[18525] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Java: Helping the world build bigger idiots
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Frantz)
Tue Sep 20 17:28:57 2005
X-Original-To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
X-Original-To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 16:45:20 -0700
From: Bill Frantz <frantz@pwpconsult.com>
To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
In-Reply-To: <E1EHJxx-0006SI-00@medusa01.cs.auckland.ac.nz>
On 9/19/05, pgut001@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Peter Gutmann) wrote:
>Found on the Daily WTF, http://www.thedailywtf.com/forums/43223/ShowPost.a=
spx:
>
> try {=20
> int idx =3D 0;=20
> =20
> while (true) {=20
> displayProductInfo(prodnums[idx]);
> idx++;=20
> }=20
> }=20
> catch (IndexOutOfBoundException ex) {=20
> // nil
> }
This is obviously just an attempt to make Java array access more like Java =
file access. :-)
Seriously, the real flaw in this approach, which I did not see mentioned in=
the comments on the web page Peter references above, is the masking of Ind=
exOutOfBoundExceptions that may be generated by displayProductInfo. This c=
ode will treat such errors as "end of array". A more normal coding of the =
loop:
for (int i=3D1; i<prodnums.length; i++) {=20
displayProductInfo(prodnums[idx]);
idx++;=20
}=20
would let the exception pass up the call chain, and with good error handlin=
g, the problem would come to the attention of those responsible for fixing =
the program.
If ArrayIndexOutOfBoundException were used instead of IndexOutOfBoundExcept=
ion, errors in string indexing would pass up the call chain, while catching=
array problems.
Cheers - Bill
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Bill Frantz | The first thing you need | Periwinkle=20
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