Installing" std_lib_facilities.h" on MinGW

[dbuff]

Hi,
A. I'm a total beginner.I want to use MinGW, which I already downloaded. I looked at the help but I would like to really know exact steps how to do it. My basic question is under item "C" -- items "A" and "B" provided background.

B. The instructions from PPP("Programming Principles and Practice Using C++") Stroustrup book says:
"Note that different compilation systems and programmer communities
have different conventions for where to put header files. The book
assumes that a header file is in the same directory/folder as the .cpp
files and uses "plain" #include "std_lib_facilities.h". If that
doesn't work, try #include "../std_lib_facilities.h" (one level up)
and #include "../../std_lib_facilities.h" (two levels up)".


C. I was trying to figure this out on my own, and here what I thought was the way to do it. Is it correct?

1. Either find a folder that stores .cpp files or if I can't find
it,create one. I would put it in the C:\MinGW folder
2. I will copy the the following, (and save it as
"std_lib_facilities.h" in the folder mentioned above):

/* 
         simple "Programming: Principles and Practice using C++" course header 
 to 
         be used for the first few weeks. 
         It provides the most common standard headers (in the global 
 namespace) 
         and minimal exception/error support. 
 
        Students: please don't try to understand the details of headers just 
 yet. 
         All will be explained. This header is primarily used so that you 
 don't have 
         to understand every concept all at once. 
 
        Revised April 25, 2010: simple_error() added 
 */ 
 
#ifndef H112 
 #define H112 201004L 
 
#include<iostream> 
 #include<fstream> 
 #include<sstream> 
 #include<cmath> 
 #include<cstdlib> 
 #include<string> 
 #include<list> 
 #include<vector> 
 #include<algorithm> 
 #include<stdexcept> 
 
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
#ifdef _MSC_VER 
 #include <hash_map> 
 using stdext::hash_map; 
 #else 
 #include <ext/hash_map> 
 using __gnu_cxx::hash_map; 
 
namespace __gnu_cxx { 
 
    template<> struct hash<std::string> 
     { 
         size_t operator()(const std::string& s) const 
         { 
             return hash<char*>()(s.c_str()); 
         } 
     }; 
 
} // of namespace __gnu_cxx 
 

#endif 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
#define unordered_map hash_map 
 
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
typedef long Unicode; 
 
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
using namespace std; 
 
template<class T> string to_string(const T& t) 
 { 
         ostringstream os; 
         os << t; 
         return os.str(); 
 
} 
 

struct Range_error : out_of_range {     // enhanced vector range error 
 reporting 
         int index; 
         Range_error(int i) :out_of_range("Range error: "+to_string(i)), 
 index(i) { } 
 }; 
 

// trivially range-checked vector (no iterator checking): 
 template< class T> struct Vector : public std::vector<T> { 
         typedef typename std::vector<T>::size_type size_type; 
         Vector() { } 
         explicit Vector(size_type n) :std::vector<T>(n) {} 
         Vector(size_type n, const T& v) :std::vector<T>(n,v) {} 
         template <class I> 
         Vector(I first, I last) :std::vector<T>(first,last) {} 
 
        T& operator[](unsigned int i) // rather than return at(i); 
         { 
                 if (i<0||this->size()<=i) throw Range_error(i); 
                 return std::vector<T>::operator[](i); 
         } 
         const T& operator[](unsigned int i) const 
         { 
                 if (i<0||this->size()<=i) throw Range_error(i); 
                 return std::vector<T>::operator[](i); 
         } 
 
}; 
 

// disgusting macro hack to get a range checked vector: 
 #define vector Vector 
 // trivially range-checked string (no iterator checking): 
 struct String : std::string { 
 
        String() { } 
         String(const char* p) :std::string(p) {} 
         String(const string& s) :std::string(s) {} 
         template<class S> String(S s) :std::string(s) {} 
         String(int sz, char val) :std::string(sz,val) {} 
         template<class Iter> String(Iter p1, Iter p2) : std::string(p1,p2) 
 { } 
 
        char& operator[](unsigned int i) // rather than return at(i); 
         { 
                 if (i<0||size()<=i) throw Range_error(i); 
                 return std::string::operator[](i); 
         } 
 
        const char& operator[](unsigned int i) const 
         { 
                 if (i<0||size()<=i) throw Range_error(i); 
                 return std::string::operator[](i); 
         } 
 
}; 
 

#ifndef _MSC_VER 
 namespace __gnu_cxx { 
     template<> struct hash<String> 
     { 
         size_t operator()(const String& s) const 
         { 
             return hash<std::string>()(s); 
         } 
     }; 
 
} // of namespace __gnu_cxx 
 

#endif 
 struct Exit : runtime_error { 
         Exit(): runtime_error("Exit") {} 
 
}; 
 

// error() simply disguises throws: 
 inline void error(const string& s) 
 { 
         throw runtime_error(s); 
 } 
 

inline void error(const string& s, const string& s2) 
 { 
         error(s+s2); 
 } 
 

inline void error(const string& s, int i) 
 { 
         ostringstream os; 
         os << s <<": " << i; 
         error(os.str()); 
 } 
 

#if _MSC_VER<1500 
         // disgusting macro hack to get a range checked string: 
         #define string String 
         // MS C++ 9.0 have a built-in assert for string range check 
         // and uses "std::string" in several places so that macro 
 substitution fails 
 #endif 
 template<class T> char* as_bytes(T& i)        // needed for binary I/O 
 { 
         void* addr = &i;    // get the address of the first byte 
                                                 // of memory used to store the object 
         return static_cast<char*>(addr); // treat that memory as bytes 
 
} 
 

inline void keep_window_open() 
 { 
         cin.clear(); 
         cout << "Please enter a character to exit\n"; 
         char ch; 
         cin >> ch; 
         return; 
 } 
 

inline void keep_window_open(string s) 
 { 
         if (s=="") return; 
         cin.clear(); 
         cin.ignore(120,'\n'); 
         for (;;) { 
                 cout << "Please enter " << s << " to exit\n"; 
                 string ss; 
                 while (cin >> ss && ss!=s) 
                         cout << "Please enter " << s << " to exit\n"; 
                 return; 
         } 
 } 
 

// error function to be used (only) until error() is introduced in 
 Chapter 5: 
 inline void simple_error(string s)      // write ``error: s   and exit 
 program 
 { 
         cerr << "error: " << s << '\n'; 
         keep_window_open();             // for some Windows environments 
         exit(1); 
 } 
 

// make std::min() and std::max() accessible: 
 #undef min 
 #undef max 
 #include<iomanip> 
 inline ios_base& general(ios_base& b)   // to augment fixed and 
 scientific 
 { 
         b.setf(ios_base::fmtflags(0),ios_base::floatfield); 
         return b; 
 
} 
 

// run-time checked narrowing cast (type conversion): 
 template<class R, class A> R narrow_cast(const A& a) 
 { 
         R r = R(a); 
         if (A(r)!=a) error(string("info loss")); 
         return r; 
 } 
 

inline int randint(int max) { return rand()%max; } 
 inline int randint(int min, int max) { return randint(max-min)+min; } 
 
inline double sqrt(int x) { return sqrt(double(x)); }   // to match C+ 
 +0x 
 
#endif

Thanks a lot for any help in regard to this matter,
Best regard
Jay

[Salem]

> I would put it in the C:\MinGW folder
If this is where MinGW is installed, then you should put your code somewhere else.

Depending on your windows operating system, say
c:\users\you\code
or
c:\documents and settings\you\code

With a suitable folder, step 2 is good.

[dbuff]

It was very helpful,
Thanks
dbuff