Safe coding practices (was Re: Bug in users command)

[Jef Poskanzer]

In the referenced message, brnstnd at kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) wrote:
}Ah, yes, Jef takes his place next to Chris on my list of gurus I've
}caught in a mistake.

You're right, I didn't notice the i < lines + 50 test.  I grovel at your
feet O Master.

}Now you can talk all you want about reallocating memory (btw, there's no
}safe way to use realloc(), but you knew that)

Actually, I didn't.  Say more.

}I'll skip the comments about a quadratic time requirement,

Please do.

}and about people who simply *talk* about code instead of *writing* code,

Please get stuffed.

}You won't be able to identify a
}single functional requirement that your reallocating version

You must have mis-read my message.  I don't have any version which uses
realloc.

}This explanation isn't particularly lucid,

You're right, but I understood it anyway.  As long as you've got that
overflow check in there, fine, it works.  But after correctness you
have to consider simplicity, and the fixed-size (but large and checked)
array wins there.  I realize they tell you in Computer Science School
that you're not supposed to do things like this.  I'm telling you now
that it can be appropriate.
---
Jef

  Jef Poskanzer  jef at well.sf.ca.us  {apple, ucbvax, hplabs}!well!jef
                  Published simultaneously in Canada.