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Ask Slashdot: What's the Harm In a Default Setting For Div By Zero?

Posted by timothy on from the as-long-as-it's-a-big-zero dept.

New submitter CodeInspired writes: After 20 years of programming, I've decided I'm tired of checking for div by zero. Would there be any serious harm in allowing a system wide setting that said div by zero simply equals zero? Maybe it exists already, not sure. But I run into it all the time in every language I've worked with. Does anyone want their div by zero errors to result in anything other than zero?

7 of 1,067 comments (clear)

  1. I'm tired, too by linuxwrangler · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hi SlashDot. I'm a programmer who is tired of sanitizing inputs and checking for exceptions. Can you suggest a way to change the world so those things don't exist?

    --

    ~~~~~~~
    "You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
    1. Re:I'm tired, too by 31415926535897 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Code in PHP

  2. Maybe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does anyone want their div by zero errors to result in anything other than zero?

    Yes.

    No.

    Maybe.

    1. Re:Maybe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Does anyone want their div by zero errors to result in anything other than zero?

      Yes.

      No.

      Maybe.

      Maybe not.

      Wrong!

      Pineapple.

  3. I don't think you understand the definition by Thud457 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Division by zero - how many times does zero go into a number?

    100.0 / 0 = 3
    402350.32302 / 0 = 3
    pi / 0 = infinity
    1942 / 0 = 0
    194.3 / 0 = 0
    101 / 0 = 1
    1010 / 0 = 2
    200.02 / 0 = 3
    4004004 / 0 = 4

    Somebody please submit a RFP for this to C++17 standards committee.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  4. Sounds like bugs by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Funny

    caused by dividing by zero returning zero.

  5. Re:Yes by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 5, Funny

    Right, I don't even... ehh... totally confused. It's not aprils fools right? Did this article get approved just to mock the submitter, or has Slashdot gone totally of the rails?

    Well, Slashdot recently implemented a new engine for approving articles, but there was a place in the code where one could end up dividing by zero, and they just decided to arbitrarily set that value to "post a random nonsensical Ask Slashdot question."

    So, Timothy screwed something up... and, well, rather than throwing up an exception -- VOILA... this story was approved!

    I'm surprised you haven't noticed this before -- I think it's how most "Ask Slashdot" questions get posted these days.