vsbabu.org : programming http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/categories/programming/ Gluing passing thoughts to foregone conclusions en-us vsbabu@gmail.com Copyright 2008 2007-06-26T22:39:39+05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Scripting Outlook Journal http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2007/06/26/scripting_outlook_journal.html Simple sample JScript code to give you an idea about this 1027@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ I maintain information about my tasks, meetings etc. in Outlook Journal. Here's a simple JScript script that exports this information into a delimited format. Yes, Outlook itself can export data like this, but if you want to automate stuff and get it to the next level, this script might help you.

If you save this as sample.js, you can run it like cscript /nologo sample.js

]]> programming 2007-06-26T22:39:39+05:00 Which is the best DN site? http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2005/09/10/which_is_the_best_dn_site.html Developer Network sites are used a lot by programmers. Here is what I found most usable. 1015@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ There are several sites I frequent (at varying frequency) these days. Most of them have similar functionality. They give you access to articles, discussions, downloads, search, polls etc. Since technology information explodes very quickly, information architecture of these sites better be well thought out so that programmers' brains are not taxed any more than required!

Here's my rating on various sites' home pages.

]]> www 2005-09-10T19:01:19+05:00 Tunnel visions http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2005/08/28/tunnel_visions.html Nice explanation on why we need to look beyond straining our hands to type less-than and greater-than all over the code. 1014@http://vsbabu.org/mt/
  • Ruby-on-rails tunnel vision
  • Java tunnel vision

    • Now see Why I enjoy rails?

    Exactly -- I can't agree on #2 more. Java/J2EE, Eclipse/RCP and Oracle earns my daily bread. Of these, I still like Oracle database technology quite a lot. Eclipse/RCP is new and nice so far. About Java/J2EE, read #2 above.

    ]]>     programming 2005-08-28T20:41:36+05:00     Programming Links http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2005/07/14/programming_links.html Bookmarks I don't want to miss later. 1010@http://vsbabu.org/mt/
  • Community Design On The Apache Software Foundation
  • How to install docbook
  • Rails vs. Plone -- good starting point about Active Record and Data Mapper design patterns.
  • Eclipse Web Data Access Developer - IBM claims you can make quick UIs to databases without coding. More interesting to me is that it can generate JSF and Apache Torque. I need to try this out.
  • Eclipse 3.1 ANT Build File Import/Export. Oracle jDeveloper could generate ANT files from a project, and this is one feature I used to miss in Eclipse so far.
  • Introduction to BPEL. By the way, last year, I saw a demo of Niyamas Elixa BPEL Engine and was extremely impressed. Very nice suite using standard J2EE technologies, with easy integration with other applications using web services (BPEL4WS) and a BPEL Workflow Designer that can rival Visio, implemented in cross-browser DHTML and Javascript -- it has to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately, they don't have a screenshot on their site.
    • ]]>     programming 2005-07-14T07:25:35+05:00     Code obfuscator! http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2005/04/13/code_obfuscator.html Now, I thought this feature was built into the language :-) 1000@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Here's a code obfuscator product I thought won't be required.

    For the past one year, the language in question earns me about 50% of my daily bread, so I should hide my misgivings about this one. Still, after using Python for 3 years, this product is interesting. I guess it will be useful if you want to sell your CGI applications.

    ]]>     programming 2005-04-13T13:12:50+05:00     Fake J2EE is not that bad! http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/11/02/fake_j2ee_is_not_that_bad.html Thoughts on weighing complexity and programming kewlness against what the user really needs? 932@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ A J2EE Application

    Recently, I was (un)fortunate enough to witness a web application that was already deployed and in use for over an year. At the time of installation, the main marketing points appeared to be:

    1. To modify the layout and design, programming knowledge is not necessary. The vendor had developed a proven templating scheme that plays well with existing HTML editors.
    2. It doesn't lock you to a particular operating system since it is written in Java.
    3. Since it employs J2EE, it scales, rocks and keep your job safe (I sensed the last one, but it was not explicitly spelled out.)
    4. It runs on any servlet container.
    ]]>     programming 2003-11-02T19:35:27+05:00     Code aware IDEs have their uses! http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/10/23/code_aware_ides_have_their_uses.html Still, it may not be as good as MS Word at times :-) 927@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Code is fine. There is nothing sinister or even remotely complex about it. But it simply wouldn't run. .NET CLR screams it can't find the definition of a constant - a system constant! What does it mean, it can't find it? It is right there in front of me.

    Ah! This has to be Microsoft's way of punishing me. Rub eyes again. Double-check Makefile is fine and it is indeed compiling the source I work on. Check the tests are indeed running on the file I modified. Check all dependencies are there.

    ]]>     programming 2003-10-23T18:26:35+05:00     XP and SQL http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/10/20/xp_and_sql.html Does eXtreme Programming and OOP make SQL unfavourable? 923@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ The previous reference to respecting SQL got me thinking a little more, specifically about why SQL is unfashionable among programmers now. Comparing to Java and eXtreme Programming as the fashionable tools, the main reasons cited where:

    ]]>     programming 2003-10-20T07:05:17+05:00     Updates to feeds http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/09/14/updates_to_feeds.html Feed on feeds get categorization and opml. 888@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Spycyroll has been pretty much dead after arrival :-) Today, I got some time to mess with the source to add quick templating using XYAPTU. I need to figure out how to check it in - now, the code is a collection of Python and shell scripts (some things are just too easy in Shell).

    Summary of results are below.

    ]]>     python 2003-09-14T11:17:39+05:00     XP P2P SDK http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/07/28/xp_p2p_sdk.html MSDN has peer-to-peer SDK's available for download. I'm not planning to do anything with it, but thought it might be worthwhile to file it. 848@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Microsoft has new Peer-to-Peer SDKs for Windows XP available for download. It has two components. First one is the advanced networking pack and the second one is the SDK.

    If someone makes an application like Hydra, I might set aside natural security worries associated with XP to use it.

    ]]>     programming 2003-07-28T14:53:57+05:00     QOTD http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/07/24/qotd.html Right on the spot, about the purpose of a programming language. 843@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Jim Hugunin, on a foreword to Essential Python.

    The purpose of a programming language is to let software developers express their intentions as simply and directly as possible.

    Taken from Story of Jython, which is a great 1 page read.

    ]]>     programming 2003-07-24T06:10:47+05:00     Programming Links http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/07/23/programming_links.html Several items that caught my eye recently. 842@http://vsbabu.org/mt/
  • Remote SWT - Very interesting. RSWT allows any Java SWT application running on one host to display its GUI components on a remote host.
  • Paul Everitt on handful of XML and REST.
  • IE Edit Addon - nice to see people extending something I've no interest in maintaining.
  • Oracle Technet sneeks in an advertisement on their RSS.
  • Oracle 9i makes it easier to query hierarchies - pretty good.
  • Python support in Eclipse gets better
  • IBM dW tutorial on writing Eclipse extensions
  • If you use C#, get Borland's C# Builder. Free for personal use. And it is from Borland, IMO, who knows much better about making programming tools than anyone else.
  • RubyForge is up.
  • Blosxom 2.0 is out. I'm seriously considering moving to Blosxom or one of its clones in favour of MovableType.

    • Updates at 7:30 PM below.

    ]]>     programming 2003-07-23T06:18:24+05:00     A little too simplistic definition http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/07/07/a_little_too_simplistic_definition.html How do you differentiate scripting from programming? 827@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ I was reading a DevX article titled Build a Reflection-based Interpreter in Java. It has an interesting sidebar, viz., Scripting vs. Programming

    The author comes up with a rough conclusion that scripting languages follow quick and dirty programming style, whereas system programming languages follow a thought out programming style.

    Give me a break! This prompts me to rant.

    ]]>     programming 2003-07-07T18:13:14+05:00     Conversations with Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/05/21/conversations_with_andy_hunt_and_dave_thomas.html Artima.com completes all ten interviews with the pragmatic programmers. 795@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Bill Venners interviews two pragmatic programmers in Artima.com. A series of ten installments that are definitely worth reading if you are a programmer.

    Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas are the Pragmatic Programmers, recognized internationally as experts in the development of high-quality software. Their best-selling book of software best practices, The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master (Addison-Wesley, 1999), is filled with practical advice on a wide range of software development issues. They also authored Programming Ruby: A Pragmatic Programmer's Guide (Addison-Wesley, 2000), and helped to write the now famous Agile Manifesto.

    ]]>     programming 2003-05-21T07:35:23+05:00     Eclipse tutorials http://vsbabu.org/mt/archives/2003/04/27/eclipse_tutorials.html Some tutorials that caught my eye during last week. 769@http://vsbabu.org/mt/ Eric Foster-Johnson has written a Short and sweet intro on using Eclipse. There are no screenshots, but it is pretty quick to peruse.

    For much more detailed instructions, with screenshots, 3plus4 Software's tutorials are pretty good.

    ]]>     programming 2003-04-27T17:52:54+05:00