Two strings walk into a bar. The first one says:
Hello, I’d like some Vodka andytewsr@)W$(#*$&!^Y@)^&30@#!
“You’ll have to excuse my friend,” the second one says, “he’s not null-terminated.”
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As soon as she walked through my door I knew her type: she was an argument waiting to happen. I wondered if the argument was required… or merely optional? Guess I’d know the parameters soon enough.
“I’m Star At Data”, she offered.
She made it sound like a pass. But was the pass by name? Or by position?
“I think someone’s trying to execute me. Some caller.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can find out. Meanwhile, we’re gonna have to limit the scope of your accessibility.”
“I’d prefer not to be bound like that,” she replied.
“I see you know my methods,” I shot back.
She just stared at me, like I was a block. Suddenly I wasn’t surprised someone wanted to dispatch her.
“I’ll return later,” she purred. “Meanwhile, I’m counting on you to give me some closure”.
It was gonna be another routine investigation.
– Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Camel”
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