--- created_at: '2014-12-21T19:25:17.000Z' title: Is_computer_on_fire() (2000) url: http://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529 author: adamnemecek points: 117 story_text: '' comment_text: num_comments: 56 story_id: story_title: story_url: parent_id: created_at_i: 1419189917 _tags: - story - author_adamnemecek - story_8780606 objectID: '8780606' year: 2000 --- [Source](https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire() "Permalink to is_computer_on_fire() - Everything2.com") # is_computer_on_fire() - Everything2.com __ Near Matches Ignore Exact [Everything2][1] # is_computer_on_fire() | ----- | | ([thing][2]) | by [**beek][3]** | Fri Aug 18 2000 at 16:51:09 | `double **is_computer_on_fire(** void **)**` : [BeOS][4] [kernel][5] function, returns the [temperature][6] of the [motherboard][7] if the [computer][8] is currently on fire. [Smoldering][9] doesn't count. If the computer isn't on fire, the function returns some other value. _([Be Book][10])_ _see also:_ [is_computer_on()][11] * * * to be [consistent][12] with the [naming][13] [convention][14]s used in the rest of the [BeOS][4] [API][15], this function should really be static bool BComputer::isOnFire(); and should return false if the computer _is not_ on fire. I guess it's okay to return an undefined value when the computer _is_ on fire. | -----| | | [I like it!][16] | [1 **C!**][17] | | ----- | | ([idea][18]) | by [**ariels][19]** | Thu Sep 14 2000 at 11:34:11 | This definitely lowers my opinion of [BeOS][4]. The [coding style][20] used is [terrible][21]! You should _never_ name your [predicate][22]s `is_`_something_. A predicate is not [_ask][23]ing_ a [question][24], it is [_answer][25]ing_ it. Consider this [code fragment][26]: > > > if (is_computer_on_fire()) { > dump_halon(computer_room); > } > You cannot read it [out loud][27], because it doesn't sound like [English][28]. Much better alternatives would be [`computer][8]_is_on[_fire][29]()`, `computer_on_fire()` or the [Lisp][30]-like `computer_on_fire_p()` (using [the -P convention][31]). All of these let you read your code. | -----| | | [I like it!][32] | | | ----- | | ([idea][33]) | by [**SlightlyMadman][34]** | Thu Sep 14 2000 at 13:34:22 | Actually, [ariels][35], I'd say your suggestions are just as [flawed][36]. The big problem I see with this [function][37], is that it looks, by its name, to be returning a [boolean][38] value, where it actually returns a [double][39]. I say it would more properly be named something along the lines of [getFlamingMotherboardTemperature][40], or something like that. Of course, I was greatly amused by this, and [is_computer_on()][11], and immediately included them in the function [library][41] I'm currently using in a production system, to replace the [random number generators][42]. | -----| | | [I like it!][43] | [1 **C!**][44] | | ----- | | [is_computer_on()][45] | [The -P convention][46] | [lpt on fire][47] | [New UNIX filesystem permissions based on Everything2 behavior][48] | | [Be Book][49] | [BeOS][50] | [Products that shoot flames][51] | [Response.IsClientConnected][52] | | [Smoldering][53] | [Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey][54] | [Predicate][55] | [Basic][56] | | [Fire][57] | [Geeks][58] | [halon][59] | [double][60] | | [Splinter][61] | [temperature][62] | [strfry][63] | [LISP][64] | | [computer][65] |   |   |   | [Log in][66] or [register][67] to write something here or to contact authors. ## Sign in | ----- | | **Login** | | | **Password** | | remember me [Lost password][68] [**Sign up][69]** Need help? [accounthelp@everything2.com][70] ## Recommended Reading #### [About Everything2][71] #### [User Picks][72] * [So, You Bought a Child Sex Doll.][73] * [Saxophone][74] * [Honeybee Language and Wittgenstein][75] * [Ludwig van Beethoven][76] * [Tempo in chess][77] * [Etan Patz][78] #### [Editor Picks][79] * [Thermopylae][80] * [Don't Leave Before the Miracle][81] * [George W. Bush's address to the UN General Assembly: September 12, 2002][82] * [Why eat imitation food?][83] * [closed captioning][84] * [Spontaneous human combustion][85] ## New Writeups * [Justin Trudeau's Whacky Indian Adventure][86] ([person][87]) by [TheAnglican][88] * [transposing instrument][89] ([thing][90]) by [TheAnglican][88] * [icky][91] ([fiction][92]) by [lostcauser][93] * [It has been claimed that some or all of this article or section is incoherent and not understandable, and should possibly be reworded if the intended meaning can be determined][94] ([log][95]) by [gate][96] * [I'm going to have to ask you to leave][97] ([thing][98]) by [Bethaven][99] * [Saxophone][100] ([thing][74]) by [TheAnglican][88] * [Office Romance][101] ([poetry][102]) by [syntaxfree][103] * [February 22, 2018][104] ([log][105]) by [Stasik][106] * [zoot][107] ([person][108]) by [TheAnglican][88] * [The Muppet Show][109] ([review][110]) by [TheAnglican][88] ([more][111]) Everything2 ™ is brought to you by Everything2 Media, LLC. All content copyright © original author unless stated otherwise. _Let sleeping demons lie._ [1]: https://everything2.com/ [2]: https://everything2.com/user/beek/writeups/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529 [3]: https://everything2.com/user/beek [4]: https://everything2.com/title/BeOS "BeOS" [5]: https://everything2.com/title/kernel "kernel" [6]: https://everything2.com/title/temperature "temperature" [7]: https://everything2.com/title/motherboard "motherboard" [8]: https://everything2.com/title/computer "computer" [9]: https://everything2.com/title/Smoldering "Smoldering" [10]: https://everything2.com/title/Be+Book "Be Book" [11]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on%2528%2529 "is_computer_on()" [12]: https://everything2.com/title/consistent "consistent" [13]: https://everything2.com/title/naming "naming" [14]: https://everything2.com/title/convention "convention" [15]: https://everything2.com/title/API "API" [16]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529?like_id=710134&confirmop=ilikeit "send a message to the author telling them someone likes their work" [17]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529?showwidget=showCs710134 "1 users found this writeup COOL" [18]: https://everything2.com/user/ariels/writeups/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529 [19]: https://everything2.com/user/ariels [20]: https://everything2.com/title/coding+style "coding style" [21]: https://everything2.com/title/terrible "terrible" [22]: https://everything2.com/title/predicate "predicate" [23]: https://everything2.com/title/ask "ask" [24]: https://everything2.com/title/question "question" [25]: https://everything2.com/title/answer "answer" [26]: https://everything2.com/title/code+fragment "code fragment" [27]: https://everything2.com/title/out+loud "out loud" [28]: https://everything2.com/title/English "English" [29]: https://everything2.com/title/fire "fire" [30]: https://everything2.com/title/Lisp "Lisp" [31]: https://everything2.com/title/the+-P+convention "the -P convention" [32]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529?like_id=747788&confirmop=ilikeit "send a message to the author telling them someone likes their work" [33]: https://everything2.com/user/SlightlyMadman/writeups/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529 [34]: https://everything2.com/user/SlightlyMadman [35]: https://everything2.com/title/ariels "ariels" [36]: https://everything2.com/title/flawed "flawed" [37]: https://everything2.com/title/function "function" [38]: https://everything2.com/title/boolean "boolean" [39]: https://everything2.com/title/double "double" [40]: https://everything2.com/title/getFlamingMotherboardTemperature "getFlamingMotherboardTemperature" [41]: https://everything2.com/title/library "library" [42]: https://everything2.com/title/random+number+generators "random number generators" [43]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529?like_id=747878&confirmop=ilikeit "send a message to the author telling them someone likes their work" [44]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on_fire%2528%2529?showwidget=showCs747878 "1 users found this writeup COOL" [45]: https://everything2.com/title/is_computer_on%2528%2529 [46]: https://everything2.com/title/The+-P+convention [47]: https://everything2.com/title/lpt+on+fire [48]: https://everything2.com/title/New+UNIX+filesystem+permissions+based+on+Everything2+behavior [49]: https://everything2.com/title/Be+Book [50]: https://everything2.com/title/BeOS [51]: https://everything2.com/title/Products+that+shoot+flames [52]: https://everything2.com/title/Response.IsClientConnected [53]: https://everything2.com/title/Smoldering [54]: https://everything2.com/title/Homeward+Bound%253A+The+Incredible+Journey [55]: https://everything2.com/title/Predicate [56]: https://everything2.com/title/Basic [57]: https://everything2.com/title/Fire [58]: https://everything2.com/title/Geeks [59]: https://everything2.com/title/halon [60]: https://everything2.com/title/double [61]: https://everything2.com/title/Splinter [62]: https://everything2.com/title/temperature [63]: https://everything2.com/title/strfry [64]: https://everything2.com/title/LISP [65]: https://everything2.com/title/computer [66]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/login "login" [67]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Sign+Up "Sign Up" [68]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Reset+password "Reset password" [69]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Sign+up [70]: mailto:accounthelp%40everything2.com [71]: https://everything2.com/title/An+Introduction+to+Everything2 [72]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Cool+Archive [73]: https://everything2.com/user/CultureAndOrCrisis/writeups/So%252C+You+Bought+a+Child+Sex+Doll. [74]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican/writeups/Saxophone [75]: https://everything2.com/user/CultureAndOrCrisis/writeups/Honeybee+Language+and+Wittgenstein [76]: https://everything2.com/user/benny+moonshine/writeups/Ludwig+van+Beethoven [77]: https://everything2.com/user/gitm/writeups/Tempo+in+chess [78]: https://everything2.com/user/Serjeant%2527s+Muse/writeups/Etan+Patz [79]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Page+of+Cool [80]: https://everything2.com/title/Thermopylae [81]: https://everything2.com/title/Don%2527t+Leave+Before+the+Miracle [82]: https://everything2.com/title/George+W.+Bush%2527s+address+to+the+UN+General+Assembly%253A+September+12%252C+2002 [83]: https://everything2.com/title/Why+eat+imitation+food%253F [84]: https://everything2.com/title/closed+captioning [85]: https://everything2.com/title/Spontaneous+human+combustion [86]: https://everything2.com/title/Justin+Trudeau%2527s+Whacky+Indian+Adventure?author_id=2101931#TheAnglican [87]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican/writeups/Justin+Trudeau%2527s+Whacky+Indian+Adventure [88]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican [89]: https://everything2.com/title/transposing+instrument?author_id=2101931#TheAnglican [90]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican/writeups/transposing+instrument [91]: https://everything2.com/title/icky?author_id=1992599#lostcauser [92]: https://everything2.com/user/lostcauser/writeups/icky [93]: https://everything2.com/user/lostcauser [94]: https://everything2.com/title/It+has+been+claimed+that+some+or+all+of+this+article+or+section+is+incoherent+and+not+understandable%252C+and+should+possibly+be+reworded+if+the+intended+meaning+can+be+determined?author_id=1252419#gate [95]: https://everything2.com/user/gate/writeups/It+has+been+claimed+that+some+or+all+of+this+article+or+section+is+incoherent+and+not+understandable%252C+and+should+possibly+be+reworded+if+the+intended+meaning+can+be+determined [96]: https://everything2.com/user/gate [97]: https://everything2.com/title/I%2527m+going+to+have+to+ask+you+to+leave?author_id=2155861#Bethaven [98]: https://everything2.com/user/Bethaven/writeups/I%2527m+going+to+have+to+ask+you+to+leave [99]: https://everything2.com/user/Bethaven [100]: https://everything2.com/title/Saxophone?author_id=2101931#TheAnglican [101]: https://everything2.com/title/Office+Romance?author_id=1957383#syntaxfree [102]: https://everything2.com/user/syntaxfree/writeups/Office+Romance [103]: https://everything2.com/user/syntaxfree [104]: https://everything2.com/title/February+22%252C+2018?author_id=2155469#Stasik [105]: https://everything2.com/user/Stasik/writeups/February+22%252C+2018 [106]: https://everything2.com/user/Stasik [107]: https://everything2.com/title/zoot?author_id=2101931#TheAnglican [108]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican/writeups/zoot [109]: https://everything2.com/title/The+Muppet+Show?author_id=2101931#TheAnglican [110]: https://everything2.com/user/TheAnglican/writeups/The+Muppet+Show [111]: https://everything2.com/node/superdoc/Writeups+by+Type