Bug#100505: algorithmic environment does not allow a line with only a comment

["C.M. Connelly" <c@eskimo.com>]

severity 100505 wishlist
thanks

This bug report is, at best, a wishlist bug.  The package does
what it does -- if you read the rest of the manual (notably
Section 2.1), you'll find that it used to be possible to enter
``simple statements'' as free text terminated with a \\ command.
In order to implement line numbering, the author had to change the
way things work so that a \STATE command is necessary for simple
statements.  Because you need a \STATE to write a statement, you
need a \STATE to create a comment on a line; you've discovered the
correct method of placing a comment on a line without any other
material.

Also, Section 2.9 points out that while the \COMMENT command can't
be used on the first line of a construct, those commands do allow
you to specify a comment in an optional argument, as in

   \begin{algorithmic}[1]
   \STATE $x = 0$ \COMMENT{Start from $0$}
   \WHILE[only run ten times]{$x < 9$}
   \STATE $x = x + 1$
   \ENDWHILE
   \end{algorithmic}

(You do need the braces, though.)

   CMC

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
 Behind the counter a boy with a shaven head stared vacantly into space, 
 a dozen spikes of microsoft protruding from the socket behind his ear.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
   C.M. Connelly               c@eskimo.com                   SHC, DS
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+