From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S263749AbTE3PNs (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 May 2003 11:13:48 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S263750AbTE3PNr (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 May 2003 11:13:47 -0400 Received: from almesberger.net ([63.105.73.239]:62481 "EHLO host.almesberger.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S263749AbTE3PNq (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 May 2003 11:13:46 -0400 Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 12:26:30 -0300 From: Werner Almesberger To: "Richard B. Johnson" Cc: Carl-Daniel Hailfinger , Carl Spalletta , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Linus Torvalds , Dan Carpenter Subject: Re: inventing the wheel? Message-ID: <20030530122629.C1617@almesberger.net> References: <20030527180546.15656.qmail@web41501.mail.yahoo.com> <3ED3E224.1000402@gmx.net> <20030530113009.A1667@almesberger.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: ; from root@chaos.analogic.com on Fri, May 30, 2003 at 11:12:38AM -0400 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Richard B. Johnson wrote: > The problem with 'correctness" is in the definition > of 'correct'. In many cases there are hundreds of > methods that can be used to implement a particular > software algorithm. Of course. Your example would probably be too low-level for most such checkers, and might better be handled by run-time checks (e.g. through something like valgrind). Also, a template check wouldn't have to cover all equivalent coding variants. E.g. if the template just allows one kind of loop, it's probably always acceptable to change code that uses an equivalent alternative. Furthermore, if someone figures out a way for doing things more efficiently, it should be easier to update drivers that conform to a well-known status quo ante. > One can, however, create an analysis engine that determines > compliance with certain rules and, or, certain templates. Yes, that's exactly what I mean. - Werner -- _________________________________________________________________________ / Werner Almesberger, Buenos Aires, Argentina wa@almesberger.net / /_http://www.almesberger.net/____________________________________________/