This month’s Exercise was originally how to create a structure pointer, fill it with data, and write that data to a file. It’s a procedure fraught with traps and peril. What’s even more challenging is when you’re presented with this type of code and it doesn’t work, but it’s your job to fix it.
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In last week’s Lesson, I showed a program that translates a string of hex values into ASCII text. This code was to sate the nerd in me so that when another nerd writes 48 65 6c 6c 6f 2c 20 66 65 6c 6c 6f 77 20 6e 65 72 64 21, I can respond accordingly. But to respond in hex, a second program is required, one that translates ASCII text into a string of hex values.
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Do you speak hex? As a programmer, do you look at 0xF and see 1111 in binary? Do you see 15 decimal? What about the ASCII code? Do you know the letter for code 0x41? Are you that good?
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Pulling in all the stack items mentioned in last week’s Lesson, I present to you a C program that emulates stack storage. I’m certain this presentation will be one of the highlights of your programming career.
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To simulate stack storage in a C program, you need to emulate the four basic parts of a stack:
Further, you need to implement controls that prevent a stack overflow or underflow. And you can get real fancy, but those four items are the basics.
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This month’s Exercise is to create an array of six players, assign each a random score (1 to 100), then display the player’s scores by rank. The first problem you most likely encountered was how to keep the player’s number and score together.
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Whether you simulate a stack in your C code or just ignore the concept altogether, your program constantly uses the processor’s stack. Specifically, if the code contains a function, it uses this stack not only to call and return from the function, but to pass and return arguments as well.
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In your fancy, new game, the program dutifully track players and their scores. When the game is over, or at the end of a round, the players not only want to know their scores, but where each sits in the overall ranking. That process takes a bit more coding than just spitting out the scores.
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At the lowest programming level, you encounter machine code. This is the language of the processor itself. Machine code directs the processor to do things, such as read from or write to memory, store data, perform math, and other tasks. And if you dare to program a processor directly, you’ll encounter something called the stack pointer register.
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One of those weirdo programming concepts university sophomore programming students eagerly avoid is the stack. It’s a type of storage with unique features, but it’s difficult to appreciate unless you understand its origins.
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