Eiffel Users on Google Groups
Dec 13, 2021
Design by Contract in CACM
Ian Joyner
CACM published a letter (also available in PDF) by Ian Joyner criticizing the application of Design by Contract to C and C++ via tools such as Frama-C. Joyner argues that retrofitting DbC onto C-family languages does not address core issues in their type systems and memory models, and he characterizes the approach as technically limited rather than a substitute for native contract support, citing Eiffel as the reference model. The publication triggered follow-on discussion within the Eiffel Users community about language lock-in, security implications, and historical adoption dynamics, with participants attributing C and C++ dominance to economic and educational inertia rather than technical fit.
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