//-----------------
    // <date> This is to work around a bug in the third party
    // function foo() (filed bug report #foo234).  This code does ...
    //
    // <date six months later> foo() still not fixed.
    //
    // <date one year later> foo() still broken.  Bug report returned as
    // WONT-FIX.  Sigh.
    //-----------------