first line of C programs...

[Gnufsh]

Hi. I just started a CS class this week where we are learning C. I figured I'd catch up on some work with my gentoo box. The lab we've been learning on runs redhat 7.3. Our first line has always been

#include <begin.h>

well, when I try to compile on my gentoo box, I get an error about not being able to find this. So I did a search and it doesn't exist. What do I need to include instead to make simple programs work (we're talking hello world stuff here)?

Thanks,

-Dan

[shm]

I've never heard of a begin.h in the C stdlib. Perhaps it was a header file included in the project? Or perhaps it's a header file that is specific to the class that is installed on the rh machines.

[aja]

I've never heard of <begin.h>. I'm guessing that it is a header that your school uses to wrap some functions that it considers standard for any of the lab programs. As such, it would be installed on your lab computers (judging by the syntax, in your default library location) -> you could probably just copy it and take it home.

If you post the code to your program, I or others could probably tell you what headers it would be looking for. At a guess, try including <iostream.h> and/or <stdio.h> and <stdlib.h>

[carmiac]

I have never heard of <begin.h>, Im wondering if that is a custom .h file (that was put in the system header file directory) that your lab is using.

Anyway, for the most basic app you will want to #include <stdio.h> so you get access to printf and such. Other common headers to include (for me at least, I do instrument programming) are math.h and time.h.

Have Fun!
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A watched emerge never compiles.

[Gnufsh]

thanks alot for the quick replys. I'll tell ya' how it goes.

[Gnufsh]

For this first project, we're usinf functions like outputstring() and outputdouble(), along with basic math functions. What do I need for those?

[rac]

Never heard of outputstring or outputdouble, so those are probably convenience macros included in the magical begin.h. You could probably implement them with printf.
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For every higher wall, there is a taller ladder

[pjp]

Is begin.h perhaps something the school/professor is supplying? Maybe you can get permission to take a copy home, along with other similar local settings.
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Quis separabit? Quo animo?

[carmiac]

Wow, sounds like your school is trying really hard to wrap everything messy in C into something else. This could really hurt you in the end since they are effectively not teaching you real C, but rather their own "prettified" version of it. You might want to ask your prof why they are doing this.

Anyway, I would be interested in seeing this begin.h file if you get ahold of it.
_________________
A watched emerge never compiles.

[rac]

I agree with camiac: I once worked with a guy who used to use the C preprocessor to make things look like shell and/or Pascal: defining if/fi and begin/end to be {} and other such things.

Gnufsh, this might get you started until you can get your hands on begin.h:

[int1]

gnufsh:

On one of the lab machines, do "ls -l /usr/include/begin.h". Assuming it is there, or if it is a link to the real file, you can grab it off the system and put it on yours.

I am in agreement with the others, however, that this may not be the best teaching approach. One of the first things I ever teach with C programming are the input and output functions, and their formats.

It might be entertaining for us to see this file also, so if you want to post it, we would be

int1

[aja]

<rant intensity=high>
Judging by the names of the functions you gave, your instructor might be emulating something called JJ -which is an online instructional system for java. One of the particularly broken pedagogical philosophies it seems to demonstrate is the idea that i/o in C, C+ and Java is 'too difficult' for beginning CS students. Consequently, they wrap the i/o in "easier" functions.

Speaking as a post-secondary instructor of computer programming (how's THAT for argumentum ad verecundiam?!), that idea is crap. It's analogous to teaching someone how to drive a standard transmission by training them in an automatic one.

My experience with instructors who say "that's too difficult for them to learn" is that they are really thinking "that's too difficult for me to teach". You shouldn't stand for it. If you are paying money to be trained in C programming, insist that you be trained in C. Admittedly, at first, you might have to use some I/O calls that you don't entirely understand, but at least they'll be the same calls you'll be making when you do understand it.

</rant>

[Gnufsh]

Yeah, this is getting annoying. begin.h is located in a subdirectory of /GRDB. There are also some docs and other header files. Anyone heard of GRDB? I looked at begin.h, it includes a couple of standard files, and contains some function prototypes (but as far as I can tell, no actual functions). I'm not too happy with this class right now. I'm going to talk to my prof monday morning and see what he has to say about it.

Thanks so much for the help.

[OdinsDream]

I suggest you take a careful look at the begin.h file, and figure out a way to break your professor's "outputstring()" macro, or function, or whatever it is. This would be the easiest way to demonstrate to him/her that this teaching method is flawed, and irrational. Could you post the contents of this file?

[uglyman]

I would also love to see it.

I am back in school now after a couple of years off and I am curious because I just retook the first C class and now I am taking the second.

What bugs me is that they don't even give you a full quarter of C anymore and that isn't enough to be able to work with old code like we deal with daily on our gentoo boxen. Now they move you right into C++ at which point they explain to you that java is the future and you should really be in that class.

later
ug

[Zadeh]

[Zadeh]

[BigRedDot]

[Zadeh]

[BigRedDot]

[Zadeh]

[Gnufsh]

No text is required. I've started using printf instead of the "baby C" function-thingys. Here is begin.h (/GRDB/NG/begin.h):



#ifndef BeginDEF
#define BeginDEF

#include <beginnergraph.h>



#define or ||
#define and &&

#define maxstringlength 64

typedef char string [maxstringlength] ;

void inputdouble(double *px) ;
void inputstring(char *px) ;

void outputdouble(double x) ;
void outputstring(char *x) ;

double integerpart(double x) ;
double fractionalpart(double x) ;

double quotient(double a, double b) ;
double remainder(double a, double b) ;

double randomwhole() ;
/* random whole number >= 0, < several billion */

#endif

and here is the srcipt he has us run to compile (/GRDB/gcom):

#!/bin/csh

# may have to change GRDB to reflect where you installed all of this

sed -f /GRDB/NG/sed.control < $argv[1] > drawM.345.c
cc -I/GRDB/NG /GRDB/C/*.o drawM.345.c -L/usr/X11R6/lib -lm -lX11 -lXext
\rm drawM.345.*


what does it mean?

[Kumba]

Boy, if this is what your school does to "simplify" C, I'd hate to see how they "simplify" something like say, Visual Basic :P

That said, I agree with everyone else here. You should learn the standard C functions, not these pre-defined things. Maybe when you actually come to a full understanding of C and it's power (which I haven't even done yet), then for your own little side projects, you could #define things to make them easier to program in, but for learning, you should be learning raw C.

Sample below is your generic "Hello World!" C file. It's quick, simple, and basically gives you the basic structure of any C program.

[aja]

[BigRedDot]