From: schneik@...
Date: 2000-03-31T14:29:55-06:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:02313] Re: DBC



Hi,

Dave Thomas writes:
> matz@netlab.co.jp (Yukihiro Matsumoto) writes:
>
> > By the way, what DBC stand for?
>
> Design By Contract. Bertrand Meyer (of Eiffel fame) coined it to
> describe the concept of defining a class using
>
> - a class invariant
> - method pre and post conditions

Is this a (greatly amplified) derivative of what Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
(sic: natural pun) was promoting ages ago in his 1976 book, "A
Discipline of Programming"? IIRC, it dealt with pre/post-conditions
and invariants, albeit not in an OO context.

(I think he is presently on the faculty at UT/Austin.)

Conrad Schneiker
(This note is unofficial and subject to improvement without notice.)