From: gah@ugcs.caltech.edu   
      
   Anton Ertl wrote:   
   (snip)   
      
   > Yes, most VMs implement control flow using assembler-style VM branch   
   > instructions.  You don't need backpatching for backward branches   
   > (e.g., the loop-back branch you mentioned), because in that case you   
   > know where you want to branch to when you generate the branch.   
      
   Fortran up through Fortran 66 allows the test to be done at the end of   
   the loop.  That is, the statements inside the loop are executed at   
   least once.  I believe this is due to the indexing and branching   
   instructions on the 704, and not that it made code generation easier,   
   but it would tend to avoid the forward branch that would otherwise be   
   needed.   
      
   -- glen   
   [The code was smaller, which was a big deal back then. -John]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)