Shared libraries (was Re: Window system bashing (was Re: X11 bashing))

[Thomas Bellman]

In article <6783 at stpstn.UUCP> Ken Lerman (lerman at stpstn.UUCP) writes:

> So I spend weeks trying to track down some bug in one of your
> libraries.  Then, since I don't have the source code, I come up with
> some ghastly workaround so I can ship my product.

> Two weeks after I ship the release to two thousand customers, you
> release a new version of your library.

> And my code stops working.

> A bug fix IS a change in functionality.

Well, don't you know that you should not exploit undocumented
features? :-)  Actually, if you do a workaround for the library bug,
then, IMHO, that is a bug in *your* code if the workaround doesn't
work with the bug fixed.  What happens if I release a new version of
the OS with a bug in a syscall fixed?


--
Thomas Bellman,  Lysator Computer Club   !  "Make Love - Nicht Wahr"
          Linkoping University, Sweden   !  "Too much of a good thing is
e-mail:         Bellman at Lysator.LiU.Se   !   WONDERFUL."     -- Mae West