177
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by kyub@discuss.tchncs.de to c/programmer_humor@programming.dev

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] aMockTie@lemmy.world 43 points 3 days ago

Statements that start with # in C/C++ are known as preprocessor directives, that is, they are executed before compilation begins. OP has used a #define which will replace any instance of A (IF(x)) with B (while (x)) in the code.

So the IF statement is really just a while statement.

[-] Kacarott@aussie.zone 16 points 3 days ago

But what is it in reference to? What's the "infamous if loop"?

[-] aMockTie@lemmy.world 48 points 3 days ago

Ah, I believe that would be this image from a college course.

[-] ulterno@programming.dev 8 points 2 days ago

I always wondered why I always had a hard time making developers not call "if" a "loop".
Turns out it was on their tests.

Glad I didn't read my college material, or I would have lost faith in my college professors.

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 4 points 3 days ago

It just occurred to that in Yorkshire dialect a while loop would actually be an until loop. Directives to the rescue!

[-] kyub@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 3 days ago

"Infamous" just refers to newbies who sometimes call if statements "if loops". I've heard this quite a bit.

this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2025
177 points (93.6% liked)

Programmer Humor

20033 readers
1170 users here now

Welcome to Programmer Humor!

This is a place where you can post jokes, memes, humor, etc. related to programming!

For sharing awful code theres also Programming Horror.

Rules

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS