Re: Stack Size?

[Robert Uhl <address@hidden>]

Mikael Djurfeldt <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> Guile is supposed to be "nice" towards novice users.  Infinite
> recursions is a very common error.  Without a stack check, the
> effect is that the machine freezes due to excessive swapping,
> preventing the novice user from even examining what has happened.

We've all written infinite loops in our novitiate; we've all written
infinitely-recursing programmes.  But I've rarely used environments
which cared until I exhausted the machine.

The novice can still kill the currently running bit, and then step
through his code if he desires...

> It's probably a bad idea to use large stacks in production code and,
> if not, it's rather easy to set the option to whatever one wants.

It's a probably a bad idea to use large amounts of memory in
production code.  Except that sometimes it's necessary.  The situation
with excessive stack usage is not quite analogous (I'm not going to
argue in favour of excessive function calls!), but somewhat similar.

-- 
Robert Uhl <address@hidden>
The strongest reason for the right for the people to bear arms is, as a
last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.  
                                              --Thomas Jefferson