Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
1–10 of 45 posts
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#2After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example:
> long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance,
> long int foo = 07;
How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#3After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
Most of them are inside jokes that aren't very funny.
Most of them are indeed frequently asked, but by people who are a bit obstinate or otherwise don't fit the mold that old timers thought newbies should fit.
As a result, the responses are often intentionally dismissive and unhelpful.
EDIT: It occurs to me that comp.lang.c was the 80s-90s version of Stack Overflow. So at least they're comparatively funnier than the SO responses they'd elicit today.
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#4After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
> After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information?
The whole point is pulling peoples legs, the joke being on the person who doesn't know the language well enough and takes it serious.
The answers in the list are the equivalent of telling an apprentice to go get a can of blinker fluid (or Siemens Lufthacken, etc...), which they dutifully do and end up getting laughed at.
E.g. just before the one you quoted was this gem:
> 1.8: What's the auto keyword good for?
>
> Declaring vehicles.
Regarding your question:
> How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
It isn't. In C, a leading zero in an integer literal means octal. It compiles and works out, because `7`, `07` and `0x07` happen to have the same value.
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#5After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
> After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? The whole point is pulling peoples legs, the joke being on the person who doesn't know the language well enough and takes it serious. The answers in the list are the equivalent of telling an apprentice to go get a can of blinker fluid (or Siemens Lufthacken, etc...), which they dutifully do and end up getting laughed at. E.g. just…
Smart apprentices take the day off when told to get blinker fluid. But your point stands.
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#6After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
Most of the answers seem to contain bullshit. The one you quoted is wrong because the leading 0 is for octal notation, not hex
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#7Great joke list. Though sometimes reality beats fiction
> 1.6: I finally figured out the syntax for declaring pointers to functions, but now how do I initialize one?
> With the assignment operator
Well what did you expect right?!
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#8After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
It’s meant to be humorous, there are footnotes explaining some of the jokes.
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#9These don't look like "stupid questions" at all, but the disdainful smart aleck responders do look stupid. What a sad, toxic group of people.
Re: Infrequently Asked Questions in Comp.lang.c (1999)
#10After reading through this, I'm not sure if it's a list of jokes or real information? For example: > long ints can be entered using hexadecimal notation; for instance, > long int foo = 07; How is this a good example of hexadecimal input?
Most of them are inside jokes that aren't very funny. Most of them are indeed frequently asked, but by people who are a bit obstinate or otherwise don't fit the mold that old timers thought newbies should fit. As a result, the responses are often intentionally dismissive and unhelpful. EDIT: It occurs to me that comp.lang.c was the 80s-90s version of Stack Overflow. So at least they're comparatively funnier than the…
On SO, any of these answers would be downvoted to death by people not recognising them as jokes at all. Language lawyer types would cite the part of the standard that classifies this as UB in the blink of an eye. It’s a different world we’re living in.