My latest article for the Times Online is titled "Why software can't bridge the gaps". It talks about why we don't build software the same way we build civil engineering projects like bridges.
Posted by gerv at June 6, 2006 3:40 PMWould it really take that much longer to write a program if programmers had to assert invariants, prove to the compiler that uses of pointer arithmetic are typesafe, and prove to the compiler that certain classes (e.g. strings) have completely correct behavior? It seems to me that while it would take a little longer to code, debugging time would be cut way down, running speed would be much better thanks to better optimizations being possible, and maintenance would be easier.
Posted by: Jesse Ruderman at June 7, 2006 4:18 AMThe "Forth Road Bridge" ... across the ... Severn ... for commuters in Fife?!
(Rushes to Google Maps. Ah. Phew. No, the geography of the UK has not mysteriously transmogrified.)
:)
Hope you enjoyed Edinburgh (my home)!
Posted by: David Reimer at June 7, 2006 5:51 PMDavid: The Forth Road Bridge crosses from Fife to Edinburgh, doesn't it? So commuters in Fife would be upset if you pinched it to make a second crossing of the Severn, right?
Posted by: Gerv at June 7, 2006 6:36 PMOK. I get it. [Looking for my-brain-was-addled-after-a-long-day-that's-my-story-and-I'm-sticking-to-it smiley...]
Posted by: David Reimer at June 7, 2006 6:37 PMHow many major upgrades of your highway do you have during the year? I mean not the minor patches, but major changes of functionality.
Posted by: Michael at June 11, 2006 1:09 AM