[comp.os.minix] Re^3: Future of Minix

hinton@netcom.UUCP (Greg Hinton) (07/18/89)

In article <2897@ast.cs.vu.nl> ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes:
>I think assertions have utility as comments even when no code is generated.
>There is already a file assert.h in V1.3.  The only thing wrong with it
>is that instead of #ifdef DEBUG, it says #ifdef NDEBUG.  
>I think NDEBUG is 10x harder to understand.

I agree that NDEBUG is backasswards & causes at least a moment of puzzlement.
However, its use in assert.h is ANSI standard, & we all want to be
standardized now, don't we:-)?
Actually, it does make some sense when you realize that the default mode is
to generate debugging (assert'ing) code.  It's only when you have a polished
product that you
cc -DNDEBUG ....
to eliminate debugging overhead.
-- 
Greg Hinton
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