Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!drutx!houxe!hogpc!houti!ariel!vax135!floyd!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!DBrown@HI-MULTICS.ARPA From: DBrown@HI-MULTICS.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: Global variables... Message-ID: <821@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 13-Jun-84 11:03:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.821 Posted: Wed Jun 13 11:03:00 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jun-84 02:19:18 EDT Lines: 12 The reason for get_thing() and set_thing() have little if anything to do with religion, (unless Dave Parnas decides to start his own church), but do have to do with maintainability. If I "hide" the implementation of the error-reporter inside a pair of globally-accessably functions, I have a simple way of changing the implementation: I install a new version of get/set in the library search order, and everyone who links a new program gets the new one. The "global variable" implementation tends to be a nuisance when one has to continue to maintain something when the requirements (hardware!) changes. --dave (all bow down to the altar of maintainability) brown