Date:	Thu, 1 Jul 1999 17:33:53 +0200
From:	Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Message-Id:	<199907011533.RAA19680@acp3bf.physik.rwth-aachen.de>
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: malloc causing GPF???? (An apology)
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Organization:	RWTH Aachen, III. physikalisches Institut B
X-Newsreader:	TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Reply-To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com

In article <19990701151811 DOT 9998 DOT rocketmail AT send205 DOT yahoomail DOT com> you wrote:

>    well... I would love to apologize! I have realized
> that the whole thing was no more than a stupid bug of
> me! 

Let me assure you that writing past the bounds of an array is by far
not a stupid bug, and there's reason to apologize for it. This bug is
actually more like the typical nightmare of any C programmer: a bug
easy to let slip into the code, and very hard, if not impossible, to
track down and fix.

Without the appropriate tools (like Nate Eldredge's new one, YAMD),
it's almost impossible to find this type of error in a non-minimal
program, unless you're really a skilled debugging expert. It's like
chasing a black cat in a dark room, with your eyes blindfolded and
wearing boxing gloves, when you're not even sure there *is* a cat :-)

--
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.

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