EntBlog
Code, 3D, Games, Linux and much more...

Ready for x64?

Soon or later all of us will be programming for a 64bit architecture (8TB for each process coming!). While you wait for this (if you have not already crossed the line) you can read this interesting article from Matt Pietrek published in the MSDN Magazine.

Changing subject, tomorrow will be released the bimonthly release of DirectX SDK: DirectX SDK - (April 2006). Apart from the typical updates (new technical documents, improvements to PIX, XACT…) it comes with a really nice sample of Displacement Mapping implementing what is described in the paper Generalized Displacement Maps

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas

Conceptual BlockBusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, Fourth Edition
Author: James L. Adams
Pages: 220
Published: 2001

Being addict to computer books, this one is a little bit of fresh air to my book collection. I read a good recommendation about this book in Programming Pearls, so I decided to buy and read it.

Conceptual Blockbusting is a book about how the human mind works. Guided by the idea that the same way you can learn to play chess you can learn to think, the book is divided in several chapters discussing several blocks we find in our thinking process. That way, we find Perceptual Blocks (stereotypings, bad habits using sensory inputs), Emotional Blocks (emotions and its role in problem-solving), Cultural and Enviromental Blocks (eg: taboos and education are important blockers) and Intellectual and Expressive Blocks (this chapter trains us to use the correct language -verbal, mathematical, visual- to solve problems). These blocks are described in the first part of the book. Rest of the book is about social groups and organizations.This second part of the books was boring to read in contrast with the first (although you may find it useful if you are managing groups of people and want to get the maximun perfomance from them).

The book is full of practical exercises and problems. You should try them (and yes, some of them are really embarrassing) if you really want to get some benefit from this book.

In conclusion: If you are an engineer making money from your mind (as you should) I encourage you to read this book. Reserve enough time for reading this book. Although it is only 200 pages, you should work the exercises. Second part of the book was a little boring to me. I would publish a book with only the first part (about mind blocks) and I would rate it with 9 / 10

Rating: 7 / 10

Are you using Hungarian notation?

Are you using notations that incorporate type information in variables names? Most of the C# style guides, disallow it or even prohibit it. What do you use in C++? C++ is not a pure language (for example, you have types that are not objects) so you may be using Hungarian notation for naming integers, floats, doubles… I use Hungarian notation too to give information about the scope of a variable (member m_, static s_, …) but I’m seriously considering leaving these habits.

Google brings us some interesting opinions and may be you have more and want to discuss here.