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---
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]
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* [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]
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([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"
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[103]: https://everything2.com/user/syntaxfree
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[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
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