256 Axles Integer Overflow

in switzerland you aren't allowed to have a train with exactly 256 axles because of an integer overflow in the axle counting machine i wish i could fix my software bugs by making it illegal to cause them 3.7.4 Zugbildung Um das ungewollte Freimelden von Streckenabschnitten durch das Rückstellen der Achszähler auf Null und dadurch Zuggefährdungen zu vermeiden, darf die effektive Gesamtachsanzahl eines Zuges nicht 256 Achsen betragen. "To avoid falsely signalling a section of track as clear by resetting the axle counter to zero, and thus to avoid [collisions], the total number of axles in a train must not equal 256."

A software developer jokes that Switzerland bans trains with exactly 256 axles because an axle-counting machine suffers an integer overflow. The joke compares a real railway safety rule with the absurd wish to solve software bugs by making the triggering conditions illegal. EN: A software developer jokes that Switzerland bans trains with exactly 256 axles because an axle-counting machine suffers an integer overflow. The joke compares a real railway safety rule with the absurd wish to solve software bugs by making the triggering conditions illegal.

• @gentoomemes / 17335 2025-05-16