Re: problems/risks due to programming language, stories requested

[hammondr@sunroof.crd.ge.com (Richard A Hammond)]

In article <8211@hubcap.clemson.edu> billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu writes:
>From hammondr@sunroof.crd.ge.com (Richard A Hammond):
>%    | | In the switching software (written in C), there was a long
>%    | | "do . . . while" construct, which contained
>%    | |    a "switch" statement, which contained 
>%    | |       an "if" clause, which contained a
>%    | |          "break," which was intended for
>%    | |       the "if" clause, but instead broke from
>%    | |    the "switch" statement.
 
>> Which doesn't support any conclusion other than the programmer didn't know
>> the language.

>   Not exactly.  There is a lack of orthogonality in that similar
>   flow-of-control constructs do not terminate in similar ways.  If
>   one is using the if statement, termination is automatic.  If one 
>   is using the switch statement, a break is required.  It is this
>   lack of orthogonality which leads to potential problems.
				         ^^^^^^^^^ 
weasel words!!  Potential cause /= actual cause.
Reduced probability /= 0.0 probability

Daggone it Bill, why don't you try to understand?

You're quoting this out of context, the whole point of my posting was
that the statement of the bug does not provide sufficient information
to say that changing the language would have PREVENTED the problem.

I gave 3 other examples (of C code problems) where the bug was one that
would have been PREVENTED by use of Ada.

Rich Hammond