fd leak /F-D leek/ n.
A kind of programming bug analogous to a core leak, in which a program fails to
close file descriptors (`fd's) after file operations are
completed, and thus eventually runs out of them. See leak.
Node:fear and loathing,
Next:feature, Previous:fd leak, Up:= F =
fear and loathing n.
[from Hunter S. Thompson] A state inspired by the prospect of
dealing with certain real-world systems and standards that are
totally brain-damaged but
ubiquitous -- Intel 8086s, or COBOL,
or EBCDIC, or any IBM machine bigger than a workstation. "Ack! They
want PCs to be able to talk to the AI machine. Fear and loathing
time!"
Node:feature, Next:feature creature, Previous:fear and loathing,
Up:= F =
feature n.
1. [common] A good property or behavior (as of a program).
Whether it was intended or not is immaterial. 2. [common] An
intended property or behavior (as of a program). Whether it is
good or not is immaterial (but if bad, it is also a misfeature). 3. A surprising property or
behavior; in particular, one that is purposely inconsistent
because it works better that way -- such an inconsistency is
therefore a feature and not a bug. This kind of feature is sometimes called
a miswart; see that entry for a
classic example. 4. A property or behavior that is gratuitous or
unnecessary, though perhaps also impressive or cute. For example,
one feature of Common LISP's format function is the
ability to print numbers in two different Roman-numeral formats
(see bells whistles
and gongs). 5. A property or behavior that was put in to
help someone else but that happens to be in your way. 6. [common]
A bug that has been documented. To call something a feature
sometimes means the author of the program did not consider the
particular case, and that the program responded in a way that was
unexpected but not strictly incorrect. A standard joke is that a
bug can be turned into a feature
simply by documenting it (then theoretically no one can complain
about it because it's in the manual), or even by simply declaring
it to be good. "That's not a bug, that's a feature!" is a common
catchphrase. See also feetch
feetch, creeping
featurism, wart, green lightning.
The relationship among bugs, features, misfeatures, warts, and
miswarts might be clarified by the following hypothetical
exchange between two hackers on an airliner: