Computer Information

Here are a collection of articles I have written answering some questions my friends & colleagues have often asked me so there seemed to be a general need for them. Some are for users & some are for programmers.

For Users

How to Convert Tape Recordings (& LPs) to CDs (& MP3s): How to copy tape recordings (or other audio sources) into a PC, add track breaks & volume correct them then record them to CDs (or MP3s).
How to do Powerpoint Animations: Microsoft Powerpoint has become a de facto standard for presentations &, although Powerpoint is not well designed for the task, many people expect presentations to as sleekly animated as if made in Shockwave/Flash. Here are some tips on how I've bodged up sleek animated shows in Powerpoint and some work-arounds for Powerpoint's bugs.
How to do Powerpoint Posters: A sequel to "How to do Powerpoint Animations" covering how to work around the bugs and do sleek printed, rather than on-screen, material in Powerpoint.
How to Create PDF Files: How to create them from wordprocessor documents etc. without using expensive software or ending up with the common faults of low resolution text or huge file size.
How to do Two Sided Printing: Printing on both sides of paper on a normal single-sided printer.
How to Correct the 'Who' Field when Transferring Mbox E-mail to Eudora: How to work around this problem.
How to Recover Lost Emails from Google Desktop Search's Cache: Revealing that this possibility exists, explaining how to do it and some example programs to automate it.

For Programmers

The C++ 'const' Declaration: Why & How. The 'const' keyword of the 'C++' language is one of its most inconvenient & confusing non Object Oriented features. Typically it causes frustrating compiler complaints when trying to call certain functions in certain circumstances that really ought to be okay. It also has a confusing syntax. This is my attempt to explain why 'const' got into the language, how it works & what the syntax is.
Why C has Pointers. Understanding & using 'pointers' as well as variables is almost vital to programming in the 'C' language but most tutorials only state how to use it and don't explain why they exist in the first place. This is a pity because knowing why can greatly help understanding how to use them. This is my, somewhat cynical, explanation of why 'pointers' are in the language.
What is Object Oriented Programming: Object Oriented Programming seems a lot more difficult than it really is because it is often enthusiastically advocated but rarely given a simple explanation without the hype. This is my attempt at a simple straightforward explanation without the hype.