Re: A patch for elf.c

[Jeffrey A Law <law@hurl.cygnus.com>]

  In message <199812091735.MAA29788@subrogation.cygnus.com>you write:
  >    > introduced with a change to the function a few months ago.  The fix is
  >    > to avoid introducing bugs; clearing memory is just treating the
  >    > symptom.
  > 
  >    To me, clearing memory is the super set of setting one field to
  >    zero. I am a better safe than sorry person. I have no time
  >    to second guess if there is another field I should clear.
  > 
  > I know you don't mean this, but to me ``I have no time to second
  > guess'' sounds like ``I have no time to figure out how the code works,
  > or what the right patch is.''  In a long running project like GNU,
  > anybody who wants to make changes has to take the time to understand
  > them.  We're not quickly hacking stuff together for the big demo next
  > Wednesday; we're writing code that should, ideally, survive for twenty
  > years.
  > 
  > I also agree with Roland's point.
IMHO, clearing a block of memory to fix a problem without understanding
precisely why clearing the block fixes the problem is just papering over a
bug.

Once one understands precisely why clearing one or more memory locations is
fixing a bug, once can decide if clearing one or more fields or a whole
structure/array is the best solution.

I believe gdb operates under a similar guidelines.


jeff