[amibroker] The use of a "break" statement

["DIMITRIS TSOKAKIS" <TSOKAKIS@xxxxxxxxx>]

Is a "break" statement useful ?
It depends on the problem.
a. There are problems with 1 [or 0] solutions.
In this case the break statement would save the total iteration time.
The code solution is simple and does not need a new "break" 
statement :
Example: Find the solution of x-50=0 in the [1,1000] range and stop 
looping after the solution.

n=0; 
for(i=1;i<1000;i++)
{
n=n+1;//the loop counter
if(i-50==0)
i=1000;//the break
}
Title=WriteVal(n,1.0)+" iterations";

We shall see 50 iterations, not 999.
b. There are problems with more than one solutions.
In this case the use of a break would be useless [and dangerous].
Example: Find the solution of (x-50)*(x-100)*(x-200)=0 in the 
[1,1000] range and stop looping after the solution.
Unfortunalely the

n=0; x=0;
for(i=1;i<1000;i++)
{
n=n+1;
if((i-50)*(i-100)*(i-200)==0)
{
x=i;
i=1000;
}
}
Title=WriteVal(n,1.0)+" iterations"+", x="+WriteVal(x,1.0);

will make 50 iterations again, will find the [1st] solution and we 
shal never know the rest x=100 or x=200.
c. In real problems we do not know in advance if they accept one or 
more than one solutions. The use of a "break" statement would be 
tricky, we would sleep with the [great] idea that all problems are 1-
dimensional.
I am afraid they are not...

Dimitris Tsokakis



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