2008-12-28

Spaghetti code? Meet lasagna and ravioli code!

An old joke, but a good one: http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/pasta.code.html

There are plenty more: http://www.gnu.org/fun/humor.html

And my favourite: http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/helloworld.html
However there is an ugly error, in the code they use void main():

New professional

#include <stdio.h>

void main(void)
{
char *message[] = {"Hello ", "World"};
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
printf("%s", message[i]);
printf("\n");
}

This is non-standard (process returns a random number upon completion). It should rather be int main() instead - with a correct, standard behavior (process returns 0, even if final return 0; is omitted). Using void main() implies the dreaded "undefined behavior"...

Fork Ruby?

As Kroc Camen mentions in his article, Ruby came to the point where the mainline codebase became somewhat bloated. One interesting thing is that he mentions a need to redesign Ruby's syntax, to incorporate multithreading capabilities better. Exactly what C++09 intends to do with regard to multithreading quite soon. Nice, nice, nice! One more reason to learn new C++ :)

And he then says:
Clearly then, even after 50 years of general-purpose computing we still haven't come up with the answer to the final language to describe it all.


Nice touch, especially since that's exactly what I'm looking for :)

2008-12-21

There is life on planet Linux

In the Karen vs. Helios case one reader has put a nice comment (below). For those who don't know what the case was all about, here's a quick overview: Karen is a teacher who was not well-aware of Linux and Free Software. Since Helios' post was brought to slashdot, Karen received a storm of negative comments. Since then they contacted and the case is discussed and is going to be resolved, probably with a happy ending (well, sorta).

Now back to the "extra-terrestrial life" comment:

gagy said...

I am breathless!
Fortunately, my fingers are still (freely) working.
Obviously K does not realize that major universities and corporations are switching to free software for day-to-day needs encountered in such large organizations, like communication, writing letters and memos, public presentation of data, etc.
You already know this, but I would like to bring it back to your memory. Major police forces in Europe are (Oh my gosh!) switching to free software (see: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Parlez-Vous-Ubuntu-Says-The-French-National-Police-77605.shtml).
How can the world be safe anymore?

This episode brink back to memory a historical event: that of Galileo's.
In the beginning there was the earth (read Microsoft), safely placed at the centre of the universe.
Now this place has been shown to be occupied by the sun, and many planets are circling around it. One of those is microsoft, and another one is linux. And there is life on linux...


Please fight back for those kids!