Agree, true or not its a great story and an even better lesson about not getting carried away with code reuse. I can only imagine the shear terror on the pilot's face as the roos smoked him! John T Apa [log in to unmask] L-3 CSW (801) 594-3382 PO Box 16850 Fax: (801) 594-2195 640 North 2200 West Salt Lake City, UT. 84116-0850 > -----Original Message----- > From: Kester, Rush W. [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 8:18 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Objects fight back! > > Whether it's true or not, it's a great lesson on how inheritance can come > back to haunt you. Or why you should submit all software to DNA analysis, > before having children. ;-) Thanks Daniel! :-) > > The jury is currently deadlocked: Geoff Bull [[log in to unmask]] saying > it's fantasy and Alan E and Carmel J Brain [[log in to unmask]] > saying > it's a true C [or should it be C++] story. The rules for further jury > deliberation are that only individuals with first hand knowledge can vote. > The rest of us can only observe your deliberations. > > Rush Kester > charter member Team-Ada > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Daniel McDonough [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 2:32 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Objects fight back! > > > > I haven't checked out the reference at the end of this, but even if it > > isn't true, it is a good story for teaching. > > > > I wonder if the simulation was coded in Ada? <-- Ada content > > > > Daniel McDonough Team Ada > > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > Careless code recycling causes killer kangas -- > > Mutant Marsupials Take Up Arms Against Australian Air Force > > > > The reuse of some object-oriented code had caused tactical headaches for > > Australia's armed forces. > > > > As virtual reality simulators assume larger roles in helicopter combat > > training, programmers have gone to great lengths to increase the realism > > of their scenarios, including detailed landscapes and -- in the case of > > the Northern Territory's Operation Phoenix -- herds of kangaroos (since > > disturbed animals might well give away a helicopter's position). > > > > The head of the Defense Science & Technology Organization's > > LandOperations/Simulation division reportedly instructed developers to > > model the local marsupials' movements and reactions to helicopters. > > > > Being efficient programmers, they just re-appropriated some code > > originally used to model infantry detachment reactions under the same > > stimuli, changed the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo, and > > increased the figures' speed of movement. Eager to demonstrate their > > flying skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies > > "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a simulation. > > > > The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the visiting Americans nodded > > appreciatively....then did a double-take as the kangaroos reappeared > from > > behind a hill and launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless > > helicopter. (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to remove THAT > part > > of the infantry coding.) > > > > The lesson? Objects are defined with certain attributes, and any new > > object defined in terms of an old one inherits all the attributes. The > > embarrassed programmers had learned to be careful when reusing > > object-oriented code, and the Yanks left with a newfound respect for > > Australian wildlife. > > > > Simulator supervisors report that pilots from that point onward have > > strictly avoided kangaroos, just as they were meant to. > > > > From June 15, 1999 _Defense Science and Technology Organization Lecture > > series_, Melbourne, Australia, and staff reports. > > > > Item taken from _Software Testing and Quality Engineering_ magazine, > > Volume 1, Issue 6 > > (November/December 1999)