The Old New Thing

How do I specify an optional parameter to a Windows Runtime method?

December 14, 2023 Dec 14, 2023 12/14/23

Raymond Chen

There is no way to express explicit optionality, but there are implicit ways.

How can I work around the absence of default parameters in the Windows Runtime?

December 13, 2023 Dec 13, 2023 12/13/23

Raymond Chen

You can fake it with overloads.

What happens if I define one environment variable in terms of the value of another environment variable?

December 12, 2023 Dec 12, 2023 12/12/23

Raymond Chen

Only certain types of dependencies are supported.

The mysterious second parameter to the x86 ENTER instruction

December 11, 2023 Dec 11, 2023 12/11/23

Raymond Chen

For an ABI that probably nobody uses.

A simpler version of the task sequencer that doesn’t promise fairness

December 8, 2023 Dec 8, 2023 12/8/23

Raymond Chen

Just let a kernel object control the access.

In C++, how can I make a default parameter be the this pointer of the caller?

December 7, 2023 Dec 7, 2023 12/7/23

Raymond Chen

Again, you can't, but you can fake it.

In C++, how can I make a member function default parameter depend on this?

December 6, 2023 Dec 6, 2023 12/6/23

Raymond Chen

You can't, but you can fake it.

What was the code name for 64-bit Windows?

December 5, 2023 Dec 5, 2023 12/5/23

Raymond Chen

Sundown, which was a hidden jab at the competition.

What is a static chain pointer in the context of calling convention ABI?

December 4, 2023 Dec 4, 2023 12/4/23

Raymond Chen

Buried in the System V Application Binary Interface.

Why does the Windows Portable Executable (PE) format have both an import section and input directory?

December 1, 2023 Dec 1, 2023 12/1/23

Raymond Chen

They seem to be the same thing. Do we need both?