Is block structure necessary?

Block structure is traditionally considered an a priori requirement for algorithmic programming languages. Most new languages since Algol‐60 have block structure. Reasons exist, however, to omit the general form of block structure‐nested procedure definitions in which references to identifiers defined in outer procedures are permitted‐from programming languages, especially those intended for systems programming applications. This paper reviews the concept of block structure and considers its advantages and disadvantages. It concludes that, in many cases, a module facility is superior to block structure and should be considered in lieu of block structure in future languages.

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