const assignments problem again

[Don]

Jacob Carlborg wrote:
> On 2011-08-07 03:19, bearophile wrote:
>> I have discussed about this topic once in past, but in the meantime I 
>> have seen this is a quite common problem, so I think it doesn't harm 
>> to touch this topic again.
>>
>> This is a direct D translation of the original C or C++ code:
>>
>>
>> // version #1
>> double foo;
>> if (abs(e.x - v.x)>  double.min)
>>      foo = (v.y - e.y) / (v.x - e.x);
>> else
>>      foo = double.max;
> 
> If D's statements were expressions instead, this could work:
> 
> const foo = if (abs(e.x - v.x)>  double.min)
>     (v.y - e.y) / (v.x - e.x);
> else
>     double.max;
> 

I find that much more difficult to read.
Especially consider

const foo  =  (a > b) ? bar() : baz();

compared to

const foo = if (a > b)
                 bar();
             else
                 baz();

You have to read quite a lot of code before you get any visual cue that 
the return value of baz() is used.
IMHO: to understand code, I think you really need to know if you're 
looking at an expression or a statement, so making 'if' do both jobs 
reduces code clarity. (Would be OK in a language where it was _always_ 
an expression).