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From: gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: 'lint' and strong typing - (nf)
Message-ID: <857@proper.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Jan-84 15:42:04 EST
Article-I.D.: proper.857
Posted: Sun Jan 15 15:42:04 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jan-84 00:56:45 EST
References: <1376@pur-ee.UUCP>, <254@kobold.UUCP>
Organization: Proper UNIX, San Leandro, CA
Lines: 17

> From: tjt@kobold.UUCP, Organization: Masscomp, Westford, MA
> 
>                                   ... Unfortunately, as long the
> type-checking system must be applied manually, it will require an iron
> will (and an iron hand on the whip) to administer.  It's much easier to
> adhere to if it *enforced* by the compiler.  How many C programmers have
> continued to ignore the "warnings" already produced by the type
> checking in the pre-System V compilers
> 	Tom Teixeira,  Massachusetts Computer Corporation.  Westford MA
> 	...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax}!masscomp!tjt   (617) 692-6200 x275

This is beginning to sound more like a problem of programmers' behavior
than of any type-checking mechanism we might come up with.  I think
we should view this sort of type-checking as part of the programmer's
job of creating `correct' code.  If a programmer is not going to use
the tools at his/her disposal to avoid such problems, I don't think
that should be accepted as a `style' but sheer laziness/incompetence.