Return-Path: william@bourbon.usc.edu
Delivery-Date: Fri Sep  5 21:31:28 2008
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on merlot.usc.edu
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.3 required=5.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham
	version=3.2.3
Received: from bourbon.usc.edu (bourbon.usc.edu [128.125.9.75])
	by merlot.usc.edu (8.14.1/8.14.1) with ESMTP id m864VS6h014027
	for <cs551@merlot.usc.edu>; Fri, 5 Sep 2008 21:31:28 -0700
Received: from bourbon.usc.edu (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1])
	by bourbon.usc.edu (8.14.2/8.14.1) with ESMTP id m864Tq3Q009784
	for <cs551@merlot>; Fri, 5 Sep 2008 21:29:52 -0700
Message-Id: <200809060429.m864Tq3Q009784@bourbon.usc.edu>
To: cs551@merlot.usc.edu
Subject: Re: Compilation Error
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:29:52 -0700
From: Bill Cheng <william@bourbon.usc.edu>

Someone wrote:

  > In the grading guidelines it has been mentioned that:
  > 
  > "Using non-blocking sockets or I/O is temporarily ok ( -30 points)"
  > 
  > What do you mean by it is temporarily ok ? And if it is allowed then why
  > would 30 points be deducted ?

Actually, it says:

    Using non-blocking sockets or non-blocking I/O (temporarily ok) : -30 points

What it means is:

    Using non-blocking sockets or non-blocking I/O : -30 points

with a side note that it's okay to use non-blocking sockets
or non-blocking I/O temporarily.  One example of this is in:

    http://merlot.usc.edu/cs551-f08/projects/connect.html

where a socket is temporarily changed into a non-blocking
one and then change back into a blocking one.

Please remember that by default, a socket is of the blocking
type.  So, don't change it unless you know what you are doing!
--
Bill Cheng // bill.cheng@usc.edu <URL:http://merlot.usc.edu/william/usc/>