Re: C++ Frequently Questioned Answers

From:

David Abrahams <dave@boost-consulting.com>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.c++.moderated

Date:

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 15:35:07 CST

Message-ID:

<877ikrfkjz.fsf@grogan.peloton>

on Fri Nov 09 2007, "Andrei Alexandrescu (See Website For Email)"
<SeeWebsiteForEmail-AT-erdani.org> wrote:

Eugene Gershnik wrote:

On Nov 7, 6:32 am, Yossi Kreinin <yossi.krei...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here's why memory is very different from other resources:

Presumably your goal here is to show that memory deserves special
treatment, not just point out the differences for differences sake. So
let's see if any of the arguments below actually support your
conclusion

[snip]

Without having participated in this large exchange so far, let me just
say that I also believe memory is special, because (1) memory is typed,
and (2) the integrity of a program depends on its being typed. There's
no other resource that affects the integrity of a program in such a
fundamental manner.

It seems to me that all resources are typed. Are you saying that
treating a mutex as a file cannot cause fundamental integrity
problems? I'm just trying find the contrast between memory and other
resources in that regard.

It's true that every step of every program depends on the integrity of
memory, whereas other resources are in some sense "optional." It's
easy to support an argument that memory deserves more protection on
those grounds.

--
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com

[ See http://www.gotw.ca/resources/clcm.htm for info about ]
[ comp.lang.c++.moderated. First time posters: Do this! ]