Programming languages and software development
x86-64 (Intel 64, AMD64) is the dominant 64-bit instruction set architecture for consumer and enterprise computing. Whether you’re reverse-engineering binaries, writing performance-critical code, or understanding system internals, a solid grasp of x86-64 assembly is essential. Learning Foundations CMU’s Introduction to Computer Systems (15-213) course materials remain the gold standard for foundational machine-level programming. The accompanying…
GDB is the standard debugger for C/C++ development on Linux. This reference covers essential commands for breakpoints, execution control, inspection, and troubleshooting common debugging scenarios. Starting GDB gdb ./program gdb ./program core.dump # Debug with core file gdb -p <pid> # Attach to running process gdb –args ./program arg1 arg2 # Pass arguments to program…
C allows flexibility in coding style, but discipline matters. Consistent structure makes code readable, maintainable, and less prone to bugs. Here’s a practical approach that scales from small utilities to large projects. One Header Per Source File Pair each source file (.c) with a corresponding header file (.h). The header serves as the module’s public…
fclose() closes a file stream and disassociates it from its underlying file descriptor. It’s part of the C standard library, defined in <stdio.h>. #include <stdio.h> int fclose(FILE *stream); When called, fclose() flushes buffered output, closes the file descriptor, and deallocates the FILE structure. The function works with both input and output streams. After fclose() returns,…
Use std::filesystem for all new code. It’s exception-safe, cross-platform, and requires no external dependencies. #include <filesystem> #include <iostream> void ListAllFiles(const char *folderPath) { for (const auto& entry : std::filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator(folderPath)) { std::cout << entry.path() << std::endl; } } To filter by file type, check the entry status: void ListRegularFiles(const char *folderPath) { for (const auto& entry…
Serial communication remains essential for embedded systems, microcontroller programming, and legacy hardware integration. The Win32 API provides direct control over COM ports through a straightforward set of functions: CreateFile() to open the port, GetCommState() and SetCommState() to configure parameters, and ReadFile()/WriteFile() for I/O operations. Opening the COM Port Start by opening the port with appropriate…
In MFC applications, pressing ESC or Enter closes a dialog by default. To prevent this, override CDialog::PreTranslateMessage() and intercept these key events before they reach the default handler. Basic Implementation BOOL CResultCollectorDlg::PreTranslateMessage(MSG* pMsg) { if(pMsg->message == WM_KEYDOWN) { switch(pMsg->wParam) { case VK_RETURN: // Enter key return TRUE; case VK_ESCAPE: // ESC key return TRUE; }…
Java Applets were obsolete by 2016 and removed from Java 9+. If you need a browser-based system monitoring dashboard, use WebSockets or Server-Sent Events paired with modern JavaScript charting libraries. WebSocket + Python Backend Architecture The most practical setup streams metrics from a Python backend to connected clients using WebSockets. Clients render real-time charts without…
Managing proxy settings through the GUI is tedious, especially when you need to switch between multiple proxy servers frequently. Rather than hunting through settings menus each time, command-line tools eliminate friction and enable scripted deployments across your infrastructure. The original SetProxy tool is outdated and incompatible with modern Windows versions. Use netsh or PowerShell instead—both…
Use FindWindowW() to locate a window by class name or title: HWND wnd = FindWindowW(NULL, L”Calculator”); if (wnd == NULL) { wprintf(L”Window not found\n”); return 1; } The first parameter is the window class name (NULL to skip). The second is the window title. Always use wide-character versions (FindWindowW(), GetWindowTextW()) for Unicode compatibility—ANSI variants like…
Blocking window closure in MFC applications is necessary for critical operations, multi-step dialogs, and workflows that require user confirmation before exit. This requires handling both the close button and the Alt+F4 keyboard shortcut. Removing the Close Button from the System Menu The simplest approach is to remove SC_CLOSE from the system menu in your dialog’s…
Embedding child dialogs within a parent dialog is a practical technique for organizing complex MFC applications. This approach modularizes your UI by breaking it into logical, reusable components rather than cramming everything into a single dialog resource. Basic Implementation Create the child dialog as a WS_CHILD window and position it within the parent’s client area….
OCaml is a practical functional language with strong static typing and pattern matching. If you’re coming from systems programming or looking to add functional paradigms to your toolkit, these resources will accelerate your learning. Primary Learning Resources Real World OCaml by Yaron Minsky, Anil Madhavapeddy, and Jason Hickey remains the standard reference for modern OCaml…
Building tabular data displays in MFC requires significant effort since the framework lacks a native grid control. Developers historically filled this gap with third-party solutions, but the landscape has shifted considerably. GridCtrl: The Legacy Choice The GridCtrl implementation from CodeProject was the de facto standard for years. If you’re maintaining MFC applications in 2026, you’ll…
Understanding tradeoffs between these structures is essential for algorithm design: Memory allocation: Arrays use contiguous memory (better cache locality); linked lists scatter across memory with pointer references Access time: Array O(1) random access; linked list O(n) traversal required Insertion/deletion: Arrays require O(n) shifts; linked lists require O(1) pointer updates when position is known Size: Arrays…
Use std::hex to format output as hexadecimal. This manipulator sets the basefield of the stream, affecting all subsequent integer output until you change it. #include <iostream> int main() { int x = 255; std::cout << “x in hexadecimal: ” << std::hex << x << std::endl; return 0; } Output: x in hexadecimal: ff By default,…
MFC applications built with older Visual C++ versions often render with the classic Windows 95 appearance, ignoring modern system visual styles. This happens because the application isn’t explicitly linked to Common Controls v6.0, which provides visual styles support. On modern Windows systems (Windows Vista and later), this looks particularly jarring compared to contemporary applications. The…
Converting strings to integers is a fundamental operation in C++, but the method you choose affects both code clarity and performance. Here are the four main approaches, ranked by use case. std::stoi() — The Default Choice std::stoi() is the standard C++11 method for most situations. It’s exception-based, handles whitespace automatically, and works with custom number…
JNI lets you call native C/C++ functions from Java on Windows. This guide covers the complete workflow with modern tooling. Prerequisites JDK 17 or later (JDK 21 LTS recommended) Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 or Visual Studio Build Tools MSVC C/C++ compiler javac for compilation and header generation Step 1: Write the Java Code Create your…
Connecting to MySQL from JSP requires the mysql-connector-j JDBC driver and proper connection handling. The old mysql-connector-java artifact is deprecated—switch to mysql-connector-j, which supports MySQL 8.0+ with modern SSL/TLS, authentication plugins, and performance improvements. Dependency Management Add mysql-connector-j via Maven or Gradle. Maven is standard for modern Java projects: <dependency> <groupId>com.mysql</groupId> <artifactId>mysql-connector-j</artifactId> <version>8.4.0</version> </dependency> For…