Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

nnxion · Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:21 AM

Here are some general guidelines.

USE SEARCH FIRST!

There is a chance that your problem has already been addressed on this forum before (or even multiple times before for some issues).

Use the forum's search feature first to see if there are already some good threads on the subject.

Be DESCRIPTIVE

I cannot stress this enough. We cannot possibly help you if you simply post a thread, copy and paste your whole code and say "it has errors what's wrong with it?". Keep this in mind:

1. Explain to us what your code DOES (or what it's supposed to do).

2. Explain to us what exactly the error is. What kind of error? Or is it just not doing what you want?

3. Remember that you know a lot more about your code than we do. Don't assume we know just what it does.

Don't use stupid topic names

Post a descriptive topic name! Give a short summary of your problem IN THE SUBJECT. Don't use attention getting subjects. They don't get attention. They repel attention and annoy people.

Here's a great list of topic subjects YOU SHOULD NOT POST:

1) Help me
2) Hello
3) You must know the answer
4) Please help this newbie
5) Something wrong
6) Come on gurus
7) This one for you
8) Just wondering
9) This is too complicated for me
10) Possible?
11) Very urgent
12) I have a question
13) Stupid question
14) Newbie needs help
15) Pulling my hair out
16) This is driving me nuts

Generally ANYTHING similar to those is unacceptable. Just post your problem.

Here is a good example of a way to post a question about an input file function named get():

"File input error w/ get()"

These are bad examples:

"I can't figure this out!"
"Stupid question..."
"Newbie needs regex help"
"Help me! Urgent!"

ONLY POST THE PART OF YOUR CODE THAT HAS PROBLEMS!

PLEASE do not post your entire code in a message. And if you have to use 2 messages that's a good indication that you're going to annoy people. Only post the part of your code where you have problems. That's it. Just a very small piece of it. It's not hard. Just find the part you think doesn't work and post that. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR ENTIRE CODE. If you post the entire code it's going to take us a lot longer to find the problem.

PUT YOUR CODE IN in code tags!

Don't post code right into the message. There's a problem with that: the tabs or extra spaces don't work!

There's a solution to this, namely 'code tags', press the code button (with the # image) and post your code inbetween. Which will look like:

(Toggle Plain Text)

// this is some easy to read code

if(expression)
{
	great();
}

If you get an error on a certain LINE, tell us what's on that line and what's on the few lines above it!

It's not too helpful when you mention an error on a certain line but don't tell us what code is on that line. Because errors can sometimes be caused by lines of code above the one the error is mentioned on, please post a few lines above that line.

Only you know what "doesn't work" means.

Please tell us what your code is supposed to do and why it "doesn't work". Or if you don't feel like explaining what the whole code is, at least tell us what the offending code is supposed to do. When you come in and say "it doesn't work" or just "it has errors", that means NOTHING. There could be a million things wrong and no one will know where to look.

If you're not going to take the advice, don't ask for help.

Often times, people post questions about their code with the wrong mindset from the very beginning. Soon they are receiving replies, and silently debugging their code, making no effort to even acknowledge the people helping them! It becomes one sided, and the poster isn't aware that many of the people helping them hope to learn something as well! Letting people know of your progress and how their suggestions apply (or do not apply) will not only help you figure out your problem quicker, but you'll be returning the favor to those of us who learn more by helping.

In even worse scenarios, sometimes the poster will argue back even when they don't know what they're talking about. Hey - if you know it all, don't ask for help.

When people give you free code that may solve your problem, by all means, try it out! And if it's not what you need, at least thank them.

And if people post code that is over your head, ask them for an explanation. Too many times I see great solutions posted, then the original poster doesn't understand it and goes hunting through the manual and finds some function they think will solve their problem but really has Nothing to do with their problem! The solution you are given may not always be something you are totally familiar with, so just ask for a better explanation!

Remember when people help you, they are doing YOU a favor

Regardless of how big your ego is, it is NOT someone else's privilege to debug Your code. It is not their privilege to have them help you. It is YOURS. Remember that when people help you they are doing YOU a favor. You are not doing them a favor by letting them see your incredible application. Be patient, help people out by posting good descriptions of what you need help with, and not snapping at people with garbage such as "if you aren't going to help don't waste my time replying".

mitakeet · Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:32 AM

Presuming this is made into a sticky:

Secure programming writeup: http://sol-biotech.com/code/SecProgFAQ.html.

Performance programming writeup: http://sol-biotech.com/code/PerformanceProgramming.html.

I forgot to add my writup on finding and diagnosing buffer overflows: http://sol-biotech.com/code/BufferOverflows.html.

OpenLoop · Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:39 AM

i like these rules better than the "How to post well" ones since they are more detailed.
can we make it sticky

Pizentios · Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:45 AM

damit! i just made the other one sticky! Quit making threads that you want sticky!

j/k

:-)

big_k105 · Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:01 AM

do we want this sticky copied to all the forums or the one called how to post well? just asking as i can get that done durning my next break probably lunch

mitakeet · Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:08 AM

While I suspect there are a huge amount of commonalities amongst forums, it may be better to let a little dust settle before copying this (or any sticky) around. We DevShed-ers left a lot of stuff there, I suspect much of it will wind up here if you give it a few days.

DaWei · Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:10 AM

I would suggest that "HOW TO POST A QUESTION...." is a fairly generic topic and would be applicable to almost any forum. It could, thus, be widely used or referred to. A FAQ, on the other hand, is probably forum-specific. Such a FAQ could contain common responses to common questions or links to more detailed material concerning non-trivial concepts. While there would be many commonalities for C and C++, such a FAQ would be less than useful in, say, a NETWORKING forum.

I agree with Mitakeet that it might not be the most discreet move to blithely copy material intact from other sources. I know it torqued my jaws somewhat to have authorship of material unilaterally transferred, even though there was no question of actual ownership.

Pizentios · Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_k105

do we want this sticky copied to all the forums or the one called how to post well? just asking as i can get that done durning my next break probably lunch

i have already copied the "how to post well" thread and stickyed it. However if you guys want this thread instead of the other one, i will donate my lunch hour as well :-)

DaWei · Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:35 AM

I'm not sure what to think about all this mod/admin responsiveness. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready to die of a heart attack, just yet, but I very well may faint. Again, thanks.

nnxion · Jun 3rd, 2005, 11:24 AM

This is probably why this forum does not have a feature indicating how long someone has been online in total, because Pizentios would have half the time that the forum has been online

.

I will only be in the C and C++ forum, so can you make it sticky there also?
Thanks.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:21 AM	#1
nnxion Programming Guru Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: elemental plane Posts: 1,429 Rep Power: 5	How to post a question Here are some general guidelines. USE SEARCH FIRST! There is a chance that your problem has already been addressed on this forum before (or even multiple times before for some issues). Use the forum's search feature first to see if there are already some good threads on the subject. Be DESCRIPTIVE I cannot stress this enough. We cannot possibly help you if you simply post a thread, copy and paste your whole code and say "it has errors what's wrong with it?". Keep this in mind: 1. Explain to us what your code DOES (or what it's supposed to do). 2. Explain to us what exactly the error is. What kind of error? Or is it just not doing what you want? 3. Remember that you know a lot more about your code than we do. Don't assume we know just what it does. Don't use stupid topic names Post a descriptive topic name! Give a short summary of your problem IN THE SUBJECT. Don't use attention getting subjects. They don't get attention. They repel attention and annoy people. Here's a great list of topic subjects YOU SHOULD NOT POST: 1) Help me 2) Hello 3) You must know the answer 4) Please help this newbie 5) Something wrong 6) Come on gurus 7) This one for you 8) Just wondering 9) This is too complicated for me 10) Possible? 11) Very urgent 12) I have a question 13) Stupid question 14) Newbie needs help 15) Pulling my hair out 16) This is driving me nuts Generally ANYTHING similar to those is unacceptable. Just post your problem. Here is a good example of a way to post a question about an input file function named get(): "File input error w/ get()" These are bad examples: "I can't figure this out!" "Stupid question..." "Newbie needs regex help" "Help me! Urgent!" ONLY POST THE PART OF YOUR CODE THAT HAS PROBLEMS! PLEASE do not post your entire code in a message. And if you have to use 2 messages that's a good indication that you're going to annoy people. Only post the part of your code where you have problems. That's it. Just a very small piece of it. It's not hard. Just find the part you think doesn't work and post that. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR ENTIRE CODE. If you post the entire code it's going to take us a lot longer to find the problem. PUT YOUR CODE IN in code tags! Don't post code right into the message. There's a problem with that: the tabs or extra spaces don't work! There's a solution to this, namely 'code tags', press the code button (with the # image) and post your code inbetween. Which will look like: (Toggle Plain Text) // this is some easy to read code if(expression) { great(); } // this is some easy to read code if(expression) { great(); } If you get an error on a certain LINE, tell us what's on that line and what's on the few lines above it! It's not too helpful when you mention an error on a certain line but don't tell us what code is on that line. Because errors can sometimes be caused by lines of code above the one the error is mentioned on, please post a few lines above that line. Only you know what "doesn't work" means. Please tell us what your code is supposed to do and why it "doesn't work". Or if you don't feel like explaining what the whole code is, at least tell us what the offending code is supposed to do. When you come in and say "it doesn't work" or just "it has errors", that means NOTHING. There could be a million things wrong and no one will know where to look. If you're not going to take the advice, don't ask for help. Often times, people post questions about their code with the wrong mindset from the very beginning. Soon they are receiving replies, and silently debugging their code, making no effort to even acknowledge the people helping them! It becomes one sided, and the poster isn't aware that many of the people helping them hope to learn something as well! Letting people know of your progress and how their suggestions apply (or do not apply) will not only help you figure out your problem quicker, but you'll be returning the favor to those of us who learn more by helping. In even worse scenarios, sometimes the poster will argue back even when they don't know what they're talking about. Hey - if you know it all, don't ask for help. When people give you free code that may solve your problem, by all means, try it out! And if it's not what you need, at least thank them. And if people post code that is over your head, ask them for an explanation. Too many times I see great solutions posted, then the original poster doesn't understand it and goes hunting through the manual and finds some function they think will solve their problem but really has Nothing to do with their problem! The solution you are given may not always be something you are totally familiar with, so just ask for a better explanation! Remember when people help you, they are doing YOU a favor Regardless of how big your ego is, it is NOT someone else's privilege to debug Your code. It is not their privilege to have them help you. It is YOURS. Remember that when people help you they are doing YOU a favor. You are not doing them a favor by letting them see your incredible application. Be patient, help people out by posting good descriptions of what you need help with, and not snapping at people with garbage such as "if you aren't going to help don't waste my time replying". __________________ "Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for." -- Socrates Last edited by nnxion; Jun 7th, 2005 at 4:30 PM.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:32 AM	#2
mitakeet Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 59 Rep Power: 4	Presuming this is made into a sticky: Secure programming writeup: http://sol-biotech.com/code/SecProgFAQ.html. Performance programming writeup: http://sol-biotech.com/code/PerformanceProgramming.html. I forgot to add my writup on finding and diagnosing buffer overflows: http://sol-biotech.com/code/BufferOverflows.html. __________________ Free code: http://sol-biotech.com/code/. It is not that old programmers are any smarter or code better, it is just that they have made the same stupid mistake so many times that it is second nature to fix it. --Mitakeet The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --George Bernard Shaw Last edited by mitakeet; Jun 3rd, 2005 at 10:20 AM.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:45 AM	#4
Pizentios Programming Guru Join Date: May 2004 Location: Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 2,023 Rep Power: 7	damit! i just made the other one sticky! Quit making threads that you want sticky! j/k :-) __________________ Profanity is the one language that all programmers understand. Check out my Blog <---updated Nov 30 2007! Last edited by Pizentios; Jun 3rd, 2005 at 9:50 AM.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:01 AM	#5
big_k105 PFO Founder Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 1,623 Rep Power: 10	do we want this sticky copied to all the forums or the one called how to post well? just asking as i can get that done durning my next break probably lunch __________________ BIG K aka Kyle Programming Forums Kyle K Online Please do not PM or email me programming questions. Post them in the forums instead.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:08 AM	#6
mitakeet Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 59 Rep Power: 4	While I suspect there are a huge amount of commonalities amongst forums, it may be better to let a little dust settle before copying this (or any sticky) around. We DevShed-ers left a lot of stuff there, I suspect much of it will wind up here if you give it a few days. __________________ Free code: http://sol-biotech.com/code/. It is not that old programmers are any smarter or code better, it is just that they have made the same stupid mistake so many times that it is second nature to fix it. --Mitakeet The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --George Bernard Shaw

Jun 3rd, 2005, 9:39 AM	#3
OpenLoop Expert Programmer Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 663 Rep Power: 4	i like these rules better than the "How to post well" ones since they are more detailed. can we make it sticky

Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:10 AM	#7
DaWei Resident Grouch Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,453 Rep Power: 10	I would suggest that "HOW TO POST A QUESTION...." is a fairly generic topic and would be applicable to almost any forum. It could, thus, be widely used or referred to. A FAQ, on the other hand, is probably forum-specific. Such a FAQ could contain common responses to common questions or links to more detailed material concerning non-trivial concepts. While there would be many commonalities for C and C++, such a FAQ would be less than useful in, say, a NETWORKING forum. I agree with Mitakeet that it might not be the most discreet move to blithely copy material intact from other sources. I know it torqued my jaws somewhat to have authorship of material unilaterally transferred, even though there was no question of actual ownership. __________________ Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code. Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers Last edited by DaWei; Jun 3rd, 2005 at 10:13 AM.

Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:35 AM	#9
DaWei Resident Grouch Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,453 Rep Power: 10	Thanks for the responsiveness I'm not sure what to think about all this mod/admin responsiveness. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready to die of a heart attack, just yet, but I very well may faint. Again, thanks. __________________ Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code. Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers

Jun 3rd, 2005, 11:24 AM	#10
nnxion Programming Guru Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: elemental plane Posts: 1,429 Rep Power: 5	This is probably why this forum does not have a feature indicating how long someone has been online in total, because Pizentios would have half the time that the forum has been online . I will only be in the C and C++ forum, so can you make it sticky there also? Thanks. __________________ "Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for." -- Socrates Last edited by nnxion; Jun 3rd, 2005 at 11:37 AM.

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Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

How to post a question