[baronvongogo]

hi Im learning c++ at the moment, And it seems no one likes goto commands. Now if im only using 4 gotos in a function is it really that bad?

Basically im using it for a dos game if a user inputs say 20 when they can only spend 15 it uses goto to jump back to the original starting point.

Are goto`s that bad?

[gab00n]

Ok you can only use a goto 1 time every 10 to 15 years.

[baronvongogo]

lol ok i`ll try to stick to those confines

[TheHeadFL]

Heres the thing, its really only a matter of style.

When you compile your program, all your nice readable and elegant do/while, while, for loops, case statements, if/else statements... they're all converted to endless strings of jumps (goto) and conditional jumps (if then).

So, no, goto is not a particular awful and nasty thing to use, however, it is generally considered poor style. You don't want to get mired down in managing a bunch of gotos and goto target addresses... (the labels that specify goto targets). But, if it really makes what you are trying to do MUCH EASIER, and you comment it properly, then sure, use a goto.

[baronvongogo]

thanks and it is just for ease of use if i had more time Id find another way

[mgoldb2]

A long time ago I was given a huge program that used many goto statements to debug. After that experience I know exactly why they say NEVER to use go to statements in your code. Debugging a program where the user freely used goto where ever they wanted make a program almost impossiable to debug.

On a secound note I been using C++ for 6 years now and I did not even know it supported goto statements.

[TheHeadFL]

I feel I need to clarify my statement.

For example...

for (something)
   {
   for (something)
   {
      for (even something else yet)
      {
         if (condition) {
         // Get out of all the loops
         }
      }
   }
}

This is extremely convoluted and painful to do with a break statement. In order to do it this way, you need to cascade several levels of breaks. In other words, outside every loop, you check to see if the loop prematurely exited, and if it did, you break out.

You can be married to the "no gotos" style, or you can just save yourself the hassle, confusion, and obtuse style of the cascading break method and just deign to use a goto.

[baronvongogo]

Yeah I think theres a huge difference in using goto`s to jump huge parts of code so its difficult to follow, But mine is all in a tiny function and in visiable range of each other and thier labels, So its easy to debug and follow. And i didnt no goto was in C++ until I typed it and the word highlighted so thought might as well try it out .

[mgoldb2]

Originally posted by baronvongogo
Yeah I think theres a huge difference in using goto`s to jump huge parts of code so its difficult to follow, But mine is all in a tiny function and in visiable range of each other and thier labels, So its easy to debug and follow. And i didnt no goto was in C++ until I typed it and the word highlighted so thought might as well try it out .

I just curious why you would even want to use a goto statement instead of either a while,do while or for. I dont see any benfit from using the goto.

[baronvongogo]

well, say I activate a lot of things such as:

void something(){

workstart:
work1
work2
work3
work4

if (work1 <=0)
goto workstart;
}


Just simple to use inside a function to go back to the beginning isnt it? Not like its jumping all over the code its within the eyeline of the label and simple to follow.