Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!bony1!richieb From: richieb@bony1.bony.com (Richard Bielak) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: Run-time checks, Compile time Checks, and reliability Keywords: type checking, high reliability, fault tolerance Message-ID: <1991Apr3.203332.25348@bony1.bony.com> Date: 3 Apr 91 20:33:32 GMT References: <1991Mar28.161307.6071@cbnewsh.att.com> <27F780E2.1872@tct.com> Reply-To: richieb@bony1.UUCP (Richard Bielak) Organization: Bank of New York Lines: 28 In article <27F780E2.1872@tct.com> chip@tct.com (Chip Salzenberg) writes: >According to warren@cbnewsh.att.com (warren.a.montgomery): >>"Run-time checks are unsuitable for high reliability systems, >> because you can't afford a run-time detected error". > >That statement misrepresents the position of static typing partisans. >Of course run-time errors will occur. However, any run-time error >that could have been detected at compile-time is Evil and Rude to the >user. Thus I choose static typing when possible. > [...] Another argument for static type checking is that it is more efficient, since many checks need only to be done once - at compile time - and not millions of times at run time. Confucius says "It is more efficient to do something once, than to do it a thousand times". ...richie -- *-----------------------------------------------------------------------------* | Richie Bielak (212)-815-3072 | Programs are like baby squirrels. Once | | Internet: richieb@bony.com | you pick one up and handle it, you can't | | Bang: uunet!bony1!richieb | put it back. The mother won't feed it. |