Java: Helping the world build bigger idiots

[Bill Frantz]

On 9/22/05, mulmo at pdc.kth.se (Olle Mulmo) wrote:

>Peter's example is "standard to the language". It's just not used much 
>by those influenced by other idioms prior to learning Java.
>
>I guess another way of saying this is: the people on this list are 
>getting old. :-)

I guess insisting on correct error handling is just for old people.

Peter's example:

>  try { 
>    int idx = 0; 
>    
>    while (true) { 
>      displayProductInfo(prodnums[idx]);
>      idx++; 
>      } 
>    } 
>  catch (IndexOutOfBoundException ex) { 
>    // nil
>    }

has a serious bug in error handling.  We do not know where the
IndexOutOfBoundException was raised.  Was it raised in the while loop,
the expected case; or was it raised in the displayProductInfo method,
due to some bug in that method?  (It could also be raised in some other
method called by displayProductInfo.)

In order for this code to be correct, we would have to prove that the
displayProductInfo method either could not raise this exception, or that
it caught and handled any IndexOutOfBoundException exceptions raised in
it or in methods it calls.  In either case, we must examine the details of
displayProductInfo, and depend on our conclusions remaining correct
during maintenance.  This level of coupling between caller and callee is
too risky for reliable software.

Cheers - Bill

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