This isn't about changing programming habits.  Having nil return nil
for missing methods can have serious consequences.

Consider:

   file = create_new_log_file
   file.log "here's a bit of information"

You're expecting this code to log something to a file every time it
gets called.  But suppose create_new_log_file returns nil, due to some
mistake you've made while coding it.  No exception is raised, so when
you run your program, it performs its job appropriately.  You move on.

Two months later, you urgently need to get information from those
logs.  But uh-oh - the log files are empty.  Now you're screwed.

Bill

On 5/8/05, Lionel Thiry <lthiryidontwantspam / skynetnospam.be> wrote:
> Cyent a ?crit :
> > I'm observing a general trend in the responses to RCR 303.
> >
> > The first and most striking is -w. I always, utterly and without fail, use
> > -w and had assumed incorrectly that everyone else did. (But then I always
> > use -W -Wall on gcc as well)
> >
> 
> I suppose it's easier to refuse an RCR than to change programming habits.
> 
> --
> Lionel Thiry
> 
> Personal website: http://users.skynet.be/lthiry/
> 
> 


-- 
Bill Atkins