Re: Regression testing for pointers

From	nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Regression testing for pointers
Date	2012-03-11 06:09 -0700
Organization	http://groups.google.com
Message-ID	<19145559.3836.1331471399326.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbas10> (permalink)
References	<jje4jg$l8k$1@speranza.aioe.org> <slrnjlm4v4.1ls.grahn+nntp@frailea.sa.invalid> <jjf6ap$ot3$1@speranza.aioe.org> <jjftfp$ksf$1@dont-email.me> <jjg7o0$hh7$1@speranza.aioe.org>

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On Saturday, March 10, 2012 6:49:40 PM UTC, Don Y wrote:
> On 3/10/2012 8:54 AM, BartC wrote:
> > "Don Y" <this@isnotme.com> wrote in message

<snip>

> >> Since you can't nail down actual addresses a priori (i.e., at
> >> test creation time), the only way to design aggressive tests
> >> (for memory allocators) is to do so algorithmically. But,
> >> then your test suite becomes nontrivial and subject to
> >> bugs (1.732 is ALWAYS 1.732)
> >
> > Maybe you're just trying too hard. Are you trying to produce some software,
> > which, without benefit of alpha and beta versions, can be released as a
> > version 1.000 with *no* bugs?
> 
> First of all, I consider it sinful to release code that hasn't
> been tested.  "Well, I ran it a couple of times and it *looked*
> like it was working.  Play with it and tell me what you think..."
> is not a valid attitude, IMO.

that's not quite the same as "no bugs"

<snip>

> > I'm not sure that's possible except for the most trivial examples, and even
> > then you might just be getting the right answers by luck.
> 
> "Luck" has no place in an engineering/science discipline:
> "Here, Isaac, drop the apple... maybe it will FALL"
> 
> You engineer tests to *verify* expected results.  If the test
> doesn't turn out the way you *expect*, it should truly be a
> surprise to you!
> 
> > And then there's performance to be considered; it might work properly, but
> > too slowly. Or it might only slow down after a particular pattern of
> > inputs.
> 
> That, in itself (in this particular case) is actually one of the
> things you want to test for!  *If* the code is functioning
> properly, then I can expect performance to be X in this situation
> (based on the deliberate actions I have taken to fragment the
> free list).

I'll be impressed if you succeed

> Part of the rationale for my abandonment of the traditional
> malloc/free approach is because it doesn't give the programmer
> any control over runtime *performance* -- it's an opaque box!
> 
> > Functions such as allocators are very difficult to test. And it might be
> > difficult to just think up suitable tests, without feedback from actual
> > trials.
> 
> How could a "trial" possibly give me more information than I
> have available when examining the source? 

because the real world is a constant surprise

> If I know my art,
> then I should be able to anticipate damn near every possible
> case that the code will encounter -- moreso than an application
> is likely to stumble upon in the course of pursuing *its* goal.

"should" being the operative word!

"
GLENDOWER
I can call spirits from the vasty deep.

HOTSPUR
  Why, so can I, or so can any man,
  But will they come when you do call for them?
"

This is one of the reasons the formal methods approach has been sluggish. 
In theory you prove a program is correct without ever executing it. But 
people rarely do this on any large scale.

The writers of the Space Shuttle software might have acheived  to what 
you're trying to do. At enourmous cost.

Thread

Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-09 16:43 -0700
  Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-10 12:56 +1300
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-09 19:40 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-10 17:53 +1300
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-10 18:12 +1300
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 02:05 -0700
          Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-10 23:17 +1300
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-03-10 12:00 +0000
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-11 11:00 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2012-03-10 22:23 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-03-10 22:40 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-11 12:12 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-03-11 00:42 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-11 14:26 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-03-11 03:09 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-11 18:16 +1300
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 12:01 -0700
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-11 10:35 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 09:19 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 07:23 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 16:23 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 17:25 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 00:19 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 20:34 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 01:00 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 21:22 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 10:19 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-14 07:25 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 02:00 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-14 22:18 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 11:32 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-15 05:58 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-15 05:55 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-15 11:32 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-16 18:14 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-20 01:43 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-20 21:59 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-16 03:05 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-20 02:33 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-24 11:49 +1300
          Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-11 05:01 -0700
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-11 09:44 -0700
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-12 09:56 +1300
    Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-10 02:28 -0800
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 11:09 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-10 18:29 +0000
        Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-11 05:22 -0700
          Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-11 09:50 -0700
            Re: Regression testing for pointers "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2012-03-13 13:09 +0100
  Re: Regression testing for pointers Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-10 03:14 +0000
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 12:42 -0700
  Re: Regression testing for pointers Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-03-10 08:42 +0000
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 02:19 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-03-10 15:54 +0000
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-10 11:49 -0700
          Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-11 06:09 -0700
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-11 12:33 -0700
              Re: Regression testing for pointers nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-03-12 03:29 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 10:01 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-03-13 18:56 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 16:31 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-03-12 00:30 +0000
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 16:41 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-12 13:39 +1300
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 09:36 -0700
          Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 07:25 +1300
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 16:28 -0700
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-13 04:20 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 17:34 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 00:29 -0700
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 17:31 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 01:05 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-13 21:30 +1300
                Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-13 10:43 -0700
  Re: Regression testing for pointers Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-10 15:41 -0800
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-11 11:23 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-13 13:43 -0700
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 01:45 -0700
          Re: Regression testing for pointers Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-14 15:15 -0700
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-03-14 22:57 +0000
              Re: Regression testing for pointers Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-03-15 13:10 -0700
                Re: Regression testing for pointers jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-03-16 22:20 +0000
                Re: Regression testing for pointers "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2012-03-18 07:15 +0100
            Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 23:13 -0700
  Re: Regression testing for pointers gordonb.b29ri@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2012-03-12 19:37 -0500
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-12 19:23 -0700
  Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-14 13:12 +1300
    Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 01:54 -0700
      Re: Regression testing for pointers Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-03-14 22:05 +1300
        Re: Regression testing for pointers Don Y <this@isnotme.com> - 2012-03-14 11:54 -0700

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