(From the story of the little girl who said "I know how to
spell "
banana", but I don't know when to stop"). Not knowing
where or when to bring a production to a close (compare
fencepost error). One may say "there is a
banana problem"
of an algorithm with poorly defined or incorrect termination
conditions, or in discussing the evolution of a design that
may be succumbing to featuritis (see also
creeping elegance,
creeping featuritis). See item 176 under
HAKMEM, which
describes a
banana problem in a
Dissociated Press
implementation. Also, see
one-banana problem for a
superficially similar but unrelated usage.
(1995-01-31)