The Old New Thing
Practical development throughout the evolution of Windows.
Latest posts
Using Active Accessibility to find out where the focus item is
Looking at child objects.
Using Active Accessibility to find out where the Windows caret is
It's old and rather simple, but we like simple.
How can I find out where the Windows caret is?
You'll have go to a larger scope.
Swapping two blocks of memory that reside inside a larger block, in constant memory, refinement
Could do with a little less rotating.
How can you swap two non-adjacent blocks of memory using only forward iterators?
Applying the rotation trick to our new problem.
How can you swap two adjacent blocks of memory using only forward iterators?
A different algorithm, employing a different kind of cleverness.
Swapping two blocks of memory that reside inside a larger block, in constant memory
A variation on the constant-memory rotation.
2025 year-end link clearance
Another year gets relegated to history.
Understanding and mitigating a stack overflow in our task sequencer
The recurring problem of synchronous resumption.
Additional notes on color-keyed overlays as a way of doing smooth video rendering
Choosing the color-key and other brief discussions.
The Gävle Goat (Gävlebocken) succumbs in 2025 to a new menace
You could blow me over.
How can I detect that the system is running low on memory? Or that my job is running low on memory?
You can register for a memory notification.
Why are we worried about memory access semantics? Full barriers should be enough for anybody
You have to find new ways of going faster.
Reading the fine print, episode 4: Holiday promotions
Checking those validity dates.
Why is the last letter of my string not making it to the clipboard?
The struggle for null termination.
Why does my <KBD>Ctrl</KBD>+<KBD>M</KBD> accelerator key activate when I press the <KBD>Enter</KBD> key?
Understanding the difference between keys and characters for accelerators.
When irate product support customers demand to speak to Bill Gates
So transfer them to his office, or so it seems.
All the other cool languages have <CODE>try</CODE>…<CODE>finally</CODE>. C++ says “We have <CODE>try</CODE>…<CODE>finally</CODE> at home.”
The destructor serves as the "finally".