sandbox n.
1. (also `sandbox, the') Common term for the R&D
department at many software and computer companies (where hackers
in commercial environments are likely to be found).
Half-derisive, but reflects the truth that research is a form of
creative play. Compare playpen. 2.
Syn. link farm. 3. A controlled
environment within which potentially dangerous programs are run.
Used esp. in reference to Java implementations.
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sanity check n.
[very common] 1. The act of checking a piece of code (or
anything else, e.g., a Usenet posting) for completely stupid
mistakes. Implies that the check is to make sure the author was
sane when it was written; e.g., if a piece of scientific software
relied on a particular formula and was giving unexpected results,
one might first look at the nesting of parentheses or the coding
of the formula, as a `sanity check', before looking at the more
complex I/O or data structure manipulation routines, much less
the algorithm itself. Compare reality check. 2. A run-time test,
either validating input or ensuring that the program hasn't
screwed up internally (producing an inconsistent value or
state).
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Saturday-night special n.
[from police slang for a cheap handgun] A quick-and-dirty program or feature
kluged together during off hours, under a deadline, and in
response to pressure from a salescritter. Such hacks are dangerously
unreliable, but all too often sneak into a production release
after insufficient review.