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Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it

From Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it
Date 2015-10-26 17:06 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87ziz5k19x.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References (1 earlier) <aef31ddb-e264-43ac-a5db-64b881eca5bf@googlegroups.com> <75tp2bt23h0o4e81r8j4pvf0aqpafc5kis@4ax.com> <df0a7329-be47-4e24-80b0-35f6053400b3@googlegroups.com> <n0j8ha$du9$1@dont-email.me> <lnwpu9fzm5.fsf@kst-u.example.com>

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Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> writes:

> Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> writes:
<snip>
>> Write a program that displays only the first n lines of its input.
>>
>> Write a program that displays only the /last/ n lines of its input. 
>> (Harder.)
>>
>> Write a program that displays only the leftmost n characters of each 
>> input line.
>>
>> Write a program that displays only the rightmost n characters of each 
>> input line. (Harder!)
>>
>> Write a program that displays only characters in columns x to y of each 
>> input line.
> [...]
>
> A number of these programs provide opportunities to think about corner
> cases.  For example, if a program is asked to display the first or last
> 10 lines of its input, what should it do if there are only 5 lines?
> What if there are *no* lines?
>
> In such cases, I suggest that part of the exercise should be to define
> the behavior unambiguously.  Sometime the answer may seem obvious but
> it's still worth writing down.

That's a very useful skill.  When I was teaching, I made that part of
the exercise.  Part of the grade was for specifying the problem well
enough to be able know if the code was correct or not, and the code was
marked against the student's specification, and not the one I might
originally have had in my head.

-- 
Ben.

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Thread

Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-10-24 02:17 -0700
  Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-10-24 03:29 -0700
    Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-10-24 03:38 -0700
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-10-24 04:30 -0700
    Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2015-10-24 12:04 +0000
  Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-10-24 04:59 -0700
    Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-24 14:28 +0100
      Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-10-24 07:26 -0700
        Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-24 17:06 +0100
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-10-24 11:56 -0400
    Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-24 12:02 -0700
      Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-24 15:45 -0700
        Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-24 16:28 -0700
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-10-24 16:44 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-24 19:34 -0700
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-24 19:30 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-24 20:33 -0700
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-28 11:16 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-10-28 15:12 -0400
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2015-10-29 12:18 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-10-29 21:51 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-30 08:38 -0700
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-30 05:34 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-28 14:08 -0700
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-30 06:14 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-28 21:50 +0000
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-28 15:08 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-28 22:47 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-10-28 18:35 -0500
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-28 18:12 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-29 01:35 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-10-28 21:12 -0500
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-28 19:52 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-28 18:01 -0700
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-30 03:47 -0700
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-10-24 09:54 -0700
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-24 12:13 -0700
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-24 21:50 +0100
  Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-10-25 04:04 -0700
    Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-10-25 08:32 -0700
      Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-25 18:19 +0000
      Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-10-25 11:30 -0700
        Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-25 18:56 +0000
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-10-25 20:59 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Anand Hariharan <mailto.anand.hariharan@gmail.com> - 2015-10-25 21:49 -0700
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-26 08:10 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Anand Hariharan <mailto.anand.hariharan@gmail.com> - 2015-10-26 16:05 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-27 00:34 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-27 09:04 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-27 21:24 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-10-26 18:16 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-27 02:33 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-27 09:08 -0700
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-26 11:22 +0000
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-26 11:35 +0000
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-26 17:00 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-26 17:59 +0000
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-26 07:55 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-26 17:06 +0000
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-26 10:56 -0700
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-10-26 20:14 +0000
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-26 17:09 -0700
          Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-26 23:39 +0000
            Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2015-10-27 12:31 +0000
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-27 12:45 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-27 13:24 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-27 13:41 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2015-10-27 19:43 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-27 19:47 +0000
              Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-27 13:20 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-10-27 13:28 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-10-27 13:54 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-27 07:51 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-27 16:46 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-27 10:52 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-27 18:51 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-27 12:17 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-27 19:34 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-27 13:10 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-27 13:41 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-10-27 23:11 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-27 19:02 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2015-10-28 07:09 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2015-10-28 11:27 +0000
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-10-27 12:27 -0700
                Re: Issues with setting variables to true or false: how does the compiler understands it supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-10-27 13:18 -0700

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