nana-1.13 release
Phil Maker
GNU Nana 1.13: improved support for assertion checking and logging in GNU C/C++
Phil Maker <p...@cs.ntu.edu.au>
If you don't know what nana is, see below. If you do then this is a
documentation update and Solaris fix (supplied by Usha Zeno) for nana-1.12
Users who are happy with 1.12 should probably not bother upgrading.
Thanks
**
GNU Nana 1.13: improved support for assertion checking and logging in GNU C/C++
Phil Maker <p...@cs.ntu.edu.au>
GNU Nana is a free library providing improved (hopefully) support for
assertion checking (as in assert.h) and logging (printf style debugging) in
GNU C and C++. It provides support for some of the ideas of Eiffel, VDM, Z and
Anna in GNU C/C++.
Features
* Space/time efficient, at least compared to assert.h. For example
assert(i >= 0) uses 53 bytes on a i386 whilst nana uses either 10
bytes or 1 (true, no gammon).
* Support for predicate calculus (for all, exists, etc) is provided
using both C style for loops and C++ STL iterators over container
classes.
* Assertions can refer to saved state, e.g. the return value of a
sort function can be checked against the arguments on function
entry.
* Logging messages can be redirected to a variety of destinations
including files, processes (for automated testing or
visualisation) or circular buffers in core.
* Assertions about time can be made in a simple manner.
* Lists of invariant checking or printing functions can be created
which can then be called to check internal consistency or display
state.
* All of the features can be selectively enabled or disabled at both
compile and run time.
Why bother?
* The sooner an error is detected, the cheaper it is to fix. Error
correction is a (the) major cost in software development.
* Recording what the system is doing before it goes off into ``never
never land''is vital. You mean you ask the user what the system
was doing before it exploded, how quaint.
* ``I believe that the use of Eiffel-like module contracts is the
most important non-practice in software today'' - Tom Demarco.
* ``This style (Design by Contract) of analysis avoids a classic
dilemma of analysis and specification: either you use a
programming notation and run the risk of making premature
implementation commitments; or you stick with a higher level
notation (``bubbles and arrows'') and you must remain vague,
forsaking one of the major benefits of the analysis process, the
ability to state and clarify delicate properties of the system''
- ISE Inc.
See <http://www.cs.ntu.edu.au/homepages/pjm/nana-home> or
<ftp://ftp.cs.ntu.edu.au/pub/nana> for more details.
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