MIT 6.031 06: Specifications阅读记录

Why specifications?

• Many of the nastiest bugs in programs arise because of misunderstandings about behavior at the interface between two pieces of code
• The contract acts as a firewall between client and implementer
  • It shields the client from the details of the workings of the unit.（让用户不必考虑组件的具体工作方式）
  • it shields the implementer from the details of the usage of the unit（让实现者不必考虑组件的具体使用情况）

Behavioral equivalence

• The notion of equivalence is in the eye of the beholder — that is, the client

Specification structure

• a precondition, indicated by the keyword requires
  • obligation on the client
• a postcondition, indicated by the keyword effects
  • obligation on the implementer
• 当前置条件不满足时，程序可以做任何事情，前置条件满足时则后置条件必须被满足
  • 当precondition不满足时，扔出一个异常是非常好的处理方式。因为这样可以让程序很快发生异常，让client知道其对该方法的调用出错

Null references

• DANGER :you’ll get errors at runtime because you can’t call any methods or use any fields with null references

• null values are implicitly disallowed in parameters and return values

  • e.g :

  •   static boolean addAll(@NonNull List<T> list1, @NonNull List<T> list2)
    

What a specification may talk about

• 可以阐述参数、返回值等，不能提到实现中的局部变量等实现的细节，因为函数的使用者可能看不到程序的源代码。

Testing and specifications

• black box and glass box tests must follow the specification
  • 测试的输入内容必须符合spec里面的前置条件，不能依据实现细节来测试违反前置条件的测试样例
  • 白盒测试指在spec允许的输入中寻找测试所有代码的测试样例，所有的测试样例必须与具体实现无关

Specifications for mutating methods

mutation is disallowed unless stated otherwise

Exceptions

Exceptions的用法：

• signaling bugs
• special results

Checked and unchecked exceptions

• checked exceptions：被编译器静态检查，适合用于special results
• Unchecked exceptions：不被编译器检车，适合用于signaling bugs

Exception design considerations

• unchecked exceptions最好用于处理程序中意想不到的错误，而且这样的错误可以通过客户端代码进行避免。其内容不出现在代码说明(spec)中
• checked exceptions 最好用于可能发生的、客户端代码无法避免的程序异常。通常都出现在代码说明中