Comments on Part 2 of Lab 5 (from 2008)

by Robin Tropper (TA)

• There's not really much to say because the lab is very straight-forward.
• There should be no problem using Lex/Flex, gcc, egrep etc. in Linux via the Site Windows computers -- and students can access their files at home with SSH file tranfer client or WinScp (link) . There is a Windows version of Flex and gcc (for windows) comes with the installation of Dev C++ (link).
• It is MUCH easier to work in Linux => accessible on SITE computers (Windows machines) via the desktop shortcut X32-Linux (or something like that - they use their normal SITE username and password). Reminder: the student's file system is actually on Linux, so their "home" folder is the real thing! It's the Windows machines that have the fake path. Once inside (KDE by default) the file browser (Konqueror),  they can press F4 to open a command-prompt directly in the directory they were working in.
• From home, all students can access their SITE files by using SSH and SSH-file transfer client available through the SITE website (lab documentation).
• They can also get a Bash command prompt and should be able to do their Lex/gcc work from home. I have not tried this, but a student confirmed that it works.
• The lab explanations are very well documented and explained. The only thing missing is that, in Unix, the execution might not work as mentioned. The resulting executable file must be invoked by typing "./progFileName". Also, the documentation mispelled lex.yy.c => they forgot the dot before yy. => compilation instructions are in the header comments in all the *.lex files.
• Besides, any respectable student software engineering or computer science should install Linux as dual boot on their machine. The CSI student association usually holds Linux Fairs to this effect.

Final comments:

• The only things remaining to explain are pipes (input files and also redirecting output to a text file).
• If you get strange behaviour from your Lex experiments, you may include the case :
  .   {} ---- that is (dot), "anything remaining, do nothing"
• Good luck and get well soon!