[Haskell-cafe] Language extensions

[Jules Bean]

Andrew Coppin wrote:
> My point is for most programs, trying to figure out exactly what you 
> want the program to do is going to be much harder than implementing a 
> program that does it.
> 
> Also, for most programs the spec is far more complicated (and hence 
> prone to error) than the actual program, so...

If you can't figure out exactly what the program is supposed to do, then 
your program clearly can't do it. So your program is buggy. Or, you got 
it precisely right, by chance, despite your ignorance. That's unlikely.

Most existing programs are in this category: unspecified, and hence buggy.

It *is* hard to work out *exactly* what a program should do. It's 
important though. If you don't do it, then no one knows what your 
program does...

Jules