Newsgroups: comp.object,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.java,comp.lang.objective-c,comp.lang.sather,comp.lang.smalltalk
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel-eecis!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!swrinde!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hp-cv!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!qiclab.scn.rain.com!gemstone.com!servio!servio!aland
From: aland@servio.slc.com (Alan Darlington)
Subject: No accident that programs have bugs  (was Re: Coders Aren't Carpenters)
Message-ID: <1996Aug7.194548.21808@gemstone.com>
Sender: news@gemstone.com (USENET News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: servio
Organization: GemStone Systems, Inc., Beaverton OR, USA
References: <4tmh9r$7ub@news3.digex.net> <DvGCAp.Cwn.0.staffin.dcs.ed.ac.uk@dcs.ed.ac.uk> <32018529.4A6D@ibm.net>
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 19:45:48 GMT
Lines: 22
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.object:53620 comp.lang.c++:204881 comp.lang.eiffel:15433 comp.lang.java:74823 comp.lang.objective-c:5663 comp.lang.sather:2958 comp.lang.smalltalk:41952

Dale Snelling <lsnelli@ibm.net> writes:
> Clearly, we aren't carpenters.  If a carpenter built a house whose 
> quality was comparable to the average program, we'd all be living in 
> tents.

What world do you live in?  :-)  In my world, both houses and
programs are comparably imperfect - for the same reason.

Given an average income, would you buy an imperfect house for
$100,000 (walls not perfectly plumb, cracks in the plaster,
exterior paint peeling, etc.) or a perfect house for $1,000,000
(same size & plan, but the best possible materials were used,
workers were the best in the world and highly paid, etc., etc.)?

Programs are imperfect because customers will not pay the price
for a perfect program (not to mention having to wait an extra
4 or 5 years for it to become available).

  Cheers,
  Alan
    (standard disclaimer)

