Re: Running BoundsChecker on 5.0.2

[Chris <coderight@...>]

On 2/25/06, Dario Accornero <adario@softhome.net > wrote:

Hello,

In a large application using Lua 5.0.2 with XP Pro (Visual Studio .NET 2003), I
am encountering a few difficult situations where some machines crash whereas
others run the application just fine.  The problems seem to be due to a memory
smasher, and I have tried using DevParter BoundsChecker on the application to
identify the culprit.

In doing so, BoundsChecker also reported loads of errors in Lua itself, and I
was wondering whether some of them were known and/or fixed in 5.1...

It has been a while so my memory might be faulty (no pun intended) but
the last time I ran my application through BoundsChecker I didn't see
any problems inside Lua.  This was quite a while ago using
DevPartner Studio 7.2 Pro. I don't know the BoundsChecker
version.  Also using VS 2003 and Lua 5.0.2.

As I'm sure you know all too well, identifying the source of these types of problems can be
difficult.  It could be other areas in the application corrupting
the stack or memory which affects the Lua parts.  Or maybe it is
Lua and you're just using it differently than I am.

If it were me I would try to isolate the culprit by testing the
smallest possible components as standalone items (ie. "unit
testing").  That is, if possible isolate the Lua parts and run
them standalone in BoundsChecker and see what happens.  Make up
some test cases that just exercise certain parts or whatever.  Do
the same for other parts of the application.  I always try to
reduce things to a known state and then adds parts together until it
breaks.

I would definitely be curious to know if you actually do find a problem in Lua because I haven't seen it.

-- 
// Chris