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POHow can I convince my co-programmers not to do paranoid "just to be sure programming"?
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copied!<p>I've often found that when a programmer or the one assigning the task doesn't really understand how a solution could work, they kind of randomly add stuff until it works.</p> <p><strong>Examples:</strong></p> <p>Repainting a window which for some reason isn't painted as the programmer would like it:</p> <pre><code>Invalidate(); Revalidate(); ProcessMessages(); Update(); Repaint(); Repaint(); ProcessMessages(); Repaint(); </code></pre> <p>Over-cautiousness:</p> <pre><code>function test1(x: boolean) begin select case x true: // do something false: // do something else else raise Exception.Create("Invalid value.") // just to be sure end; end; function test2(x: Integer); var y: Integer; begin y = Abs(x); if y >= 0 then begin // do something end; end; </code></pre> <p>Although especially the over-cautious coding practices lead to compiler warnings in most languages, I've actually seen all of the above in production code!</p> <p>In most cases this kind of coding is defended by the programmer and/or the boss. The reasons always come down to this response:</p> <ul> <li>Well, does it hurt if we double check? Better be safe than sorry!</li> <li>It's defensive programming, didn't they teach that at the university?!</li> </ul> <p>Unfortunately I'm out of good reasons not to do this, although I still believe this is really really bad style, which <em>can</em> have bad repercussions. </p> <p><strong>Are there hard facts I can present that this style has bad repercussions eventually?</strong></p> <p><strong>EDIT:</strong> Thank you for the good suggestions to get rid of this style. But I'm still interested in <strong>reasons</strong> I can present to my co-workers to explain and possibly convince them, <strong>why</strong> this is bad and it is in their best interest not do be paranoid.</p>

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