May 3, 2013 · 5:49 pm

How to stop Visual Studio 2010 showing the post-build Error List

One of my least favourite features of Visual Studio 2010 is that every time my build has an error, it pops up the Error List window. And every time, I switch to the Output window to read the full compiler error because the Error List doesn’t show enough information. In terms of interaction, that’s a major context switch – I’m focussed on the Output window looking at compile errors then BANG, the Error List interrupts my train of thought.

Now, I’ve tracked down this option to stop the Error List appearing:

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The remaining question is: why put this option under “Projects and Solutions” instead of under “Build and Run”?

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May 3, 2013 · 12:19 pm

Algorithmic Interview questions (with solutions in F#)

InFSharpMajor.com is working through a book of algorithmic interview questions and solving them in F#. The questions come from this book which provides solutions in C++.

I think the problems and solution algorithms are interesting in their own right. I found the F# solutions a bit opaque (and I’ve been writing F# for several years), but my colleagues from a functional (*cough* Haskell) background tell me the idioms are well recognised in the community.

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May 1, 2013 · 7:18 am

Idiot’s Guide to C++ Templates

This article on C++ templates is well written, if rather long!

The second part is here.

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April 28, 2013 · 12:27 pm

C++14: Runtime-sized arrays

More details on the ISO C++ blog about runtime-sized arrays in C++14.

N3639 proposes to add local runtime-sized arrays with automatic storage duration to C++, for example:

void f(std::size_t n)
{
int a[n];
for (std::size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i)
{
a[i] = 2*i;
}
std::sort(a, a+n);
}

Traditionally, the array bound “n” had to be a constant expression.

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April 25, 2013 · 7:26 am

ISO C++ Spring 2013 Report

Herb Sutter has posted his trip report from the ISO C++ Spring 2013 meeting in Bristol.

The post includes details on features to be included in C++14, including:

  • std::make_unique – never use “new” again
  • Generic lambdas – allow auto for type name in lambdas
  • Dynamic arrays – stack-based arrays can take size parameter at runtime
  • std::optional – for variables that are ‘not set’ (like F# option)
  • Concepts lite – constraints for templates

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April 23, 2013 · 5:58 pm

Google task monitoring plans

The Register reports on Google’s approach to active task monitoring and management:

“Our solution, CPI2, uses cycles-per-instruction (CPI) data obtained by hardware performance counters to identify problems, select the likely perpetrators, and then optionally throttle them so that the victims can return to their expected behavior. It automatically learns normal and anomalous behaviors by aggregating data from multiple tasks in the same job.”

The article talks about the benefits in terms of low-latency guarantees, because hungry batch jobs can be killed. The data might be useful for tracking down performance bottlenecks too – imagine never having to attach a profiler to a running process because you can already attribute the time spent on a job to its individual tasklets.

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April 22, 2013 · 7:34 pm

The Mythical Man-Month

The Guardian cites The Mythical Man-Month as mandatory reading for anyone planning a big software project. I’d agree, as well as recommending Peopleware (Tom DeMarco & Tim Lister) and Slack (Tom DeMarco)

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April 20, 2013 · 9:54 am

Algorithm to sharpen grainy photos

This sounds too good to be true – using a huge database of photos to teach an algorithm how to make a photo look more natural.

Unlike other photo enhancement tools, which work on an image-by-image basis, Geisler’s approach—called “image processing with natural scene statistics”—is based on the analysis of thousands of images. Geisler and his team measured the statistical properties of those images and created an algorithm that determines what is or is not “noise” in any given photograph.

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April 20, 2013 · 9:47 am

F# Software Foundation

The F# community has founded a new organisation to promote the use of F# – FSSF

The mission of the F# Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the F# programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of F# programmers.

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April 18, 2013 · 6:45 pm

Book Review: The Business, Iain Banks

20130418-194820.jpgThis is the first Iain Banks novel I’ve read for years, mainly because the recent ones struck me as macabre, if not gruesome. This one doesn’t fall into that category though and was a fun read – I’d forgotten just how funny Iain Banks can be. The book includes his typical gritty scenes from Scotland as well as colourful scenes (and stereotypes) from America. Having read books by this author before, I wasn’t expecting the plot to be fully resolved at the end, and it wasn’t (I would have rated the book more highly if there had been more content about the intriguing double-cross that the main character discovered).

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