In a post from 2020, I wrote about various integer size values. Seems they don’t consistently sport the same bit width. Just recently, I’ve obtained some updated information and valuable insight into the bit width question.
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Category Archives: Lesson
Help Me Figure Out This Trick
Occasionally the Wizards of C concoct a mad method to perform some magical feat on a number. This sorcery cannot be explained using those scant, basic math concepts known to me. So perhaps you’d like to invest a few moments to review what I consider to be one of the most insane ways to discover the maximum power of two that can divide any integer.
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Counting the Digits
I am not a math genius, as any math genius who reviews my work is happy to tell me. Even so, when programming I’m often faced with math challenges where a math education would benefit. My most recent puzzle is how to count the number of digits in a value without first converting the value into a string.
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Converting Month Strings to Integers
I saw this problem on stackoverflow: How can you take a month string and convert it into an integer value, one through 12? The student submitting the query used a long if-else if-else construction. I have a better idea.
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Going Mad for Mod
I have two questions when it comes to using the % operator: Is it modulus or modulo? And which value comes first?
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Forcing a Decision
Programs often ask questions: yes-or-no and multiple choice. The user must select one of the given options, which I refer to as forcing a decision. Your goal as programmer is to pester the user to input a valid choice.
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Returning a Non-Static String
It’s possible to return a string created in a function without declaring it static. This trick requires some understanding of how functions return values. Nerd alert!
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Having Fun with the getline() Function
In last week’s post, I updated information I had originally written about the useful getline() function. The topic is worthy of further exploration, specifically with the mechanics behind the function’s internal allocation — and reallocation — of memory.
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The getline() Function – Update
Back in early 2015, I wrote about the getline() function, which is a handy way to read a string. I’ve been informed that my post is the top result for a Google search on getline() — and I have an update!
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Chatting with a Thread
A launched thread can be passed an argument, similar to any function. And the thread can return a value, just like any function. But while the thread runs, options for communications are rather limited.
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