Page 36 - The Gluckman Occasional Number Eleven

Debugging

Dramatis Personae:

Morton: computer programmer
Kellerman: project manager
Sinclair: director

Scene:

Night. An office in a government bureau; computer terminals on desk,
large clock on wall, center stage; doors to right and center; window on
left.

MORTON: (enters from center looking at printout; goes to desk,
sits and pounds on paper) Damn! Why can’t I find it? This has to
be the tenth run with live data. (looks at clock) My god, it’s 11:40 at
night! (works on keyboard of terminal) Maybe if I try to restructure
this subroutine…

KELLERMAN: (enters from right carrying two cups of coffee)
How’s it going?

MORTON: Not so good, boss. I can’t get it to balance. I’ve
rewritten halt the code, but it’s always off by one.

KELLERMAN: (puts one cup on MORTON’s desk, leans toward
him) You mean—