CIS 432/532 Introduction to Computer Networks
Winter 2001

Program #1 FAQ

1. Q: Can my client print OK after the user types "close:"?
   A: No. The assignment states that you should not print the server's response to a close command.
   
   
2. Q: What if the user types "close:a bunch of junk"?
   A: The assignment doesn't specify the behavior here. You can handle this any way that you want (either accepting it as a valid close command or rejecting it as an invalid command). I will NOT be checking this when I grade programs. As long as the regular "close:" command works, I will be happy.
   
   
3. Q: What if the user types "UPPER:uppercase this"?
   A: This is an invalid command. The commands themselves must be typed in lowercase.
   
   
4. Q: Should I count a newline when I process the "count:" command?
   A: No.
   
   
5. Q: Should I count a spaces when I process the "count:" command?
   A: Yes.
   
   
6. Q: Do I need to handle the case where the arguments are listed in a different order on the command line?
   A: Yes. The sample code for C shows you how to do this in C.
   
   
7. Q: What if the user doesn't type any arguments on the command line? Should I use some defaults or should I print an error message?
   A: Print an error message.
   
   
8. Q: What is the equivalent of Java's "IndexOf" in C?
   A: Use the strchr() system call.
   
   
9. Q: Does the user have to type a complete host name, like ix.cs.uoregon.edu, or can the user just type "ix"?
   A: The user should be able to use either one. The host lookup routines on a UNIX machine can handle both cases.