Small Basic: Three Loop Counters
First, let’s look at a method to create a While loop that removes root beer bottles from the wall:
bottles = 99
While (bottles > 0)
TextWindow.WriteLine(bottles + " bottles of root beer on the wall!")
bottles = bottles - 1
EndWhile
This code works well, but it’s not the best way to do the job. Since the goal is to repeat the “X bottles of root beer on the wall” 99 times, it’s better handled by a For loop:
For bottles = 99 To 1 Step -1
TextWindow.WriteLine(bottles + " bottles of root beer on the wall!")
EndFor
We can also use Goto to do the same thing, but this definitely isn’t the best way!
bottles = 99
Again:
TextWindow.WriteLine(bottles + " bottles of root beer on the wall!")
bottles = bottles - 1
If (bottles > 0) Then
Goto Again
EndIf
Can you see why the For loop is the best way? Not only is it the fewest lines (only three), but it also uses the simplest logic. It continues the one WriteLine statement 99 times, and the first line of the For statement makes it very clear that’s what it’s doing.
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Small and Basically yours
- Ninja Ed & Majed Marji
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