OT: sanity check

[Jay R. Ashworth]

On Wed, Aug 06, 2008 at 10:14:33AM -0400, Richard Kreiss wrote:
> I haven't found an answer to this message.  Hope one of you may know.
> 
> A client called the other day to complain her computer had just insulted
> her.  She started to run a report and received and message from the computer
> advise, as she put it, that "she need a sanity check".
> 
> She asked what a "sanity check" is and I had no answer.
> 
> Now this computer has caused some odd problems in the last few days.  I had
> posted on error message which she sent me when 5 filepro sessions crashed 5
> simultaneously.
> 
> My guess is that the computer is having memory problems.  Maybe it has
> Alzheimer's. :)

I'll assume, because you don't actually say, that the "sanity check"
message is the one you're asking about.

A 'sanity check' is the term used for programmers to describe what you
do in code to make sure that what you're being asked to do next isn't
crazy.

unlink(n) would be a good example of something where a sanity check is
called for: if n=2, your entire filesystem is going away.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                   Baylink                      jra at baylink.com
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