More little tasks for markm

Marc Stiegler marcs@skyhunter.com
Mon, 23 Nov 1998 09:42:00 -0700


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Markm,

I know you're overflowing with spare time, so I have a couple of other =
things to request of you as soon as you get done writing a bad draft of =
the concurrency chapter, which is my number one desire at the moment.

1) When you write the chapter that is no more than 3 pages long that =
introduces people to the intricacies of interfacing to Java APIs, please =
remember not only to cover the problem of picking out a method with an =
overloaded signature, not only to cover the problem of whatever is =
happening when I try to create a WindowListener and I get an Illegal =
Argument (described in earlier mail), but also talk about modifying =
public instance variables. I wouldn't have thought this would be =
important, but I tried to use a GridBagLayout, which requires using a =
GridBagConstraints, which is an object with nothing but public instance =
variables. Since E chokes on the statement,=20

myGridBagConstraint fill :=3D (whatever)

how do I assign that puppy a value?

2) Next, a request for a code enhancement. Goodness! Maybe you'll even =
enjoy doing this one :-) Understand that I am trying to write programs =
slightly larger than is sensible in Elmer. Understand that much of my =
effort involves interfacing to the Java APIs. Realize that this may be a =
pretty common condition for beginning users--users on the second or =
third day, though perhaps not the first (unless it's someone like Ping =
:-). In this situation (slightly larger programs, lots of Java APIs), =
there is one error message I get more than all others combined, and it =
is very frustrating. I get "Illegal Argument Exception", with no clue as =
to which line this occurred on. Saturation bombing with printlns is =
generally required, straightforward but time consuming and irritating. =
How hard would it be to make E return, not only this exception, but also =
the line upon which the error occurred? This one change would reduce the =
size of my debugging cycle by 60% or so.

--marcs

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Markm,
 
I know you're overflowing with spare time, so I have = a couple=20 of other things to request of you as soon as you get done writing a bad = draft of=20 the concurrency chapter, which is my number one desire at the=20 moment.
 
1) When you write the chapter that is no more than 3 = pages=20 long that introduces people to the intricacies of interfacing to Java = APIs,=20 please remember not only to cover the problem of picking out a method = with an=20 overloaded signature, not only to cover the problem of whatever is = happening=20 when I try to create a WindowListener and I get an Illegal Argument = (described=20 in earlier mail), but also talk about modifying public instance = variables. I=20 wouldn't have thought this would be important, but I tried to use a=20 GridBagLayout, which requires using a GridBagConstraints, which is an = object=20 with nothing but public instance variables. Since E chokes on the = statement,=20

myGridBagConstraint fill :=3D (whatever)
 
how do I assign that puppy a value?
 
2) Next, a request for a code enhancement. Goodness! = Maybe=20 you'll even enjoy doing this one :-) Understand that I am trying to = write=20 programs slightly larger than is sensible in Elmer. Understand that much = of my=20 effort involves interfacing to the Java APIs. Realize that this may be a = pretty=20 common condition for beginning users--users on the second or third day, = though=20 perhaps not the first (unless it's someone like Ping :-). In this = situation=20 (slightly larger programs, lots of Java APIs), there is one error = message I get=20 more than all others combined, and it is very frustrating. I get = "Illegal=20 Argument Exception", with no clue as to which line this occurred = on.=20 Saturation bombing with printlns is generally required, straightforward = but time=20 consuming and irritating. How hard would it be to make E return, not = only this=20 exception, but also the line upon which the error occurred? This one = change=20 would reduce the size of my debugging cycle by 60% or so.
 
--marcs
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