banana problem n. [from the story of the little girl who said "I know how to spellbanana' 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 saythere 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.
