Bounds Checking for Open Source Code?

roarl asks: "Is anyone working on an Open Source bounds checking system? (A system that checks a program at runtime for array out of bounds access, reading uninitialized memory, memory leaks and so on). I've been using BoundsChecker for some time and believe me, there are situations where you know you are going to spend hours debugging unless you let BoundsChecker sort it out for you. But it annoys me that I have to transfer (and sometimes port) the buggy program to Windows each time. I'd much rather stay in Linux. Insure works on Linux. I haven't tried Insure for some time, but last time I tried I wasn't especially impressed. Purify seems still not to support Linux, but on other Unix platforms it works great. The problem with all of these products is that they are so da*n expensive. So it makes me wonder, are all Open Source programmers doing without them? If so, what can we expect of the quality of Open Source developed programs? If not, is there a free alternative?"

Comments

Re:Change languages.

[jtdubs]

I'm also a language zealot. :-)

I agree with everything you said. C has it's place. It's small and dark and should be avoided by most.

Scheme is a sexy, sexy language. However, why not just use straight ANSI Common LISP. That's my preference for one main reason, CLOS. Scheme has only several mediocre implementations of "CLOS-like" systems. Nothing really on par with CLOS that I can find.

For the uninitiated (you poor, poor people :-)) CLOS is the Common LISP Object System (iirc). It's a fabulous polymorphic, multiple-dispatch OO system written in LISP. It has features that will make C++ and Java programmers head's swim. Namely, :before, :after and :around methods. Plus the whole multiple-dispatch thing.

Anyway, just my suggestion. Unless, of course, someone can suggest a good CLOS system for Scheme.

Regardless, have a great day guys,

Justin Dubs