Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 February 7

= February 7 =

Computer Programming - Images
I am doing a project for a school club where I have to design a computer game. I have the game itself done but do not know how to make images display. I have the images saved in a file. I am using a Microsoft Visual Studio.Net 2003 compiler and my code is in C++. If anyone could help me with coding for images that would be great. (I could also use C# if necessary). Thanks. 71.240.130.95 00:01, 7 February 2007 (UTC)Lauren


 * OpenGL or GDI+? --wj32 talk 09:20, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Web Hosting
Hi, I have my website coded and finished and would like to upload it. What are all the steps required to host a website on the internet? As well, how does the domain name registery thing work? Also, if I register a domain name, can I switch webhoster and still keep the domain name? Thanks. Jamesino 02:52, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, you have to find a host, then upload the files there. The domain registry basically registers a domain name, and then the servers map that domain name to wherever the web host is. --Wirbelwind ヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 03:00, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * First, get a host. There are lots of hosting services out there. Usually when you sign up for webspace (say, on bluehost.com or godaddy.com) they will throw in domain registration for free or for cheap. The domain name and the web host are two different things, though, and if you switch hosts you can always redirect your domain name to the different host. --24.147.86.187 03:30, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Another Vista Question
Can the upgrade software CD'S for the Vista OS be run in s regular CD-ROM drive or just a DVD drive.--Biggie 08:24, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * DVD drive. --Proficient 08:39, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Yep. But I have the DVD version and it says on the bottom of the case "Includes 32-bit DVD and information on obtaining 32 bit CDs or a 64-but DVD, additional fees may apply." I threw away the paper that came with it with the "information" but I think I remember it being pretty simple to get CDs from microsoft once you own the DVD --⁪froth T 18:38, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Thank you as always.--206.251.1.250 19:30, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Running full-screen programs in a window
Does anyone know any software to do so if it exists? Thanks. --Taraborn 12:33, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * You don't need software for that. That's a setting in Windows. - Mgm|(talk) 12:58, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't be that sure. Try to do that for Starcraft, for example. --Taraborn 14:07, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * If it's directx, try this app and "force windowed" --⁪froth T 17:26, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much. --Taraborn 19:46, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

xp and bios
right i have two major problems the later mainly my fault the first windows fault. i have a computer that i cnat acces the bios on due to a password and no1 nows the pasword (got from a friend)on it it had windows nt and novel client server thingy. i thought i would just install xp over the top and not worry about the server stuff as i dont need it. after making boot disks and after multipe attempts ( never quite gopt the right service pack version on the disks) i got windows to install however during installation its says it cant find "cyclad-z.inf" and "cyclom-y.inf" fine i skipped these files and carried on installing without problem. then when it tried to load windows up afterwards i got blue screen and system lincense violation, checking the error code on microsoft says its cus i installed xp over nt, but why is there a problem and what can i do to sort it?

second issuse is then i thought lets try and get into the bios and alter boot order and perhaps disable some stuff the blue screen message gave me (shadow caching?) as the password wasnt anything obvious and the motherboard has no "clear cmos" switchs i tried reflashing. searching for the bios on the manufacturs website i downloaded the most recent and reflased, went well however the moniter no longer works tried two moniters and tried on both the intergrated and graphics card points and neither works, but the moniter is getting a signal as it says no input when i disconnect the moniter. motherboard was s26361-d 1170 a11 gs2 and a reflashed using file a1170_00.omf any help is most appreciated--137.205.8.2 16:37, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Well first of all flashing the bios shouldn't affect the r/w CMOS memory on which it keeps its settings. Also, to clear your BIOS settings password manually you can always unplug the computer and take out the battery on the motherboard for a couple of hours. Finally, why are you burning boot disks to install windows xp? --⁪froth T 17:24, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * cus i couldnt set the cd drive as primary boot device as i couldnt get into the bios cus of the password so i was using the 6 floppy boot disc thing, wouldnt taking the battery out the motherboard compelty wipe the bios? ie leave nothing at all?
 * No it won't. The BIOS is on a flash chip, which is nonvolatile. When it detects a discrepancy in the realtime clock it resets the CMOS memory.. and the clock needs the battery to run. --⁪froth T 22:07, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Cleaning Laptop Monitor
Alright, well this might expose my naivety with laptops, but I'm in need of some good advice. I received a laptop (Gateway) this Christmas and it's working very well. The only problem is that, despite the fact that I don't touch or mess with it, the screen has a couple of smudges. Now, these aren't noticeable, but for a perfectionist like I am right now, it's becoming a slight pain. What can/should I do to remove this minor smudges. I read something about a damp cloth, but that notion makes me slightly nervous. Help me out, guys! Best, Yank sox  19:54, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * The new gift aura has lasted this long?! Impressive!  :-)  Damp means wet, but not dripping:  wring the cloth out well.  But rest assured, even if some raindrops fall on your laptop, nothing bad is likely to happen.  When you do eventually spill a coke on the keyboard, just turn the keyboard upside down immediately to get the excess out.  For coke, which contains phosphoric acid a light rinsing and drying of the keyboard is in order right afterward.  I'd power the PC down first for that.  —EncMstr 20:24, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Oh phew. I came here after reading your (EncMstr's) edit summary expecting you to have advised Yanksox to wash his monitor with Coca Cola lol. Glad I was wrong. Anchoress 20:28, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Oh, I guess "damp cloth & coke" wasn't the best thought out of summaries. Though now that you mention it, Coke should be a fairly good solvent for removing unknown smudges.  Hmmmm....  —EncMstr 20:52, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Heh, it probably would be. I was thinking about the sugar residue, though, which would be a magnet for future smudges. Anchoress 20:58, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * And really sticky, too Oskar 21:08, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * And not particularly clear... it would be a big smudge itself --⁪froth T 22:16, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Wow, you brave the RD page history? Impressive. --⁪froth T 22:14, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Diet Coke shall solve all your problems, just keep it away from mentos. --antilivedT 23:34, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Command Line Apps in OS X
Hi everyone. Is there any way, in Mac os X, to send the output from one command line program to the input of another? Thanks!--Ryan 23:37, 7 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Note that this has little to do with your OS and everything to do with your shell (OS X defaults to some csh variant, I think). What you're after is the | (pipe) character.  I'd highly recommend googling for a guide to the shell you use. -- mattb


 * Mac OS/X runs the tcsh by default and like all Unix shells, it supports piping from one app to another. (I note that that tcsh article says bash is the new default, but not on my systems; maybe the article is wrong?)


 * Atlant 01:33, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Bash is the default on my Mac. Probably you have done upgrades, leaving old settings files in place, or you have a transfered personal configuration file (if you for example transferred your home directory as part of an upgrade or purchased a new system) that would override the system default. TERdON 23:13, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

C++ question
Hi. I am writing a command line c++ program for Mac os x (using g++ compiler), and I want to make it able to open another command line program (that I didn't write). How is this done? thanks in advance!
 * My (maybe wrong) advice would be to try to use some kind of System command and call the other program through the shell --⁪froth T 00:27, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
 * (edit conflict) I've never programmed on a Mac, but if it has a compatible library, look at the exec and spawn calls in process.h. —EncMstr 00:28, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Perhaps you want the ANSI C call, or the Unix call   or so?  --Tardis 00:48, 8 February 2007 (UTC)


 * fork is another interesting article. In fact, "forkandexec" is practically just one word. Once you penetrate the mysteries of this, you too will be able to say "fork off and die" with a straight face. But system is probably enough for what you want.


 * Atlant 01:40, 8 February 2007 (UTC)


 * There are two cases: if you just want to run the program, you can do this:

system("ls -l /etc"); but if you want to capture the output of the program, you could do this: FILE *fp = popen("ls -l /etc"); if (!fp) { perror("popen"); exit(1); } char line[1024]; while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp)) printf("Got this line: %s", line); pclose(fp); There are probably nicer ways to do this in more idiomatic C++, but I don't really know that language. The above is straight C. --TotoBaggins 21:49, 11 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Don't forget that system will also let you collect the exit status. Sometimes, that's all you need.


 * Atlant 13:28, 12 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks everyone--Ryan 05:08, 15 February 2007 (UTC)