[leafnode-list] Re: URGENT: DON'T USE 2.0B3 - SECURITY ISSUES!

[tmcd@xxxxxxxx (Timothy A. McDaniel)]

Matthias Andree <ma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Portability MUST NOT come prior to stability and security. 

I would tend to agree with this first point, with the proviso that you
ideally ought to implement stability and security with an eye towards
portability, because in general it's a hell of a lot harder to write a
program and *then* worry about porting it.  I would express it as
"Stability and security are generally more important than
portability".  (I add "generally" because I don't like to be
completely dogmatic.  Sometimes it's utterly *critical* that an
application attempt to run on a platform, or the application is
unimportant enough that you're not worried about any possible
failure.)

> varargs is not something used in stable and maintainable programs
> since varargs subvert prototype checking.

If you mean that stdarg damns a program beyond all hope of salvation,
then I think this second point is poppycock.  I am a great fan of
portability and safety (I got Koenig's book quickly and used it
religiously), but I recognize that sometimes you have to do
less-than-ideal things but be careful while you do them -- extensive
desk-checking, for example, or limited use.

> Leafnode 1.9 is quite instable and not as solid as it could be

All I can say is that it feels rock-solid for *me*.

-- 
Tim McDaniel is tmcd@xxxxxxxx; if that fail,
    tmcd@xxxxxxxxxx is my work account.
"To join the Clueless Club, send a followup to this message quoting everything
up to and including this sig!" -- Jukka.Korpela@xxxxxx (Jukka Korpela)

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