Is there a neater way of avoiding the continual use of the boolean 'quit_input' below, such that I don't get quite so much indended IF/ELSE constructs ?  (exception handling ?)

Code:

def input_for_AIS(input_connection):    s = input_connection    index_stats="AIS"        result_time = 1.5    quit_input = ''    db_nm_upper = get_objectName('DATABASE').upper()    if db_nm_upper == 'Q': quit_input = 'Y'    else:        tb_nm_upper = get_objectName('TABLE').upper()        if tb_nm_upper == 'Q': quit_input = 'Y'    if quit_input:        returning('Returning to Menu ...')                    else:        env=get_environment(db_nm_upper)        if env == '':            returning('Database must be prefixed with environment.  Please try again',4)            quit_input = 'Y'        if not quit_input:            if tb_nm_upper.endswith('_V01'):                tb_nm_upper = tb_nm_upper.replace('_V01','')            if db_nm_upper.endswith('_V'):                db_nm_upper = db_nm_upper.replace('_V','_T')            sql_dict = general_sql()            result = getdata(s,sql_dict.get(index_stats).replace \                        (':IN_DB',encase(db_nm_upper,quote,quote)).replace(':IN_TB',encase(tb_nm_upper,quote,quote)) \                        .replace(':ENV',env))            if result == '': returning('No action taken.  Please check the input, incase not in correct form for procedure',4)            else:                for row_entry in result:                    if len(row_entry) > 0:                        resultCode = row_entry[0]                        resultMsg = row_entry[1]                        print 'restultCode=',resultCode                        if resultCode <> '00': result_time = 5                        returning('ResultCode= '+resultCode+' '+resultMsg,result_time)

I have added code tags to help readability - Graham

I tried to edit that to make opentalk present the (critical in the case of Python) spaces well ... but it made it no better to read - sorry.

It is a bit haevy, isn't it?    Bit of a contivance, but I wonder about purring the whole of teh offending logic in a while 1: with a break to get out at every point needed, and a break at the end to stop it looping.

while 1:
   if ............. break

   if .............. break

   if  .............  break

   break

print "clean up code:

Right, ok, I've re-worked this particular function, as you can see below.  Is it any better, well, I'd say .... YES.  

Like you point out, as long as you remember to code the final 'break', it's fine.

Certainly it's got rid of that 'quit_input' boolean that seemed to want ot take over the world!

Anyway, thanks for the tip, I'll code it this way from now on.  It's certainly been an annoyance of mine for some time.

*******************************************

def input_for_AIS(input_connection):

   s = input_connection
   index_stats="AIS"
   
   result_time = 3
   
   clear_windows_screen()
   
   print 'INDEX STATS'
   print '***********'

   while 1:
       db_nm_upper = get_objectName('DATABASE').upper()
       if db_nm_upper == 'Q':
           returning('Returning to Menu ...')                
           break
       else:
           tb_nm_upper = get_objectName('TABLE').upper()
           if tb_nm_upper == 'Q':
               returning('Returning to Menu ...')                
               break

       print  '\n'
       env=get_environment(db_nm_upper)
       if env == '':
           returning('Database must be prefixed with environment.  Please try again',4)
           break

       if tb_nm_upper.endswith('_V01'):
           tb_nm_upper = tb_nm_upper.replace('_V01','')
       if db_nm_upper.endswith('_V'):
           db_nm_upper = db_nm_upper.replace('_V','_T')

       sql_dict = general_sql()
       result = getdata(s,sql_dict.get(index_stats).replace \
                   (':IN_DB',encase(db_nm_upper,quote,quote)).replace(':IN_TB',encase(tb_nm_upper,quote,quote)) \
                   .replace(':ENV',env))
       if result == '':
           returning('No action taken.  Please check the input, incase not in correct form for procedure',4)
       else:
           for row_entry in result:
               if len(row_entry) > 0:
                   resultCode = row_entry[0]
                   resultMsg = row_entry[1]
                   if resultCode <> '00': result_time = 5
                   returning('ResultCode= '+resultCode+' '+resultMsg,result_time)                                    

       break # while loop            

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