the guru-test: analyze code

It's something like a clipboard that only stores positive numbers... one function calls it (stores a value) and the next function gets the value while storing the next data.

Guess:

I think you're using this to store the damage a unit made, to calculate the next hit.. that would explain why you remove negative numbers.
So a unit shots, makes 4 points damage, that would be saved. Next time it shots it's probably 2 + (4 / 2 from the last hit) = 4 damage and so on..


Wild guess:

Maybe you could use this to transfer values from one class to another?

odd, i only saw dimavas post when i posted, now i noticed theres two pages.

Harry, ok you get a point for being very close, it's not reading from a file but the offset is locating data in memory, data structures of known size pushes the offset further.

Honeybee, i know how you can be so sure about something when all pieces fall together, but therefore i put this secondary goal of 6 points. well you may be able to get it still ;)

Quote:

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kedaman, it's obviously not a counter, you must be using it to store a value which a friend looks at and uses. Therefore it must provide that friend with a piece of information which relates to the object itself. It returns 0 if it has never been set but some number if it has.

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exactly paul, offset is a counter, but the function it self is for passing values. 2 points to you.
The offset is Harry already discovered a memory pointer, and B needs to continue from where A left.

About the tree structure idea, i guess i could just use an array of object references right?

Fox, you wild guess was closest, but it's been too revealed to give you any point at this time :) Yep it's like a temporary clipboard.

Score table:
Paul Warren 5 points
Honeybee 4 points
Harry 2 points
Parksie 1 point
Active 1 point
Dimava 1 point
Fox 1 point

Is that game over then ? Are you going to explain it's exact use ?

Ok i'll give you another 5 hours before i post the answer, but only 5 points for the correct answer since youre all so close. 3 points for alternative use.

You create an new instance of an object everytime you create a new "monster"/"thingy" in your game and the offset is used to tell the controlling app. where to find the data in memory for that particular instance. The controlling app. can then read/modify the data in there thus talking to the monster without using methods and properties.

I'm guessing it's a method of communication between app and object with an area of memory acting as a message board. It's like the old days of the C64 using peek and poke to pull/push data into memory ?

Nope not gamerelated, the mystery relies behind a keyword, and i thought when you guys were so close that the next post would hit directly.

are you clearing the ram?
saving the values to the ram memory
is it something that ha to do with RAM memory?

He already said it was to do with data in memory.

are you clearing the RAM?

Yep i guess time is out then.
I'm using this code to pass a parameter for a public procedure, that is itself recursive, in a ActiveX project, whereas offset would harm the security if it anyone could pass it, therefore it's passed within the procedure, into this friend function, to retrieve it in the recursive call. That would have been a lot easier with a static variable, but static has another meaning in vb :p
First call:
UseOffset offset
Second call:
offset=UseOffset

The recursion it self is to allocate memory for dynamical size items that contain static size items and/or pointers to dynamical items that is defined by a type tree.

and Paul Warren wins with 5 points :)

did you write the code yourself?
or did you copy it off somewhere

that would be like copying "Option Explicit" from someones app, and put it in yours, actually i'd have hard to find that anywhere in any project, guess it's unique, that's why i put it here.

Anyone wants more challenge?

sure, why not

I knew you could use a static variable instead ;)

Yeah fox, i knew you knew but i you could have got a point for it too if you mentioned it :)

Code:

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Property Get adh(data() As Byte, length As Long, Optional offset As Long) As String
Dim a() As Byte, y&, x&
    ssize(a) = length * 3
    For x = offset To offset + length - 1
        a(y) = data(x) \ 16 + 48
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7
        y = y + 1
        a(y) = (data(x) And 15) + 48
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7
        y = y + 1
        a(y) = 32
        y = y + 1
    Next x
    adh = StrConv(a, vbUnicode)
End Property

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1. What does it do? max 3 points
2. Explain my code. max 5 points
3. How can it be impooved? X points

Hah...That Was Easy Kedaman.

This Must be a Part of Hex Editor.

This Property Returns a String Which has
The Hexadecimal Values of a Given Length of
Byte Stream.

I'd say it doesn't work because ssize() isn't declared :rolleyes:

Yep, ActiveX.. active i mean, got a point. That's generally what it does.
Doesn't work because Kedaarrays dll isn't in your references fox, assume it substitutes for "if size >0 then Redim a(size-1) else erase a"

Code:

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adh is the Property that returns the String

Property Get adh(data() As Byte, length As Long, Optional offset As Long) As String

k Declares a Bytearray to temporarily Store the Hex string
Dim a() As Byte, y&, x&

    ssize(a) = length * 3  <--- For Each Original Byte allocates 3 Characters for the Output String

    For x = offset To offset + length - 1  'From Starting Point to the end
        a(y) = data(x) \ 16 + 48      '48 -- Chr(48) is 0 Lowest Hex Digit
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7  --Chr(57) is 9 the Last Numeric Hex Digit and adding 7 to it will skip to Alphabets instead of :;<=>?@
        y = y + 1
        a(y) = (data(x) And 15) + 48
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7
        y = y + 1
        a(y) = 32 'add a Space to Separate it from the Next Set
        y = y + 1
    Next x
    adh = StrConv(a, vbUnicode) 'Convert the Byte array to String
End Property

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I don't have any references in my head ;) this line just told me "I DONT WORK" *hehe*

This code doesn't make much sense:

Code:

---

Property Get adh(data() As Byte, length As Long, Optional offset As Long) As String

Dim a() As Byte, y&, x&
    ssize(a) = length * 3 'you're assigning a value to a function
    For x = offset To offset + length - 1 'if offset isn't used when the function is called this may produce
'unexpected results
        a(y) = data(x) \ 16 + 48
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7
        y = y + 1 'y isn't assigned a starting value
        a(y) = (data(x) And 15) + 48
        If a(y) > 57 Then a(y) = a(y) + 7
        y = y + 1
        a(y) = 32
        y = y + 1
    Next x
    adh = StrConv(a, vbUnicode)
End Property

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>edited: I forgot to remove an unneccesary comment.<

Code:

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Property Get Adh(Data() As Byte, Length As Long, Optional Offset As Long = 0) As String
        Dim A As Long
        Dim B As Long
        Dim Temp() As Byte
       
        'Allocate memory
        sSize(Temp) = Length * 3 'Still think that doesn't work...
       
        For A = Offset To Offset + (Length - 1)
                  'Convert hiBits
                  Temp(B) = CByte(Data(A) \ 16) + 48
                  If Temp(B) > 57 Then Temp(B) = Temp(B) + 7
                 
                  'Convert loBits
                  B = B + 1
                  Temp(B) = CByte(Data(A) And 15) + 48
                  If Temp(B) > 57 Then Temp(B) = Temp(B) + 7
                 
                  'A space between them
                  Temp(B + 1) = 32
                  B = B + 2
        Next
       
        'Return string
        Adh = StrConv(Temp, vbUnicode)
End Property

'Code improved by vBulletin Tool (Save as...)

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Active and Fox 3 points ;) and dennis actually gets a point for bringing up some issues

Active:
a is temporarily storage for hex string yep
ssize resizes 3 times the length yep
Hex digits start from 48 (0) and skip from 57 to 64 and continue from A (65) yep
32 is space yep
Strconv converts a byte array to string yep
Fox:
Allocate memory, yep 3 times length, everyone can see taht
Convert hibits, lobits, yep. That is to the hex digits. the bases 256 is divisible with 16 and furthermore 2 hex digits represent a byte.
vb adds implicitely Cbyte() but fox may have a point to show it's there, in c++ you have to do type casts explicitely.

Quote:

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Temp(B + 1) = 32
B = B + 2

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I'm a bit sceptic if this is a improvement, depends how vb handles the values you pass as expression and stuff, but on the other hand if you remove a B=B+1 then you might just have a speed gain.
also nicer code :)
Dennis:

Quote:

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'you're assigning a value to a function

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Ssize is a property get/let so if you assign a value property let will handle the left side expression as the last parameter passed.

Quote:

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'if offset isn't used when the function is called this may produce
'unexpected results
and
'y isn't assigned a starting value

---

too used to c++? ok vb doesn't need you to set starting values, they are automatically set to 0.
when offset is omited it is 0 therefore for loop will start from 0 and loop length -1 times
a(y) = 32 a space character is assigned as a delimeter for the hex string

I said 'whats the use of
before I fully realized y was being incremented.

And.... yes.. I'm used to C++.... VB sucks.. it does too much for you... it's bad practice to use a variable without manually assigning a value... and VB just lets you do it..... as well as using a variable without declaring it.... :o

Yes, "Vb is bad" and got it's bad reputation for allowing programmers to do that, however vb has it's advantages of being a RAD tool, even for professional programmers.

True.. I do not like VB at all... but I didn't feel like modifying some VB code I had to work in C++... so the other day.. I made something in VB..... :eek:


it is a program that modifies the httpd.conf file(for apache server) to use your current IP.

I totally agree with that, Kedaman.

Heh, I need some coffee!

I'm Clueless on the original topic!

As to the VB is Bad statement,

Its not VB thats bad, its Bad Programmers that make people think VB is bad!

;)

There are no bad programmers, there's just bad ;) btw how come you bring this up now, because I happen to be around?

Nope! Thats just serendipity!

I was searching for "Combination AND Recursion" and this popped up. It was an interesting read, a bit Over My head, so I decided to bump it.

You just happened to be flying by when it was launched!

:D
-Lou

skimming trough it myself i'd have to say I can hardly comprehend myself. Fire away if you have any questions btw :)

I don't know if this happens to any of you, but sometimes when I'm going back through my code in old projects - I'm like how the ****ing hell did I do that ?

Like, the code's so complicated, or its such a cool approach to doing something, I just wonder how I came up with it...

Quote:

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Originally posted by plenderj
I don't know if this happens to any of you, but sometimes when I'm going back through my code in old projects - I'm like how the ****ing hell did I do that ?

Like, the code's so complicated, or its such a cool approach to doing something, I just wonder how I came up with it...

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happens to me all the time...;)

whenever i browse old projects to get bits of ideas for my new projects, i get surprised with some of my code (esp. my projects in C++). and then ill end up asking myself... I did this? :confused:

naming convention my arse, i haven't passed a single parameter to single dirty vb function for years and i assure you it wont happen
whenever i see a glimse of my own code i'm filled with disgust :D

nope. nothing to do with naked conventions or VB (ok that incorporates some filthy experience initself), but generally you feel like you're going to throw up any second. That tells you how totally worthless you've been ;)

thats a gross understatement :p

depends what you mean with can, i mean you can't do pretty much anything with VB.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wokawidget
You can do most things. It just requires complex API code...
VB was developed for small-medium DB office applications, well that's what it's best at producing anyways. It does it's job 110%...and it pays my morgage :D

Woka

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And how's the mortgage coming along ? ;)
Anyway badger, there's no point in arguing anything with kedaman - there really isn't. It'll do your head in! :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wokawidget
You can do most things. It just requires complex API code...
VB was developed for small-medium DB office applications, well that's what it's best at producing anyways. It does it's job 110%...and it pays my morgage :D

Woka

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pfff.. complex API code, as if calling dynamic link liberaries that were written in C++ in the first place was something. The range of apps writable in VB is extremely minimal and specified so you haven't seen any actual projects if you perimeter it with small-medium