Question for a programing guru

[badhorse]

My first computer was a Radio Shack Co-Co.  I bought the expensive one.  32K!!  Although only 16K worked unless you had a "store bought" program running.
Anyway, back then I dabbled in programing with the Basic Language. In writting a Basic program you put a subroutine in that when an error occurred, the program went to the error subroutine which basically said, "Hey, we've had an error.  Okay, now go back to work".
Now when there is an error the program comes crashing to the ground and Microsoft wants to be notified.
What happened to simplicity?

 

[bcadoo]

Big difference between a program and an OS.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

My first computer was a Radio Shack Co-Co.  I bought the expensive one.  32K!!  Although only 16K worked unless you had a "store bought" program running.
Anyway, back then I dabbled in programing with the Basic Language. In writting a Basic program you put a subroutine in that when an error occurred, the program went to the error subroutine which basically said, "Hey, we've had an error.  Okay, now go back to work".
Now when there is an error the program comes crashing to the ground and Microsoft wants to be notified.
What happened to simplicity?

 

First of all programs made with lower level programming languages are about 1000 times more complex than anything you can do in basic. That's why it's called basic.

Second if a program crashes and you see that notification it's most likely because the programmer failed to catch the error and write that little subroutine you mentioned about to handle the error. Or it can be something more complex, writing on lower languages makes it possible to manipulate the system in a much deeper way which can lead into memory leaks etc.

[hitech]

And what happens when your program erases that little piece of code that said go back to work?

HiTech

[lulu]

Well, there is another little piece of program that said again go back to work 

[gpwurzel]

Sounds like you've miscoded a bit - so the subroutine isn't working, causing the program to crash - which prompts windows to send the info to ms. If your computer is locking up, open up task manager, look for dumprep.exe and kill it.

Wurzel

[badhorse]

Sounds like you've miscoded a bit - so the subroutine isn't working, causing the program to crash - which prompts windows to send the info to ms. If your computer is locking up, open up task manager, look for dumprep.exe and kill it.

Wurzel

Actually it was just a general question.  I would have thought with the programing languages in use today that they would be able to program error handling routines that didn't crash the program. Not just Aces High (wasn't pointing fingers HTC, honest).   It just seems like any time a program running under Windows (the only ones I'm familiar with) encounters an error, white screen, blue info box "We are sorry but our program crashed. Please tell Microsoft so, ah, well not sure why but tell em anyway", start over.

[gpwurzel]

Ah, with you, yeah, the lack of information on what caused the crash etc drives me nuts too. I have my own business sorting out peoples pc's mobile (I go to them) and some of the descriptions leave me banging my head off the desk at times.

Wurzel

[gyrene81]

Actually it was just a general question.  I would have thought with the programing languages in use today that they would be able to program error handling routines that didn't crash the program. Not just Aces High (wasn't pointing fingers HTC, honest).   It just seems like any time a program running under Windows (the only ones I'm familiar with) encounters an error, white screen, blue info box "We are sorry but our program crashed. Please tell Microsoft so, ah, well not sure why but tell em anyway", start over.

not many people know it but the system crashes are part of microsofts "$h!7 happens" core file system...    with 64bit windows running on multi-core cpu architecture, those hard errors are a lot less frequent than they were 5-10 years ago.

believe it or not, even a "nix" system can be brought to it's knees with rogue program errors...and it's not a bsod, it's a complete shutdown-reboot.

[EagleDNY]

And what happens when your program erases that little piece of code that said go back to work?

HiTech

If [Program Says Go Back to Work]
  Then [Close Aces High]
End If

[Shuffler]

==

[dedalos]

not many people know it but the system crashes are part of microsofts "$h!7 happens" core file system...    with 64bit windows running on multi-core cpu architecture, those hard errors are a lot less frequent than they were 5-10 years ago.

believe it or not, even a "nix" system can be brought to it's knees with rogue program errors...and it's not a bsod, it's a complete shutdown-reboot.

I was able to disassemble some of the old windows code.  Here it is:


#include "win31.h"
#include "win95.h"
#include "win98.h"
#include "win2000.h"
#include "evenmore.h"
#include "oldstuff.h"
#include "billrulz.h "
#define UNINSTALL = IMPOSSIBLE

char make_prog_look_big[1600000];

void main()
{
while(!CRASHED)
{
display_copyright_message();
display_bill_rules_message();
do_nothing_loop();
if (first_time_installation)
{
make_50_megabyte_swapfile();
do_nothing_loop();
totally_screw_up_HPFS_file_sy stem();

search_and_destroy_the_rest_o f_OS/2();
hang_system();
}

if (still_not_crashed)
{
display_copyright_message();
do_nothing_loop();
basically_run_windows_3.1();
do_nothing_loop();
do_nothing_loop();
}
}

if (detect_cache())
disable_cache();

if (fast_cpu())
{
set_wait_states(lots);
set_mouse(speed, very_slow);
set_mouse(action, jumpy);
set_mouse(reaction, sometimes);
}

// printf("Welcome to Windows 3.11");
// printf("Welcome to Windows 95");
printf("Welcome to Windows 98");

if (system_ok())
crash(to_dos_prompt);
else
system_memory = open("a:\swp0001.swp" O_CREATE);

while(something)
{
sleep(5);
get_user_input();
sleep(5);
act_on_user_input();
sleep(5);
}
create_general_protection_fau lt();
}