how can I exit from a recursive subroutine?

[Ameen]

I am very new to programming and VB.net, and I wrote the code below,
but it seem to go on an infinite loop. Please tell me what I am doing
wrong.



Private Sub search(ByVal indexstart)
Pos1 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("<!--", indexstart) 'checks for the
begining of the comment
While Pos1 = -1 And Not (line Is Nothing) ' keep checking till
end of file
nextline()
Pos1 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("<!--", indexstart)
End While
If Pos1 <> -1 Then ' first comment was found, continue
Pos2 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("#includevirtual", Pos1) 'check
if the starting comment contains #include virtual
While Pos2 = -1 And Not (line Is Nothing) 'if not found in
the same line check the next line till found or end reached
nextline()
Pos2 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("#includevirtual",
indexstart)
End While
If Pos2 <> -1 Then 'if virtual
include is found, check for the first double quotes
Pos3 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("""", Pos2) 'in same
line
While Pos3 = -1 And Not (line Is Nothing) 'keep
checking for the first double quotes in next line to end of file
nextline()
Pos3 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("""", indexstart)
End While
If Pos3 <> -1 Then 'if first double quotes are found
then
Pos4 = LineNoSpace.IndexOf("""", Pos3 + 1) ' check
for second double quotes in the same line
If Pos4 <> -1 Then ' if second double quotes is
found in the same line continue
OriginalLine = Mid(LineNoSpace, Pos3 + 1, Pos4
- Pos3 + 2) & "in line: " & linenumber 'creating a temporary message
before moving to the next line
CheckCommentClose() 'check if there is a
problem with the closing of the comment tag, display problem if there
is
If Pos4 <> 0 Then 'if there was no problem
with the closing comment then
While LineNoSpace.IndexOf("<!--", Pos4) <>
-1 'as long as there is a new comment tag in the same line check for
the virtual include
ListBox1.Items.Add(filename & "
includes: " & Mid(LineNoSpace, Pos3 + 1, Pos4 - Pos3 + 1) & " - in
line: " & linenumber) 'list the current virtual include found
counter = counter + 1 'count of
virtual includes found
search(Pos3) 'start search again from
the position right before the new comment open tag(RECURSION)
End While
ListBox1.Items.Add(filename & " includes: "
& Mid(LineNoSpace, Pos3 + 1, Pos4 - Pos3 + 1) & " - in line: " &
linenumber)
counter = counter + 1 'count of
virtual includes found
nextline()
Else 'else there was a problem with the comment
closing tag in the next line and beyond
ListBox1.Items.Add(filename & " - includes:
" & OriginalLine)
counter = counter + 1
nextline()
End If
Else 'if the second double quotes is not found
in the same line, display error and continue
ListBox1.Items.Add("There is an error in line:
" & linenumber & " - missing double quotes -")
counter = counter + 1 'count of virtual
includes found
nextline()
End If
End If
End If
End If
indexstart = 0
Pos1 = -1
Pos2 = -1
Pos3 = -1
Pos4 = -1
End Sub

 

[Guest]

I didn't look in detail at your code but you exit a recursive routine when
you do a Return or Exit Sub without calling the Function or Sub before, i.e.,
see some code below that I think will work. Notice if I>=10, the DoSomething
does not call itself again. Be careful with recursive routines as you can
get an out-of-Stack error very easily.

Private Sub DoSomething( )
Static i as integer
i +=1
if i <10 then DoSomething else exit sub
end sub

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Ameen,

If your search on a string is so complex, than there is for that Regex

RegexLib
http://www.regexlib.com/Default.aspx

Expresso
http://www.ultrapico.com/Expresso.htm

I hope this helps a little bit?

Cor

 

[Cerebrus]

Hi Ameen,

Don't mind, but your code does not appear to be the best way to do
whatever it intends to do. If you give more details about exactly what
you intend to do, it might help others to give you valid suggestions /
alternatives.

Although your code is well commented, I'm still unsure about what
exactly it does. An eagle-eye examination of the code suggests that
this might be better done with Regex.

Regards,

Cerebrus.