** Summary **

An instance of [Category Humor].

** Description **

[Richard Suchenwirth] 2006-01-28:  Exhibit A was found in the waste-paper bin
of a defunct software company:

======
##################################################################
#
#
#      add.tcl
#
#      Implemented function:
#
#      add
#
#      Usage: add a b
#   
#      Input:
#      a       a number
#      b       another number
#
#      Output:
#
#      The sum of the numbers
#
#      Side effects:
#
#      None
#
# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
# "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
# LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL ACME SOFTWARE
# DESIGN L.L.C. OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
# INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
# BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS
# OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
# ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR
# TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
# USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
# DAMAGE.
#
#####################################################################

proc add { a b } \
{
    set sum [ expr "$a" * "$b" ];
    return $sum;
};

#####################################################################
#
# Test suite:
#
# add 0 0 == 0
#
# add 2 2 == 4
#
# Passed on Apr 1, 2005 - phb
#
#####################################################################
======

Acknowledgement:  part of the documentation (the LEGALESE) was copied from
[tclCarbonProcesses], which however does not imply that the said page is in any
material or immaterial connection with the defunct company :^)

----

[Lars H]:  Yuck! A really gross coding style -- no wonder the company went
belly-up (well, one can at least meekly hope that "who evil does he evil fares"
even in the dotcom era). You're wrong about the test suite though -- e.g. [[add
3 1.5]] should pass without any problem. However, had the specs said "int"
instead of "number" then it would have been another matter ...

[RS]:  True indeed. I moved the note down to here, it said: "Note also that the
test suite is absolutely maximal - you can't add any test without getting
failures..." The question boils down to solutions for 

======
a + b = a * b
======

which can be transformed to

======
b = a / (a-1)
======

and there's indeed infinitely many solutions - examples:

======none
a   b
0   0
1   undefined, divide by zero
2   2
3   1.5
5   1.25
101 1.01
...
======

So even bad jokes can lead to good mathematical excursions... :^)

[AvL]:  Does it need to be mentioned that the code itself is an example of bad
style, because of the unbraced expression? Probably not :-)

[RS]:  The code intentionally contains all bad features I could think of.
Canonically, it would be

======
proc add {a b} {
    expr {$a + $b}
}
======

[AMG]:  Per [Math Operators as Commands], you could also do '''[interp alias]
"" add "" ::[tcl::mathop]::[+]''', except this also supports argument counts
other than two. ''([DKF]: It also does the right thing, in case you weren't
watching...)''

----

[willdye] Those who enjoyed this page might also find http://thedailywtf.com/ amusing.

----

[bjornh] Run, fools! It's "Passed on Apr 1, 2005"

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