Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.lang.c > #13670

Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function

Show all headers | View raw

On 11/20/2011 07:05 PM, AikidoGuy wrote:
[You should identify who you're responding to]
...
>> It's known as an "XY problem": "You want to do X, and you think Y is the
>> best way of doing so. Instead of asking about X, you ask about Y."
> 
> I did have an XY problem, but I wanted to do X and was checking to see
> if
> Y was the problem. I found out that it was not the problem and then
> was
> able to determine for myself how to solve X. I see nothing wrong with
> this
> approach. I believe it reduces what I need to explain to the group
> since
> I asked my simpler issue first.

The fundamental problem with taking that approach is that you're
assuming that you'll be able to solve X, if Y turns out not to be the
right solution.

If you know enough about X to justify that assumption, you should first
try solving X on the assumption that Y is not the right solution; only
ask about Y if not-Y leads you to a dead-end.

If you do not know enough about X to justify that assumption, as is by
far the most common case, asking about Y could end up drawing you into a
long, drawn-out discussion of Y that does nothing to solve your real
problem. In my experience on this newsgroup, such useless discussions
are by far the most common result of the "XY" approach.
-- 
James Kuyper

Back to comp.lang.c | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function AikidoGuy <aikidoguy@gmail.com> - 2011-11-19 23:02 -0800
  Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Ark <akhasin@macroexpressions.com> - 2011-11-20 03:14 -0500
  Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-20 08:07 -0500
    Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-20 08:11 -0500
  Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-20 08:19 -0800
  Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2011-11-20 13:33 -0500
    Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function AikidoGuy <aikidoguy@gmail.com> - 2011-11-20 15:29 -0800
      Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-20 15:58 -0800
        Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function AikidoGuy <aikidoguy@gmail.com> - 2011-11-20 16:05 -0800
          Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-20 20:45 -0500
            Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function AikidoGuy <aikidoguy@gmail.com> - 2011-11-20 20:18 -0800
              Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-21 07:22 -0500
                Re: Variable argument function as a parameter of a variable argument function Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-21 22:43 +0000

csiph-web