I usually prefer head/body speaking, i.e. first the main rule, then the fine grained exceptions.

What about a syntax extension with the keywords `guarded' and `guards'. Example:

int ackermann( int m, int m)
{
    if(!m) return n + 1;
    if(!n) return ackermann( m-1, 1);
    return( ackermann( m-1, ackermann( m, n-1)));
}

would turn to:

int ackermann( int m, int n)
{
  guarded return( ackermann( m-1, ackermann( m, n-1)));

  guards{
    !m: return n + 1;
    !n: return ackermann( m-1, 1);
  }
}

-manfred

Manfred Nowak wrote:
> I usually prefer head/body speaking, i.e. first the main rule, then the fine grained exceptions.
> 
> What about a syntax extension with the keywords `guarded' and `guards'. Example:

Its an interesting concept...

> int ackermann( int m, int m)
> {
>     if(!m) return n + 1;
>     if(!n) return ackermann( m-1, 1);
>     return( ackermann( m-1, ackermann( m, n-1)));
> }
> 
> would turn to:
> 
> int ackermann( int m, int n)
> {
>   guarded return( ackermann( m-1, ackermann( m, n-1)));
> 
>   guards{
>     !m: return n + 1;
>     !n: return ackermann( m-1, 1);
>   }
> } 
> 

You can also do:

# int ackermann (int m, int n) {
#   return
#     m
#     ? n
#       ? ackermann(m - 1, ackermann(m, n - 1))
#       : ackermann(m - 1, 1)
#     : ackermann(n + 1)
#   ;
# }

-- Chris Sauls