Defensive Programming

Defensive Programming

Steven Zeil

Old Dominion University, Dept. of Computer Science

Copyright © 2008 Steven J. Zeil, Old Dominion University

Table of Contents

1. Common Assumptions

2. What to do About Assumptions?

3. Documenting Assumptions

3.1. Preconditions
3.2. Internal Assumptions

4. Guarding Assumptions

4.1. Possible Reactions
4.2. Guarding Assumptions with Assertions

Defensive programming is an approach to coding based on minimizing assumptions made by the programmer.

Assumes that things will go wrong
Tries to predict and allow for likely problems


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