GOTO Chaos: Spaghetti Code This article is dedicated to the late Thomas E. Kurtz, one of BASIC's creators, as it was the first programming language I learned. TL;DR: GOTO statements create confusing and unmaintainable code Problems Logic becomes unclear
Debugging gets harder
Flow jumps erratically
Code lacks structure
Maintenance becomes difficult Solutions Use structured programming
Replace with loops
Simplify control flow
Avoid unnecessary jumps Context Spaghetti describes code that is poorly structured and difficult to understand. It often involves deeply nested loops, excessive use of goto statements, and complex control flow. When you overuse GOTO statements, your program becomes a tangled mess of uncontrolled jumps. This was common in the 70s when BASIC encouraged GOTO for flow control. While it can solve simple problems quickly, GOTO leads to spaghetti code that’s nearly impossible to debug or extend. Spaghetti Code << Structured Programming << Object-Oriented Programming << Machine Learnign Programming Sample Code Wrong 0 REM Request a Zero
10 INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
20 IF N = 0 THEN GOTO 50
30 PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 GOTO 10
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END Right 10 DO
20   INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
30   IF N <> 0 THEN PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 LOOP UNTIL N = 0
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END Detection [x]Automatic You can detect this smell by scanning for frequent GOTO usage, especially when they jump between unrelated code sections. Look for logical breaks caused by excessive jumping and ask if structured control flow can replace them. Tags Coupling Level [x]Beginner AI Generation AI generators can include GOTO when mimicking older coding styles. They might use it for simplicity without considering modern best practices. AI Detection You can instruct AI to replace GOTO with loops or structured constructs like IF-ELSE or WHILE. Try Them! Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini Conclusion Overusing GOTO creates chaotic and unmanageable code. Replace it with structured programming techniques to improve readability and maintainability. Relations https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xx-we-have-reached-100 More Info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC?embedable=true Disclaimer: Code Smells are my opinion. Credits: Photo by Sofia Ciravegna on Unsplash “Spaghetti code is a program with its logic tangled like spaghetti. Avoid the tangles, and you simplify your life.” - Martin Fowler https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series: How to Find the Stinky Parts of your Code GOTO Chaos: Spaghetti Code GOTO Chaos: Spaghetti Code This article is dedicated to the late Thomas E. Kurtz, one of BASIC's creators, as it was the first programming language I learned. This article is dedicated to the late Thomas E. Kurtz, one of BASIC's creators, as it was the first programming language I learned. This article is dedicated to the late Thomas E. Kurtz , one of BASIC 's creators, as it was the first programming language I learned. Thomas E. Kurtz BASIC TL;DR: GOTO statements create confusing and unmaintainable code TL;DR: GOTO statements create confusing and unmaintainable code Problems Logic becomes unclear Debugging gets harder Flow jumps erratically Code lacks structure Maintenance becomes difficult Logic becomes unclear Debugging gets harder Flow jumps erratically Code lacks structure Maintenance becomes difficult Solutions Use structured programming Replace with loops Simplify control flow Avoid unnecessary jumps Use structured programming Replace with loops Simplify control flow Avoid unnecessary jumps jumps Context Spaghetti describes code that is poorly structured and difficult to understand. It often involves deeply nested loops, excessive use of goto statements, and complex control flow. When you overuse GOTO statements, your program becomes a tangled mess of uncontrolled jumps. This was common in the 70s when BASIC encouraged GOTO for flow control. While it can solve simple problems quickly, GOTO leads to spaghetti code that’s nearly impossible to debug or extend. BASIC GOTO GOTO Spaghetti Code << Structured Programming << Object-Oriented Programming << Machine Learnign Programming Spaghetti Code << Structured Programming << Object-Oriented Programming << Machine Learnign Programming Sample Code Wrong 0 REM Request a Zero
10 INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
20 IF N = 0 THEN GOTO 50
30 PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 GOTO 10
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END 0 REM Request a Zero
10 INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
20 IF N = 0 THEN GOTO 50
30 PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 GOTO 10
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END Right 10 DO
20   INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
30   IF N <> 0 THEN PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 LOOP UNTIL N = 0
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END 10 DO
20   INPUT "Enter a number: ", N
30   IF N <> 0 THEN PRINT "Number is non-zero"
40 LOOP UNTIL N = 0
50 PRINT "Goodbye"
60 END Detection [x]Automatic [x] Automatic [x] You can detect this smell by scanning for frequent GOTO usage, especially when they jump between unrelated code sections. GOTO Look for logical breaks caused by excessive jumping and ask if structured control flow can replace them. Tags Coupling Coupling Level [x]Beginner [x] Beginner [x] AI Generation AI generators can include GOTO when mimicking older coding styles. GOTO They might use it for simplicity without considering modern best practices. AI Detection You can instruct AI to replace GOTO with loops or structured constructs like IF-ELSE or WHILE . GOTO IF-ELSE WHILE Try Them! Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions ChatGPT

ChatGPT Claude

Claude Perplexity

Perplexity Copilot

Copilot Gemini

Gemini Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions Without Proper Instructions Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions With Specific Instructions ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Conclusion Overusing GOTO creates chaotic and unmanageable code. GOTO Replace it with structured programming techniques to improve readability and maintainability. Relations https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xx-we-have-reached-100 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xx-we-have-reached-100 More Info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC?embedable=true https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC?embedable=true Disclaimer: Code Smells are my opinion. Disclaimer: Code Smells are my opinion . opinion Credits: Photo by Sofia Ciravegna on Unsplash Credits: Photo by Sofia Ciravegna on Unsplash Sofia Ciravegna Unsplash “Spaghetti code is a program with its logic tangled like spaghetti. Avoid the tangles, and you simplify your life.” - Martin Fowler “Spaghetti code is a program with its logic tangled like spaghetti. Avoid the tangles, and you simplify your life.” - Martin Fowler Martin Fowler https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series: How to Find the Stinky Parts of your Code This article is part of the CodeSmell Series: How to Find the Stinky Parts of your Code How to Find the Stinky Parts of your Code

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

The code in this story is for educational purposes. The readers are solely responsible for whatever they build with it.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Code Smell 280 - Spaghetti Code

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