Coding layout problem

BlitzPlus Forums/BlitzPlus Beginners Area/Coding layout problem

Cactus1124

(Posted 2014) [#1]

I am new to blitzplus, and I don't know much about it.
That's why I was wondering why people put certain code at different spots on the page...

It's kind of hard to explain, so I copied a random piece of code from the beginner's tutorial to demonstrate.

If iScore>0 Then
Text 200,200, "Score = "+iScore
Else
Text 200,200, "No Score Yet!"
EndIf

Notice how the commands text 200,200 and so on are not completely on the left side of the screen, while some are?
I don't know if you have to do this with certain commands, or yea...

I'm really stuck here, and I would appreciate it if someone could tell a newbie a bit about this.

Thanks!

Cactus1124

(Posted 2014) [#2]

I don't know what happened, but the code went all to the left again!
I hope you still get what I mean by all this.

Midimaster

(Posted 2014) [#3]

you can use "code tags" to get codeboxes like this:

If iScore>0 Then
      Text 200,200, "Score = "+iScore
Else
      Text 200,200, "No Score Yet!"
EndIf

Set one tag at the beginning of the code. The other on the end. All possible forum codes are here:

http://www.blitzbasic.com/faq/faq_entry.php?id=2

use....
[code][/code]
...for a box, which show the whole length of code. Write your code between the both tags.

Use...
[codebox][/codebox]
...for a box, where the user can scroll through the code.

Andycoop73

(Posted 2014) [#4]

To help answer the original question, and I'm no expert some of the words I'm going to use may not be correct.

the computer doesn't care if all the lines start at the left of the screen.
many programmers tab out the code so it's easier to read.

If I was going to write a piece of code like this I'd probably write the first line with the IF command in it, then press enter a few times to make some space, then write the EndIf. Then go back to fill in the stuff in between. Now if that stuff in between is all tabbed in it's a lot easier to see what's going on.

It gets even more helpful if you have another If command inside the first which will be tabbed out even more.

I hope that helps a little, I'm new to this myself.
Maybe a more experienced programmer will be able to explain it better.

Cactus1124

(Posted 2014) [#5]

Alright, I think I've got it.

Kryzon

(Posted 2014) [#6]

Hello.
I believe that the formal name of what you're referring to is "indentation," and it is a practice that serves no purpose other than helping the reader to better understand the scope and causality in a piece of code.

http://www.cs.arizona.edu/~mccann/indent_c.html#One

GfK	(Posted 2014) [#7]

Yeah, indentation. It makes your code logic more readable. If you're not into the habit, get into the habit. It'll save you hours of pain in the future.

Example:

If something = True
X = X + 1
A = 5
For n = 1 to 10
Print n
Next
Else
Print "poop"
EndIf

Same code, indented:

If something = True   'everything indented below happens if something = true
   X = X + 1
   A = 5
   For n = 1 to 10   'everything further indented happens during this For/Next loop
      Print n
   Next
Else
   Print "poop" 'this only happens if "something" is anything other than True (i.e. False)
EndIf