From 1766539050854715382 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f78e5,ccbfcafab96cf493 X-Google-Attributes: gidf78e5,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-12-03 10:01:01 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!dispose.news.demon.net!news.demon.co.uk!demon!mail2news.demon.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Jim Barry" Newsgroups: comp.std.c++ Subject: Re: Proposol to increase robustness of programs Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 18:00:42 GMT Organization: ntl Cablemodem News Service Approved: Fergus Henderson , moderator of comp.std.c++ Message-ID: References: <3BFE97B3.91430FB1@wanadoo.fr> <3C058126.36357A00@acm.org> <3C06A0CE.E91638E8@acm.org> X-Trace: mail2news.demon.co.uk 1007402449 mail2news:10628 mail2news mail2news.demon.co.uk X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Mail2News-Path: news.demon.net!mulga.cs.mu.oz.au X-Authentication-Warning: mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU: fjh set sender to devnull@stump.algebra.com using -f X-Robomod: STUMP, ichudov@algebra.com (Igor Chudov) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 13:47:31 GMT Lines: 46 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.std.c++:8418 Pete Becker wrote: > On a construction site, if someone leaves a board with a nail > sticking out of it on the ground they get fired immediately. > Nobody says "couldn't someone have followed behind him and > picked this up?" I don't find the analogy terribly persuasive, I'm afraid. > There are more important things for a programming language > to do than protect you from traps set by your own suppliers. I was thinking of general program development and maintenance rather than third party libraries. > As to the cost to fix "later", there shouldn't be much > elapsed time between changing code and running tests, > so there's very little incremental cost in postponing this > particular check. Maybe, but it's undeniably preferable to get a compiler error than to find out about it later in testing. > Certainly beginners do it to themselves from time to time, > and if they make this mistake they'll learn an important > lesson. Experienced professionals don't make that sort of > change. I don't agree that this is an issue that only affects novices. And even if I did, it doesn't strike me as a valid reason for rejecting the proposal. I thought we were supposed to be in an era of enlightenment where it is actually considered desirable to remove pitfalls for the less experienced user. - Jim --- [ comp.std.c++ is moderated. To submit articles, try just posting with ] [ your news-reader. If that fails, use mailto:std-c++@ncar.ucar.edu ] [ --- Please see the FAQ before posting. --- ] [ FAQ: http://www.research.att.com/~austern/csc/faq.html ]