for (i = 0; i <= length; i++) .. boy I sure hope length is not a max value .. It's not about the incrementing vs. decrementing so much as the equality

for (i = 0; i <= length; i++) .. boy I sure hope length is not a max value .. It's not about the incrementing vs. decrementing so much as the equality bounded loop on a value that could be a min/max value. Gets you every time.