Re: is it ok to know pure C++ and ignore older C style constructs entirely?
"Victor Bazarov" <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>
And exact use of library functions are as simple as look up -- and
probably that look up is needed anyway. I don't keep the C library in my
head for sure. And rather fetch thr man page/hit F1 for any function I
didn't read pretty recently.
The problem with some functions and constructs is not in the wrong [types
of] arguments provided to them, it's usually deeper than that.
Exactly what I'm saying. The arg list is often provided by the environment
as tooltip, so there's not even need to look up. But there may be some
responsibility wrt params or the return value, special considerations,
library bugs, etc.
There are idioms, best practices, hidden dangers (like performance
implications), side effects (and I don't mean the ones spelled out in the
'Help' topic)... And knowing those comes from experience.
Come on, it comes from reading (or being told). It becomes "experience" only
that way. And there is no need to do that reading weeks or years before
the actual need -- as long as it is done.
It's hard to make proper decisions just by reading man pages.
Certainly it is not the only source, my point is that it is even harder to
do it *without* the proper info source, and it is commonplace to just rely
on something superficial.
Many collegues don't do that, just write code on old recollection or
deduced form "examples" lying around. I found a big deal of bugs on
review from that practice, that originated from not reading the details.
Could you give an example?
Sure, many, instead let me one of my misses -- where others did the reading;
it was for function strncpy. Which I just assumed to work the same way as
other n-included variant functions.
is malloc/free any different than say fopen?
In what sense different? In the sense that people remember what the
interface looks like and what the meanings of those arguments are?
That a programmer must have it memorized beforehand to details, instead of
having the ability to locate the 'how to deal with memory' or files
sections.
Then in most cases those who use 'fopen' probably use 'malloc' and 'free'
on a regular basis too, and do remember the correct interface.
And I doubt that if you just pick a 'bright' person who never used those
before, but will need in the next job would have disadvantage over one who
is just 'used-to' a few hundred library functions.
Another of my observations, that when I moved to new environments, I
generally discovered a plenty new/better ways to do things or brought latent
problens to light the "experienced" people were not aware of.
Sure, there are situations, where experience to stock knowlege comes handy
or is clearly vital, but in general more abstract things -- like experience
to have certain *approach* has way more benefits.