In the C language, struct is a variable type, but do you declare a structure or define a structure? That one has me perplexed.
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Lovely, Weird Assignment Operators
Some programmers find it charming that C can be so frustratingly obscure. In fact, a lot of the language’s perplexing nature is simply a reflection of its efficiency.
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Hone Your Disk Drive C
Often times the problems you’ll encounter in C involve interface with something else. You’ll need to code directions for an operating system or interact with data that already exists or is output from some function. In this month’s exercise, you get to test-run those skills.
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Roll Your Own String Search Function
How do you search for one string within another string? Brute force! That means, you size up each character one at a time until you find the perfect match.
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Search for That String Again
It’s straightforward to use the strstr() and related C library searching functions to locate a string in a pile of text. To locate the next occurrence of that string takes a bit more work.
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More String-Searching Functions
The C library is teaming with string-searching functions. The most basic is strstr(), which I discussed in last week’s Lesson. That function has some brothers and sisters.
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Finding Text with strstr()
The programming universe is teaming with search algorithms. In fact, searching for stuff has become so commonplace computer users casually take it for granted. Things weren’t always that way, but the programming algorithms behind the search remains the same.
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Number Crunching
Forget the graphics. Forget the fancy stuff, which amazingly includes text. At the root of all programming, and the foundations upon which modern computer science is erected, lies the ability to quickly and accurately calculate vast seas of numbers. The traditional title for this activity is Number Crunching.
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Show Me a Bar Chart
Computers are notorious for spewing out rows and columns of meaningless numbers. Sure, they have significance, but often your audience is more energized when they view something other than a dull table filled with values.
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Plotting a Circle
Circles are easy to draw by hand, especially when you have a compass. On a computer, the Circle tool is common in graphics programs, although it’s really the Ellipse tool. And when programming, well, you’ll have to plot your own circle — especially when pulling a stunt like drawing graphics in text mode.
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