Re: Custom types and default values

Greg Ward wrote:
>>I'm wondering if you will still be promoting the use of non-string 
>>defaults for types built into optik.  I can image some trouble 
>>situations, for example you have an int option with a default of 99. 
>>Then you change the option to a custom type that is an integer with 
>>range checking, and the range is set  to [1, 50].  Since the default is 
>>not passed through the type checker, the invalid value isn't caught, 
>>violating an invariant of the program.
> 
> Red herring on two counts: if allowing that scenario is an Optik bug,
> it's already a bug in 1.4.1, because you *must* specify
> post-type-conversion values there.

Right, my scenario was of a future use.

> Optik 1.5 will allow you to specify
> strings (pre-type-conversion values), but most certainly will not
> require it -- that would break everything!

My question wasn't if strings would be required, but rather if you would 
still be promoting the use of non-strings.  Anyway, I think I've got the 
answer :-).

> Second, if an application breaks its own invariant, that's not an Optik
> bug, it's an application bug.  Too bad.

I can't argue that it's not an application bug.  Having everything come 
to a halt when you've got some inconsistency in your program is 
considered a desirable trait by many programmers.

-John

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