Stupid git commit-tree tricks, Part 7: Combining more than two files into one...
Last time, we saw how to combine two files to form a third file, while preserving line history. But what if you need to combine more than two files? For example, maybe you want to take a whole bunch...
View ArticleWhy are Bluetooth functions exported from the infrared control panel?
Remember infrared communications? Okay, maybe you don’t. It was a thing for a while in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, but it never really caught on, and it became overshadowed by other short-range...
View ArticleWhen would CopyFile succeed but produce a file filled with zeroes?
A customer reported that they very rarely encounter cases where they used the CopyFile function to copy a file from a network location to the local system, the function reports success, but when they...
View ArticleIf each thread’s TEB is referenced by the fs selector, does that mean that...
Commenter Waleri Todorov recalled that the global descriptor table (GDT), which is one of the places that selectors are defined, is limited to 1024 selectors. Does that mean that there is a hard limit...
View ArticleThe secret signal that tells Windows Runtime events that the event recipient...
There is a convention in the Windows Runtime that if an event handler returns the error code RPC_E_DISCONNECTED, then that means that the event recipient no longer exists and can be removed from the...
View ArticleWindows Runtime delegates and object lifetime in C# and other GC languages
In C# and other GC languages such as JavaScript, delegates (most typically used as event handlers) capture strong references to objects in their closures. This means that you can create reference...
View ArticleWindows Runtime delegates and object lifetime in C++/CX
In C++/CX, there are two ways to create event handlers: As an (object, method) pair, or as a lambda. And the lifetime rules are different depending on how you do it. When you create a delegate with an...
View ArticleWindows Runtime delegates and object lifetime in C++/WinRT
In C++/WinRT, there are four ways to create delegates for event handlers: As a raw pointer with a method pointer. As a strong pointer with a method pointer. As a weak pointer with a method pointer. As...
View ArticleHow to compare two packed bitfields without having to unpack each field
Suppose you are packing multiple bitfields into a single integer. Let's say you have a 16-bit integer that you have packed three bitfields into: 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 r g b Suppose you...
View ArticleMy initial frustration trying to configure our internal VoIP phones that were...
I remember when Microsoft made their initial internal roll-out of its VoIP phones. The VoIP phones were integrated with a desktop app which let you configure the phone, managed your telepresence, as...
View ArticleAlternate definitions for English words, as inferred from bug reports
Here are some terms that appear in bug reports. "Empty" means "There are a bunch of things here, but not the ones I wanted." "Blank" means "There are things, maybe." "The picture is wrong" can mean...
View ArticlePredator-prey reversal: Rock lobsters vs whelks on Malgas Island and Marcus...
Malgas Island is dominated by rock lobsters, who happily feast upon whelks. Just 4km away, Marcus Island is dominated by whelks, not a rock lobster to be found. Researcher Amos Barkai couldn't figure...
View ArticleHow do I destruct an object that keeps a reference to itself, because that...
Consider the case of an ordered work queue. Components can queue work to the worker thread, with the expectation that the work will run sequentially. class OrderedWorkQueue { public:...
View ArticleWhat order are pages in a memory-mapped file flushed out to disk?
Say you create a memory-mapped file mapping and write data to it. In which order will the pages be flushed out to disk? Is it in the order the pages were written? Or are pages closer to the beginning...
View ArticleEven if your assembly language code doesn’t call any Windows APIs, you still...
Writing in assembly language doesn't absolve you from adhering to the software conventions. Certainly you have more flexibility in assembly language, but that doesn't give you freedom to do anything...
View ArticlePrecision questioning: The cynical description
Precision questioning is a technique used by some senior executives at Microsoft. Although precision questioning positions itself as a toolkit for critical thinking and problem solving, its use in...
View ArticleAsking for clear written documentation that Require trusted path for...
A customer had turned on the Require trusted path for credential entry policy (under Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Credential User Interface). They demanded...
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Why is there a limit of 15 shell icon overlays?
There is a limit of fifteen shell icon overlays. Why fifteen? The value 15 came from the corresponding limit for image lists. The ImageList_SetOverlayImage function supports up to 15 image list...
View ArticleWhy are Bluetooth functions exported from the infrared control panel?
Remember infrared communications? Okay, maybe you don’t. It was a thing for a while in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, but it never really caught on, and it became overshadowed by other short-range...
View ArticleWhen would CopyFile succeed but produce a file filled with zeroes?
A customer reported that they very rarely encounter cases where they used the CopyFile function to copy a file from a network location to the local system, the function reports success, but when they...
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