Visual Studio C++ Tutoring (via remote) needed

Hackerspace Computer Science
#1

Short Version: I am seeking some tutoring on Visual Studio C++ in making edits on a specific pre-written application.

Full Details
I have been a software developer of one type or another for over 30 years. I’ve worked in the old basic from TRS-80 or Commodore, to Visual Basic; from MS-SQL to Power Shell; and even some DOS batch, VB Script, and Java script; and even learned (and totally forgotten) Pascal, JCL and C++.

It’s been 25 years since I took classes in college on C++, and have not touched it since (never did like it’s lack of string handling, or the way it stored the length of a string as part of the actual data of the string – given how easy strings were to deal with in Basic).

Now, I find I need to make modifications to a C++ application, and while I can conceptually express what the changes are, I find my weakness of the language specifics involving static strings vs. dynamic, pointers, and string arrays is holding me back.

Therefore, I am seeking some 1-on-1 time with someone who knows C++, and can tutor me in making the changes I need to a specific application I have to update.

This is being paid for out of my pocket, but I also understand that I am looking for more skill then someone who aspires to work the 7-11 night shift (ie: Please be kind to a fellow maker’s budget).

Anyone interested in a few hours of tutoring/assistance? Evenings this week or weekend are fine, and my guess is this is for only a few hours. I understand the development aspects, but some of the object aspects, data types, and meanings of things like &variable versus variable still elude me.

Without knowing what I don’t know here, it is hard to say duration, but I really doubt this is for more then an evening or two. My ‘vaporware’ plan was to do a shared skype desktop and a phone call as I show details on what I am trying to do, and seek help in learning how, and fixing the application in question.

If interested in this gig, please let me know your rates and availability over the next few days via a private message.

#2

Without seeing more context, &variable generally means you want the address of a variable while just variable means you want the value stored in the variable.

I and countless others used to give this mentoring for free when we were in the habit of hanging around in the Common Room. I am willing to continue to do that here. I do not do Skype, Zoom, Discord and such.

1 Like
#3

Yes, I finally figured out the & was to get the pointer. Still confused on how to do an array of strings that isn’t a constant.

Tell me when you’ll be on site, and I’ll make a special trip (I have other reasons to be there as well, but have been putting them off because of everything else going on), and because without driving into work, stopping by is no longer on my way home.

#4

There are two ways to do strings in C++.

The classic C way has you doing all of the memory management yourself.

The new way is by use of the string class.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_strings.htm

After several bouts with the flu in recent years left me with diminished lung capacity, I am hiding from the pandemic and not going on site.

Hopefully someone else can give you the in-person aid you need.

3 Likes
#5

I might be able to. I’m off work monday tuesday friday nights. I’ve spent an entire semester fiddling with those ridiculous ampersand notations.

#6

I don’t have that as an option as I am only doing an update to an existing piece of software.

Just having tons of mental blocks on wide strings, contestant strings, and so on.

The string I have is read from the registry and therefore has embedded nulls within it, that C++ keeps thinking at terminators.

#7

hmmmmmm thats weird. do you have a repl.it or git hosting the code? what you’re saying sounds off and I wouldn’t mind looking at it.

edit: ohhh okay it looks like you’re using string processing using a C library and having to jump back and forth from C to C++. is this for a school project? this was the kind of thing i was forced to do sophmore year :frowning:

if youre not absolutely forced to use C libraries, go ahead and just update the code forward to C++ how big is the project?

#8

No, it’s not a school project. It’s actually a project for my employer, and that is partly why I can’t release the actual code.

As for using C versus C++, versus C#, etc, part of the problem here is the last time I did anything with the C language was in college about 30 years ago. I remember some of the specifics like how each string is stored with a tailing null, or how C likes to use pointers unlike many other languages that hide pointers (make them more obsecure).

Part of the problem I keep running into is understanding of much of the way is which things are written. Many of the error codes are confusing in that I don’t totally understand the syntax of knowing when a variable with an asterisk or ampersand means this or that.

Much of it I can google for help, but then I’m sometimes left with incomplete or mixed answers.

I have a piece of code:
return pRule->Check(username,Keywords,sizeof(KeyWords) / sizeof(KeyWords[0]));

What is the significance of -> here? Why do I have to pass a value, then pass the size of the same thing. No other language that I program in requires anything like this, so it gets confusing.

Then I have definitions that add a std::wstring and wonder why I need to have the std:: prefix, or even worse, when I do have it based on some web page content, and it reports errors in the definition.

Hence, I was seeking tutoring help to help me understand what the specific reference are. I’ve been programming in various languages, from TRS-80 basic, to even JCL, and mostly powershell and visual basic these days, but have always been thrown a loop by C in the way it does it’s string handling (which was the mental block I have back in the 90’s when I first tried to learn it).

1 Like
#9

lots of re-edits to make a better answer

to answer your first question:
the -> is how object notation works when pointer. like instead of
class.object(arguments) it becomes
class->object(arguments)

It seems your function return is trying to do too much to be honest. a pointery function crammed into a return?

your second question:
wstring is reserved for UTF8 character sets. while string uses ASCII only. that might be where your problem is getting run into. if your program absolutely has to return/use UTF8 then ensure the rest of the string processing is UTF8 compatible, otherwise you’re gonna get the problems you’re describing.

using std::wstring is just a “best practices” deal. ensuring as deliberate as possible definitions of things. its not totally necessary but it doesn’t hurt and certainly can help at times.

check which parts of the program are handling ASCII. Lots of string libraries are gonna process strings differently so you gotta make sure they’re all handling UTF8 properly.

Not gonna lie, it’s a little frustrating that you have this job and I havent been able to get a first programming gig ever and I’m essentially doing your job for you :upside_down_face:

gimme a reference or job lead sometime and I’ll help you more no problem.

#10

I would suggest you visit this page and study from Basics of C++ through at least Classes(I)
https://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/