🚀 Understanding the goto Statement in Uniface 10.4 ProcScript

When working with Uniface 10.4, developers often encounter various control flow statements that help manage program execution. Today, let's dive deep into one of the more traditional control structures: the goto statement! 📝

Note: This article is based on the official Uniface documentation 10.4, and I had some assistance from AI in organizing this content.

🎯 What is the goto Statement?

The goto statement in Uniface ProcScript allows you to branch unconditionally to a specified label within your current ProcScript module. It's a simple yet powerful tool for controlling program flow.

📋 Syntax

goto Label

🔧 Parameters

Parameter	Data Type	Description
Label	String	Label of a statement in the current ProcScript module

💡 Key Features

• ✅ Allowed in all component types
• 🔄 No return values
• 🏷️ Labels must end with a colon (:)
• ⚠️ Cannot be used inside try, catch, or finally blocks

🛠️ Practical Example

Here's a real-world example that demonstrates how to use goto for processing records. This example deletes the first 1001 records and then exits:

operation exec 
$1 = 0
retrieve

start: ; the label ends with a colon (:)
if ($1 = 1001)
 store
 exit
else
 remocc
 $1 = $1 + 1
endif
goto start ; but no colon is used in the goto line
end; exec

🔍 Code Breakdown

1. Initialize counter: $1 = 0
2. Start processing: retrieve
3. Label definition: start: (note the colon)
4. Condition check: Stop after 1001 records
5. Record removal: remocc
6. Jump back: goto start (no colon needed)

⚡ Best Practices

💭 Pro Tip: While goto works perfectly fine, Uniface recommends using more structured approaches like while or repeat statements for better code readability and maintainability.

🚨 Important Limitations

⚠️ Warning: Neither the goto statement nor its labels are allowed inside try, catch, or finally blocks. Keep this in mind when handling exceptions!

🎯 When to Use goto

The goto statement is particularly useful for:

• 🔄 Transaction processing scenarios
• 📊 Batch record operations
• 🎮 Simple state machine implementations
• 🔧 Legacy code maintenance

🌟 Conclusion

The goto statement in Uniface 10.4 provides a straightforward way to control program flow, especially useful in transaction processing scenarios. While modern programming favors structured approaches, understanding goto remains valuable for maintaining existing codebases and specific use cases where it shines! ✨

Happy coding with Uniface! 🚀