Re: [Nolug] Crappy Perl Code

On Sun, 2003-07-13 at 00:56, Mark A. Hershberger wrote:
> Alex McKenzie <alex@boxchain.com> writes:
[snip]
> For _, see perlfunc(1):
>
> If any of the file tests (or either the ""stat"" or ""lstat""
> operators) are given the special filehandle consisting of a
> solitary underline, then the stat structure of the previous file
> test (or stat operator) is used, saving a system call. (This

Is it just me, or does this sound to others like this is a bug
waiting to happen? Of course, if I'm misinterpreting it, please
correct me.

For example:
  stat $file1
  <blah>
  <if, while, function call, etc>
  <blah>
  stat _

Then a maintainer comes in and adds "stat $file2":
  stat $file1
  <blah>
  stat $file2
  <if, while, function call, etc>
  <blah>
  stat _

Thus, the "stat _" will operate on $file2 instead of the desired
$file1. If this is done in a long, complicated program originally
written by a "clever but not good" programmer, it may take a long
time analyzing the program just to make sure a small change does
not introduce a possibly serious bug.

-- 
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| Ron Johnson, Jr.     Home: ron.l.johnson@cox.net          |
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