brittle
<jargon> Said of software that is functional but easily broken by changes
in operating environment or configuration, or by any minor tweak to the software
itself. Also, any system that responds inappropriately and disastrously to
abnormal but expected external stimuli; e.g. a file system that is usually
totally scrambled by a power failure is said to be brittle. This term is often
used to describe the results of a research effort that were never intended to be
robust, but it can be applied to commercially developed software, which displays
the quality far more often than it ought to.
Opposite of robust.
[Jargon File]
(1995-05-09)
Nearby terms:
British Standards Institute « British Telecom «
British Telecom Research Laboratories « brittle
» broadband » broadcast » broadcast quality video
|
