An interesting source of coding error

An interesting source of coding error

[Rakesh Malhotra]

I often read a newsgroup called comp.risks (very interesting info) and
found the following text in the most recent posting of the risks
digest.  Thought some of you may find it interesting.


Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 18:35:19 -0800
From: Fred Gilham <gilham@csl.sri.com>
Subject: Programming errors

I am reminded again of how shaky the software world is.

Someone has been making a major effort to clean up the code in the
FreeBSD tree.  In two days he has reported three instances of the
following common C error:

     if (x = y)

instead of

     if (x == y)

This is in running code, in an OS whose developers consider stability
to be one of its major advantages over other offerings.

He also reported some missing breaks in a switch statement---many of
us remember what THAT error did not too long ago.  [RISKS-9.61 to 71.  
Trojan horse switches in midstream?  PGN]

-Fred Gilham   gilham@csl.sri.com