In COBOL a recursive program can have multiple entries, and these entries can invoke each other recursively. Programs nested within programs can thus be replaced by different entries in the same program, although care must be taken to avoid confusing different generations of working and local storage.
In a block-structured language like PL/I---Things are almost but not quite so clear in C---generalization of the notion of recursion is easy: a procedure block is invoked recursively if it is invoked while it is still active, no matter the entry point at which it is invoked. In a procvedure having two entries E0, E1 the invocation of E1 by E0 or E0 by E1 is recursive in the same semse in which the invocation of E0 by itself or E1 by itself is recursive. In COBOL this is again the relevant distinction between recursive and non-recursive use, but there is no really satisfactory language available for talking about it. Since your programmer considered using recursion he or she will probably be up to doing this sort of thing. John Gilmore, Ashland, MA 01721 - USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
