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From: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Future of Minix
Message-ID: <2923@ast.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 21 Jul 89 14:06:37 GMT
References: <061989A1660@syntel.UUCP>
Reply-To: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 14

In article <061989A1660@syntel.UUCP> dal@syntel.UUCP (Dale Schumacher) writes:
>I want all that error checking OUT OF THE WAY when I go to create my
>final program.

It is sort of like going to sailing school and wearing a life preserver
during the theory part on land, but refusing to wear it when you get in
the boat.

I think the right way to do it is with the ASSERT() macro.  There is a large
theoretical literature about program correctness using assertions, so this
way is clearly not a hack.  If done right, it also has documentation value.
And it generates no life preserver anywhere near the water.

Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)