:20 PM, Chad Perrin wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 15, 2007 at 12:12:17PM +0900, Augie De Blieck Jr. wrote:
>>> if $val =~ /this/i
>>>  puts "this"
>>> elseif $val =~ /that/i
>>>  puts "that"
>>> elseif $val =~ /the other/i
>>>  puts "the other"
>>> end
>>
>> Just remember that even when you spell it right, it's going to drop
>> out of the whole construct just as soon as it fulfills a RegEx.   
>> After
>> it prints "this," it stops looking at any of the other "elsif"
>> statements.
>>
>> That short circuiting is a feature. =)
>
> Indeed -- that's the whole point of using elsif rather than just a  
> list
> of separate if statements.  The if/elsif/else construct is used for
> mutually exclusive flow control, where only one of several is to be
> executed.  Using a series of if statements considers each in a vacuum,
> in order, while if/elsif/else considers them all as part of a greater
> whole.
>
> -- 
> CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
> "Real ugliness is not harsh-looking syntax, but having to
> build programs out of the wrong concepts." - Paul Graham
>