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Marc Clifton wrote: C# is doing just fine without lambda expressions, so this isn't a fundamental concept IMO.
Lambda's is just sugar/shorthand for delegate's, and without them C# would be like C without function pointers :p
Marc Clifton wrote: what are the fundamental concepts that a programming language should implement
Scheme defines 4 basic syntax forms:
- set!
- lambda
- quote
- if
That is it. You can define all other forms in terms of those 4 (and with 'set!' you cannot even define a variable!).
xacc.ideIronScheme a R5RS-compliant Scheme on the DLR
The rule of three: "The first time you notice something that might repeat, don't generalize it. The second time the situation occurs, develop in a similar fashion -- possibly even copy/paste -- but don't generalize yet. On the third time, look to generalize the approach." |
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Marc Clifton wrote: Fizbin
You are showing your Star Trek geekyness 
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Standard measures I can think of:
* turing complete (see above), it's the real meat
* can you write an interpreter/compiler for the language in the language?
(assuming required I/O to be available...) - what I'd call first level of self awareness
* can you write a program that outputs it's own source code? (fun value only, I guess)
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Has anyone played around with the boost libraries? Would you recommend them?
rant:
See, the story is as follows. I used to do quite a bit of C/C++/C#/Java coding until recently which is about 2 years ago. Now, its mostly VB.NET (  ). So I'm trying to get myself back into the groove. I had the rudest awakening a few days ago when trying to help my brother write up a small 21 (black jack) game for his university work. Man, do I suck now or what 
/rant
So I've decided that as many of my Masters Degree projects will be in C++, and any coding I do at home will also be in C/C++.
Any suggestions? Tips?
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rick Cook
"There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance." Ali ibn Abi Talib
"Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?"
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Boost is always handy to be familiar with. I'm sure you know that boost is used much more on Unix than on Windows, but I think that is mostly because early MS C++ compilers sucked.
You should also brush up on your STL, since it is now being used more on Windows platforms, with the latest improved/compliant MS C++ compilers.
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I've used the regular expressions 'sub-library' from the Boost set. It seems to work well, and wasn't difficult to incorporate into my application. I recommend it.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Has anyone played around with the boost libraries? Would you recommend them?
rant:
See, the story is as follows. I used to do quite a bit of C/C++/C#/Java coding until recently which is about 2 years ago. Now, its mostly VB.NET ( ). So I'm trying to get myself back into the groove. I had the rudest awakening a few days ago when trying to help my brother write up a small 21 (black jack) game for his university work. Man, do I suck now or what
/rant
So I've decided that as many of my Masters Degree projects will be in C++, and any coding I do at home will also be in C/C++.
Any suggestions? Tips?
Boost was created as a playground to experiment with templates and push the limits of template programming in C++. Boost libraries were never meant as a convenient tool for Jo Programmer. I wouldn't use Boost in a real production environment. But for a master's thesis they are well suited. You can most probably impress you professor with the code obfuscation Boost libraries produce. Be prepared for a culture shock, though. You first need to learn to decipher the 80 lines or more long template error messages typical for Boost.
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Roland Pibinger wrote: Boost libraries were never meant as a convenient tool for Jo Programmer.
I think the problem here is that a lot of library documentation is written for people who fully understand what is going on under the hood of a particular boost library.
Roland Pibinger wrote: I wouldn't use Boost in a real production environment.
I have used them in a real production environment for years. They work well but it does take a while to understand boost and also adding boost to your project will increase compile times significantly.
Roland Pibinger wrote: You first need to learn to decipher the 80 lines or more long template error messages typical for Boost.
I consider this a Microsoft bug but at least there is a tool to get rid of this. StlFilt[^]
John
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John M. Drescher wrote:
Roland Pibinger wrote:
You first need to learn to decipher the 80 lines or more long template error messages typical for Boost.
I consider this a Microsoft bug but at least there is a tool to get rid of this. StlFilt[^]
It's not a Microsoft bug but a template bug (a bug in C++). StlFilt treats the symptoms but doesn't cure the disease.
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Boost was started by members of the C++ Standards Committee Library Working Group to rapidly create robust and efficient C++ libraries. Boost is made up of many libraries; some push the limits of template programming, others are quite simple and helpful (smart pointers for instance).
A large part of the boost libraries has been added to the C++ TR1 and will be part of the standard in the future.
I suppose a lot of people reinvent the wheel instead of using STL and boost. Sometimes this is justified by performance, political or technical reasons, often it is not.
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Has anyone played around with the boost libraries? Would you recommend them?
I used Boost libraries a lot in the past (unfortunately, not in the current project) and found them to be very helpful in the most practical way. E.g., see Boost Filesystem[^], string algorithms[^], or regex[^].
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We use them a lot and I really like them. We use the function pointers the most, the regex stuff a little bit, lexical_cast and the thread library with pthreads for unux / windows
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Boost is what it says - a collection of libraries.
While they have very high standars in what they accept, still individual libraries have different levels of completion, elegance and usefulness. Also, style and method of the different authors may differ.
So asking about them as awhole, it's almost like asking "are ropes any good"?
well, boost is at least rope, not just laces.
I definitely do recommend the smart pointer library, see my articles.
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Has anyone played around with the boost libraries?
Yes - function, lambda, bind, spirit, regex, smart_ptr, filesystem, multi_index, crc, signals, tuple, variant, optional, tokenizer, string_algo, range.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Would you recommend them?
Yes - as far as I'm concerned, C++ without Boost isn't something I want to use to develop large systems.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Any suggestions? Tips?
- Use MSVC 7.1 or above - that's when MSVC gained partial specialisation, one of the key template techniques Boost relies on.
- Use smart_ptr for memory management. With suitable custom deleters, you can use it for all resource management as well
- Use boost::function rather than boost::signal for callbacks if you can guarantee a single reciever - it's a lot quicker.
- variant, optional and (to a lesser extent) tuple can be incredibly useful
- Become familiar with the STL algorithms - if you use lambda with them, they become a lot easier to use, as you can write (small) functions in-line.
- Be prepared for larger compile times - that's the main downfall of Boost, IMO.
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The other day I wished I had something like this. I needed to create close to 40 new GL accounts in an accounting application, which I did by copying and pasting missing account numbers from my log. At under ten key-strokes per account, it went quite quickly, but what annoyed me was having to keep switching between my log and the accounting app. I would really have like to have a text editor that remained on top, z wise, in the accounting app, making it easier to grab the next account number. Is there anything like this, or should I just build the ultimate, a text display dedicated to copying to clipboard, with enhanced, automatic selection and copy etc?
Calling all South African developers! Your participation in this local dev community will be mutually beneficial, to you and us.
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I am sure you will find something like that on BetaNews, else resort to Spy++
xacc.ideIronScheme a R5RS-compliant Scheme on the DLR
The rule of three: "The first time you notice something that might repeat, don't generalize it. The second time the situation occurs, develop in a similar fashion -- possibly even copy/paste -- but don't generalize yet. On the third time, look to generalize the approach." |
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Do you mean set up something to send messages to my text 'provider', to copy text from it without leaving my primary app? That actually sounds like a damn interesting project and even article idea.
Calling all South African developers! Your participation in this local dev community will be mutually beneficial, to you and us.
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Notepad2[^]does this, so why don't you try that instead?
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Anna-Jayne Metcalfe wrote: pl
I'm using NotePad2, and completely missed this  . I even looked for it, but it was one of those days.  Thanks!
Calling all South African developers! Your participation in this local dev community will be mutually beneficial, to you and us.
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Anytime.
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Nice utility!
Thanks
Mike
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away. "George Carlin"
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It sure is. I've been using it for a couple of years now.
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I like the Syntax highlighting and its light weight. Who could ask for more? (and actually get it for free)
Thanks again
Mike
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away. "George Carlin"
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My pleasure.
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