I received a question via email regarding my recently-published book, Dan Gookin’s Guide to C Language Pointers (available at Amazon!). The question: How to use a pointer to navigate a multi-dimension array? While I do cover pointers to an array of strings (which is kinda what the reader wanted), I don’t specifically cover pointers and multi-dimensional arrays. Therefore, I created this month’s exercise to tackle the task.
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As you might already know, the C language lacks plenty o’ functions readily available in other programming languages. Many of these functions, or “methods,” deal with strings. Though C includes a few basic string functions in its library, the C Lords have determined that when you need another such function, you must code it yourself.
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Of all the crazy stuff that happens in the realm of mathematics, I’m certain that mathematicians must enjoy solving math puzzles — just like I assume that good programmers enjoy solving programming puzzles.
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Rarely in your programming journey will you encounter a situation where the data you need just pops up fresh, exactly the way you want it. The best situation is where the data is somehow formatted, which makes finding the tidbit you want easier. But often the data is unformatted, which makes fetching that one useful morsel a bit tricky.
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Back in October, the C programming Exercise was to code Heron’s Formula. The challenge required the user to input three values, one for each side of the triangle. But, as I learned since, a triangle must have specific side length ratios for it to be a valid triangle.
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One of the first functions many C programmers code is max(). It returns the largest of two values. Though this operation can also take place by using a simple if-else comparison, it’s a great way to teach how functions work and test various comparison operators. But this task isn’t the challenge for this month’s exercise.
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Among the C language’s slender assortment of keywords you find goto. It’s a branching statement, which can be used to loop or to escape from some ugly programming knot. Regardless, you’re told early on in your C language education that you must avoid this keyword at all costs! That is, unless you want to try this month’s exercise.
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The only aspect of math I enjoyed in school was geometry. Trigonometry was a close second. I found the study fascinating and did well; I received a B in that class as opposed by my usual C- or D.
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A few months back, this blog’s monthly Exercise was to write a filter to reverse all text input. No matter how much text floated in, the filter gobbled it all up and spewed it back in reverse order. This month’s challenge is similar, but on a smaller scale.
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Last month, I completed my series on Base 36, which uses digits 0 through 9 and A through Z to represent values. The use of these digits means that common words can represent values in base 36. In fact, your name is a base 36 value. But what is it?
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