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Date:Mon Jan 19 10:36:30 1994 
Subject:Re: Global Alert For All: Jesus is Coming Soon 
From:Steve Knight 
Volume-ID:940119.02 

> What about tten-commandments.p :-)
> 
>     1)      Thou shalt not use the -vars- statement

Except at top-level, of course.


>     2)      Thou shalt always use the comma seperator. Verily, even if
>             it is optional.

I merely observe that since the empty expression is a legal expression
in Pop11 this commandment results in all Pop11 programs being prefixed
by an infinite sequence of commas.  Although this may be considered good 
style, the resulting cost in disc space and compilation speed is 
severe.  Mind you, with the falling costs and improved performance of
computer equipment I predict that it may not be long before this becomes 
best practice.  It is already better practice than writing in C++.

 
>     3)      Thou shalt not use -goto-, & -go_on- since they are the most
>             evil of constructs (unless you really want to of course :-)

Actually, the most evil of Pop11 constructs is -valof-.  However, that
prince of misdemeanors quails at the thunderous belches of the vertiable
aristocrat of obscenities the X-toolkit.


>     4)      As you take from the stack, so must you give.

Surely "as you give to the stack so must you take".  I tried writing
      erase(); 99;
as recommended by the tablets and (on my computer) ended up with Pop11
going belly up.  Mind you, once you've done %x Pop11 has a tendency to
go belly up anyway.  To be honest, once you've started the X-server
you're in big trouble.


>     5)      Use with care the ><, since others may not print as you.

The wonderful thing about >< is that it doesn't work.  I have found 
sys_>< doesn't work in a much more useful way.  I recommend it.


>     6)      There is no sixth commandment

I suggest

      6)      Ye shall not assign to the empty expression to remove items
              from the stack, it being an abomination in the eyes of the
              Lord.  The Lord, seeing that his/her people were lost in
              the wilderness shall provide a SIGN for this reason.  And this
              SIGN will be revealed in the version that is half of the 
              tenth number greater than unity that has no divisors other 
              than itself or unity.  And the people shall rejoice in the
              wisdom of the Lord.

>     7)      Thou shalt not introduce fast procedures until your
>             program has run for four-score years and ten without
>             error.

Hallujah!

>     8)      Thou shalt not worship false languages, Pop-11 is the one
>             true language.

Hallujah!  

>     9)      Thou shalt not worship false editors, VED is the one true
>             editor.

(mumble)

>     10)     Thou shalt not use your neighbours VED customisations, as
>             you will be sore vexed.

Hallujah!

Steve