From: ianeast (ianeast_at_email.domain.hidden)
Date: 2001-09-10 18:07:55
I suspect many of these problems result from the idea of a process being
the source of an exception, which is surely just another event. The only
difference is the need for interruption.
I've never liked the idea of "throwing" an exception. If a process can be
the source of an event to which it must react then it is necessarily
non-deterministic. Hoare (p. 178) talks about these problems right from
the start of dealing with non-determinism.
An alternative is NOT to allow a process to source any event to which it
must react. Events such as division by zero could instead be communicated
by a distinct "watchman" process. The only problem with this is that
interruption may not _immediately_ follow, allowing damage to perhaps be
done.
Ian
Dr. Ian Robert East School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
ireast_at_brookes.ac.uk Oxford Brookes University
(44) 1865 483635 Oxford OX3 0BP
Consultation hours for 2001/2002 Term 1
To be decided
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