Re: C coding and Syntax errors

Frank,
if your question was simply "How do C programmers cope with compiler error messages?"
Then an answer will be "Mostly well".

>From my experience there is only one class of errors that sometimes cause trouble.
That is missing parenthesis - either one of these "()" or "{}".
In this case you normally get an error message pointing to a row in you programm well below the place where actual error was.
This is obvious for all "free-form" languages where a statement can take more than 1 row and there can be more than one statement in one row.
Such syntax errors did not happen in Fortran or PL/I in the time of punched cards.

Then, of course that are troubles that do not cause syntax errors.
That is mostly statements like
if (a = b)
.....
Sometimes I have to call someone else to look at my code, because I just do not see that there is only one "equal" sign instead of two. And as a result you get an unexplainable program behaviour.

If you have some particular question - you cannot understand what this or that error message mean in this particular situation - I personally will be happy to help you - as much as I can.
But as far as you place a general question, you get a discussion instead of an answer...

Jevgeni


-----Original Message-----
From: c400-l-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected] [mailto:c400-l-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]] On Behalf Of frank kolmann
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2014 2:45 AM
To: c400-l-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]
Subject: [C400-L] C coding and Syntax errors

Hello Buck

As ever it is a pleasure to hear from you.
The APIs were an esoteric world to me until I found ( I think it was from Scott) how to translate C to equivalent RPG.  From there I learnt how to use pointers long before I ever tried C.

@Jevgeni.
My original question was how do C programmers cope with the issue of C Syntax Errors.  I did not get much help even on this list.
If I asked the question of the RPG list I would be told go to C list.
Let me say I never set up to disparage C. I think C is enormous.
Your comment makes me feel like the little boy who mentioned the 'Emperors new clothes'.

PS (it was mentioned use Python then convert Python to C, nuff said)

Frank Kolmann


>date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:48:04 -0500
>from: Buck Calabro <[email protected]>
>subject: Re: [C400-L] C coding
>
>On 2/14/2014 9:09 AM, Jevgeni Astanovski wrote:
>
>> Learning C is indeed not like breathing, but as soon as you know how 
>> to
master it, writing is as easy as breathing.
>
>RPG programmers almost never think about the bare metal.  C programmers 
>almost all do.  I think that this is the source of much pain for an RPG 
>programmer trying to learn C.
>
>IBM APIs are documented quite well - for a C programmer.  It's the 
>simplest thing in the world to go from the docs to a struct, assign a 
>pointer and walk down the tree.  In C.  This is a foreign concept to 
>RPG programmers; just looking at the docs scares many off.
>
>Over on the RPG list we field a fair number of C-ish questions relating 
>to IBM APIs.  Such threads often spawn 'try a different language' 
>posts, which sometimes degenerate into 'my language is better than yours'.
>  --buck
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