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C++ is the worst possible choice for something like this. I tried compiling it and got flooded with screens full of incomprehensible errors of the sort: /

C++ is the worst possible choice for something like this. I tried compiling it and got flooded with screens full of incomprehensible errors of the sort: /usr/include/c++/v1/type_traits:1547:38: error: implicit instantiation of undefined template 'std::__1::owner_less<boost::weak_ptr<void> >' : public integral_constant<bool, __is_empty(_Tp)> {};

lokedhs 6y ago
It's pretty much incomprehensible to me too (is it complaining about a missing definition of owner_less? Perhaps it requires some newer version of C++?). But, arguing it's a bad choice because the errors are incomprehensible is only a valid argument if you know C++. Otherwise the argument could be had against most programming languages. There are valid arguments why C++ shouldn't be used (I'm of the opinion it should never be used) but this particular problem isn't unique to C++.
ebg13 6y ago
> incomprehensible errors Maybe incomprehensible if you don't know C++ or don't bother to read them or carve them entirely out of context (like you've done here). Every error tells you both where the error occurred, how the compiler got to that file location, and what the problem was. Literally what more do you want? But, yeah, everything is incomprehensible if you don't comprehend it.
- michaelcampbell 6y ago
  I'm glad I'm not the only one with this thought. Some errors (and languages) are easier to understand than others, but there is SO MUCH text and energy wasted on languages' level of "readability". Everything is hard to read until you learn to read it. I can't read Greek; there's even a saying about it, but that doesn't make it unreadable. (Credit to Rich Hickey for that, albeit paraphrased badly.)
- sharken 6y ago
  I hardly think that an error such as this one points to a solution ../../build//vmc/vmc.o: In function `fix(char)': /home/user/DikuMUD3/vme/src/vmc/vmc.cpp:254: undefined reference to `init_lex(char)'
  - moron4hire 6y ago
    I don't have a lot of experience with C++ and even I know that the most likely cause of that error is not having the linker configured correctly. It's probably something simple like a common library not being linked in.
  - ebg13 6y ago
    > I hardly think that an error such as this one points to a solution It sounds like you don't program in C++ then. "undefined reference" is quite explicit.
vidugavia 6y ago
What should they have chosen then? I think there wasn't much to choose from back then: either C or Lisp (or maybe Erlang).

lokedhs 6y ago

It's pretty much incomprehensible to me too (is it complaining about a missing definition of owner_less? Perhaps it requires some newer version of C++?). But, arguing it's a bad choice because the errors are incomprehensible is only a valid argument if you know C++. Otherwise the argument could be had against most programming languages. There are valid arguments why C++ shouldn't be used (I'm of the opinion it should never be used) but this particular problem isn't unique to C++.

ebg13 6y ago

> incomprehensible errors Maybe incomprehensible if you don't know C++ or don't bother to read them or carve them entirely out of context (like you've done here). Every error tells you both where the error occurred, how the compiler got to that file location, and what the problem was. Literally what more do you want? But, yeah, everything is incomprehensible if you don't comprehend it.

michaelcampbell 6y ago
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this thought. Some errors (and languages) are easier to understand than others, but there is SO MUCH text and energy wasted on languages' level of "readability". Everything is hard to read until you learn to read it. I can't read Greek; there's even a saying about it, but that doesn't make it unreadable. (Credit to Rich Hickey for that, albeit paraphrased badly.)
sharken 6y ago
I hardly think that an error such as this one points to a solution ../../build//vmc/vmc.o: In function `fix(char)': /home/user/DikuMUD3/vme/src/vmc/vmc.cpp:254: undefined reference to `init_lex(char)'
- moron4hire 6y ago
  I don't have a lot of experience with C++ and even I know that the most likely cause of that error is not having the linker configured correctly. It's probably something simple like a common library not being linked in.
- ebg13 6y ago
  > I hardly think that an error such as this one points to a solution It sounds like you don't program in C++ then. "undefined reference" is quite explicit.

vidugavia 6y ago

What should they have chosen then? I think there wasn't much to choose from back then: either C or Lisp (or maybe Erlang).