Wired News: Homemade Sat Radio Software Bump: "35-year-old computer programmer from Ottawa, Ontario, wrote a piece of software that let him record the show directly onto his PC hard drive while he snoozed. The software, TimeTrax, also neatly arranged the individual songs from the concert, complete with artist name and song title information, into MP3 files.
Then MacLean started selling the software, putting him in the thick of a potential legal battle pitting technically savvy fans against a company protecting its alliance -- and licensing agreements -- with the music industry. "
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Friday, August 27, 2004
Dragging and Dropping DataGrid Columns
Dragging and Dropping DataGrid ColumnsLearn how to utilize basic GDI functionality to achieve visual effects with the DataGrid control. By making calls across managed boundaries, you can leverage native GDI functionality to perform screen captures, and eventually drag-and-drop experience.
That is what the article says and infact tells about the ways in which we can manipulate the base classes using unmanaged mehods. A nice one for those who are intrested in experimenting as well as those whoa re keen to learn.
That is what the article says and infact tells about the ways in which we can manipulate the base classes using unmanaged mehods. A nice one for those who are intrested in experimenting as well as those whoa re keen to learn.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Wanted a GMAIL Invitation...
Hey, can anyone of you send me a GMAIL Invitation?
I am desperately trying to get one for quite some time and unsuccessfull.
Please, anyone who comes across this post and has an invitation, can u please send it at my id here on my profile or to kiranmayee77@hotmail.com
Thanks in Advance
Kiran
I am desperately trying to get one for quite some time and unsuccessfull.
Please, anyone who comes across this post and has an invitation, can u please send it at my id here on my profile or to kiranmayee77@hotmail.com
Thanks in Advance
Kiran
Friday, August 20, 2004
The Code Project - Custom Tab Controls%2C Tabbed Frame and Tabbed MDI - WTL
I was searching for Tabbed controls, to see how the design behind it and create one on my own.
As I was doing search, I came across this article from Code Project, which gave a detailed explanation as well as provided the source code.
This is a must for those who are intrested in creating Custom Tabbed Controls. Using the source code provided, we can enhance the control further or customize it to suit our needs.
I give 5/5 for this piece of code :) Thanks Daniel Bowen
As I was doing search, I came across this article from Code Project, which gave a detailed explanation as well as provided the source code.
This is a must for those who are intrested in creating Custom Tabbed Controls. Using the source code provided, we can enhance the control further or customize it to suit our needs.
I give 5/5 for this piece of code :) Thanks Daniel Bowen
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Tech Availability-Flash Back to a Better Time
Tech Availability-Flash Back to a Better Time:
"TECHNOLOGY: Availability
Flash Back to a Better Time
By Arup Nanda
Restore a table or an entire database to a point in the past, using a simple SQL statement.
It's New Year's Eve. John, the DBA at Acme Bank, is reveling with his friends, counting down the arrival of the new year. Just when the clock strikes midnight and the crowd roars, his pager goes off. At the bank's data center, during the end-of-the-year bookkeeping process in the interest accumulation batch run, something has gone wrong and all the interest calculations are incorrect. The good news is that the development team has identified the bug and developed an emergency fix, but the fix can't undo the damage already done. The operations manager asks John if he can somehow turn back the hands of time and place the database back to its state before the batch process started, which was around 11:00 p.m.
Does that sound familiar to you DBAs? What are John's options?
Prior to Oracle Database 10g, John could have done a point-in-time recovery to reinstate the database to the desired point. Unfortunately, the bank's regular daily backup starts around that time, meaning he would have to apply almost 24 hours' worth of archived logs to the restored database.
Another option available in Oracle9i Database is to use the flashback query feature to reconstruct the table rows as of 11:00 p.m. and create a different set of tables manually. This approach, although possible, becomes impractical if the number of tables is high.
Fortunately, John's current database is Oracle Database 10g, so he has more options.
"
"TECHNOLOGY: Availability
Flash Back to a Better Time
By Arup Nanda
Restore a table or an entire database to a point in the past, using a simple SQL statement.
It's New Year's Eve. John, the DBA at Acme Bank, is reveling with his friends, counting down the arrival of the new year. Just when the clock strikes midnight and the crowd roars, his pager goes off. At the bank's data center, during the end-of-the-year bookkeeping process in the interest accumulation batch run, something has gone wrong and all the interest calculations are incorrect. The good news is that the development team has identified the bug and developed an emergency fix, but the fix can't undo the damage already done. The operations manager asks John if he can somehow turn back the hands of time and place the database back to its state before the batch process started, which was around 11:00 p.m.
Does that sound familiar to you DBAs? What are John's options?
Prior to Oracle Database 10g, John could have done a point-in-time recovery to reinstate the database to the desired point. Unfortunately, the bank's regular daily backup starts around that time, meaning he would have to apply almost 24 hours' worth of archived logs to the restored database.
Another option available in Oracle9i Database is to use the flashback query feature to reconstruct the table rows as of 11:00 p.m. and create a different set of tables manually. This approach, although possible, becomes impractical if the number of tables is high.
Fortunately, John's current database is Oracle Database 10g, so he has more options.
"
Tech PL/SQL- Self-Managing PL/SQL
"TECHNOLOGY: PL/SQL
Self-Managing PL/SQL
By Steven Feuerstein
Follow self-managing databases with self-managing PL/SQL.
Oracle has introduced significant management automation features in its flagship database product and has described the new Oracle Database 10g release as "the self-managing database." Given that achievement and direction, I thought it would make sense to talk about how to write one's PL/SQL application so that it is also self-managing.
What, you might ask, would it mean for an application to be self-managing? Let's dream for a moment: I have built an application composed of 50 tables and 200 programs. It is running in production, but the users have a request for an enhancement. This enhancement requires a new column in table A and changes in 6 of the 200 programs. Yet 55 of the 200 programs reference table A.
When I add the column to table A, all 55 programs are marked INVALID, marking, in turn, another 72 programs INVALID. I make the necessary changes to those 6 programs, testing them thoroughly. I then recompile any invalid programs, at which time they automatically adapt to the changes in my data structures and compile cleanly. My application is ready once again for production.
Doesn't that sound very pleasant? Unfortunately, most of us would not be able to enjoy such an experience. Rather, we write our code so that the slightest change in data structures wreaks havoc in our source, not only marking excessive numbers of programs INVALID but also requiring extensive and ultimately unnecessary modifications before the application is running again.
"
Self-Managing PL/SQL
By Steven Feuerstein
Follow self-managing databases with self-managing PL/SQL.
Oracle has introduced significant management automation features in its flagship database product and has described the new Oracle Database 10g release as "the self-managing database." Given that achievement and direction, I thought it would make sense to talk about how to write one's PL/SQL application so that it is also self-managing.
What, you might ask, would it mean for an application to be self-managing? Let's dream for a moment: I have built an application composed of 50 tables and 200 programs. It is running in production, but the users have a request for an enhancement. This enhancement requires a new column in table A and changes in 6 of the 200 programs. Yet 55 of the 200 programs reference table A.
When I add the column to table A, all 55 programs are marked INVALID, marking, in turn, another 72 programs INVALID. I make the necessary changes to those 6 programs, testing them thoroughly. I then recompile any invalid programs, at which time they automatically adapt to the changes in my data structures and compile cleanly. My application is ready once again for production.
Doesn't that sound very pleasant? Unfortunately, most of us would not be able to enjoy such an experience. Rather, we write our code so that the slightest change in data structures wreaks havoc in our source, not only marking excessive numbers of programs INVALID but also requiring extensive and ultimately unnecessary modifications before the application is running again.
"
Cover Feature%3A Scoring with Web Services
Cover Feature%3A Scoring with Web Services: "Scoring with Web Services%0D%0ABy Kelli Wiseth %0D%0AWeb services are becoming integral to IT%97and to business. %0D%0AAsk Whit Andrews about Web services%2C and he%27ll tell you a story about plastic. At some point%2C explains the Gartner research director%2C %22plastic became integral to a variety of other products and established a new baseline%97consider the dosage cup that%27s packaged with cough medicine these days%97it%27s integral to the product itself%22 in a way that was never imagined when plastic first emerged from the polymer industry. %0D%0AAs with plastic%2C suggests Andrews%2C the uses to which Web services technology is being put today may be vastly different than the uses to which it will be applied in the future. Yet at some point%2C Web services technology %22will no longer provide competitive advantage%97the technology will become a baseline%2C a competitive necessity.%22 As an example%2C Andrews notes how tracking package delivery by phone was at one time a big deal and then that ability became a commodity. At a later point%2C tracking packages %22using the company%27s Web site was news%97and then it became a commodity%2C%22 says Andrews. "
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Beta Testing
Before a company releases a computer program to the public, it has to go through testing. Both alpha and beta testing are key phases of the product's development, helping make sure it works properly.
How did the names originate? In the 1960s, IBM decided to call their tests "alpha" (the first letter of the Greek alphabet) and "beta" (the second letter). The alpha test was done on the unit's parts, and the subsequent beta test was done on the unit's operating system.
The names have stuck, but their meanings have changed. Today, an alpha test refers to the first test on the initial version of a product, often done by company employees. The product is usually unstable, but it gives developers a preview of the finished version.
The next test, the beta test, is done by a limited number of outsiders. The software is much more functional, but still contains plenty of errors that developers fix with the testers' feedback. After debugging and polishing, the product is finally ready to be released to the public.
Some beta tests are distributed on the Web to give the program some "real-world" exposure. If you want in on the action, check out Beta News for articles and downloads. The programs may be a little buggy, but, hey, at least you get them first.
How did the names originate? In the 1960s, IBM decided to call their tests "alpha" (the first letter of the Greek alphabet) and "beta" (the second letter). The alpha test was done on the unit's parts, and the subsequent beta test was done on the unit's operating system.
The names have stuck, but their meanings have changed. Today, an alpha test refers to the first test on the initial version of a product, often done by company employees. The product is usually unstable, but it gives developers a preview of the finished version.
The next test, the beta test, is done by a limited number of outsiders. The software is much more functional, but still contains plenty of errors that developers fix with the testers' feedback. After debugging and polishing, the product is finally ready to be released to the public.
Some beta tests are distributed on the Web to give the program some "real-world" exposure. If you want in on the action, check out Beta News for articles and downloads. The programs may be a little buggy, but, hey, at least you get them first.
Beta Testing
Before a company releases a computer program to the public, it has to go through testing. Both alpha and beta testing are key phases of the product's development, helping make sure it works properly.
How did the names originate? In the 1960s, IBM decided to call their tests "alpha" (the first letter of the Greek alphabet) and "beta" (the second letter). The alpha test was done on the unit's parts, and the subsequent beta test was done on the unit's operating system.
The names have stuck, but their meanings have changed. Today, an alpha test refers to the first test on the initial version of a product, often done by company employees. The product is usually unstable, but it gives developers a preview of the finished version.
The next test, the beta test, is done by a limited number of outsiders. The software is much more functional, but still contains plenty of errors that developers fix with the testers' feedback. After debugging and polishing, the product is finally ready to be released to the public.
Some beta tests are distributed on the Web to give the program some "real-world" exposure. If you want in on the action, check out Beta News for articles and downloads. The programs may be a little buggy, but, hey, at least you get them first.
How did the names originate? In the 1960s, IBM decided to call their tests "alpha" (the first letter of the Greek alphabet) and "beta" (the second letter). The alpha test was done on the unit's parts, and the subsequent beta test was done on the unit's operating system.
The names have stuck, but their meanings have changed. Today, an alpha test refers to the first test on the initial version of a product, often done by company employees. The product is usually unstable, but it gives developers a preview of the finished version.
The next test, the beta test, is done by a limited number of outsiders. The software is much more functional, but still contains plenty of errors that developers fix with the testers' feedback. After debugging and polishing, the product is finally ready to be released to the public.
Some beta tests are distributed on the Web to give the program some "real-world" exposure. If you want in on the action, check out Beta News for articles and downloads. The programs may be a little buggy, but, hey, at least you get them first.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Visual C# Developer Center: An Overview of Web Browser Express
Visual C# Developer Center: An Overview of Web Browser Express: "One Web browser feature that is growing in popularity is the ability to open different tabs, or sub-pages, within the same browser window. Using tabs to separate multiple pages keeps the desktop tidy, while browsing multiple sites. Several third party Web browsers offer this facility on Windows and other platforms, and if you're like me, you'll find it an addictive way to surf. Many browsers, either by default or through plug-ins, also provide a quick way to perform Web searches without having to go directly to a search engine. Wouldn't it be great to be able to write your own browser that could do all this, and also be able to fine-tune it and adjust it to exactly suit your needs"
As had been my habbit in recent days, I blogged using the text available at the url. But, then, there is a small change. After reading the article and working on it, I feel that this can be further enhanced, in visual style. Some of the expansion ideas given by the author are...
"
Expansion Suggestions
If you have tried the Web Browser Express and have an itch to add your own features, then I did a good job with this article. To keep you busy, here are some ideas for improvements that you can make relatively quickly.
History: Keep track of all the Web sites you've visited, and make it easy to revisit them.
Auto-completion: The method that checks for the Return key could also check for previously entered URLs and complete them automatically. You could change the way this happens compared to Internet Explorer and only auto-complete when the Tab key is pressed for example.
Favorites: The ComboBox comes populated with six Web sites, which you can easily change from the Properties explorer. However, what about adding a new button to the MenuStrip that takes the current Web site being displayed and adds that to the ComboBox list? That way the user can build up a list of their favorite sites. You'll need some way of saving and reloading the list when the program is quit and restarted.
Integrated RSS reader: Keep one step ahead of the competition and try to build in an RSS reader into your Web browser.
"
You can reach the blog of the author of the above article at http://blogs.msdn.com/johnkenn.
Happy Blogging.....
As had been my habbit in recent days, I blogged using the text available at the url. But, then, there is a small change. After reading the article and working on it, I feel that this can be further enhanced, in visual style. Some of the expansion ideas given by the author are...
"
Expansion Suggestions
If you have tried the Web Browser Express and have an itch to add your own features, then I did a good job with this article. To keep you busy, here are some ideas for improvements that you can make relatively quickly.
History: Keep track of all the Web sites you've visited, and make it easy to revisit them.
Auto-completion: The method that checks for the Return key could also check for previously entered URLs and complete them automatically. You could change the way this happens compared to Internet Explorer and only auto-complete when the Tab key is pressed for example.
Favorites: The ComboBox comes populated with six Web sites, which you can easily change from the Properties explorer. However, what about adding a new button to the MenuStrip that takes the current Web site being displayed and adds that to the ComboBox list? That way the user can build up a list of their favorite sites. You'll need some way of saving and reloading the list when the program is quit and restarted.
Integrated RSS reader: Keep one step ahead of the competition and try to build in an RSS reader into your Web browser.
"
You can reach the blog of the author of the above article at http://blogs.msdn.com/johnkenn.
Happy Blogging.....
Asking a Hike
One day an employee sends a letter to his boss to increase his salary!!!
Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.
I am $ure you will gue$$what I mean and re$pond $oon.
Your$ $incerely,
Norman $oh
Guess what was the response!!!!!
The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:
Dear NOrman,
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.
NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.
Yours truly,
Manager .
Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.
I am $ure you will gue$$what I mean and re$pond $oon.
Your$ $incerely,
Norman $oh
Guess what was the response!!!!!
The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:
Dear NOrman,
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.
NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.
Yours truly,
Manager .
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Visual Basic Developer Center: Defining and Using Generics in Visual Basic 2005
Visual Basic Developer Center: Defining and Using Generics in Visual Basic 2005: "Generics allow you to provide better compile-time validation when defining and using the types and methods required to handle unrelated types. Examples of such types and methods include the collection type that is required to store data of any kind, and the sort method that is required to sort arrays of various different data types. Generics also help improve performance in some scenarios. Visual Basic 2005 supports both the creation and consumption of generics. "
Monday, August 02, 2004
Integrating Portable XML Data with Portable C/C++ Code
Integrating Portable XML Data with Portable C/C++ Code: "Integrating Portable XML Data with Portable C/C++ Code
by Zhaoqing Wang & Harry H. Cheng
An embeddable C/C++ interpreter may be the answer for overcoming the limitations presented by writing XML-based applications with nonportable C/C++ code.
XML is changing the world of information sharing and exchange. The XML standard allows users to clearly define their own data and documents in an open, platform-, vendor-, and language-neutral manner for tasks such as electronic data interchange, data management, and publishing. Its self-describable flexible tags that mark the start and end of a related data block construct a hierarchy of related data objects called elements�which may be a database, pieces of a Web page (links, numbers, metadata, text and images), or contents of a spreadsheet. This structure makes data reusable, easy derivable, and reconfigurable because XML separates content and presentation with context encapsulation.
Because XML is a well-formed markup language, a programming technology is required in order to perform processing-related tasks such as parsing, generating, manipulating, and validating XML data. For that reason, C and C++ are commonly used for writing XML-based applications. However, either of those languages presents challenges�although C/C++ code is theoretically portable, the associated compilation and linking processes are not. Hence, most C/C++ code needs to be compiled and linked by different means on different platforms. C/C++ code that is truly portable is not generated and executed dynamically; therefore, in those situations Java and a Java Virtual Machine are commonly used for processing XML data."
by Zhaoqing Wang & Harry H. Cheng
An embeddable C/C++ interpreter may be the answer for overcoming the limitations presented by writing XML-based applications with nonportable C/C++ code.
XML is changing the world of information sharing and exchange. The XML standard allows users to clearly define their own data and documents in an open, platform-, vendor-, and language-neutral manner for tasks such as electronic data interchange, data management, and publishing. Its self-describable flexible tags that mark the start and end of a related data block construct a hierarchy of related data objects called elements�which may be a database, pieces of a Web page (links, numbers, metadata, text and images), or contents of a spreadsheet. This structure makes data reusable, easy derivable, and reconfigurable because XML separates content and presentation with context encapsulation.
Because XML is a well-formed markup language, a programming technology is required in order to perform processing-related tasks such as parsing, generating, manipulating, and validating XML data. For that reason, C and C++ are commonly used for writing XML-based applications. However, either of those languages presents challenges�although C/C++ code is theoretically portable, the associated compilation and linking processes are not. Hence, most C/C++ code needs to be compiled and linked by different means on different platforms. C/C++ code that is truly portable is not generated and executed dynamically; therefore, in those situations Java and a Java Virtual Machine are commonly used for processing XML data."
PLSQL: The Beauty Is in the Details
Tech PLSQL: The Beauty Is in the Details:
"TECHNOLOGY: PL/SQL The Beauty Is in the Details
By Steven Feuerstein
Pay attention to the details in conditions, loops, and declarations, and create better code.
Some of my past articles in Oracle Magazine have offered a variety of 'big picture' best practices to help you write code properly. This article takes a different approach. It invites you to pay attention to seemingly minor details in the way you write IF statements, loops, and declarations.
I have found it best to think of a program as a kind of fractal construct, at least when it comes to code quality. A definition of fractal is 'a geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales...' according to www.dictionary.com.
An application has an overall shape: its architecture, database design, and major subsystems. Every program within an application has an overall shape: its main algorithm, the high-level requirements it is supposed to meet, and so on. And when you open up that program, you find smaller shapes: the declaration section, the executable section, and so on. And then within those sections, you can find even smaller shapes: IF statements, loops, and assignments.
If you want to write high-quality software, you need to pay attention to the quality of every level or shape within your applications. And if the lowest-level constructs are written poorly and are hard to understand, that deficiency propagates itself to the highest levels and shapes of logic in a system. "
"TECHNOLOGY: PL/SQL The Beauty Is in the Details
By Steven Feuerstein
Pay attention to the details in conditions, loops, and declarations, and create better code.
Some of my past articles in Oracle Magazine have offered a variety of 'big picture' best practices to help you write code properly. This article takes a different approach. It invites you to pay attention to seemingly minor details in the way you write IF statements, loops, and declarations.
I have found it best to think of a program as a kind of fractal construct, at least when it comes to code quality. A definition of fractal is 'a geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales...' according to www.dictionary.com.
An application has an overall shape: its architecture, database design, and major subsystems. Every program within an application has an overall shape: its main algorithm, the high-level requirements it is supposed to meet, and so on. And when you open up that program, you find smaller shapes: the declaration section, the executable section, and so on. And then within those sections, you can find even smaller shapes: IF statements, loops, and assignments.
If you want to write high-quality software, you need to pay attention to the quality of every level or shape within your applications. And if the lowest-level constructs are written poorly and are hard to understand, that deficiency propagates itself to the highest levels and shapes of logic in a system. "
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