control structure

control structure

   <programming> One of the instructions, statements or groups of
   statements in a programming language which determines the
   sequence of execution of other instructions or statements (the
   {control flow}).

   In {assembly language} this typically consists of {jumps} and
   {conditional jumps} along with {procedure} call and return
   though some architectures include other constructs such as an
   instruction which skips the following instruction depending on
   some condition ({PDP}?), various kinds of {loop} instructions
   (later {Motorola 680x0}) or conditional execution of all
   instructions (Advanced RISC Machine).

   Basic control structures (whatever their names in particular
   languages) include "if CONDITION then EXPRESSION else
   EXPRESSION", the {switch statement}, "while CONDITION do
   EXPRESSION", "gosub", the suspect "{goto}" and the much-feared
   "{come from}".  Other constructs handle errors and
   {exceptions} such as {traps} and {interrupts}.

   (1997-09-14)