This has been an interesting week. I've been working on the implementation of IDataReader and IEnumerable for a couple of classes in C#. The classes parse some complicated text files using regular expressions.

I've learned more about the .Net class that implements regex than I would care to know. (I am happy to have learned about the class.) I've also run into some minor cases where a regex I worked out in perl didn't work the same way in the Microsoft component. However, the MS component has many strong points that made implementing the parsing method simpler. This isn't a Microsoft bash, it's just there are some minor differences when it comes to handling /r/n sequences. (I was able to work around them without issue.) I can say that learning regular expressions is a requirement for programming. You can accomplish your parsing task without using regex, but you can't do it in six or seven lines of code. My advice is to obtain a regex editor and start learning.

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I was interested when I came across this article on a financial web site: Quick Hits: Scaling the Great Firewall of China

A little searching popped up the original web site: China Channel Firefox Add-on

I tried the add on, after thoroughly examining the file. I am astounded at what real censorship looks like. It reminds me why I don't trust my own government. Bureaucrats in China aren't a lot different from bureaucrats in the U.S.S.A. Neither one answers to the people.

Our satellite office finally has a VPN installed. Simple enough eh? Not if you are me:

1. Friday afternoon, before leaving office, copy VPN client software to flash drive. 
2. Place installation instructions in book satchel, leave flash drive plugged into office computer and drive home.
   
3. Saturday evening, sit down at home computer, remove installation instructions from book satchel.
4. Spend 30 minutes looking for flash drive before realizing it is back at the office.
5. Give up and enjoy rest of weekend.
6. Monday, place flash drive in satchel first thing in morning.
7. Hurry home and install software.
8. Software installation is successful.
9. Try to connect to office computer, but fail.
10. Realize that remote access is disabled on office computer.
11. Realize that I cannot connect to office computer with computer name, I need an ip address.
12. Mutter foul tasting words under breath.
13. Wonder if bringing work home on flash drive isn't easier.
14. Start new adventure on Tuesday to complete VPN software connection.
    

I made a small update to WinROTT. I've completed the intermediate port of the direct input routines to C++. (Intermediate means I am still using extern "C" since some of the source files are still in C, not C++ code.) Follow this link to the latest download.

I've decided to return to using the WinROTT page in my wiki to post the latest code.

I managed to complete the layout of beta_inc (Incomplete Beta Function) and beta_pser (Beta Function Power Series expansion). What has been accomplished is the rearrangement of code to eliminate the use of labels and goto statements in the code.

Before you ask, I am not opposed to the use of goto statements. I enjoy the mental exercise of modernizing the code.

You may download the code here: DCDFLIB

I would like to thank the faculty and staff at MD Anderson and University of Texas for making the source code for this library available. The source code may be downloaded here. I would also like to thank Dr. John D. Cook for his assistance, advice and encouragement in this work.