W
wadeyin
I almost lost patient...
Any advice?
Any advice?
J
Joona I Palaste
(e-mail address removed) scribbled the following:
Stop reading the FAQ while doing critical surgery. There's always time
for such things later.
Stop reading the FAQ while doing critical surgery. There's always time
for such things later.
R
Rob Thorpe
I almost lost patient...
Any advice?
The obvious advice is: use text search on your browser or text editor.
D
Dan Pop
In said:
Bad advice. The FAQ is worth reading in its entirety. Absorbing the
amount of C wisdom it contains is FAR more important than solving your
current C programming problem.
Dan
C
Christopher Benson-Manica
Dan Pop said:
In the long run; in the short run, your current C programming problem
may cost you your job.
D
Dan Pop
In said:
If you got a job as a C programmer you're not supposed to need the FAQ
in order to solve your C programming problems.
Dan
E
Eric Sosman
Dan said:
Seconded, enthusiastically. Even an experienced C
programmer can gain a lot from reading the entire FAQ.
Even if you could answer every question "on your own,"
you can gain insight by considering how your answer and
the FAQ's differ -- even if the two agree on factual
matters, contemplating the reasons for differences in
emphasis or in omission and comission can be illuminating.
If you think you're *really* good, read the IFAQ:
http://www.plethora.net/~seebs/faqs/c-iaq.html
.... and see how many errors/parodies/half-truths you can
spot.
D
Darrell Grainger
If this is your first time reading it... keep reading. If you have read it
and just need to reference something you know is there, use search. You
can view the FAQ as one file then search for the information you are
looking for.
C
Christopher Benson-Manica
Dan Pop said:
I suspect that not every C programmer can write the FAQ correctly from
memory. It's a tool, not a crutch (except during interviews, of
course).
A
Arthur J. O'Dwyer
But I suspect that most good C programmers (or rather, most programmers
who could post in c.l.c and not get completely toasted for it) could
hear a question from the FAQ and provide either (1) a correct answer
roughly equivalent to the FAQ's, or (2) the response, "I've never run
into that situation in the field."
In either case, the FAQ wouldn't help them much with their programming
problems.
[E.g., I think all C programmers should have answer (1) to most
questions in sections 1 and 7 of the online FAQ list, but I would
expect more than a few answer (2)s in section 10.]
-Arthur
R
Rob Thorpe
In the long run yes. But most of us have problems we have to solve yesterday.
If you have time of course, it's good to read it.
D
Dan Pop
In said:
No problem, if you read the FAQ the day before yesterday...
If you contemplate using C beyond the course teaching it, reading the FAQ
is more important that finding a quick solution to your current problem.
Treating the FAQ as the first place where to look for solutions is better
than ignoring it, but it's still misusing it.
Dan
C
Christopher Benson-Manica
Arthur J. O'Dwyer said:
I do hope my toast index per post is decreasing, albeit slowly
But if they should have the misfortune to run into it in the field,
then they'll have to turn to the FAQ, right?
I'm getting there, I think...
D
Dan Pop
In said:I do hope my toast index per post is decreasing, albeit slowly
But if they should have the misfortune to run into it in the field,
then they'll have to turn to the FAQ, right?
If they have already read and understood the FAQ, they should be prepared
for the time they run into it in the field. In the worst case, they know
where exactly to find the solution in the FAQ.
Dan
K
Kevin D. Quitt
Read all three volumes of Knuth. When you then get around to the FAQ, you
will find it as short as is possible for it to be. Perhaps slightly too
short in some areas.
(The only nit I have to pick with the FAQ is its section on generating
random numbers in the range of 1 to n. The explanation is reasonable, but
not quite correct. Unfortunately, the "correct" explanation requires
extensive analysis and "correct" sample code can require iteration.
I'm working on a paper that shows the problem(s) and solution, but it's
slow-going.)
J
Joe Wright
Dan said:
What? Would your employer be offended that you use reference
materials? I can do a lot of simple stuff in several languages off
the top of my head. When things get serious, I'm doing it for money
and not getting paid to fix it, all my references are immediately at
hand.
If an employer would suggest that I do serious programming for them
without a language reference, I would be very curious as to why. In
any case I would ensure I got paid by the hour instead of the task.
S
Steve Summit
[eskimo's outbound newsfeed is broken, so this is being posted
by a friend. Replies, however, should of course go to me.]
Indeed. Co-workers have occasionally expressed surprise when
they noticed me reaching for my dog-eared copy to check on
something I couldn't quite remember.
I'd also like to point out that readers complaining about its
length do have a certain point. If posters are finding it hard
to answer their questions even after consulting the FAQ list,
something's wrong, because it's what they were *supposed* to
consult if they found it hard to answer their questions even
after consulting their C textbook or other standard references!
(But no, I don't know the solution to this poser...)
Steve Summit
(e-mail address removed)
by a friend. Replies, however, should of course go to me.]
Indeed. Co-workers have occasionally expressed surprise when
they noticed me reaching for my dog-eared copy to check on
something I couldn't quite remember.
I'd also like to point out that readers complaining about its
length do have a certain point. If posters are finding it hard
to answer their questions even after consulting the FAQ list,
something's wrong, because it's what they were *supposed* to
consult if they found it hard to answer their questions even
after consulting their C textbook or other standard references!
(But no, I don't know the solution to this poser...)
Steve Summit
(e-mail address removed)