Removing input validation from private/ leaf functions

[Rik]

7/9/13

John,

It seems that a common Octave programming structure is to have a
user-facing function--which accepts inputs, validates them, provides a
place for a documentation string-- and a backend or leaf function called
from the first function which does the actual calculation.  For the m-files
this is often accomplished by putting the leaf function in a private
directory so that it won't get called accidentally.  Given that perfectly
acceptable state of affairs, is there any problem with removing the extra
input validation from functions in private/ directories?  It seems like a
good idea since these internal functions are not open to uncontrolled
access unless somebody is changing directories into private dirs or
otherwise trying to get around the built-in protection.

As a representative sample you could take a look at isequal and isequaln
which both call __isequal__ underneath.  I don't see why __isequal__ needs
to check nargin since there are only two callers in the entire m-file tree
and they are calling it correctly.

--Rik