B-threads: programming in a way that allows for easier changes

Re:B-threads: programming in a way that allows for easier ch... by coldtea on Monday July 29, 2019 @02:17PM (#20557611)

>And program traces are an inherently dynamic thing -- how do you gain an understanding about the potentially very complicated, interwoven traces you're developing with if you can only see one trace per execution?

The example with the ATM makes this clearer: by designing the system so that a trace has one clear path for a given input.

Which might not be workable for larger systems of course, but holds for certain categories of systems (like ATMs and industrial control systems).

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Re:B-threads: programming in a way that allows for easier ch... by Twisol on Monday July 29, 2019 @04:59PM (#20559380)

While true, this still restricts you to learning one trace per input. With symbolic representations of a program, you can perform symbolic execution (whether in your head or using a formal tool) to understand whole classes of traces in one go.

Determinism is important, but it’s also not enough. You want some analogue of continuity / smoothness to be able to generalize observations based on one input to others that you haven’t tried.

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