Posted by jpluimers on 2021/03/02
If you forgot what Microsoft has added, look for a file named like this:
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Getstarted_7.3.20251.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\WhatsNew.Store.exe
Disregard any warnings you find through the above link: it is a legit file installed during Windows 10 update.
–jeroen
Posted in Power User, Windows, Windows 10 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by jpluimers on 2021/03/02
A few things to learn from [WayBack] delphi – Constant array of cardinal produces error ‘Constant expression violates subrange bounds” – Stack Overflow:
const dynamic arrays.In this case, Delphi XE6 and below regard the [...] construct for constants as a set of Byte of which the maximum value is 255.
So this already fails with E1012 Constant expression violates subrange bounds, even though 257 perfectly fits the subrange of Cardinal:
const CardinalArray: array of Cardinal = [257];
The documentation (which has not changed since Delphi 2007) puts you in a totally different direction: [WayBack] x1012: Constant expression violates subrange bounds
x1012: Constant expression violates subrange boundsThis error message occurs when the compiler can determine that a constant is outside the legal range. This can occur for instance if you assign a constant to a variable of subrange type.
program Produce; var Digit: 1..9; begin Digit := 0; (*Get message: Constant expression violates subrange bounds*) end. program Solve; var Digit: 0..9; begin Digit := 0; end.
The alternative is to use a non-dynamic array that uses parenthesis instead of square brackets for initialisation:
const CardinalArray: array[0..0] of Cardinal = (257);
Const initialisation of dynamic arrays only made a tick mark on the box in [Archive.is] What’s New in Delphi and C++Builder XE7 – RAD Studio: String-Like Operations Supported on Dynamic Arrays, but in fact this code works in Delphi XE7 and up just fine:
program Cardinals; {$APPTYPE CONSOLE} uses System.SysUtils; const CardinalArray: array of Cardinal = [257]; // fails until Delphi XE6 with "E1012 Constant expression violates subrange bounds" const ANSICOLORS: array of Cardinal = [ $000000,//0 $800000,//1, compilation error starts with this value $008000,//2 $808000,//3 $000080,//4 $800080,//5 $008080,//6 $D0D0D0,//7 $3F3F3F,//8 $FF0000,//9 $00FF00,//A $FFFF00,//B $0000FF,//C $FF00FF,//D $00FFFF,//E $FFFFFF];//F var AnsiColor: Cardinal; begin try for AnsiColor in AnsiColors do Writeln(Format('$%6.6x', [AnsiColor])); except on E: Exception do Writeln(E.ClassName, ': ', E.Message); end; end.Output:
$000000 $800000 $008000 $808000 $000080 $800080 $008080 $D0D0D0 $3F3F3F $FF0000 $00FF00 $FFFF00 $0000FF $FF00FF $00FFFF $FFFFFF
Note that dynamic arrays are unlike regular arrays, which for instance means that nesting them can get you into a different uncharted territory when using multiple dimensions.
Unlike an array, a dynamic array has notice of length. Which means it needs extra memory for it.
So where regular multi-dimensional arrays are blocks of memory. Multi-dimensional dynamic arrays are a dynamic array on each dimension level, which means extra length keeping, and the seemingly odd Copy behaviour described in [WayBack] Things that make you go ‘urgh’… | Delphi Haven:
What’s the flaw in this test code?
programProject1;{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}varArr1, Arr2:arrayofarrayofInteger;I, J:Integer;beginSetLength(Arr1,5,5);forI :=0to4doforJ :=0to4doArr1[I, J] := I * J;Arr2 := Copy(Arr1);forI :=0to4doforJ :=0to4doifArr2[I, J] <> Arr1[I, J]thenbeginWriteLn('Nope');Break;end;Write('Press ENTER to exit...');ReadLn;end.
with these comments
Rudy Velthuis:
Dynarrays are single-dimensional. One can get the illusion of multi-dimensionality because the Delphi syntax lets you access them using a[5,6] syntax, and SetLength takes more than one dimension parameter, and indeed, the docs even mention multi-dimensional, but that doesn’t change anything. You don’t have a multi-dimensional dynarray, you have a dynarray than contains other dynarrays. Each of these is one-dimensional. IOW, you don’t have one array, you have a cluster of dynarrays.
Copy() handles dynarrays. These are one-dimensional, so it only does one dimension (what else?). IOW, the behaviour is correct and actually well known.
Franćois:
I’m with you Chris. I don’t think this is “well known”, maybe because mono-dimensional dynamic arrays are probably used much more than multidimensional ones.
And also, the documentation is blaringly silent on this behavior. (credit to DelphiBasics to mention it: http://www.delphibasics.co.uk/RTL.asp?Name=Array)
The more visibility it gets, the less bugs we’ll have to deal with.IMO, I don’t see why “copy” would not behave recursively and copy each sub-array as well. It seems that it is the intuitive behavior people tend to expect in the 1st place. (either nothing at all like Arr1:=Arr2, or a full recursive copy)
But since it’s been like that for some time, I doubt it can change for compatibility reasons (breaking code relying explicitly on this behavior).Chris:
Thanks for the support! On my reading, the help strongly implies the behaviour I was expecting, and therefore, implies the actual behaviour to be a bug. Specifically, the entry for Copy (http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/VCL/en/System.Copy) includes the line:
Note: When S is a dynamic array, you can omit the Index and Count parameters and Copy copies the entire array.
What could ‘the entire array’ mean? According to Rudy, this can’t mean more than one dimension because dynamic arrays aren’t multidimensional. And yet, the Delphi Language Guide talks of ‘multidimensional dynamic arrays’ quite clearly (http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/en/Structured_Types#Multidimensional_Dynamic_Arrays). See also the docs for SetLength (http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/VCL/en/System.SetLength).
–jeroen
Posted in Delphi, Development, History, Software Development, Undocumented Delphi | Leave a Comment »
Posted by jpluimers on 2021/03/02
Today exactly 20 years ago, a futurist indicated “The Internet will not become a mass medium”.
Source: [WayBack] littlewisehen on Twitter: “Also sprach der Zukunftsforscher… 😂 https://t.co/taNRUxZD3S”
Via:
Thomas also made this great (German) observation:
2001 war vielfach noch Modem und ISDN angesagt, Flatrates waren gerade wieder abgeschafft worden, DSL gab es in machen Gegenden, war bei 2 Mbit aber mehr als doppelt so teuer wie heute 16 Mbit. Erinnert sich noch jemand an die unsäglichen AOL-CDs, die allen Zeitschriften beilagen?
Es gab noch keine “sozialen” Netzwerke und von mobilem Internet hat man nur geträumt. Selbst dumme Handys waren noch nicht so weit verbreitet wie heute Smartphones, und es kostete richtig Geld, eines anzurufen.Das ist noch keine 20 Jahre her, aber ich komme mir gerade vor, als ob ich die Zeit des Schwarz-Weiß-Fernsehens beschriebe.
Google Translate actually does a halfway decent job on that (see below) which I’ve edited to this:
2001 was in many cases still the era of modem and ISDN. Flat rates had just been abolished again, there was DSL available in some areas, but at 2 Mbit was more than twice as expensive as todays 16Mbit. Does anyone remember the inexpressible AOL CDs that came with all the magazines?
There were no “social” networks and you could only dream of mobile Internet. Even dumb phones were not as widespread as smartphones are today, and it costed real money to call a mobile phone.That was only 20 years, but it just feels as describing black and white television.
Unedited Google Translate:
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The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 