/* NOTE FROM MOD: This thread was origanally titled: !! <> Everybody Please Read <> !! and was posted by Biosx on the C++ Board*\

This is more addressed to the newer people of this forum, but I think it would be a good refresher for some.

USE CODE TAGS!!!

What are code tags?
They are HTML-Like tags that you can insert into your post and create a specially formatted box for source code.

What are so special about these things?
For one, they help show where you code begins and ends. Plus it doesn't mess with your spacing or indents (a typical aesthetic in programming).

Why do you care so much?
I love talking on these forums and giving and receiving help. However, when people are communicating code and there is no indentation and lousy spacing, code is super-hard to read.

How do I use code tags?
Well if you have any experience with HTML it is fairly simple to use. A tag has a beginning and ending. A beginning tag looks like this: [tag] and an ending tag looks like this: [/tag] . The tag name for the code tag is simple, it is "code". So to begin a code tag, type the following: [code] . Then type all your code or copy and paste, whatever you want. When you are done, use the closing tag which uses the same tag name but with a forward slash to denote a closed tag: [/code] .


Example of nicely formatted code (with code tags):
Code:
int Stuff::save(Stuff *sPtr)
{
   ofstream outfile("Outfile.txt");

   if( !outfile )
   {
      cerr << "Couldn't open file" << endl;
      return 1;
   }

   outfile << sPtr->string << endl << sPtr->stringTwo << endl << sPtr->num << endl;

   outfile.close();  // I don't trust destructors

   return 0;
}

int main()
{
   Stuff stuffObject;

   strcpy(stuffObject.string, "Hello");
   strcpy(stuffObject.stringTwo, "Yo");
   stuffObject.num = 10;

   stuffObject.save(&stuffObject);

   return 0;
}
An example of dirty, ugly code (without code tags):
int Stuff::save(Stuff *sPtr)
{
ofstream outfile("Outfile.txt");

if( !outfile )
{
cerr << "Couldn't open file" << endl;
return 1;
}

outfile << sPtr->string << endl
<< sPtr->stringTwo << endl
<< sPtr->num << endl;

outfile.close(); // I don't trust destructors

return 0;
}

int main()
{
Stuff stuffObject;

strcpy(stuffObject.string, "Hello");
strcpy(stuffObject.stringTwo, "Yo");
stuffObject.num = 10;

stuffObject.save(&stuffObject);

return 0;
}


See the difference?

Sorry, I had to get this off my chest

This thread was origanally posted by biosx on 03-20-2002. Thank you biosx so for typing this up.

Added by adrianxw...

Resource and header files.

Most people do not have time to dry run code to see what it does and where it is going wrong. Rather, they will want to compile it and run it through a debugger.

If you want someone to help you, make it easy, don't just post the code, post any resource scripts or special header files necessary, (zip the files together and post the .zip).

Obviously, you do not need to include standard headers like windows.h and the like!