I was trying to compose a response similar to yours but I was troubled by the
word 'contract'.
To me 'contract' implies some admission of liability for
failing to meet the contract but the T'
s and C's for the Java download (like most other software) shouts that
Oracle declines all responsibility for damages due to failure of its software
and does not even confirm that it will even run.
4. DISCLAIMER OF
WARRANTY. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
ORACLE FURTHER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT.
5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. IN NO EVENT
SHALL ORACLE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA OR DATA
USE, INCURRED BY YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT OR
TORT, EVEN IF ORACLE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
ORACLE'S ENTIRE LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES HEREUNDER SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED ONE
THOUSAND DOLLARS (U.S. $1,000)
Bearing in mind their
reluctance to take any responsibility for their code, surely their APIs are
effectively something like this:
From our design and testing of our
product we believe the following statements are true:
static double
abs(double a)
Returns the absolute value of a double value.
static
float abs(float a)
Returns the absolute value of a float
value.
.
.
.
.
So - as PJ has already
pointed out - the API is just a long list of facts - any fiction in the list is
there by mistake.
As for the structure and layout of the document - can you
imagine a lexicographer being obliged to put Aardwolf after Zwitterion because
the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has already put Aardwolf after
Aardvark? [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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