[tlug] Getting back into C programming

[Stuart Luppescu <s-luppescu@example.com>]

Hello all, I need some advice. I wrote a mostly C (with a little C++)
program more than 10 years ago using a some now-forgotten MS-DOS C
compiler. The program is rather simple; it produces simulated
dichotomous test data conforming to various logistic response models. I
ported it to gcc about 5 years ago with very little problem. Now, after
not touching it or doing any C programming for 5 years, I need to modify
the program to produce polytomous data, but I'm getting all kinds of
incomprehensible error messages from parts of the program that used to
compile fine. For example, I have a random number generating routine
that I cribbed from Numerical Recipes. The definition (? first line of
the function) looks like this:

float ran0(int &idum)

the declaration like this:

float ran0(int &);

These lines gives these error messages, where gcc used to not complain
at all:

test-thresh.c:28: error: expected ';', ',' or ')' before '&' token
test-thresh.c:77: error: expected ';', ',' or ')' before '&' token

Plus, I get this:

test-thresh.c:51: warning: implicit declaration of function 'ran0'

I thought I declared this function properly at line 28. (I changed the
``int &'' to just ``int''. It compiles but the function only produces
one value every time it's run. :-/ )

Anyway, I don't understand this at all. Does anyone have any suggestions
about how I can upgrade my C programming knowledge? On-line resources?
How about an IDE that will aid my stumbling efforts?

Thanks.
-- 
Stuart Luppescu -=-=- s-luppescu <AT> uchicago <DOT> edu
CCSR at U of C ,.;-*^*-;.,  ccsr.uchicago.edu
     (^_^)/    ææãæåçãç
Thank God I'm an atheist!

Attachment: smime.p7s
Description: S/MIME cryptographic signature