I received a question on a looping variable and why its value after the loop isn’t the same as the ending value of the loop. It’s a puzzling issue I remember from when I first learned to program, but one that you can understand once you figure out what the loop does.
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To add more functionality to the C language, you mix in another library. The library contains routines (functions) that let you control specific hardware, manipulate data, work with graphics, and a host of other capabilities beyond the standard C library.
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I’ve not installed Code::Blocks on a Linux computer, but for a moment I’ll pretend that such an installation has the same issue I described in last week’s Lesson: You must manually link in the C language math library to create any program that uses a math.h function.
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Recently, I had question posed to from a reader from Norway. He was working his way through my book and found that one of the programs wouldn’t compile on his Linux computer. The problem was that the C language math library isn’t automatically linked. The effect is that a linker error appears upon compiling.
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Even when you add fudge to a matching system, occasionally that odd bit of data — the outlier — can wreck an otherwise close match. The question is, how many of those mismatches does your code allow?
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A fuzzy match that uses discrete amount of fudge might not yield a match, especially when the values cover a wide range. To better make the match work, set a percentage variation instead.
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Comparing values is a discrete process; an if comparison is absolute. The result is either true or false. Never is the result perhaps or somewhat — unless you add some fudge to the comparison.
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Computer’s are notoriously obedient and serious. They’re exact. If you give them inaccurate instructions or bad data, the computer does its job without question. But the real world isn’t binary and often times it’s necessary to add some forgiveness into your code.
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I recently had a reader submit a question regarding input. He wanted to write code that would read a character and display that character’s ASCII code value. It sounds like a simple program, but you must understand variable types and the scanf() function’s peculiarities to properly code it.
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The typical first program taught to anyone learning C (or any other programming language) is Hello, world! It’s fun, which sets up false expectations, but it’s also genius.
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