Editing 292: goto
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| title = goto | | title = goto | ||
| image = goto.png | | image = goto.png | ||
+ | | imagesize = | ||
| titletext = Neal Stephenson thinks it's cute to name his labels 'dengo' | | titletext = Neal Stephenson thinks it's cute to name his labels 'dengo' | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | ==Explanation== | + | == Explanation == |
− | '' | + | '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goto goto]''' is a construct found in many computer languages that causes control flow to go from one place in program to another, without returning. Once common in computer programming, its popularity diminished in the 60's and 70's as focus on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structured_programming structured programming] became the norm. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsger_W._Dijkstra Edsger Dijkstra] 's article [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~rubinson/copyright_violations/Go_To_Considered_Harmful.html Go To Statement Considered Harmful] in particular contributed to goto's decline. |
− | Often | + | Often people learning programming are told goto is bad and should be avoided, but are not given a reason. In this case, [[Cueball]] can see no harm in using goto to avoid rewriting much of his program. As a result, he is attacked by a [[velociraptor]]. Velociraptor attacks are a running joke (and fear) often expressed in xkcd. The humor derives from the fact that a velociraptor attack is an unlikely thing to happen after using a goto statement. |
− | The | + | The title text refers to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Stephenson Neal Stephenson], an author of cyberpunk novels. A label is used in many programming languages to refer to a point in a program that a goto instruction can jump to. The joke is that 'dengo' sounds like a person saying "then go", as in "go to, then go". |
− | + | [[Category:Comics featuring Velociraptors]] | |
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
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