From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fac41,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,5da92b52f6784b63 X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public X-Google-Thread: f43e6,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: ffc1e,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidffc1e,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Ken Garlington Subject: Re: Papers on the Ariane-5 crash and Design by Contract Date: 1997/03/31 Message-ID: <333FF061.3840@lmtas.lmco.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 229652468 References: <3336D280.5EA3@lmtas.lmco.com> Organization: Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.programming.threads,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-03-31T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Joachim Durchholz wrote: > > > 2. Claims that Design by Contract is not language-specific (i.e. Eiffel) > > are also clearly false, and attempts to sell it as such are silly. > > Yes and no. > Besides Eiffel, there is currently no commercial language that supports > design-by-contract. In this sense, it is language-specific. > But it would not be a problem to add programming-by-contract to any OO > language. In this sense, it is definitely not language-specific, and it is > even in the grey areas between design and code writing. Putting aside the problems associated with modifying languages, and of making them sufficiently "commercial" to use in critical systems, I think you would agree that if C++, for example, were modified sufficiently to meet the "spirit" of Design by Contract, it would no longer be C++, but another language. So, a programmer writing in C++ would still not have a language that would be sufficient. Most methologies that address software design make some assumptions about the underlying language capabilities. DBC makes assumptions that can only be completely met, _today_, by Eiffel and Sather. As a result, this should be (a) be made explicit in the paper, since it may affect whether a particular project can use DBC, and (b) should constrain the paper's authors from implying otherwise. > > Regads, > Joachim -- LMTAS - The Fighter Enterprise - "Our Brand Means Quality" For job listings, other info: http://www.lmtas.com or http://www.lmco.com