I sat down to rewrite the functions for moving objects. The title of this post describes the results: the new version didn’t move the objects.  Part of the difficulty is that my interface is cumbersome, which  I will have to work on later. I hope I can fix the bug by going through a walk-through of the function, but I will have to see.

I am still reviewing overloaded operation, stream Input and output, sequential files, and the use  of the struct data type: slow prograss, still.

I got the elevator simulation in the 3rd edition of Deitel & Deitel, apparently working, but its behavior seems odd. I may have to go through it again.

I have decided, for now, that I am shifting the primary focus to using the tools I have acquired so far to build and refine the demonstration program.    I have revised the “Create a physical system” function to enter the size of an object. So far, I am still working with a tiny system of two spaces or elements, and getting the functions I want working within that system. Then, I can start working with larger systems. I extended the chemistry function to include a subfunction, substances. I can now enter the number of one of the first four elements and get a report on the number, symbol, and name.  There are more functions I can consider adding.  I don’t yet have a proper function for astronomy, but I do need to add one.

I also started to resume adding examples from the exercises, and in the process, reminded myself that the Culture section needs to be modified, and that I need to separate out my graphics functions into separate functions, and I also want to include an embryonic graphics processing function.

The review of my textbooks is going fairly well. I finished an example of an array class, and used a program that created a sequential file. I might note that at this point in my C++ programming class, I had had fallen far enough behind that I was avoiding the use of files; and I paid for this neglect in the more advanced classes,  In this review, I have begun reviewing the elementary features of linked data structures.

While I was tweaking my physical object  and physical system classes, I came across the curious result that physical objects were destroyed (the destructor called) twice more than they were created (constructor called).  I don’t understand how or why that is, but the program seems to be working anyway.

I was working on the demonstration for an Array class in my main text, and found an immediate solution for one of the problems in my Physical System class. That doesn’t happen very often.  I have finished the figures for D&D Chapter 7, and in chapter 8 I am again encountering familiar terms that I had not practiced with, so I seem to be learning something, anyway.

I’ve mostly done some progress on classes, using static members and functions, and with operator overloading, using the input stream and output stream.  These are more of the topics I didn’t really pay close attention to in my class 15 years, ago, so I’m it’s fairly new to me, but it is the kind of thing I need to get practice with.

The second book (K&R) is starting to involve exercises, which I want to pay attention to. This book has some review of the abstract data types I will be coming up on in my primary reference.

I have made reasonably good progress over the past few days. I have finished the figures for chapter 6 of the main reference, and am about half way through chapter 7.  I’ve progressed a little further in the elevator simulation, and done a couple of rounds in the book on data structure, and the MFC book.

I took a stab at updating my demonstration program and got partway through separating out the system set-up commands, but this still isn’t quite working right.

Another programming textbook, that is. earlier this week I searched for C++ Windows programming textbook, and found  “Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++” by Richard M. Jones and ordered it online.  I got a second-hand version, with the disc, and it came within a few days,   After looking through it, it looks like just what the doctor ordered. The last few times I tried Windows programming, I hit Petzold (Charles F, Programming Windows, 5th Edition)  and bounced.  The Jones book looks more like it fits my current state of knowledge and ambition,  and it has Exercises.

For my demonstration program, I finished reviewing my various command functions and condensed the “science” commands.   I also  I also got one of the figures in my main textbook, Deitel done.  These are getting more and more involved, but it is necessary for me to work through them.