---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200076 Date: 04/01/98
From: DAVID NOON                                            Time: 07:51pm
\/To: PAUL ROBINSON                                       (Read 3 times)
Subj: Re: Compiler

In a message dated 03-29-98, Paul Robinson said to Andrew Frank about Re:
Compiler
Hi Paul,
PR>mmm the type of compiler im looking for is one, that isnt the fastest
PR>etc, i just need something that will handle the basics and some of the 
PR>trickier stuff
PR>just something for the beginner
In this echo?  ROFL!
The adjective "simple" does not associate very readily with the noun phrase
"C++ compiler", I'm afraid.
Since you are a beginner, I suggest you start by obtaining the cheapest
compiler you can get that has a good reputation for robustness. The GNU
compilers fill that role admirably, especially as they are free for the
download.
Which platform do you use? DOS/Windows? OS/2? NT? UNIX? Linux?
There are free C++ compilers around for each of these, and more.
Regards
Dave
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #353 * Hey, I ran Windows the other day, and it didn't crash!
--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: DoNoR/2,Woking UK (44-1483-717905)  (2:440/4)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200077 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: JO GERAERTS                                         (Read 3 times)
Subj: convert char to int...

JG>   the value is a number is an I want to convert it to a
JG>   integer. How can do that. I tried this:
JG>      int x=(int)str;
JG>   I also tried this:
JG>      int x=(int)*str
JG>   But if for example value=10 then x becomes something
JG>   else. How can I convert it without changing the value?
   int x = atoi(str);
   atoi() is an ANSI standard function to convert an ascii
   string to an integer value.
   If you wanted to see how you might do this yourself:
int Int_from_Ascii(const char *szS)
{
   int iResult = 0, iSgn = 1;
   if(szS && *szS)
      for( ; *szS; szS++)
         if(isdigit(*szS))
         {
            iResult = iResult * 10 + *szS - '0';
         }
         else
            if('-' == *szS)
               iSgn = -1;
   return iResult * iSgn;
}
   It isn't pretty, and it isn't quick, but it should work.
   atoi() is much faster and much prettier. :)
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> When you go, go as Mr. Underhill...[ Gandalf the Gray ].....
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200078 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: JO GERAERTS                                         (Read 3 times)
Subj: Ansi files

JG>   How can I use ANSi files in C++.
JG>   They 've got to be linked into the executable.
   If they are going to be text format, then they will need to
   be put into a function which returns the pointer to the
   string literal, which must be coded into the function.
   They may then be displayed via stdout() assuming ANSI.SYS
   is loaded, or interpreted to the proper color, cursor, and
   character commands for display.
   If they are stored as binary data, try this.
/*_|_|   ANSBIN.CPP
_|_|_|   A simple C++ class for handling ANSI picture data.
_|_|_|   No warrantee or guarantee given or implied.
_|_|_|   PUBLIC DOMAIN   by Kurt Kuzba.  (6/29/1997)*/
#include <iostream.h>
#include <string.h>
class AnsiImage {
public:
   AnsiImage(char*, int, int);
   void display(int, int);
private:
   char *pic;
   int high, wide;
};
AnsiImage::AnsiImage(char *image, int h = 25, int w = 80)
{
   pic = image;
   high = h;
   wide = w;
}
void AnsiImage::display(int left, int top)
{
   short *Dst = (short*)0xb8000000l;
   short *Src = (short*)pic;
   int Ln, bytewidth = wide << 1, incD = 80;
   Dst += ((80 * (--top)) + (--left));
   for(Ln = 0; Ln < high; Ln++)
      memmove(Dst, Src, bytewidth), Dst += incD, Src += wide;
}
char *Sttng(void)
{
   unsigned char *STTNG = {
   " \x0F \x0F.\x0E \x0F\x04 \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x0E \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F"
   "\x02 \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x0F \x0F\x0E \x0F"
   " \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x0E \x0F \x0F \x0F"
   " \x0F\x0D \x0F\x04 \x0F \x0F\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   " \x70\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70\x7E \x70 \x70"
   " \x70\x7E \x70 \x70\x7E \x70\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70:\x7E \x70"
   " \x70 \x70\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70\x7E\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x0F \x0F \x0F\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x7E \x70 \x70\x7E \x70\x7E:\x7E \x70\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70"
   " \x70 \x70 \x70\x73\x73\x73s\x73s\x73:\x7E \x70\x7E \x70 \x70"
   "\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70\x7E \x70 \x70:\x7E \x70\x7E\x7E"
   "\x7E \x70 \x70 \x70\x7E\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x0F \x0F"
   ".\x0E \x0F \x0F\x0C \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x70\x70 \x70\x7E \x70:\x7E \x70\x7E\x73\x73\x73h\x73"
   "\x73\x73 \x70 \x70\x7E \x70\x7E\x7E \x70:\x7E \x70\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x0C"
   " \x0F \x0F\x0E\x04 \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x0A \x0F \x0F\x09"
   "\x09\x09\x09\x09\x09\x09\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x70:\x7E \x70"
   "\x7E\x7E\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70\x7E\x7E\x7E\x7E \x70 \x70\x70"
   "\x70\x70\x70\x09\x09\x09\x09\x09\x09\x09 \x0F \x0F \x0F"
   "\x03 \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x01 \x0F \x0F\x0E \x0F \x0F\x0D \x0F \x0F"
   " \x0F.\x0E \x0F\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70 \x70\x70\x0C \x0F"
   "\x03 \x0F.\x0D\x70\x70 \x70\x7E \x70\x7E \x70 \x70\x7E\x70"
   "\x70 \x0F.\x01 \x0F\x03 \x0F\x70 \x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   "\x70\x0C \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x0C \x0F \x0F\x0E \x0F \x0F \x0F"
   "\x03 \x0F.\x01 \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x0E \x0F \x0F\x03 \x0F"
   "\x70 \x70 \x0F.\x0E \x0F\x04 \x0F.\x01 \x0F\x70\x7C\x7C\x7C"
   "\x7C\x7C\x70\x0E.\x0D \x0F \x0F\x0C \x0F \x0F \x70\x70 \x0F"
   " \x0F\x03 \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x0D \x0F\x0E \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F.\x0E"
   " \x0F\x0D \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C \x0C"
   " \x0C \x0F \x0F\x04 \x0F\x70 \x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   " \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70 \x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70\x70"
   " \x70\x70 \x0F \x0F.\x01 \x0F \x0F.\x0E \x0F \x0F \x0F \x0F\x04"
   " \x0F \x0F.\x03 \x0F \x0F \x0F"};
   return (char*)STTNG;
}
int main(void)
{
   char a;
   AnsiImage MyPic(Sttng(), 8, 56);
   MyPic.display(10, 3);
   cin >> a;
   return 0;
}
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> What do you mean, "There is more to life than computers."?..
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200079 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: SEBASTIAN NOZZI                                     (Read 3 times)
Subj: Exceptions

SN>   C++ Builder & BC++ 5
SN>   I would like to know which are the main differences
SN>   between this two programming tools.
   BC++5.0 is a C++ compiler and development environment.
   C++ Builder is, to my knowledge, an enhanced development
   environment for Borland C++.
SN>   What are streams exacly, and what can be done with them?
SN>   Wgat is a streamable class?
   A stream is a data I/O object. With streams, you can move
   data to and from your application, and manipulate it.
   A streamable class is one whose data objects may be used
   directly with the stream functions.
SN>   What are exceptions and what do they have to do with C++?
SN>   What are they used for?
   Exceptions are used to catch errors in C++.
   When you allocate memory, for instance, or open a file, or
   create an instance of a class, and there is an error in the
   process of doing so, it creates an exception which you may
   catch. You may then implement recovery code or inform the
   user that there has been an error in your app's operation.
SN>   Can I declare a function that returns an unknown type
SN>   (known at run-time) by value and not by reference
SN>   (the famous void*)?
   Yes. In C++ however, you will require an explicit cast to
   type at time of use when the value is returned, whereas,
   in C, the void* is automatically assigned to type in use.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Give me only the facts. I grow weary of all these Truths....
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200080 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: DAVID VAN HOOSE                                     (Read 3 times)
Subj: reading input from stdin

DV>   If you do that verbatim, you will have an overflow
DV>   problem with all known compilers.  This is how that
DV>   should be:
DV>      char name[40];
DV>      gets(name);
DV>      name[40]='\n';
DV>   You have to put a NULL on the end or it will have an
DV>   overflow problem. I believe you have to do that with
DV>   'fgets' as well..
   Don't try this at home! <G>
   Since name has only 40 elements, name[39] is the last
   one you can access. Accessing name[40] with an assignment
   operation writes a value to an unknown location. Rather, we
   KNOW where it writes it, but have no idea what SHOULD be
   there. This can crash your system. You don't need '\n' at
   the end of your string, and will often wish to strip it off
   when using gets() or fgets(). You want a NUL, or zero
   terminator, which is '\0', which gets() and fgets() will also
   automatically assign. It is things like this which made the
   stream libraries necessary, as the I/O usage is confusing at
   best, and can absolutely bewilder the beginner.
istream getname;
char name[40];
getname.getline(name, 40);
   or
char name[40];
fgets(name, 40, stdin);
if(strchr(name, '\n'))
{
   *strchr(name, '\n') = '\0';
}
else
{
   char buf[16] = "";
   do {
      fgets(buf, 16, stdin);
   }  while(!strchr(buf, '\n'));
}
   You WILL have to strip the '\n' from that second example,
   which is C and not C++, since it ignores stream objects and
   uses standard C functions instead. You also need to see if
   the '\n' made it into the string or if it remained in the
   stream buffer and needs to be flushed from it.
   You can see how the C++ version would be much preferred for
   quick development and simplified maintenance.
---
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Wait a minute... ///\oo/\\\ Almonds don't have legs.........
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200081 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: BILL GODFREY                                        (Read 3 times)
Subj: Sorting linked list

BG>   I would recommend forgetting a quick sort, and just re-
BG>   build a copy of the linked list in sorted form. The main
BG>   nice feature about linked lists is the ability to insert
BG>   items with the minimum of fuss.
BG>   Even better, sort the list stright away as you add items
BG>   in. Insert them in the right place to start with.
BG>   (That is, if it's appropiate to do so).
   You may have a linked list of structures, however, and wish
   to sort according to various elements, such as by name, or
   by zip code, or by city, or by age. For a database, the
   ability to sort the data according to varying criteria on
   the fly is somewhat necessary. Your database could be
   something as simple as a directory list, also, which you
   might sort by date, name, time, size, or extension, in
   forward or in reverse order.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Those who don't learn from the past are... Rats! I forgot...
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200082 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: JABO                                                (Read 3 times)
Subj: loading a file

J>   now, how do i load a pcx file? in 320x200x256 ??
   I have some C code to read a 320x200x256 .pcx file.
   The info is available in PC Game Programmer's Encyclopedia.
   Look for PCGPE on your local BBS's. Someone should have it.
   In the meantime, this code will read ONLY 320x200x256.
   It does not take into account pictures of different sizes or
   screen size or pixel color depth. You should get the C_ECHO
   if possible. You might add the code for variable sizes and
   repost the viewer as a C++ class.
 /*_|_|   PCXVIEW.C
 _|_|_|   A simple program to view a 320x200x256 .PCX file.
 _|_|_|   No guarantee or warrantee is given or implied.
 _|_|_|   Released to   PUBLIC DOMAIN   by Kurt Kuzba.  (7/20/96)*/
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string.h>
void setmode(char m)
{
   _asm{
         mov ah, 00h
         mov al, m
         int 10h
   }
}
int main(int c, char *arg[])
{
   int index, data;
   long end, loc = 128, pixl = 0;
   char buf[768], *temp, far *mem = (char far*)0xa0000000l;
   FILE *fp = fopen(arg[1], "rb");
   if(c < 2)
   {
      puts("usage: pcxview filename.ext");
      return 1;
   }
   if(fp == NULL)
   {
        printf("Could not open %s\n", arg[1]);
     return 2;
   }
   fseek(fp, 0l, SEEK_END);
   end = ftell(fp) - 768;
   fseek(fp, end, SEEK_SET);
   fread(buf, 1, (size_t)768, fp);
   setmode(0x13);
   for(temp = &buf[0], index = 0; index < 256; index++)
   {
     outp(0x3c8, index);
     outp(0x3c9, *temp++ >> 2);
     outp(0x3c9, *temp++ >> 2);
     outp(0x3c9, *temp++ >> 2);
   }
   fseek(fp, loc, SEEK_SET);
   do {
     loc++;
     data = fgetc(fp);
     if((data & 0xc0) == 0xc0)
     {
       data &= 0x3f;
       memset(mem + (unsigned)pixl, fgetc(fp), data);
       pixl += data;
       loc++;
     }
     else  *(mem + (unsigned)pixl++) = (char)data;
   }  while(loc < end);
   fclose(fp);
   while(!kbhit())
     *mem = *mem + 1; /* cycles one pixel to show its not frozen */
   getch();
   setmode(0x03);
   return 0;
}
 /*_|_|   end   PCXVIEW.C   */
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> I'd say something clever, but you have nothing low-fat......
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200083 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: JABO                                                (Read 3 times)
Subj: heheeh

J>   its sad to say, but i dont have the internet
J>   How or where can i find the SNIPPETS packs?
J>   Thanks (to anyone who can help)
   If you absolutely cannot find it, send me your address in
   private netmail or internet, if you have mail capability,
   and I will send you a floppy with the most recent version.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> I read Doors of Perception, but I can't remember any of it..
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4200084 Date: 04/02/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 05:51am
\/To: RICHARD VETO                                        (Read 3 times)
Subj: Programming

RV>   How do I link all those structures to reflect in the
RV>   player inventory?  Do I use a union?
   You could, if the player is to have multiple instances of
   some objects. An object list would need to know what type of
   object is being stored, though. An equipment list, on the
   other hand, should be coded into the player object, and
   include the possibility of absence of individual items of
   equipment, such as no shield, or no wands. A list of each
   individual item type coded into the character object may
   serve you better and be simpler to handle.
   I gravitate toward making an object type, such as weapon,
   and having its attributes change according to type.
   Then you can have lists of like-type objects and limit the
   extent of associated confusion. The objects may be derived
   from a base class.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> You're trying to make me paranoid, but I'm on to your tricks
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
---------------

FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 203 C++           Ref: F4300000 Date: 04/02/98
From: DARRELL HNIZDOR                                       Time: 02:40pm
\/To: TIM HUTZLER                                         (Read 2 times)
Subj: Re: Modem

I will send asap, let me know if it arrives.
by the way on the web: HAYES modem info is available from I think
hayes.com.
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0
 * Origin: Friendship Corner Albany, TX 915-762-2745 (1:392/25)