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Tip Bank

Octal Numerals

A literal integer preceded by 0 (zero) is an octal numeral. When using octal numbers, you should beware of the following common pitfall: const int warning = 10;const int error

Private Inheritance

When a derived class inherits from a private base, the is-a relation between a derived object and its private base does not exist. For example: class Mem_Manager {/*..*/};class List: private

CreateProcess in Windows NT

Question: I am using CreateProcess to run applications in Windows NT. I cannot start any applications that are located in the directory Program Files. The user properties are set the

Using Proxy Classes in Java

The Proxy is one of the most common design patterns in circulation. Gamma et. al. define the intent of the Proxy as: “Provide a surrogate or a placeholder for another

Weaving Threads

Java provides two ways to create and run a thread. You can implement the Runnable interface or extend the Thread class. The Runnable interface defines a single method run(). Consider

Zero as a Universal Initializer

The literal 0 is an int. However, it can be used as a universal initializer for every data type, since it is automatically cast to the appropriate type. In this

The Copy Algorithm

The Standard Library provides a generic copy function, which can be used to copy a sequence of objects to a specified target. The first and the second arguments of copy()

Prefer Function Objects to Function Pointers

Passing a function pointer is a common practice in event-driven systems, whereby a callback routine is invoked through a pointer. C++, however, offers a better alternative to function pointers: function

Taking a Form in Front of Another Form

When building a floating toolbar, you might need to keep it in front of the main form of your application. This took time to do in VB3 and VB4, because