John's Random Thoughts and Discussions
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Firefly in the night, growing dim, shining bright. Sending messages, in insect code, come and stay at my abode. Flying here, flying there, making art upon the air. A beam of light, within the dark, an ember glowing, like a spark. Hypnotic visions, all aglow, help me see your jagged flow. Flights of fancy, are what I see, as you continue, endlessly. Until the dawn, grants you rest, your endless dance, shows your quest.
Copyright 2016, John Paul Mueller
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on April 23, 2012.
A number of readers have written to ask me about the reason I chose the GNU C++ computer for C++ All-In-One for Dummies, 4th Edition. After all, there are many different C++ compilers on the market today. Here are the reasons I feel that the GNU C++ Compiler is the best choice today:
Yes, I could have used some other compiler when writing this book, but at the time, GNU C++ seemed to be the best choice available and I still think it’s the best choice today. Of course, it’s always nice to hear about alternatives. If you think there is a strong competitor for GNU C++ that’s free and runs on all three of the target platforms for this book, let me know at [email protected]. Make sure you provide me with complete information, including a URL for the compiler’s site.
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on February 17, 2011.
When I originally wrote this post 12 years ago, I thought I’d eventually go all digital. For me, there is still nothing better than sitting by my wood stove, coffee cup next to me, reading a favorite work of fiction. Of course, I’m talking about a hard cover or paperback book. Nothing quite matches the feel and smell of paper, especially when you’re reading a book for leisure. The hours I’ve spent reading books have been pleasurable to the extreme. I’m transported to worlds of mystery in some cases, worlds of the future in others. Fantasy, science fiction, techno-thriller; they all hold a certain thrill.
Actually, I have five reading stations in my house, one of which is on my tablet. Yes, I really do read some books now in digital format. Normally, these books are works of fiction that I read somewhere other than home, perhaps at a coffeeshop or restaurant. The easy chair and woodstove with their associated collection of paper books still call to me and I’m thinking now they always will.
It’s a different matter when I start working with technical material. I’ve whittled my collection of technical materials down to a few hundred essential books. Most of the material I read today is online in digital form and I read it at my computer desk so that I have tools like my Integrated Development Environment (IDE) available. In fact, I’d go so far as to say many of the materials I read are in article format, rather than book format now. Still, at this very moment, reading station 3, the dining room table, has a paperback technical book called Microservice Patterns on it. I’m finding it useful for brushing up on my Java as well as learning a few new techniques.
If I need historical information that I know appears in my paper tomes, finding what I need can be hard. Unfortunately, no book cataloging system in the world will solve my problem. I could catalog each of my hundreds of books and still not find the information I actually need with any speed. Of course, the ability search quickly is one of the benefits of digital format. If I had my books in electronic format, I might avoid the hours upon hours of search time for that one piece of information I actually need. Then again, I’ve accidentally found many pieces of useful subsidiary information during such searches, so it’s not possible to discount paper as unworthy. Still, speed is of the essence while I’m working on my next project.
For now, it appears that my future will rely on two media for books: paper for leisure and electronic for work related materials. It’s a sad thing for me to admit, but the paper book has become a bit too cumbersome for a world where search speed is prized above all.
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on July 26, 2011.
Most real world C++ projects include multiple source files. Book I Chapter 7 of C++ All-In-One for Dummies, 4th Edition shows how to create a project that has multiple source files starting on page 170. The first example (page 177), found in \CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\MultipleSourceFiles, discusses two .cpp files. The second example starts on page 179 and you find it in \CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\MultipleSourceFiles2. This example includes two .cpp files and a single .h file. I’ll use the files from the second example for this post. The example works the same as the one in the book, but in this case, we’ll start with the three files and create a project around them.
You need to start with a Code::Blocks project. It’s possible to use either an existing project or create a new project to hold the files (I’m doing the latter and naming the new product MultipleSourceFiles3). In either case, once you have a project to use, you simply add the files you want to it, set the build options for those files, and then create your application. The following steps create a new project, add the files from MultipleSourceFiles2 to it, set the build options, compile the resulting project, and show you the results.
MultipleSourceFiles3) in the Project Title field and choose a location for the project (the example uses \CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\) in the Location field. If you’re following the example, your wizard should look similar to the one shown here:
At this point, you have an empty project without any files in it. However, you can add files to any existing project. The following steps add the files from the MultipleSourceFiles2 project to this project.
MultipleSourceFiles3) in the Projects tab of the Management window and choose Add Files from the context menu. You see the Add Files to Project dialog box shown here: 
\CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\MultipleSourceFiles2 folder on your system.main.cpp. Ctrl+Click on safestuff.cpp and safestuff.h. You’ll see all three files added to the File Name field.
The referencing technique adds existing files to a different project. Notice that the files are still referenced in the original project. If you make a change to these files, the changes will also appear in the original project.
Referencing files isn’t always what you want to do. So, you need an alternative for those situations where you want a copy of the file in a new project (allowing changes in the new project that won’t affect the existing project). In this case, follow these steps instead:
MultipleSourceFiles3) in the Projects tab of the Management window and choose Add Files from the context menu. You see the Add Files to Project dialog box.\CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\MultipleSourceFiles2 folder on your system.main.cpp. Ctrl+Click on safestuff.cpp and safestuff.h. You’ll see all three files added to the File Name field.main.cpp and choose Copy from the context menu.\CPP_AIO4\BookI\Chapter07\MultipleSourceFiles3 folder on your system.
Many developers find the need to use existing files in a project. It’s something you’ll do quite often, especially with header files. Of course, when working with header files you also have the option of using the #include directive. Please let me know if you have any questions about this process at [email protected].
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on April 2, 2014.
Sometimes applications don’t get along, especially when one application is designed to create new content at a low level and the other is designed to prevent low level access to a system. Such is the case with compilers and antivirus applications in some cases. I haven’t been able to reproduce this behavior myself, but enough readers have told me about it that I feel I really do need to address it in a post. There are situations where you’re working with source code from one of my books, compile it, and then have your antivirus application complain that the code is infected with something (even though you know it isn’t). Sometimes the antivirus program will go so far as to simply delete the application you just compiled (or place it in a virus vault).
The solution to the problem can take a number of forms. If your antivirus application provides some means of creating exceptions for specific applications, the easiest way to overcome the problem is to create such an exception. You’ll need to read the documentation for your antivirus application to determine whether such a feature exists. In most cases today, antivirus applications also provide settings that accommodate specific applications and you’ll want to check with the antivirus vendor and/or community support to see if this need has been met.
In some cases, the compiler or its associated Integrated Development Environment (IDE) simply don’t follow all the rules required to work safely in protected directories, such as the C:\Program Files directory on a Windows system. As far as I know, all of the development environments currently used in my books do follow the rules, so you shouldn’t have a problem in this area, but please let me know if you do. Often, the workaround for this problem is to install the application in a directory that the user owns and just avoid the security issue.
Not including the application in the Windows path can cause problems and I cover this issue in the Adding a Location to the Windows Path post. In addition, there are problems with installing the source code in a path containing spaces or lacks proper access. I discuss these issues in the Source Code Placement post.
Unfortunately, creating exceptions and installing the application in a friendly directory only go so far in fixing the problem. A few antivirus applications are so intent on protecting you from yourself that nothing you do will prevent the behavior. When this happens, you still have a few options. The easiest solution is to turn the antivirus program off just long enough to compile and test the application. Of course, this is also the most dangerous solution because it could leave your system open to attack.
A safer, albeit less palatable solution, is to try a different IDE and compiler. Antivirus programs seem a little picky about which applications they view as a threat. Code::Blocks may cause the antivirus program to react, but Eclipse or Visual Studio might not. Unfortunately, using this solution means that steps in the book may not work precisely as written. In addition, unless the compilers are compatible, the book’s source code may not compile at all without changes. Because I can’t cover every contingency, I also can’t support using a compiler other than the one specifically called out in a book.
Getting a different antivirus application is also a good idea. Antivirus applications and IDEs have come a long way since I originally created this post, but some antivirus applications really don’t work well and create more headaches than they’re worth. The choice is up to you, of course, but with the wealth of antivirus programs available on the market today, there isn’t a good reason to avoid getting something new when the situation warrants.
My goal is to ensure you can use the examples in my books without jumping through a lot of hoops. When you encounter problems that are beyond my control, such as an ornery antivirus application, I’ll still try to offer some suggestions, but I can’t take time to fix your system. In this case, the solution truly is out of my control but you can try the techniques offered in this post. Let me know if you find other solutions to the problem at [email protected].
My first programming experience (during the time of the dinosaurs) involved using a light panel to enter machine code into a rudimentary computer with 3 KB (yes, that’s KB) of RAM. The output was also in light form and I needed to decode the lights to determine if my code worked right. I worked with various systems in various ways over the next several years. By the time I got to college, the first language I learned there was BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), then PC assembler, followed by Pascal. In fact, I’ve just stopped counting the number of languages I’ve learned over the years because each language has a place in my programmer’s toolbox. Of course, the question is what language you should learn first. I get asked that question quite often because there are a huge number of languages available today and no one wants to invest time in a language that’s going nowhere.
Part of the answer to the question of what to learn first is what you intend to do with the language. Each language has features that make it better at performing specific tasks. Programming languages can be split into those that are designed for a special purpose and those that are designed for a general purpose. A special purpose language, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), could be a good choice if you intend to move into database work immediately. However, for most people, a general purpose language works better because you can use it for a wider variety of tasks without bending yourself into a pretzel shape to do it.
A good place to start if you want to choose a language that’s popular enough to help you get a job afterward is the TIOBE index. It shows a listing of which languages are most popular today. As I’m writing this, Python is the most popular language on the list, but that could change tomorrow. Generally, any of the top ten languages on the list are good choices.
Of course, you want a programming language that is easy to learn. C/C++, C#, and Java are all complex languages with great flexibility. Furthermore, C/C++ and C# can help you work at a low level with the computer hardware. These languages have a steep learning curve and may not provide the best choices for a starting point. That said, if you have a line on a job that uses any of these languages, you could do worse than start here, just be prepared to burn the midnight oil learning.
The language I suggest people learn as a starting point is Python. In fact, Beginning Programming with Python For Dummies, 3rd Edition makes a point of showing you just how easy things can be. You don’t even need to invest in any special software, the book shows you how to use Google Colab so that you could conceivably learn how to program on your smartphone or TV. Others must agree with me because Python has turned into the language that the education industry turns to most often for budding programmers.
There are a lot of programming languages available today. You need to research the choice by taking into account what your personal needs are and what sort of job you want to get afterwards. You might find that something like JavaScript or Ruby will provide benefits that you can’t get with Python. Which language do you think will work best for you? Let me know your reasons at [email protected].
Updated March 15, 2023 to clarify the usage instructions.
The movies.dat file found in the Trudging through the MovieLens dataset section of Chapter 19 of Machine Learning for Dummies, 2nd Edition has been updated on the source site, so it no longer works with the downloadable source. Luca and I want to be sure you have a great learning experience. Fortunately, we do have a copy of the version of movies.dat found in the book. You can download the entire MovieLens dataset here:
To obtain your copy of the MoveLens dataset for your local Python setup, please follow these steps:
ml-1m.zip file will appear on your hard drive.movies.dat, ratings.dat, README, and users.dat.Note that you may not be able to use automatic downloads with my site, which is a security measure on my part. In addition, it ensures that you get all of the MovieLens dataset files, including the README, which contains licensing, citation, and other information. This solution may not work well if you’re using an online IDE and I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you have any other problems with this example at [email protected].
In the middle of the night, when animals play and fight, the darkness reigned supreme, and I heard an owl scream, Who! The owl didn’t give a hoot, or like a crow let out a whoot, it wasn’t the screech owl’s scream, but simply, as in a dream, who. With the rising of a fog, I heard the croaking of a frog, reverberate throughout the wood, and then the owl, because he could, said whooo. As the moon reduced the pall, It’s glare created shadows tall, I looked upon the ground below, for the subject of the low, when the owl said who? There he sat upon the limb, with eyes aglow and visage grim, his feathers puffed as if to fly, upon some prey from perch on high, but all he said was who. I left him to his thoughts so deep, of prey afoot that would not keep, and went to lie upon my bed, to let sweet dreams fill my head, and all he said was who!
Copyright 2016, John Paul Mueller
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on March 18, 2016.
Writing is all about emotion—I’ve mentioned this need quite a few times in the past. There are many ways to create emotion in technical writing. Of course, word choice, sentence structure, and other tools of the trade come into play, just as they do for every other form of writing. However, one of the approaches that is truly different in technical writing is the use of notes, tips, and warnings. In all three cases, you create a single paragraph sidebar-like structure, but the emphasis and nuance of the inclusion is different from other sorts of writing:
It’s important to remember that these three constructs aren’t the main event. Your body text is still the main event and these three elements serve only to emphasize that material in some way. Depending on the book you write, you may have other specialized paragraphs at your disposal. Each of these unique paragraph types should evoke a particular emotion. Unfortunately, the emotion they should evoke is seldom documented, so you need to figure it out for yourself. It’s essential that you do take the time to discover what emotion the paragraph is supposed to evoke (or simply not use the special paragraph in your writing).
Keep notes of what you do and why you do it. When working with various kinds of special writing, you want to be sure that the emotions you evoke with unique paragraph types is consistent across your various publications, especially if those publications are all from the same publisher. Create a style guide of a sort for yourself that contains these notes to yourself so that you can find them easily. Organizing your style guide for easy access is also a plus (which means your style guide should appear in digital, rather than paper, format.
Unlike sidebars, notes, tips, and warnings are rarely more than a paragraph long. You could possibly make an argument for two paragraphs in rare circumstances. The paragraph should contain two or three sentences with the first sentence providing a summary and the second providing details. A third sentence provides ancillary information as needed. The structure and content of your special paragraph should reflect the kind of paragraph you’re creating—as with a good actor, keep your paragraph in character. After all, it’s a performer on the stage of your book and presents the reader with a special feature that is unavailable elsewhere.
Using the special paragraphs at your disposal in the correct way can mean the difference between communicating effectively with your reader and losing the reader’s attention completely. Let me know your thoughts about the use of notes, tips, warnings, and other special paragraphs at [email protected].
This is an update of a post that originally appeared on March 28, 2016.
Authors get tired of hearing from the Information Wants To Be Free (IWTBF) crowd who thinks it’s terrible that they charge for their books. Somehow, authors and other creative people are supposed to exist by taking sustenance from the air. There is an interesting discussion of the topic at Should Information Be Free? in which the author says the information should be free from the perspective of everyone getting to use it, but that the people who write and print books should still get paid. Obviously, if I didn’t want to freely share information with others, I wouldn’t have created this blog and not charged for it. The point is, when someone steals Intellectual Property (IP), the person who created it isn’t being supported.
I work really hard to support my readers and so do many other authors. In fact, most creative people are in creative trades because they like to communicate with others using a variety of methods. The simplest goal is to provide something of intangible value to others—be it a painting, sculpture, dance, music, or writing. It’s well known that creative people are often underpaid (hence the cliché, starving artist). Because the starving artist (and most of them truly are starving) makes little money, it’s important that people do support them whenever possible. That’s why the piracy of IP is such a problem. IP theft has become a serious enough problem that we’re beginning to lose many good creative people simply because they no longer have enough money coming in to make a living.
The problem is that many people would support the creative people whose IP they use, but they don’t really understand that they need to pay for this material. For example, there are many sites online now that offer my books free of charge. Just viewing the site doesn’t provide a clue that anyone is stealing anything. These sites have a clean appearance and simply offer IP in the form of downloadable music, books, and so on. In fact, many of these sites are fully searchable. The reasons that someone would do something like this varies, but it pays to employ some critical thinking when you see something free that possibly looks a bit too good to be true. Many people download viruses, spyware, and other sorts of malware along with their free download. In the long run, it’s actually less expensive to buy the IP, than to have a computer compromised by some of the crud that comes with these free downloads.
For the record, my books are never free. You need to pay for your copy of my book in order to support the various things of value that I provide to you as a reader, including this free blog. It isn’t my goal to become rich—if that were my goal, I’d be in some other line of work (believe me when I say authors aren’t paid particularly well), but I do need to make enough to pay my expenses, just as you do. Even though I know many people do download my books free, I still support everyone that I can with good advice on how to get the most from the books I write. To me, coming in each day and working with all of you is one of the benefits of being an author. I truly do want people to use my books to get ahead in life. If you’d like to discuss the effects of piracy on you as a consumer of IP, please write me at [email protected].