Messages

101

Living Room / Re: How do you tag (or even organize) your files?

« on: October 22, 2007, 03:36 AM »

Sorry for the delayed response, but it took a while to read the other links. Anyway the Spotlight approach sounds cool, though since i haven't used a mac interface regularly enough i don't get the concepts.

As for Armando, what AHK scripts do you use?

I think the whole issue comes down to, how can we use our computers to be more intelligent and do things for us, rather than have us do things for the computer (so that it makes it easier for us later).

So a database would be a good idea, as long as it was seamless, and didn't have me pulling out my hair!

A lot of these document controls do exist, but at a great cost of learning curve, and performance hit. Anyway lets see...

102

Living Room / Re: Do you archive/store your downloads (mainly install files)?

« on: October 19, 2007, 10:03 PM »

Armando, that was certainly insightful, i thought that just putting it in the name would be a good option. But like you said the limitations and all. Regardless, i'd love more details on how you do it with the help of AHK and all.

Thinking more on it, a good idea would be like a category list, which you check off and it adds it to the filename!

But you know. I find that there is a difference in paradigm between tagging, and folder hierarchy. Tagging almost always requires you to search, and doesn't give you a good folder level view, but gives you quicker access to stuff you need. Whereas folders, give you good views, allows exploration, but makes finding things a bit harder. I think when we reach the tags = folders in explorer stage is when it'd be great! (like the delicious extension in firefox!)

103

Living Room / Re: Do you archive/store your downloads (mainly install files)?

« on: October 18, 2007, 03:59 AM »

I did a double take on that one, tinjaw... Didn't notice the second line of text 

-Darwin (October 11, 2007, 06:58 PM)

me too

Btw Armando How do you tag files? I am in the same boat i have a huge list of folders and i always sort my downloads by category and all that. But instead i would love to have it tagged, and easily searchable. I use CDS (copernic) to search for now.

Though i was thinking of setting up a FARR alias to do that as well, but ran into too much confusion and out of time in trying to get it to work (for another purpose of course, like running portable apps all from my \Programs\ directory, and trying to find one when using the 'p' keyword/tag/alias/whatever it's called. So didn't bother with the alias for my categorized appz folder as yet )

Sometimes i think i should start my own file organizing site, where i pull information from the web about the application and add the appropriate tags/category/folder to it... just so my organizing becomes easier! I think PADD.XML are a great attempt to do that, but sadly few follow it, and big ones don't follow at all!

It would be neat to have a semi-intellingent organizing app that asked google for the tags and applied them automagically  

I actually have a whole workflow around downloading, testing, archiving.

The reasons i archive are:

• I manage multiple pcs
• I am the tech support for dozens of pcs (the family tech support), so lots of time is spent on research like a lot of the fellow DCers! Just gotta find a way to step 4. Profit!!!
• App i installed on one PC often needs to be put on another later (then i don't have to remember and search again)
• same reasons as app103 as well but my list includes more family oriented or geek support stuff

  Keep in mind 4 of the primary reasons for saving older setup files:
  
  1. Newer doesn't mean better.
  2. Sometimes freeware goes payware.
  3. System requirements may increase in newer versions while the hardware on your PC may not.
  4. A lot of great little known freeware has a tendency to disappear from the web and become lost forever.
  
  

  -app103 (October 11, 2007, 03:27 PM)

  
  Nicely summarized.
  

  -Armando (October 11, 2007, 05:31 PM)

Here is top level view of my archives, though there are plenty of subfolders as well



I used to invest a lot of time doing this earlier, now it has tapered off and i don't care as much. My new interest is maintaining a good collection of portable apps that i can just dump on a new pc! Used to love doing this on the good old 486 days! Though managing a bunch of floppies was a pain!

104

General Software Discussion / Re: Is there a way to directly write notes onto the Windows desktop?

« on: October 18, 2007, 01:56 AM »

ATNoteshttp://atnotes.free.fr/

Fast lightweight, free note application

105

Living Room / Re: (Webfind) Programmer Personality Test

« on: September 27, 2007, 06:20 AM »

I got P/D because i was leaning both ways in some situations, the answer being it depends... anyway, i still agree with the HSB.

  P/D HSB

You're a Planner.
You may be slow, but you'll usually find the best solution. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right.


You like coding at a High level.
The world is made up of objects and components, you should create your programs in the same way.


You work best in a Solo situation.
The best way to program is by yourself. There's no communication problems, you know every part of the code allowing you to write the best programs possible.


You are a liBeral programmer.
Programming is a complex task and you should use white space and comments as freely as possible to help simplify the task. We're not writing on paper anymore so we can take up as much room as we need.

106

General Software Discussion / Re: How do you launch stuff?

« on: September 27, 2007, 01:33 AM »

* FARR
* Quicklaunch (from truelaunchbar, not that different though)

though i find that FARR gets slower the more directories you add to it.
For example i have all my portable/standalone/no-install programs in C:\Programs, and when i try to find something in it, it takes too long.
Another issue is i don't know when it's done searching.

sometimes then i switch to Copernic desktop search to find programs. though if a better alternative exists i might use that. CDS acts like my giant magnifying glass to find anything i ever need!

here's a screenshot

107

General Software Discussion / Re: What's your preferred File Manager

« on: September 27, 2007, 12:06 AM »

YaaaY! for dopus!
I use dopus all the time! With the new portable version it's even easier to move around with it!

I have tried all the other explorers mentioned here sometime or the other, but stuck with dopus throughout. Just gotten used to it now, and resistant to change thats a common feature as you grow older.

I've ignored office 2007 and still on 2k3.

108

Living Room / Re: Programming Can Ruin Your Life: A Fantastic Blog Essay on the Mind of a Coder

« on: September 26, 2007, 11:52 PM »

I get different results for the MBTI tests, everytime i take....
But the core is always the same *NT*
i remember when i first took it in high school (the full test), i was an INTP
Later it changed to ENTP then to ENTJ and now it says INTJ

Being a gemini one could explain those things i suppose. Also lately my social interactions have reduced to very little, so i guess the flip from E to I, but if i were to go out and be with my friends it would easily flip back to E.

Furthermore the %'s on the bottom give a better idea.

Introverted   Intuitive   Thinking   Judging
Strength of the preferences %
11   75   25   11

The 11% frequently switch between the options. But the core is called NT conceptualists (if memory serves)

Anyway the essay actually discusses the attributes of the NT type like you said, those who keep obsessing about the general principle, and trying to figure out things.

I am a programmer in that, i write programs and love doing it and do it frequently (on a small basis, no big projects with multiple people).

Like people have said in the forum programming is just a great outlet for this type of people,
* as the effort is minimal (learn a language and some concepts, easy and appealing to an NT type),
* the rewards are immediate (it works! YAAY! people are happy! YAAY!)
* consequences are easy to save, load, reload, & fix (basically no permanent bad thing, but can be worked out with effort) (in a trivial sense, not if you are responsible for a giant project!)

And as such if programming didn't exist, we would apply our minds elsewhere, (which we already do), like how we organize our stuff, the process of researching, other fields ...etc ...etc.

109

Living Room / Re: Bloons Tower Defense - Very Well Done

« on: September 02, 2007, 10:59 PM »

Here's a spoiler solution i call "the gauntlet"

-mouser (September 02, 2007, 05:02 PM)

OMG!! I can't believe that worked! hehe especially considering the in-game message, which said you can't win by just using tacks!

Anyway ... sigh... you all are a bunch of show-offs , including me 

Makes for good interesting strategies though.

110

Living Room / Re: Bloons Tower Defense - Very Well Done

« on: September 02, 2007, 12:18 AM »

I won! Finally! There are 50 Levels! I won with 4 Hypersonic monkeys in the end!

The important tricks were, the two tack towers in the beginning (to explode the white & blacks)
the two at the end to catch the remaining black and whites

plus the freezing on the bottom to slow down the games....

and getting the SuperMonkeys... they are essential after level 40!

In the beginning, i had monkeys where the supermonkeys are.

I LOVED this game, was quite challenging but doable!

Hope this helps people!

111

Living Room / Re: How do you organise your 'My Documents' folder

« on: August 29, 2007, 05:36 AM »

Desktop\Work -> Client -> Project -> [files organized as needed]

Share -> Downloads (default download location) -> further divided according to status
         -> CD Images
         -> Categorized Appz (where installers go after installation, for reference and sharing with friends later)
         -> Uploads (for other users on network to drop files in)
         -> zTasks (z to sort to bottom of heirarchy) -> subfolders according to status

My documents -> big list of files for indexing (stuff i can safely ignore)

then use filebox extender and add those folders to the list so they are easy to access from anywhere! done and done .

still haven't figured out a good way to deal with Reference materials though... :\

oh well...

112

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Consistent favourite folder access- wow- that was hard! Office->Directory Op

« on: August 15, 2007, 01:29 AM »

Hi Vixay, On my PC (XP Pro), FileBox Extender does absolutely nothing with the open dialogue boxes for Wordpad, Notepad or Foxit Reader. (I just tried the 'save as' box for Wordpad too).

To be very specific:
a. There is neither a Favorites or Recent Folders  FileBox Extender button on these dialogs. 
b. There is nil response to a 'hot key' from FileBox Extender in these cases. (That only seems to work when the button is also displayed). 
c. The rollup and 'on top' buttons can be displayed.

If you are seeing something different, do tell me / us!

I'm afraid it's not simply a question of being or not being keyboard savvy- it just does zilch in these cases (for me).

...[snip]...

The main one it's not so good at integrating with is Directory Opus. 

David L.

-dalchina (August 14, 2007, 09:37 AM)

a) Correct. I don't see icons either, that's coz i'm using windowblinds... so i don't mind
b) Works for me. See attached screenshots.
c) didn't bother to check, don't use em.

Clicking on any of those menus, works for me, no problem. It changes to the correct folder.
I'm using WinXP Home... (pro should be the same).

I'm just trying to inform other users the FBE might still be a viable option for them. Since in my use i haven't had any problems with it so far. I mainly use it to change folders in dialog boxes, and windows... in dopus i use dopus itself (or just have lots of tabs open!)

113

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Consistent favourite folder access- wow- that was hard! Office->Directory Opus

« on: August 14, 2007, 03:46 AM »

...A year or two back I started here, and have used Filebox Extender. But hey, it doesn't work with Wordpad or Foxit Reader - no extra buttons. ...

-dalchina (August 01, 2007, 08:01 AM)

but works well with the shorctut keys no problem!
so for the keyboard savvy people, FBE is still a great choice!

114

General Software Discussion / Re: "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop

« on: July 18, 2007, 03:03 AM »

Ok the cygwin alternative is really easy...

just go to http://www.cygwin.com
install
you are ready to rol!
go to http://delicious.com/popular/cygwin
Read
You are good to go

same benefits for a windows user, but a unix user will find the limitations bothersome.
I use it primarily for emacs (which can be had independently as well, xemacs and all)... and playing around with unix and shell

though powershell is the new CLI to learn apparently

115

General Software Discussion / Re: "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop

« on: July 17, 2007, 07:30 AM »

Summary for quick review, understanding & implementation: (your post is hard to scan quickly for info)

• Get a PC (with >1 GB RAM)
• Install Windows XP SP2 (Vista untested)
• Install VMWare (workstation or server)
• Install Ubuntu/Your flavor of unix in VMWare
• Setup VMWare networking correctly (How?)
• Install X-server for windows (xming)
• Setup your win X-server to use VM ubuntu (How?) (this is the innovative part!)
• Install KDE Kicker? to launch apps from windows

Pros:

• Use Unix apps from native unix environment in Windows
• Use unix & win apps simultaenously
• Experiment with linux, risk free! (can reset VM)

Cons:

• Not as fast as dual booting (but then lacks running both OS program simultaenously
• Overhead of running VM

Alternatives:

• Cygwin
• Dual-booting with different partitions/hdds
• Wubi for easy dual booting setup

So is that all correct? Any better ideas? or want to flesh it out more... to make it like a guide...

Optional Goodies:

• Windowblinds
• powerpro
• true launchbar

Anyway after reading your post i revisited powerpro & tlb...
didn't see anything very useful with TLB... maybe i just don't know how to use it or how it is better than the default quick launch

as for powerpro, it interferes with stroke it... and it's cumbersome and complicated to use... i am sure it's great once setup correctly, but setting it up correctly takes ages!


Feel free to take this post, expand on it and put it in the 1st post

Also i had a question about your setup then.... where do you install the applications you want to use? in the VM or windows? and what is the real benefit? can you work on a project (the same files) using both unix and win then ? (cygwin can)
So far the real benefit I see is that you get a VM HOSTED OS rather than an EMULATED LINUX (cygwin).

116

General Software Discussion / Re: "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop

« on: July 11, 2007, 11:45 PM »

Why not use a dual screen setup? With Linux on one and WinXP on the other? That way you'd literally have two OS's on a the same time .
Another interesting setup would be to have th LiveCDS boot in windows itself, so you can have risk-free linux when you want.... and if on flash drive then you can save data  too...

117

General Software Discussion / Re: Making the Switch-05: Ten Great Ideas of GNU/Linux

« on: July 11, 2007, 11:28 PM »

There is a dual pane explorer in linux.... i don't remember it's exact name but it was called KDE Explorer or some such thing, it was part of the KDE distro but works on ubuntu as well. It works just like dopus .... so there are options for switching, you just have to dig.

118

General Software Discussion / Re: Whats the best program to learn typing?

« on: May 10, 2007, 02:25 AM »

There's also CRIMSONLAND with a typing mode (one of my all time favorite games)

I just finished the online free version of the shark typer as well
Normal Mode, Level 20, Score 1142116
Time 49:11, WPM 66, Accuracy 91%
Rank Salvage master

There is a feature you can use in the shark game to help you out, SPACEBAR, pauses the game and you can still see all the sharks! helps in the really touch situations... and apparently you can keep typing even when the shark is offscreen, so you have split second at times to save the teddy bear look a like diver

119

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Desktop Teleporter

« on: March 15, 2007, 01:57 AM »

How about running the moveOut routine once in a while using the windows task scheduler...
Does it have any command line options to allow that? and quit cleanly after that, or send email/log if errors occur?

120

Living Room / Re: I wish there was some way to Encrypt my bike so it won't be stolen

« on: December 26, 2006, 06:14 AM »

@app: there are some strange robbers in your residence area, i see

@fodder: that's sorry to know, policeman should be honest people, at least as long as they are on duty

-jgpaiva (December 17, 2006, 04:01 AM)

Actually they should be honest, even when off-duty. The have higher powers compared to civilians and thus should have even better integrity than the normal folk.

Anyway my bike was stolen while in Chicago too, was an $80 bike, had it for a week, had a cheapo $20 cable lock, was locked in front of dorm room, gone the next morning. Didn't buy another though. ...

I have a cool new mtb now $300 gary fisher wahoo '07, and i keep it in my room , no more parking outside and letting it out of my sight, learnt my lesson. It sees a lot of action once a month at least (www.bangkokbikehash.com).

Anyway I'd read a few articles online about locks, sounds like good advice.
http://www.slate.com/id/2140083

But the bottomline is to a dedicated thief most bike's aren't a problem.
The key is to make your bike harder to get to and look less attractive that the bikes around it... one of the other posters had the right idea, duct it up and all that. One more thing i remember our campus had was Bike registration, maybe your police station or something has a program like that? If not you can still try and see if you can get it implemented, that way at least if it is ever found you can be contacted.

And you know the usual advice, don't park in seedy areas ...etc. Take your bike indoors and park it inside if possible? I have managed to drag my bike indoors in some places and leave it there...

On the more creative side you can also try putting stickers on your bike like:
"This bike has a GPS locater", "God will hurt you real bad if you steal this bike here", "There is a time bomb in the bike tubes"...

On another freaky note, I've heard that in India when bikes get stolen, they chop it up and use the smooth barrels to create temporary impromptu pistols... scary stuff 

121

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: MetaProducts TrayIcon Pro 1.7.219

« on: November 16, 2006, 11:07 PM »

Oops! I nearly forgot!

Vixay,

I tested out SlickRun. I thought it is really neat. Then I started to think...that it is just a glorified keyboard shortcut app with an added pain of having to find a little box to type into.

I played with it some more and I ended up concluding that it is both of the above. 

It is more than a glorified short-cut handler because it allows one to make memorable keyboard combinations by tagging the key combos to a name of your own chosing.

That is a very nifty for me. It also makes it truly the first keyboard shortcut handler which I actually could handle trying to use everyday.

I give it   

Thanks for telling me about it.

-WhiteLion (November 16, 2006, 04:37 AM)

Glad I could help, i'll append your rating to my post above...


The keylaunch screens look really good. How is it's memory consumption & all? any stats for us?
Furthermore is his trial version time-limited or what? I think that keylaunch could get a boost in popularity if it was mentioned to all the lifehackers our there... as they are only aware of Launchy right now (most don't know about FARR either). One thing though, it should work right out of the box for everybody, and customizing should be important only for Power Users, that will help with adoption.

122

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: MetaProducts TrayIcon Pro 1.7.219

« on: November 09, 2006, 05:40 AM »

If you are talking about keyboard based launchers... then these are the ones i've heard off and tried...
I currently use Find&Run robot... (DOH! I just figured it out now that FARR = Find And Run Robot!, lol... just wasted my time to post this then, though the other apps are useful too)

I am surprised that it isn't more popular on the web, currently launchy is the most popular out there...

Find&Run Robot https://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/findrun/ (free/donationware, ~1.5 MB)
 -> I like it, though a bit slow at times (after key is pressed), and takes some configuring to work just right... though the most powerful of th bunch  This is the one i use though, so i a am a little biased

Launchy  http://launchy.net/ (free, open source, ~0.6 MB)
 -> Simple, easy, fast, free open source,  

SlickRun http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/ (free, only 170KB! (requires delphi libraries though))
  -> haven't actually tried this one yet...

I tested out SlickRun. I thought it is really neat. Then I started to think...that it is just a glorified keyboard shortcut app with an added pain of having to find a little box to type into.
I played with it some more and I ended up concluding that it is both of the above. 
It is more than a glorified short-cut handler because it allows one to make memorable keyboard combinations by tagging the key combos to a name of your own chosing.
That is a very nifty for me. It also makes it truly the first keyboard shortcut handler which I actually could handle trying to use everyday.

I give it   
Thanks for telling me about it.

-WhiteLion (November 16, 2006, 04:37 AM)

Anyway now to complete the list, i should add the ones you guys mentioned above...

KeyLaunch http://software.xfx.net/utilities/kl/index.htm (shareware $12, ~2.7 MB)

Looks good, i haven't tried it yet though.

/edit note: added some more info, and reviews

123

Skrommel's Software / Re: Way to make DoOver loop?

« on: November 07, 2006, 05:56 AM »

Ahem...
Well then, seeing that my previous version sucked...
I have written a newer version with HOTKEY support (LCTRL + F6)
and a popup inputbox...
this is inline with my original idea...

here's the workhorse bit, (there's other integration stuff around)

[Select]

; ===BEGIN=== Additions by Vixay ===11/7/2006===
VXREPEAT:
; Popup Question how many times
; or get value from .ini file,
;SYNTAX: InputBox, OutputVar [, Title, Prompt, HIDE, Width, Height, X, Y, Font, Timeout, Default]
 InputBox, repeatnum, Repeat, Please enter the number of times to repeat (between 1 & 100).,,,,,,,,%repeatnum%
;Error check UserInput...
if repeatnum not between 1 and 100
{
MsgBox,0,Invalid Number,Invalid number given, aborting repeat playback.
Return
}
 ;MsgBox,0,RepeatNum & UserInput, %repeatnum%`n%UserInput% ;For Debugging purposes
Loop %repeatnum%{
 ;DoOver Macro
 Gosub,MACROPLAY
 sleep, 100
}
Return
; ===END=== Additions by Vixay ===11/7/2006===

I've uploaded the new modified version.

However, the one above & this one implement the features differently, just be aware of that...

I have experienced a little problem with this version in that, the mouse doesn't jump exactly where its supposed to! (don't know why)... though exiting and reloading usually works...

BTW to use this version you have to delete your existing DOOver.ini or copy this script into a new folder...
hmmm... maybe i should rename the INI too? Ok give me a sec..... alright done... so this version and old doover can coexist...

124

Skrommel's Software / Re: Way to make DoOver loop?

« on: November 07, 2006, 02:12 AM »

I wanted that functionality... so here's what i did before seeing the above post of course (doh i realized i had posted the code above! sheesh!.... i had searched for this earlier but hadn't found it, and today i absolutely wanted it! (had to run 30 odd times) so i figured i'd modify the script (even though I've never written in AHK before, though i am a programmer)...

my way is clunky,
I just added a new variable "repeatnum" in the .ini file, it defaults to 1
and the code checks to make sure it is between 1 - 100 (since currently i don't know if there's a way to quit in between!)

anyway look at the attached script

125

Official Announcements / Re: --> OCTOBER SOFTWARE DRAWING RESULTS - POSTED

« on: October 16, 2006, 08:39 PM »

Wow!
I totally didn't expect it, and i am still a newbie to the board!
Thanks guys!  or maybe i should thank the software? hehe ... nah, it's all of your hard work that brings so much joy to the members here ...
Adios... off to discover the new software...

Vx