Small Basic - Mutual Exclusion

A Note on Mutual Exclusion

 

You could write a square root program like this:

 

1 TextWindow.Write("Please enter the object's height (meters): ")

2 height = TextWindow.ReadNumber()

3 If (height < 0 ) Then

4   TextWindow.WriteLine("Don't be so negative!")

5 EndIf

6 If ( height >= 0 ) Then

7   time = Math.SquareRoot(10 * height / 49)

8   time = Math.Round( time * 100 ) / 100 ' Rounds to 2 decimal places

9   TextWindow.WriteLine("Fall time = " + ans + " sec. ")

10 EndIf

 

This program gives the same output as Listing 7-4, but it doesn’t use Else.

  
If the input number’s less than 0, the program prints the error message on Line 4 and then checks the next condition (height >= 0) on Line 6. If you think about this carefully, you’ll see that the second test in this case isn’t needed because the two conditions, (height < 0) and (height >= 0), are mutually exclusive (only one or the other is true). That means if height is less than 0, it can’t be greater than or equal to 0. The If/Else statement removes that second check! Using If/Else in this case is the way to go!

 

Learn more about Small Basic: Small Basic: Relational Operators & Strings

 

Have a Small and Basic day!

    - Ninja Ed & Majed Marji