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From: bobduff@world.std.com (Robert A Duff)
Subject: Re: OO, C++, and something much better!
Message-ID: <E4s6p0.GD0@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
References: <JSA.97Jan16141937@alexandria> <dewar.854377413@merv> <32ECFC11.4F23@parcplace.com> <dewar.854543281@merv>
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 17:46:12 GMT
Lines: 31
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.object:60543 comp.lang.c++:244157 comp.lang.ada:56786 comp.lang.smalltalk:50367 comp.lang.eiffel:17945

In article <dewar.854543281@merv>, Robert Dewar <dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>iEric said
>>Jeez. And I thought that approach was proprietary to Microsoft! <GD&R>"

What's "GD&R"?

>You really should read the literature here, I think it will surprise you.
>Yes, I know that the idea of being able to generate correct and reliable
>code without the developers doing unit testing is almost inconceivable
>to many programmers today, ...

There's a big difference between (1) developers do no testing, but a
separate Testing Department does, and (2) developers do no testing, and
hand off half-baked code to their customers.  IMHO, *relying* on
testing, or formal proofs, or any other single technique is foolish.
The enemy is bugs, and we should use every technique at our disposal to
eliminate them from released software.

>... as is the idea of being able to develop code
>without a debugger at hand, but that does not mean that it is not possible.

Debuggers are like any other helpful thing -- if you rely on it, you get
lazy.  Limited access highways, with wide lanes, broad curves, wide
median strips, big green signs marking the exits, etc., are safer than
two-lane roads with sharp curves and driveways entering with no warning.
But some or all of that advantage is lost if the drivers start falling
asleep behind the wheel.  (Also, windy two-lane roads are more fun to
drive on -- some people think debugging is fun, too.)  ;-)

- Bob

