Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Open Source Programmers Stink At Error Handling

Posted by timothy on from the abort-fail-retry dept.

Mark Cappel writes: "LinuxWorld columnist Nick Petreley has a few choice words for for the open source community in 'Open source programmers stink at error handling'. Do you think commercial software handles errors better?"

11 of 610 comments (clear)

  1. Open source BSOD library. by aralin · · Score: 2, Funny

    We really need this open source BSOD library
    that would make our life more convenient and
    our applications more commercial-like.

    --
    If programs would be read like poetry, most programmers would be Vogons.
  2. In the case of some of us... by brunes69 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who spend days at a time at work (read: Stallman) without showers, removing the last 3 words provides a better description :o)

  3. Re:/.ed already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, LinuxWorld might want to work on their error handing... :-p

  4. I think I've got it down by SanLouBlues · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a professional programmer I adhere to a strict stylesheet which I think the Open Source community may appreciate a copy of:

    main( arguments ){
    try{
    --code goes here--
    }catch( exception ){
    printout "I'm sorry to do that you need our $50k/year support plan. \n Thank you!"
    }}

    No need to thank me.

  5. Re:Of Course by TheRain · · Score: 2, Funny

    i think you are projecting some of your real life expiriences on web browsers buddy ;)

    --
    Please help! I'm stuck inside my virtual reality headset!
  6. Re:No, its not limited to OSS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    My favorite example:

    I called BEA support to ask why WebLogic 5.1 would scroll 4 pages of exceptions/stacktraces to the console every time I started it up.

    BEA support monkey: "Oh, that's normal. Just ignore it."

    Enterprise software is such a joke.

  7. There a no such things as errors! by toupsie · · Score: 3, Funny

    The open source community should take the same stance as closed source corporations when it comes to bugs. They are not really bugs but undocumented features!

    --
    Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
  8. Blanket statements by Wonko42 · · Score: 3, Funny
    "Intelligent people don't make blanket statements..."

    Wait for it...wait for it...ahhhhh!

  9. Zen GET by isomeme · · Score: 2, Funny
    What is the sound of one LinuxWorld story illustrating its own point, grasshopper?
    Proxy Error
    The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
    The proxy server could not handle the request
    GET /site-stories/2001/1025.errorhandling.html.
    Reason: Could not connect to remote machine: Connection refused
    Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

    ...and in that moment, he became enlightened.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.
  10. Re:Of Course by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 2, Funny
    Well, then obviously, what OSS programmers need to do is have a dialog that pops up:


    $APPLICATION has found something wrong. It is obviously not $APPLICATION's fault, it is most likely something else on your computer, perhaps $RANDOM_CLOSED_SOURCE_APPLICATION.

    We highly recommend that you reinstall your entire system, but do not install $RANDOM_CLOSED_SOURCE_APPLICATION this time.

    Thank you
    --
    Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
  11. A core dump *is* an error message! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    A very smart guy from SGI once told me "A core
    dump is the best possible error message because
    it contains ALL the information you need to
    diagnose why the program had to stop running."

    Mmmm'K

    :-)