1/14    Why is NULL defined to be "0" in C++ instead of "((void *) 0)" like in
        C?  I have some overloaded functtions where one takes an integer
        parameter and the other a pointer parameter.  When I call it with
        "NULL", the compiler matches it with the integer version instead of
        the pointer version which is a problem.  Other funny effect is that
        sizeof(NULL) is different from sizeof(myPtr).  Thanks.
	...

4/04    Is there a good way to diff 2 files that consist of columns of
        floating point numbers, such that it only tells me if there's a
        difference if the numbers on a given line differ by at least a given
        ratio?  Say, 1%?
        \_ Use Excel.
           1. Open foo.txt in Excel.  It should convert all numbers to cells in
	...

4/29    Why were C and Java designed to require "break;" statements for a
        "case" section to terminate rather than falling-through to the next
        section?  99% of the time poeple want a "case" section to terminate.
        In fact some compilers issue warning if there is no "break;" statement
        in a "case" section.  Why not just design the languages to have
        termination as the default behavior, and provide a "fallthru;"
	...

7/19    In C or C++, how do I write the code of a function with variable
        number of parameters in order to pass the variable parameters to
        another function that also has variable number of parameters?  Thanks.
        \_ The usual way (works on gcc 3.0+, Visual Studio 2005+):
               #define foo(fmt, ...) printf(fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
           The cool new way (works on gcc 4.3+):
	...

3/7     I have a C question.  I have the following source code in two identical
        files t.c and t.cpp:
                #include <stdlib.h>
                int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                  const char * const * p1;
                  const char * * p2;
	...

2/4     random C programming/linker fu question.  If I have
        int main() { printf("%s is at this adddr %p\n", "strlen", strlen); }
        and soda's /proc/sys/kernel/randomize_va_space is 2 (eg; on)
        why is strlen (or any other libc fn) at the same address every time?
        \_ I don't pretend to actually know the right answer to this, but
           could it have something to do with shared libraries?
	...

2/12    I need a way to make a really big C++ executable (~200MBs) that does
        nothing.  No static initialization either.  Any ideas?
        \_ static link in lots of libraries?
        \_ #define a   i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0; i=0;
           #define b   a a a a a a a a a a
           #define c   b b b b b b b b b b
	...

9/28    http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html
        Java is #1!!! Followed by C, PHP, C++, Visual Basic, Perl,
        C#, Python, Javascript, then finally Ruby. The good news is
        Pascal is going waaaay back up!
        \_ C is still more popular than C++?  I feel much better about myself
           now.
	...

8/6     In C one can do "typedef int my_index_t;".  What's the equivalent in
        C#?  Thanks.
        \_ C#? Are you serious? Is this what the class of 2009 learn?
           \_ No.  I have to learn .NET code at work.  I am Class of '93.
           \_ python is what 2009 learns, see the motd thread about recent
              cal courses and languages
	...

7/20    For those who care btw, it looks like eclipse is now A Standard Tool
        at UCB ugrad cs, probably replaced emacs.  Furthermore, people get
        angry at seeing Makefiles, (since eclispe takes care of that).  I
        guess it's just a sign of the times.
        \_ The more people at my work use eclipse the less the code is
           managable in emacs.  I'm not sure which application's fault
	...

12/18   Happy 25th birthday Perl, and FUCK YOU Larry Wall for fucking up
        the computer science formalism that sets back compilers development
        back for at least a decade:
        http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/18/print-happy-25th-birthday-perl
        \_ I tried to learn Perl but was scared away by it.  Maybe scripting
           lanauages have to be like that in order to work well?
	...

2/5     How is Firefox on version 10, while I still have 3.6 installed.
        I wait for the X.1 versions and they never come out.
        \_ I'm also on 3.6.26.  It claims that versions 4 - 10 are all faster
           than 3.6.x, but do they use more memory?  Thx.
           \_ Newer Firefox versions use less memory too:
              http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/mozillas_memshrink_program_brings_big_memory_savings_firefox_7
	...

6/5     In an effort to stabilize our services, we'll be rebuilding parts of
        the CSUA infrastructure over the course of this summer.  To give us
        some wiggle room, I've temporarily decreased soda's allocated RAM from
        8GB to 2GB.  If you need to run something that requires large amounts
        of memory, please send mail to root@csua.org and we'll try to
        accommodate your request.  --jordan
	...

3/19    When you're explaining the stack to people do you draw it with the
        highest addresses at the top or at the bottom?
        \_ When I explain any memory layout including stacks, I draw with the
           highest addresses at the bottom.  But I've seen people doing the
           other way.  -- yuen
           \_ do you by any chance have seen or have a jpg of the full memory
	...

7/25    What's up with that moving bit pattern that Win7 displays when it
        boots up?  (It's the one that's like in the Apple II days when you
        use the graphics memory for code or data while it's still in HGR
        mode.)  Is there a way to disable that?  It slows things down a lot
        every time I reboot my Win7 VM on my office machine if I RDP to the
        machine via DSL.  Thanks in advance.
	...

5/26    anyone use lxde?  supposedly it is less stupid than xfce and
        less bloated than gnome.  thoughts?
        \_ lol, does anyone still use desktop linux?  Get with the times
           buy a mac.  Now.  DO IT.  Go NOW.
           \_ but we prefer herring to Kool-Aid
              \_ "you have to yell, he's hard of herring"
	...

6/4     Is this valid C++ code?
        std::string getStr(void) {
            std::string str("foo");
            return str;
        }
        void foo(char *s);
	...

12/7    How many TCP retransmits are too many? Here is what I get:
            3594143433 segments received
            3760174421 segments send out
            3801829561 segments retransmited
        \_ rephrase. you can never have too much money. or too little.
           what is, is.
	...

10/27   I just read an article that Facebook had moved their database
        to all SSD to speed throughput, but now I can't find it. Has
        anyone else seen this? Any experience with doing this? -ausman
        \_ I hope you're not running mission critical data:
           http://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/10/27/1559248/Reliability-of-PC-Flash-SSDs?from=rss
        \_ Do you have any idea how much storage space is used by Facebook,
	...