Imagine you’re working with an array that has room to store thousands of integer values. You’ve been hired to craft a function that averages those values, but you don’t really know how many values are stored in the array. The guy who gave you the assignment (me), simply said that the array is capped with a zero value.
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Category Archives: Lesson
Capping an Array
Compared to other programming languages, C is weak when it comes to dealing with arrays. The array has a starting point and a variable type. That’s pretty much it. Your code determines where the array ends. That type of programming discipline terrifies coders of other languages.
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The getline() Function
The latest and most trendy function for reading a string of text is getline(). It’s a new C library function, having appeared around 2010 or so.
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Fetching Text
Seeing the limitations of the C library input functions, I set out a long time ago to craft my own input function. It does exactly what I need, which is the charm of writing your own functions — and the beauty of the C language because it gives you access to the low-level tools that allow for such play.
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C Language String Reading Function Overview
When the C Lords banished the gets() function into obscurity, cohorts of confused coders descended upon the fgets() function as a viable alternative. Alas, fgets() isn’t without its faults.
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A Foolish Way to Read a String
Back in the old days, the obvious and logical way to read a string was to use the gets() function, where gets stands for “get string.” That makes sense, but only a hardy fool would use that function today.
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Just Keep Asking
As you frist explore programming, you may find yourself presented with a common puzzle: How to fetch proper input from a stubborn user. The solution is something I call the Just Keep Asking loop.
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The Factorial Recursion
It’s the example of recursion most often used, but it’s not the best example. Of course, to illustrate a better example you need to approach concepts such as fractals and graphical programming doodads. My favorite form of recursion is traversing a directory tree. Regardless, the code for a factorial recursion remains the go-to workhorse.
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An Example of Recursion
A recursive function calls itself. That’s a strange and beautiful concept, one that saves a lot of coding time, but how does it really work?
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Introduction to Recursion
It’s truly a scary thing: A function calls itself. This trick can be done without damage to the space-time continuum, and nothing explodes when it’s done correctly.
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