improve explanantions in labeled switch

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Nuno Mendes 2024-09-18 23:26:33 +02:00
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commit ed1a20d51b

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@ -1,15 +1,54 @@
// //
// A labeled switch in zig allows the usage of continue and break // You've heard of while loops in exercises 011,012,013 and 014
// just like loops, these allow you to create very concise // You've also heard of switch expressions in exercises 030 and 31.
// Finite State Automata to represent state transitions // You've also seen how labels can be used in exercise 063.
// //
// foo: switch (state) { // By combining while loops and switch statements with continue and break statements
// one can create very concise State Machines.
//
// One such example would be:
//
// pub fn main() void {
// var op: u8 = 1;
// while (true) {
// switch (op) {
// 1 => { op = 2; continue; },
// 2 => { op = 3; continue; },
// 3 => return,
// 4 => {},
// }
// break;
// }
// std.debug.print("This statement cannot be reached");
// }
//
// By combining all we've learned so far, we can now proceed with a labeled switch
//
// A labeled switch is some extra syntatic sugar, which comes with all sorts of
// candy (performance benefits). Don't believe me? Directly to source https://github.com/ziglang/zig/pull/21367
//
// Here is the previous excerpt implemented as a labeled switch instead:
//
// pub fn main() void {
// foo: switch (@as(u8, 1)) {
// 1 => continue :foo 2, // 1 => continue :foo 2,
// 2 => continue :foo 3, // 2 => continue :foo 3,
// 3 => break :foo, // 3 => return,
// 4 => {}, // 4 => {},
// ...
// } // }
// std.debug.print("This statement cannot be reached");
// }
//
// The flow of execution on this second case is:
// 1. The switch starts with value '1';
// 2. The switch evaluates to case '1' which in turn uses the continue statement
// to re-evaluate the labeled switch again, now providing the value '2';
// 3. In the case '2' we repeat the same pattern as case '1'
// but instead the value to be evaluated is now '3';
// 4. Finally we get to case '3', where we return from the function as a whole.
//
// Since step 4 or a break stament do not exist in this switch, the debug statement is
// never executed
// //
const std = @import("std"); const std = @import("std");