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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300010 Date: 02/25/98
From: BILL BIRRELL                                          Time: 08:40am
\/To: BOB STOUT                                           (Read 2 times)
Subj: Memory exchange

Hi Bob,
    In a message from Bob Stout to Tom Torfs
    on 23 Feb 98  12:15:40 about Memory exchange
    you said:-
 >   Ah, but that depends on how you place the virtual
 > parentheses *after* you convert it to its guaranteed
 > equivalent form using simple, rather than compound,
 > assignment operators.
    I am disappointed to report that this disgusting little snippet does 
actually run on all the compilers I have here. There's no explaining it so I 
won't try.
-------------------------------------------------------
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    char a = 20, b = 92; printf("\n a = %i\tb = %i", a, b); a^=b^=a^=b;return 
printf("\n a = %i\tb = %i", a, b);
}
---------------------------------------------------------
    Obfuscation is not deliberate. It's just the way the mail reader read it 
in. A newline after each semicolon or before the "return" should clarify it a 
bit.
    I compiled it for all integral types (obviously changing the types and 
formats to suit) in the hope that at least one compiler would reject it. No 
such luck! Floats did fail, and that's no surprise at all, but maybe it shows 
all is not lost. :-)
Bill.
---
 * Origin: bill@escan.demon.co.uk (2:2504/200)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300011 Date: 02/26/98
From: BOB STOUT                                             Time: 07:26am
\/To: BILL BIRRELL                                        (Read 2 times)
Subj: Memory exchange

On <Feb 25 08:40>, Bill Birrell (2:2504/200@fidonet) wrote: 
 > I am disappointed to report that this disgusting little snippet does
 > actually run on all the compilers I have here. There's no explaining it 
 > so I won't try.
Bill...
  Actually, I'm not really surprised. There's lots of stuff that exists in 
legacy code that's technically undefined, but which compilers take great 
pains to compile "correctly". Having railed publicly at length about what a 
bad idea it is to use the construct, I'll now readily admit it's a lot harder 
to find a compiler on which it doesn't work than one where it does.
  It's still technically incorrect and bad coding practice. My purpose in 
this crusade hasn't been to protect folks from something that's likely to 
blow up in their faces, but rather to engender good habits. It's a lot like 
the void main() thing, it'll usually work OK, but you still shouldn't do it. 
--- QM v1.00
 * Origin: MicroFirm : Down to the C in chips (1:106/2000.6)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300012 Date: 02/26/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 07:43am
\/To: DONALD BOWERS                                       (Read 2 times)
Subj: 'C' & 'C++'

DB>   Is there an easy way to compile C code on Microsoft
DB>   Visual C++ 4.0? I've got a bunch of C code, and MSVC
DB>   keeps giving me a bunch of bunk about obsolete keywords
DB>   & stuff. Can't it see it's C code and not C++???
   It should only require the .C file extension.
   What sort of keywords is it telling you are obsolete?
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Sorry.  I left my taglines in my other offline reader.......
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300013 Date: 02/26/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 07:43am
\/To: RICHARD MCCONNELL                                   (Read 2 times)
Subj: C++

RM>   What I want to know is how the LIB files work, and how you
RM>   know what ones to use.
RM>   Also the first thing I need to know is how to Display
RM>   text on screen.... Next how to have a input...
   By C3.1 do you mean Borland C++3.1?
   As far as gettting input and displaying to the screen,
   you can output text in C by inlcuding <stdio.h>.
   What .LIB files you will include depends on what you are
   trying to do, and what functions it will require.
   You just use the preprocessor command for the header file
#include <stdio.h>
   for instance, where you want to use printf() and fgets() for
   text input and output. Once we know what you've got, we can
   help you along with it. Are you going to be programming
   for DOS or for Windows? They require different approaches.
   I've now seen a later message, so I understand better what
   you want to do. In very basic terms, you create blocks of
   code, using functions from the libraries or making your own.
   A very simple example of I/O in C is in a following message.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> I don't think so Tim... I'll go get the Band-Aids...........
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300014 Date: 02/26/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 07:43am
\/To: RUSS WUERTZ                                         (Read 2 times)
Subj: WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE

RW>     But whey do we get oooosymbols in text editors
   Because they don't use the line feed character, instead
   displaying it as a character attribute. It only looks
   like an o.
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Within every pearl there lies a tiny grain of truth.........
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300015 Date: 02/26/98
From: KURT KUZBA                                            Time: 07:43am
\/To: RICHARD MCCONNELL                                   (Read 2 times)
Subj: Simple I/O in C

RM>   And now I need help with the basics of C.......
   Have a look at this once:
/*_|_|   BIGSTR.C
_|_|_|   This program demonstrates the use of ANSI functions to
_|_|_|   construct and implement a function to return a string from
_|_|_|   the keyboard. (The non-standard function, getch(), is used.)
_|_|_|   HOME, END, LEFT, RIGHT, BACKSPACE, INSERT, DELETE, and all
_|_|_|   the text keys are allowed for use. A prompt is optional.
_|_|_|   A pointer to the default string is returned. There must be a
_|_|_|   default string with sufficient space for the return string.
_|_|_|   Released to   PUBLIC DOMAIN   by Kurt Kuzba.  *(12/24/95)*/
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string.h>
char *getstr(char*, char*, int, int);
int main(void)
{
   char name[33] = "Unknown", buf[33] = "";
   int age = 0;
   getstr("\nEnter your name: => ", name, 30, 16);
   getstr("\nEnter your age : => ", buf , 2, 2);
   age = atoi(buf);
   printf("\n\nNAME: %s\n AGE: %d\n", name, age);
   return 0;
}
char *getstr(char *prompt, char *dfault, int strlimit, int winlimit)
{
   char temp[256] = "";
   int len = sprintf(temp, "%s", dfault), key = 0, offset = 0,
      marker = 0, count, home, INS = 1;
   printf(prompt);
   while(key != '\r')
   {
      for(count = 0, key = 1; count < winlimit; count++)
      {
         if(key)
            if(0 != (key = temp[offset + count]))   putchar(key);
            else putchar('-' + 50 * INS);
         else putchar('-' + 50 * INS);
      }
      printf("%c\b", '-' + 50 * INS);
      for(count = marker - offset; count < winlimit; count++)
         putchar('\b');
      home = marker - offset;
      switch(key = ((key = getch()) == 0) ? -getch() : key)
      {
         case  -82: INS = !INS; putchar('\a'); break;    /* INSERT */
         case  -75: if(marker)                             /* LEFT */
                       if(--marker < offset) offset = marker; break;
         case  -77: if(marker < len)                      /* RIGHT */
                       if(++marker - offset > winlimit) offset++;
                    break;
         case  -71: marker = offset = 0; break;            /* HOME */
         case  -79: offset = (len > winlimit) ? len - winlimit : 0;
                    marker = len; break;                    /* END */
         case '\b': if(!marker)   printf("\a");       /* BACKSPACE */
                    else {
                       char *bs = &temp[marker--];
                       len--;
                       while((*(bs - 1) = *bs) != '\0') bs++;
                       if(marker < offset)   offset = marker;
                    }  break;
         case  -83: if(marker == len) printf("\a");      /* DELETE */
                    else {
                       char *bs = &temp[marker];
                       while('\0' != (*bs = *(bs + 1)))   bs++;
                       len--;
                    }  break;
         case '\r': strcpy(dfault, temp); break;         /* RETURN */
         case   25:                                      /* CTRL/Y */
                    temp[len = offset = marker = 0] = '\0'; break;
         case   27: key = '\r'; break;                   /* ESCAPE */
         default  : if(key < 32 || key > 127) break;       /* TEXT */
                    if(marker >= strlimit)   putchar('\a');
                    else {
                       if(INS && len < strlimit)
                          for(count = len++; count > marker; count--)
                             temp[count] = temp[count - 1];
                       temp[marker++] = (char)key;
                       len += (len < strlimit && !INS && marker >= len);
                       temp[len] = '\0';
                       if((marker - offset) >= winlimit)
                          offset = marker - winlimit;
                    }  break;
      }
      for(count = home; count > 0; count--)   putchar('\b');
   }
   return dfault;
}
/*_|_|   end   BIGSTR.C   */
> ]<urt   (NFX)
> Presently orbiting Mars in a Supertramp album...............
---
 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 8.4 GIG * RA/FD/FE * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300016 Date: 02/23/98
From: JOHN RICHARDSON                                       Time: 09:27am
\/To: ASHER DENSMORE-LYNN                                 (Read 2 times)
Subj: Bjarne Stroustrup's view on C++

Hi Asher,
 > Stroustrup:  It was only supposed to be a joke, I never thought
 > people would take the book seriously. Anyone with half a brain
 >           can see that object-oriented programming is
 >           counter-intuitive, illogical and inefficient.
Whether the interview is genuine or not this paragraph certainly makes sense. 
:*)
John.
--- JetMail 0.99beta23
 * Origin: The Dysfunctional Refrigerator (fidonet 2:2502/60)
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FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 239 C LANGUAGE    Ref: F3300017 Date: 02/24/98
From: AUKE REITSMA                                          Time: 08:39pm
\/To: GEORGE WHITE                                        (Read 2 times)
Subj: Atotm

Hi George,
On 21 Feb 98, 08:26, you wrote to Javier Kohen
 JK>> "Converts strings formated as asctime output to struct tm."
 JK>> I'd like commentaries on this one.
 GW> OK
...
 JK>> struct tm atotm(const char *str) {
 GW> As you are returning the struct, I think it really needs to be
 GW> static.
Returning a struct is perfectly valid. Though antique compilers won't handle 
it. Now if he were returning a _pointer_ to struct ...
Greetings from
 _____
 /_|__|  Auke Reitsma, Delft, The Netherlands.