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From: mheaney@ni.net (Matthew Heaney)
Subject: Re: Building blocks (Was: Design By Contract)
Date: 1997/09/09
Date: 1997-09-09T00:00:00+00:00	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <mheaney-ya023680000909970121270001@news.ni.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: Pine.SGI.3.95.970908193446.11288B-100000@shellx.best.com



In article <Pine.SGI.3.95.970908193446.11288B-100000@shellx.best.com>,
Brian Rogoff <bpr@shellx.best.com> wrote:

>>In fact the Eiffel exception mechanism is superior to the Ada one
>> because it is built on a theoretical model of software engineering.

Can any of the Eiffel guys explain this a bit more?  I'm curious what is
meant by a "theoretical model of software engineering."  Can someone post
some references to the theory behind the Eiffel exception mechanism?

I've always been curious about the semantics of exception propagation,
because it doesn't correspond to anything in pure math (or does it?).  If I
divide x by 0 on paper, I can strug my shoulders and say, "Oh well,
division by 0 isn't defined," but on a computer, I have to do _something_. 


I just finished the Gordon book on denotational semantics, and even he just
sort of says "return {error}"; maybe the Stoy book has something more.

I read the Luckham paper, and he presented the idea that an assertion be
associated with each exception raised by a subprogram, to describe the
state when the exception is propagated.

It would be cool if you could check at compile time that all exceptions
were being handled by the client, and that only the exceptions advertised
by a supplier get raised (and only in the specified state).  Maybe that's
the Eiffel model already.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew Heaney
Software Development Consultant
<mailto:matthew_heaney@acm.org>
(818) 985-1271




  parent reply	other threads:[~1997-09-09  0:00 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 132+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
1997-08-21  0:00 Critique of Ariane 5 paper (finally!) aek
     [not found] ` <33FC66AD.9A0799D4@calfp.co.uk>
1997-08-22  0:00   ` Robert S. White
1997-08-22  0:00     ` Samuel Mize
1997-08-22  0:00       ` Samuel Mize
1997-08-23  0:00     ` Ken Garlington
     [not found]   ` <33FFA4B1.3543@flash.net>
1997-08-26  0:00     ` Nick Leaton
     [not found]       ` <3403940F.4154@pseserv3.fw.hac.com>
1997-08-27  0:00         ` Design By Contract Ted Velkoff
     [not found]           ` <JSA.97Aug27180328@alexandria.organon.com>
1997-08-28  0:00             ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-03  0:00             ` Don Harrison
1997-09-03  0:00               ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-04  0:00                 ` Don Harrison
     [not found]           ` <5u3c6v$gtf$2@miranda.gmrc.gecm.com>
     [not found]             ` <34058808.3BF@pseserv3.fw.hac.com>
1997-08-28  0:00               ` Darren New
1997-08-28  0:00             ` Patrick Doyle
1997-09-06  0:00               ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-09-06  0:00                 ` Patrick Doyle
     [not found]         ` <EFM140.Fy9@syd.csa.com.au>
1997-08-28  0:00           ` Jon S Anthony
1997-08-29  0:00             ` Don Harrison
1997-08-29  0:00               ` Jon S Anthony
     [not found]                 ` <EFqE8L.4Eq@ecf.toronto.edu>
     [not found]                   ` <JSA.97Aug30145058@alexandria.organon.com>
1997-09-01  0:00                     ` Patrick Doyle
1997-09-02  0:00                 ` Don Harrison
1997-09-02  0:00                   ` Joerg Rodemann
1997-09-02  0:00                     ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-02  0:00                   ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-03  0:00                     ` Don Harrison
     [not found]                     ` <JSA.97Sep3201329@alexandria.organon.com>
     [not found]                       ` <EFzLn7.481@ecf.toronto.edu>
1997-09-04  0:00                         ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-04  0:00                       ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-05  0:00                         ` Jon S Anthony
     [not found]                         ` <5un58u$9ih$1@gonzo.sun3.iaf.nl>
1997-09-06  0:00                           ` Building blocks (Was: Design By Contract) Joachim Durchholz
1997-09-08  0:00                           ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-08  0:00                             ` Brian Rogoff
1997-09-09  0:00                               ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-09  0:00                               ` Matthew Heaney [this message]
1997-09-09  0:00                                 ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-10  0:00                                   ` Robert A Duff
1997-09-12  0:00                                     ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-09  0:00                                 ` Brian Rogoff
1997-09-10  0:00                                 ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-12  0:00                                   ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-14  0:00                                     ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-14  0:00                                     ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-15  0:00                                       ` John G. Volan
1997-09-14  0:00                                     ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-12  0:00                                   ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-12  0:00                                     ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-16  0:00                                       ` Brian Rogoff
1997-09-10  0:00                                 ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-10  0:00                                   ` Darren New
1997-09-10  0:00                                   ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-09  0:00                               ` Veli-Pekka Nousiainen
1997-09-09  0:00                               ` Veli-Pekka Nousiainen
1997-09-09  0:00                                 ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-08  0:00                         ` Design By Contract Nick Leaton
1997-09-08  0:00                           ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-09  0:00                           ` Paul Johnson
     [not found]                       ` <EFz0pD.E6n@syd.csa.com.au>
1997-09-05  0:00                         ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-05  0:00                         ` subjectivity W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-05  0:00                           ` subjectivity Matthew Heaney
1997-09-10  0:00                             ` subjectivity Don Harrison
1997-09-12  0:00                               ` subjectivity Jon S Anthony
1997-09-16  0:00                                 ` subjectivity Don Harrison
1997-09-16  0:00                                   ` subjectivity Jon S Anthony
1997-09-10  0:00                           ` subjectivity Don Harrison
1997-09-10  0:00                             ` subjectivity W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-11  0:00                               ` subjectivity Don Harrison
1997-09-10  0:00                             ` subjectivity W. Wesley Groleau x4923
     [not found]                         ` <JSA.97Sep4172912@alexandria.organon.com>
     [not found]                           ` <EG0oz8.F6M@syd.csa.com.au>
1997-09-05  0:00                             ` Design By Contract Jon S Anthony
1997-09-05  0:00                               ` Nick Leaton
1997-09-08  0:00                                 ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-09  0:00                                   ` Nick Leaton
1997-09-10  0:00                                     ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-06  0:00                               ` Patrick Doyle
     [not found]                             ` <EG0rp7.GtL@syd.csa.com.au>
1997-09-05  0:00                               ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-09  0:00                           ` Robert A Duff
1997-09-09  0:00                             ` Matthew Heaney
1997-08-29  0:00             ` Patrick Doyle
1997-08-29  0:00               ` Jon S Anthony
     [not found]                 ` <EFqDw0.3x7@ecf.toronto.edu>
     [not found]                   ` <JSA.97Aug30145354@alexandria.organon.com>
1997-09-01  0:00                     ` Patrick Doyle
1997-08-28  0:00           ` Robert Dewar
1997-08-29  0:00             ` Don Harrison
     [not found]         ` <349224633wnr@eiffel.demon.co.uk>
1997-08-27  0:00           ` Design by Contract Robert Dewar
1997-08-29  0:00           ` Don Harrison
     [not found]       ` <3406BEF7.2FC3@flash.net>
     [not found]         ` <3406E0F7.6FF7ED99@calfp.co.uk>
1997-09-02  0:00           ` Critique of Ariane 5 paper (finally!) Ken Garlington
  -- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
1997-09-09  0:00 Building blocks (Was: Design By Contract) Marc Wachowitz
1997-09-15  0:00 ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-09-17  0:00 ` Paul Johnson
1997-09-18  0:00   ` Stephen Leake
1997-09-18  0:00     ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-21  0:00       ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-18  0:00     ` Mark L. Fussell
1997-09-19  0:00       ` Robert A Duff
1997-09-20  0:00         ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-09-22  0:00           ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-23  0:00             ` Veli-Pekka Nousiainen
1997-10-03  0:00               ` Robert I. Eachus
1997-10-04  0:00                 ` Paul Johnson
1997-10-14  0:00                   ` Robert I. Eachus
1997-09-23  0:00             ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-09-23  0:00           ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-24  0:00           ` Alan E & Carmel J Brain
1997-09-25  0:00             ` Anonymous
1997-09-30  0:00               ` Alan E & Carmel J Brain
1997-09-30  0:00                 ` Matthew Heaney
1997-09-30  0:00                   ` W. Wesley Groleau x4923
1997-09-30  0:00                     ` Matthew Heaney
1997-10-01  0:00                     ` Alan E & Carmel J Brain
1997-09-30  0:00                   ` Neil Wilson
1997-09-30  0:00                     ` Stephen Leake
1997-10-01  0:00                 ` Anonymous
1997-10-01  0:00                   ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-10-01  0:00                   ` Paul M Gover
1997-10-04  0:00                     ` Paul Johnson
1997-10-04  0:00                       ` Matthew Heaney
1997-10-15  0:00                         ` Paul Johnson
1997-10-15  0:00                           ` Matthew Heaney
1997-10-16  0:00                             ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-10-17  0:00                               ` Robert I. Eachus
1997-10-16  0:00                           ` Joachim Durchholz
1997-10-22  0:00                           ` Reimer Behrends
1997-10-02  0:00                   ` Robert A Duff
1997-10-02  0:00                     ` Tucker Taft
1997-10-02  0:00                       ` Matthew Heaney
1997-10-03  0:00                     ` Stephen Leake
1997-10-04  0:00                     ` Matthew Heaney
1997-10-07  0:00                       ` Robert A Duff
1997-09-24  0:00           ` Richard A. O'Keefe
     [not found]       ` <11861963wnr@eiffel.demon.co.uk>
1997-09-19  0:00         ` Mark L. Fussell
1997-09-19  0:00       ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-23  0:00         ` Mark L. Fussell
1997-09-18  0:00   ` Jon S Anthony
1997-09-18  0:00   ` Robert Dewar
1997-09-09  0:00 Marc Wachowitz
1997-09-11  0:00 Robert Dewar
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