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If anyone could suggest a reason why Label[begin] ... Goto[begin] would return Hold[Goto[Begin]], and (better) how can I avoid this problem, I'd appreciate it. I suspect this is an outmoded control structure for simple programs, but I like it.

I had an earlier version of Mathematica and it was fickle. Sometimes adjusting the spacing cured the problem. The newer version is less forgiving, if it is user error.

Edit: a silly example maybe but it gives the error message.

p[1] = .9; i = 1; Label[begin];
i++;
p[i] = p[i - 1] + 1;
Print[i];
If[i < 5, Goto[begin], Goto[end]];
Label[end];

2

Goto::nolabel: Label begin not found. >>

Hold[Goto[begin]]
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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Can you provide a minimal working example that reproduces the problem? $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:12
  • $\begingroup$ Are any messages produced? In particular, ones referencing $IterationLimit or $RecursionLimit? $\endgroup$
    – Oleksandr R.
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:17
  • $\begingroup$ @OleksandrR: no, just Hold[Goto[...]] $\endgroup$
    – daniel
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:19
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ ... or put all your code in a single line? $\endgroup$
    – kglr
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:27
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ No idea what is causing the problem. Apparently, without the parentheses the parser is seeing multiple compound expressions; and the label begin is not in the same compound expression that contains Goto[label]. $\endgroup$
    – kglr
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:35

2 Answers 2

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From the docs for Label

Label must appear as an explicit element of a CompoundExpression object.

So this works:

p[1] = .9; i = 1; Label[begin]; i++; p[i] = p[i - 1] + 1; Print[i]; If[i < 5, Goto[begin], Goto[end]]; Label[end];

But this doesn't:

p[1] = .9; i = 1; Label[begin];
i++;
p[i] = p[i - 1] + 1;
Print[i];
If[i < 5, Goto[begin], Goto[end]];
Label[end];

It's because the newlines in an input cell separate the CompoundExpression into several input expressions.

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5
  • $\begingroup$ I find kguler's solution easier but this is good to know. $\endgroup$
    – daniel
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:34
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ @daniel Yes, either way, it keeps the input a single CompoundExpression. Parentheses are usually what I use, too, for the same reasons, I suspect. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 22:37
  • $\begingroup$ Isn't it a duplicate that you've closed one time? :P $\endgroup$
    – Kuba
    Commented Apr 20, 2014 at 20:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Kuba D'oh. Memory fault. +1 to you! :) I guess nobody remembers, since there are any close votes yet. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Commented Apr 20, 2014 at 20:34
  • $\begingroup$ Happens :) +1 for different documentation quote :) $\endgroup$
    – Kuba
    Commented Apr 20, 2014 at 20:38
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A fix with minimal editing is to introduce parentheses.

p[1] = .9; i = 1;
(Label[begin];
 i++;
 p[i] = p[i - 1] + 1;
 Print[i];
 If[i < 5, Goto[begin], Goto[end]];
 Label[end]);
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