[SystemSafety] Bossavit's Leprechauns book

Olwen Morgan olwen at phaedsys.com
Tue Dec 4 15:22:49 CET 2018


On 04/12/2018 14:07, Derek M Jones wrote:

> Peter,
>
> For someone interested in accuracy, you understanding of the
> conversation is rather inaccurate:
>
>> * "Formal methods don't work"
> Formal methods are oversold.
>> * "Formal methods take up resources in development and don't pay them 
>> back in increased SW quality"
>
> The cost/benefit of formal methods in comparison to other techniques
> is not known.

*** Formal methods are, IMO, insufficiently widely adopted for 
statistically valid comparisons to be made between them and non-formal 
methods.


<snip>
>> * "C is as good as any other procedural language for writing critical 
>> software"
>
> What does "as good as" mean?
>
> C is no different than any other language...

*** There is, IMO, a wide range over which the use of "good" languages 
with poorer tools may work out no better than using "poor" languages 
with better tools.(And "different *than*"? ... oh, what's the point ...)


<snip>
>> * "Coding standards are not helpful"
>
> Most current coding standards are not helpful.


*** They are, IMO, oversold - especially MISRA C.


Olwen




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