sometimes you might need to convert (safely) between different Windows data types. for example, consider this: you have a dialog window procedure and you want to handle WM_CTLCOLOREDIT message to change the background color of the edit control. BOOL CALLBACK DialogProc( HWND hwndDlg, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam ) { switch(uMsg) { case WM_CTLCOLOREDIT: return (BOOL)(GetStockObject(DKGRAY_BRUSH)); } } I followed the instructions from MSDN for WM_CTLCOLOREDIT: "If a dialog box procedure handles this message, it should cast the desired return value to a BOOL and return the value directly." the problem is it works but it gives a warning: Compiler Warning (level 1) C4311. "This warning detects 64-bit portability issues. For example, if code is compiled on a 64-bit platform, the value of a pointer (64 bits) will be truncated if it is assigned to an int (32 bits). This warning is only issued when /Wp64 is used. " I am using VisualC++ 2003 compiler so it seems /w

To edit & create icons in Photoshop you need an ICO plugin: http://www.telegraphics.com.au/sw/info/icoformat.html After installing the plugin file in the Photoshop directory (installing means just copy the ICOFormat.8bi file into the Photoshop plugin directory so it can load it at startup; mine is: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS\Plug-Ins\File Formats\ICOFormat.8bi) to create an icon in Photoshop: 1. select your object which you want to appear in your icon with the Magic Wand tool (selection). you might want to adjust the Tolerance factor. 2. go to Selection menu and choose save selection and name the layer Alpha (it can have any name). 3. go to Save menu and now you should have in the list the ICO format available. Remeber 2 things: The alpha channel you created must look like this: you should see the object silhouette in black and the background in white. The icon cannot have in size more than 255x255 pixels (Windows fil

Although I created this blog just as a place where to keep my programming thoughts so I can review them anytime, since it's a public blog people might come in and want to say something, like Hello. If you have any general feedback regading this blog, you are encouraged to reply it here.

Hello, I wanted a place where I can place programming things I encounter along my humble programming job I have. It is meant for helping me to save different ideas I should remember but memory is not my strongest point. In fact I dont like to remember things just beacause it is needed so. I prefer to write them down. Physical memory is valuable.

if the string you want to match (not the regular expression string) contains characters with code >= 128 then CAtlRegExp::Match() method fails. Here is the fix suggested here: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/microsoft.public.vc.atl/msg/b525c84477676c4f Hi, I was running in the same problem with german umlauts. The algorithm seems to be buggy. To word around that, copy the file C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Vc7\atlmfc\include\atlrx.h to your project path and make the following changes and include it in your cpp: Line 637 New code: unsigned char* usz = (unsigned char *) sz; size_t u = (size_t) *usz; instead of Old code: size_t u = (size_t) *sz; and Line 1181 New code: unsigned char uchStart = chStart; unsigned char uchEnd = chEnd; for (int i=uchStart; i<=uchEnd; i++) instead of Old code: for (int i=chStart; i<=chEnd; i++) With these changes everthing should work fine. Good luck! Michael

C++ like any other language has small stuff to remember. since i dont have a good memory, i will keep here short C++ things to remember

i will put here interesting sites with description

every now and then I need some Windows tweaks. i''ll put here all the things i need. here's the first ones: make OutlookExpress independent from Messenger (restart: no) Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Outlook Express] "Hide Messenger"=dword:00000002 Add 'Explore from here' to Windows folders(restart: no) Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command] @="CommandPrompt" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command\command] @="cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\"" matching file names each time you press TAB in cmd. works in XP but doesnt by default on Win2000 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command processor] "CompletionChar"=dword:00000009

useful when u need something unique from the PC and easy to get HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion installdate value InstallDate REG_DWORD Time (in seconds) since 12:00 A.M, January 1, 1970 here's a VBS script which displays the info: Dim WshShell, TimeStampSet WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")TimeStamp = WshShell.RegRead(_"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\installdate")WScript.Echo "Install date :" & _DateAdd("s", TimeStamp, DateSerial(1970, 1, 1))

.. you need to make sure you have the right pdb on microsoft website there is a debugging package(holding WinDbg and other debugging tools) which has a tool called SymChk which can be used to bring the right pdb files from microsoft website. the tool reads the version of your dll and exe files and tries to find the corresponding pdb for that version. C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows>symchk /r c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322 /S srv*c:\dbg\symbols\*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols /r tells symchk to look in the 'c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322' path and in all subdirectories in it /s Specifies the directories containing symbols c:\dbg\symbols\ is the location where the symbols are downloaded if you need a specific DLL file to get symbol for, you can use this (for ole32.dll for example) symchk c:\WINDOWS\system32\ole32.dll /S srv*c:\dbg\symbols\*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols Now, in WinDbg you can set in File menu the

Ive just looked to an interesting blog article talking about when a process terminates. http://blog.kalmbachnet.de/?postid=65 It seem that there is a subtle difference between how a console application (the main() CRT function) and a Win32 application (WinMain) is handling the process termination. if you have this: DWORD WINAPI MyThread2(LPVOID) { while(true) { } return 0; } #pragma comment(linker, "/entry:myMain") int WINAPI myMain() { DWORD dwThreadId; CloseHandle(CreateThread(NULL, 0, MyThread2, NULL, 0, &dwThreadId)); return 0; } the application is a windows application (using myMain entrypoint) and it run infinitely. but a similar console application: int t_main() { DWORD dwThreadId; CloseHandle(CreateThread(NULL, 0, MyThread2, NULL, 0, &dwThreadId)); return 0; } will return immediately after the 'return 0;' the difference is this one: the console application uses CRT which, after the user code return from main, it calls ExitProcess which terminates the a

there is a difference of how the memorey failure is handled in C++. int *pa = new int[10000]; in the article " The new and delete Operators" the MSDN says: "Beginning in Visual C++ .NET 2002, the CRT's new function (in libc.lib, libcd.lib, libcmt.lib, libcmtd.lib, msvcrt.lib, and msvcrtd.lib) will continue to return NULL if memory allocation fails. However, the new function in the Standard C++ Library (in libcp.lib, libcpd.lib, libcpmt.lib, libcpmtd.lib, msvcprt.lib, and msvcprtd.lib) will support the behavior specified in the C++ standard, which is to throw a std::bad_alloc exception if the memory allocation fails." hence is vital to know which one you are using. "Normally, if you #include one of the C++ standard headers, like , you'll get a /defaultlib directive in your object that will reference the appropriate C++ Standard Library according to the CRT model you used (the /M* compiler options). Generally, that will cause the linker to use the throwin

sometimes its hard to figure out which method is called when looking at a hierarchy of classes, which use virtual specifier for their methods. but, as always, if you know how the things works internally, you will always find the right answer. I always think that instead of remembering 10 specific cases (which it might not be hard at all for many people, but me for example, I have a bad memory) its much easier to remember 1 thing only, how it works. this is a case for the virtual specifier. the thumb rule is this (this is from MSDN): When calling a function using pointers or references, the following rules apply: 1.A call to a virtual function is resolved according to the underlying type of object for which it is called. 2.A call to a nonvirtual function is resolved according to the type of the pointer or reference. but this rule might not be always simple to apply. What is really good is to know why the things are happing like described in those 2 rules. Let's take each of them: 1.

i camed across a nice C++ question which shows the final class principle (as I read here: http://www.codeguru.com/Cpp/Cpp/cpp_mfc/stl/article.php/c4143/ it seems that the final class specifier exist in Java) 1. A class that is not derived from a class nor is intended to have any class derived from it is an example of what type of class? A. A concrete class B. An abstract class C. A base class D. A virtual class E. A final class A final class is a class from which you dont derive (if you try to, the objects of the derived classes cant be constructed since the compiler will complain about this). So how can you design such class ? In C++ there is no keyword (final) to declare a class as non-inheritable as in Java. But then C++ has its own features which you may exploit to get the same behaviour. Basically it uses concepts of private constructor and friend class. For example, lets try to create a class called CFinal. class CFinal { // member data ... } We want to be able to use this class

ive just read this article: http://www.devx.com/tips/Tip/5508 which shows the subtle difference (when is good \ bad) when using the const_cast on objects. thinking from the point of view of what a variable may contain (its value) and where this value is stored in computer memory, you can think of 2 kinds of const'ness: a 'true const': const int cn = 5; // true const variable; it might be stored in computer ROM and a 'contractual const': int num = 0; const int * pci = &num; // *pci is a contractual const int if you try to remove the constness of a variable in order to modify its value, its good to know wheater that variable is a 'true' or 'contractual' const. modifing a 'true' const variable is undefined (and not desirable to do). the idea is that a pointer to a const variable is still (just) a pointer containig the address of a variable. that variable, if you know that its not a true const (like const int num = 0) you can modify it safel

the name hidding seems to be pretty compiler specific unfortunately. for example: struct A { int x; }; struct B: A { int x; }; struct C: A, B { void f() { x = 0; } }; int main() { C i; i.f(); } here http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/comphelp/v8v101/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.xlcpp8a.doc/language/ref/cplr138.htm it says that "The assignment x = 0 in function C::f() is not ambiguous because the declaration B::x has hidden A::x." when i see this I was confused, what the hell; indeed, B::x hiddens A::x but since i is of C type, both B::x and A::x are available to C. i just put this code in Visual C++ 2003 and it gives (of course) the compile error: e:\Projects\test2\test2\test2.cpp(15): error C2385: ambiguous access of 'x' in 'C' could be the 'x' in base 'A::x' or the 'x' in base 'B::x' now, i bet that there are many things like this, compiler specific (the C++ ref from the link is for the IBM compiler); and this makes life har

i dont think there is a better reference on C++ then these: Effective & More Effective C++ C++ Programming Language C++ Faqs Effective STL and... MSDN C++ reference MSDN yes, its really good; it has many C++ little language stuff you forget over time; although its short in description, if you have the time and patience, its good to read from time to time to refresh the concepts and things, but read it from start to end; it has many gritty things I (you) at time pass by, forget; also, it has many things you find in C++ books (but explained more better in books). btw, many of the stuff from my blog can be found in the MSDN C++ reference :D so why am I still writing here ? because its a good practice to actually explain in writing for myself different stuff

there is a thing called name dominance in C++. consider this: class A { public: int f() { printf("\nA::f()"); return 1; } }; class B : virtual public A { public: void f() { printf("\nB::f()"); } // hides the int A::f() }; class C : virtual public A { }; class D : public B, public C { }; the hierarchy is this: A B C D and D has only one copy of A in memory (beacuse B and C inherits virtual from A) now: D d; d.f(); f() is not ambigous because void B::f() hides int A::f(). d.f() will get B:f() called because D derives from B which hides the A::f(). Note that this is not ambigous beacause the A is virtual inherited in B and C and this makes that the d object to contain only one instance of A within it. if, for example, B or C will not have virtual inherited from A (either one of them or both) this will mean that d will have 2 A objects within it. now, consider this case: C *d = new D; d->f(); d->f() will get A:f() called. Why is that stays in the mechanism of call

consider this: class A { public: void f(); void f(int x); } class B : public A { public: void f(); // hides all A::f() overloads } you have an object B b; and you want to call the f(int x) b.f(1); normally you would think that since B inherits A, it inherits all the A functions, which is true, but not when for overloading. the name f() declared in B class will override any base names. this includes the following case: class A1 { public: void f(); } class B1 : public A1 { public: int f; // hides all A1 'f'names } if you try to write the call: b1.f(); you will get a compile error as within a class, the names in a inheritance tree shoule be unique; if you want to preserve the is-a relationship(a derived class should access all public inherited base class functionality) then you need to declare in the derived class the base functions by using 'using' declarator: class B : public A {public: void f(); // hides all A 'f'names using A::f; //OK, now we have the A::f(int

Data alignment is (very?) important; or at least is very important to be aware of it when you write your code. Consider this: struct Broadcast { char timezone; // 1 byte data int frequency; // 4 byte data short timeofday; // 2 byte data }; applying the sizeof operator on the Broadcast (sizeof can be applied to a class) the result is 12 on a 32 bit operating system. this is because compilers usually round up a data structure's size to make it divisible by 2, 4, or 8—depending on the hardware's memory alignment requirements. Most CPUs require that objects and variables reside at particular offsets in the system's memory. For example, 32-bit processors require a 4-byte integer to reside at a memory address that is evenly divisible by 4. This requirement is called "memory alignment". Thus, a 4-byte int can be located at memory address 0x2000 or 0x2004, but not at 0x2001. On most Unix systems, an attempt to use misaligned data results in a bus error, which terminates

here i will keep all interesting C++ articles: article#1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- C++: Under the Hood Jan Gray March 1994 http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp?url=/archive/en-us/dnarvc/html/jangrayhood.asp it talks about the C++ object model and layout in memory; good introduction; article#2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- here is a nice article about how vtables workits good coz it goes into asm language and explains whats really goin on http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/0300/c/ if u find any similar article on this subject, pls reply here. article#3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- virtual functions explained: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/virtual-functions.html article#4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- a good summerize of the classes size. when applying the sizeof operator on an objec

here is a nice article about how vtables work its good coz it goes into asm language and explains whats really goin on http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/0300/c/ if u find any similar article on this subject, pls reply here.