Messages

51

Living Room / Re: firefox inside firefox

« on: April 13, 2007, 01:34 PM »

Thanks dk70!

yes, he could've picked it up from the mozilla docs

the rest of the examples on that page are good.

everyone, have a look - it's useful and makes you feel kinda savvy

52

Developer's Corner / Re: Instant Domain Search as you Type

« on: April 12, 2007, 02:00 PM »

hi,
just what i had suspected all along.  This complicates the whole scenario infinitely    

Finally we'll land up using only whois tools from neutral entities    

I've been through a *harrowing* domain search and host search exercise recently and, take my word, this domain business is damn shady. Ethics are in the neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. Nothing nearer than that 

2stepsback

53

Developer's Corner / Re: Dynapi and X - veterans that standard out amidst the din of AJAX/Javascript

« on: April 12, 2007, 01:32 PM »

Hi all,
if anyone wants a way of making parts of web pages updatable so as to make the page appear fast, but without using AJAX (it's easy actually, but for a variety of reasons, you might not want to use AJAX in some places), then here's a way:

See these:
<a href="http://www.cs.cmu.ed...Test/index-html.html">http://www.cs.cmu.ed...Test/index-html.html</a>
and
<a href="http://www.enomaly.n...i.gui.loadpanel.html">http://www.enomaly.n...i.gui.loadpanel.html</a>

Basically, they use inline frames for updating parts of web pages (DOM nodes) instead of using AJAX.
There ought to be many other such scripts as well.

FWIW,  here's my favourite rant about Javascript:
The single biggest mistake that mot ordinary web developers commit today is to think of Javascript as DHTML. I don't know of any language called DHTML. I know of Javascript. And it's not really an operation in assembling Lego blocks. It's surprising how Javascript editors and IDEs are far less in number than C/C++/Java editors and IDEs. Javascript is *not* Dynamic HTML. There is no "dynamic" HTML. HTML is static. CSS comes to close, but it's CSS. So you need to *study* and learn Javascript, not just "throw some scripts into the page".

Ok, coming back, you can quickly hack up a set of functions to load any iframe node in your final page with the HTML from a normal HTML file (containing only as much information as is needed for the small rectangle in which it is to be shown), using the url/src property of the iframe. That's it!
You could do it with normal frames as well, as long as you would not get confused.

Then there is the big argument that saving pages and book marking pages becomes a royal pain.

Saving:
One only needs to think a little: you have the DOM with you, you have the DOM of the iframe's HTML file with you, you know how to traverse DOMs - you can make a separate popup page with all the correct HTML in it and the user can save it

Bookmarking:
Same as above plus a "Bookmark Me" button on your main page or on the popped up page

There's another part as well:
Using a hidden iframe to load and retain all the data into so that it essentialy does the job that an array of objects would have in any other programming language, and then using the contents of the appropriate nodes in the DOM tree of that hidden HTML document to find and update data into teh visible document. Seems like an ugly hack but it has its merits, since once you use the standard AJAX method, after N AJAX loads into say a "photo" element, your old data (N-1 photos) could be lost unless you use some mechanism to store it. So you might have to hack around any way.

Criticisms / opinions / comments / suggestions welcome

-2stepsback

54

Living Room / Re: Been asked a MILLION times...Internet explorer

« on: April 12, 2007, 06:17 AM »

hi,
try Hijack This! ( http://www.spywarein...~merijn/programs.php )
It does not cure, merely states what is abnormal on your PC. Often it gives a list of things of harmless things.

But, be assured, 99% of malware is detected by it. So be sure to have it on your PC. Always.

Another great tool is Spybot Search and Destroy (from www.safer-networking.org/ - also may be found at http://patrick.kolla.de/spybotsd.html ) It is *excellent*

HTH
-2stepsback

55

Living Room / firefox inside firefox

« on: April 12, 2007, 05:47 AM »

Hi all,
this one is fun:
http://seejay.wordpr...efox-inside-firefox/

Totally harmless. Really amusing.

Got it?

Now, try it recursively for a few more levels and then see the fun!
(Try more than one level only if you've got enough RAM (512 here) and you don't have programs running)

Finally, close the innermost window by pressing File->Exit and see the *whole* thing go ... poof!

Enjoy!
-2stepsback







(See the attachment)

56

General Software Discussion / Re: wanted: GUI graphics

« on: April 12, 2007, 12:54 AM »

does this help:

http://www.softinteg...s/toolkit/mechanism/

i suggest googling for mech / CAD / Design tools if you haven't already thought of it.

57

General Software Discussion / Re: Drupal is f*cked

« on: April 11, 2007, 01:58 PM »

How does Drupal comapre to Joomla.

-MrCrispy (April 10, 2007, 05:33 PM)

Not used drupal, so i dunno.

I need to setup a CMS/Wiki/Forum hybrid and Joomla looks like it has enough plugins to do the job.

Very correct. I had to do the same hunting and found that Joomla has 1000+ plugins/addons/modules/thingies and has one even for VOIP called Mambotastic. Couple that with the fact that *IBM* has accepted it as a valued platform for the LAMP stack.

But I don't really know how to admin Linux.

Get any of : XAMPP, EasyPHP, Apache2Triad, Web-Developer Server Suite and many more, develop, test on windows. Run on Linux on a shared host - many free /cheap ones are available

58

General Software Discussion / Re: Drupal is f*cked

« on: April 11, 2007, 11:14 AM »

hi,
people good at programming but new to web development or PHP (or both) are STRONGLY ADVISED to use wordpress as a learning tool because of the following:

• exceptionally large user base
• 24x7x365 active IRC channel - personally verified
• super easy code
• generally decent documentation with excellent newbie-oriented language - that kind of Layman-Compatible(TM) language is not seen anywhere else on the www
• comprehensive list of plugins and themes
• FREE in both ways

After you've started understanding it ( about a week for a decent coder, a month for a total n00b), you realize that using parallel projects like Wordpress MU (MultiUser) and a fork called Lyceum, you can make a multi-user *portal* in no time. Plus all the plugins = full CMS

HTH,
2stepsback

59

Living Room / Re: Living with Linux Ubuntu (ONLY) for 30 days

« on: April 08, 2007, 02:28 AM »

Hi all,

this seems to be interesting for those hesitant on trying out Linux:

                 http://www.linux-xp.com/

The main idea of Linux XP Desktop is to easily combine the best features of Linux and Windows. The most important MS Windows functions will not be lost.

List of hardware and software support:
http://www.linux-xp.com/features/

Docs:
http://www.linux-xp....pd_quickstart_en.pdf

Prices:   http://www.linux-xp.com/buy-license/

Linux XP Desktop 2006 Activation Key
+ lifetime updates => 19.99 USD

and

Linux XP Desktop 2006 Activation Key
+ lifetime updates + 30 days of support => 39.98 USD

The download is fully functional for 99 boot-ups. Thereafter, some programs (I think those that allow Linux-XP to co-exist with windows XP) third party programs stop working if not registered ( = USD 20 )

But Linux-XP will continue to work normally as if it were registered, if you plan to use the standard FOSS programs that everyone else uses

It is *NOT* crippleware like Vista. AFAIK, you can do everything with it that you can with other linux distros. I've not tried it out, but I will soon and let you know if it is really good.

-2stepsback

60

Developer's Corner / Dynapi and X - veterans that standard out amidst the din of AJAX/Javascript

« on: April 06, 2007, 01:42 PM »

Hi all,
If you thought that all those smart javascript tricks that we see today on web2.0 are the product of the last two years alone, think again. A few Javascript libraries have had *Widgets*, effects and debugging support for quite some time.
Two such are:
[1] cross-browser.com - the X library (LGPL)
and
[2] dynapi.sourceforge.net (also LGPL)

Both are impressive and professional. 
It'll be a tough job deciding the better one. (My personal bias is towards DynAPI)

In particular, web2.0 frameworks from the "web2.0 hacker" community are in great need of documentation and organization. Not these two. Both are very very well documented.

I haven't seen Yahoo UI but I've heard that they've made it as close to C/C++/Java as possible so that moving to javascript becomes very easy.

(@mods: maybe this could go into a general board for Programming School ......)

UPDATE:
If you don't check this out, you're losing out on a lot:
http://dynapi.source...s/docs/examples.html

especially this flashy script
http://dynapi.source...api.fx.textanim.html

and this eye candy:
http://dynapi.source...nlayer-dragdraw.html

UPDATE 2:
Have a look at this: http://www.michaelbystrom.com/ios/ <-- but it's in flash

61

General Software Discussion / Absolutely brilliant website for web developers - bookmarklets

« on: April 06, 2007, 11:12 AM »

About the Pornzilla joke - It's a nice joke, pretty amusing.

But wait till you surf the rest of the site, especially the bookmarklets for debugging.

They're super

http://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/

Enjoy!

..........

You're welcome ( <-- ?? )





(I knew you were going to thank me )

62

Developer's Corner / ch @ softintegration.com - multi-platform scripting in C/C++

« on: April 06, 2007, 06:26 AM »

Hi everyone,

Assuming C/C++ is the most used language by folks here, this:
http://www.softinteg.../press/20040928.html

should come as a handy piece of information.

let me quote a bit:

SoftIntegration, Inc. today announced the availability of Ch 4.7, Ch SDK 4.7 and Embedded Ch 4.7. Ch is an embeddable C/C++ interpreter for cross-platform scripting, 2D/3D plotting, numerical computing, shell programming and embedded scripting.

I jumped a couple of times 

Thirty-six new APIs are added in Ch SDK and Embedded Ch for easier interface with binary C/C++ libraries and embedded scripting.

Sounds good 

Ch and Embedded Ch toolkit provide a framework and development environment that enabled the development of an extremely flexible Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) environment.

and sufficiently sophisticated

Pricing and Availability:
Ch and Embedded Ch for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, HP-UX and FreeBSD are available. Ch Standard Edition is free for both commercial and non-commercial uses in all platforms. Ch Professional Edition is free for academic use and costs $399 for personal or commercial use.

Now they're talking! FREE!! 
However, I've not done any programming in Ch and it does not look all that great because you still have to write all the code that you wrote in C/C++. AND THEREIN LIES AN OPPORTUNITY!
1. See, there are a whole lot of libraries in c/c++ out there doing good things. They could either be used directly from inside this c/c++ thing. Or, they could be ported. That is one.
2. They have something like an ActiveX Control for deployment on web pages much like your traditional Microsoft ActiveX objects or say even Java applets. If you manage to get such controls into your web page you can develop Rich Internet Applications as well. I jolly well know that Java failed, but someone(not necessarily one of us) just has to hack Ch and get it to make digitally signable applets/controls and you can have an ActiveX platform for deploying RIAs.
3. There is integration with existing webservers like Apache (1.3.x and 2.x) to do.
4. Porting to .Net comes to mind
5. Porting to Mono follows
Opinions/flames/suggestions invited   

Best wishes,
-2stepsback

PS: some more links:
http://www.softintegration.com/demos/
http://www.softinteg...mos/toolkit/windows/
http://www.softinteg...s/toolkit/mechanism/
http://www.softinteg...mos/toolkit/control/

63

Living Room / Re: engineer joke

« on: April 05, 2007, 12:20 AM »

surely most know this, but for those who don't:

http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor/
is a place where you have 99% of jokes clean and readable by children or before your family.

Enjoy!!

64

Living Room / Re: Recipe for Java Cookies

« on: April 05, 2007, 12:16 AM »

What I am now wondering is how many coders would be interested in converting their favorite recipe to their favorite programming language?

-app103 (April 04, 2007, 11:53 AM)

Lots!

One could build an entire site based on this idea. 

[Select]

//ACK!nowledgement
me.setAgreement(true);
app103.setIsRight(true);
//APPreciation
for (int i = 0 ; i < 5; ++i){
  me.clapOnce();
}

65

Found Deals and Discounts / free full license for beta testing help

« on: April 04, 2007, 11:07 AM »

hi all,

anyone interested in making complete PHP/Javascript web apps quickly without having to mess with html and css to get positioning of elements right needs to have a look at this product:
I found this a year or so ago, but their offer still stands!

http://turbophp.com/            search for "free full licenses"

So, if you beta test it well and they like it, use your feedback, you get a license free.

EDIT: Quoting right now from their forum:

Our users have posted a total of 379 articles
We have 2333 registered users
The newest registered user is 2stepsback

EDIT 2: CAUTION:
It seems their forum is spammed badly so i dunno whether the product is really very actively maintained....

66

Found Deals and Discounts / Java Sun Solaris Netbeans and Java Desktop System - all free

« on: April 04, 2007, 02:11 AM »

Hi all,
I dunno if anyone here is actually interested in this: but it sounds too big a freebie to ignore, so I'm posting it here:

http://developers.su...sunstudio/downloads/

In case you have not heard of it, Java has become GPL opensource - the compiler and the runtime. And Sun is madly pushing all their products - even the awesome Solaris, for free.

I don't think solaris is of any use to pc users but might be quite useful for small servers. at least good to be in the know of things.

PS: you need to register - it's totally free - to complete the download - and let me assure you , SUN doesn't behave the way Microsoft does with your registration information. No nags, arm-twisting, nothing.

hth

67

Found Deals and Discounts / one free webhosting account on purchase of one (1 + 1 free)

« on: April 02, 2007, 01:53 PM »

see
http://www.freewebdot.com/

03/23/2007
FREE 1+1 For each website your order at FWDC you will get one website FOR FREE!

maybe someone gets a good deal

the idea is we ( = interested people ) pair up and buy a single account - get the other free.

PS: i got it from sharptoolbox.com which is worth visiting. ( there's also the sister site javatoolbox.com)

also,
aspnetpro.com is doing a survey for the best tools and sites in the .Net world

http://www.aspnetpro.com/readerschoice/

It is extremely useful to take that survey, if only to see just how many top products are there in every category - it's a "diverse and complex ecosystem" out there

Save the names of all those contestants and you get enough material to make a "list of freeware/shareware" page of your own

This is the full list put up there:

MaximumASP
DiscountASP.NET
midPhase
AspSpider.NET (free)
Webhost4life
FREEWEBDOT.com (free)
ORCS Web
myhosting.com
Brinkster (free)

free = free asp.net hosting in some way or other

hth

68

General Software Discussion / Re: Advantages and disadvantages of NNTP Newsreaders

« on: April 02, 2007, 12:29 PM »

If you set OE to "text only" (and use OE QuoteFix), I _think_ you'll be reasonably safe - afaik, the OE exploits are really for IE's html engine...

-f0dder (April 02, 2007, 08:20 AM)

Ok. I also tried out Opera, looks good as well.
Will be getting spamassassin as well ... just in case.
As far as Antiviruses go, I have a question: What is meant by personal use only? I have only one PC - Windows XP Pro SP2, and it is my home *and* work PC (work from home), so can I or can't I use it to protect my PC.
Sales departments of Antivirus companies are probably too big to answer my email
And then my Norton installation keeps warning me of dire consequences if I fail to renew....

btw, Does anyone here own a newsreader? as in, has written and sells one?

69

General Software Discussion / Re: Advantages and disadvantages of NNTP Newsreaders

« on: April 02, 2007, 07:16 AM »

I personally use Outlook Express for NNTP - and only for that. All other NNTP clients I've come about had pretty disagreeable user interfaces - especially Agent

-f0dder (September 18, 2006, 12:28 AM)

I've always used Google groups for usenet but I'm finding it more and more of a burden to conncet, log in,especially now that they made the interface clunkier than before - I'm a sucker for text and basic no-frills UIs.

My main worry is virus/worm/malware protection - OE is M$, used by everyone, and comes bundled with Windows. To me that means "tempting sitting duck for virus writers". So could anyone suggest a cheap/free method, plugin or newsreader which has some kind of inherent ability against viruses - AFAIK, good malware protection comes expensive - $40-$75 for Inernet security products from various companies.

EDIT: I want access to usenet programming groups only and not for any binaries. I prefer a method/program which will keep any and all active content blocked or out, by default, or by configuration

TIA,
-2stepsback

70

Official Announcements / Re: Announcement: DonationCoder.com Has Been Sold to Apple

« on: April 02, 2007, 02:54 AM »

Hello iDonationCoder.com friends,

This is to inform you that in addition to the previously stated changes, we have decided to introduce iDonationCoder.com support packages starting from $24.95 per issue or $29.95 per 10-minute support session.

Additionally, we will soon be releasing a comprehensive list of support packages along similar lines to help meet growing demand from our customer community.
We strive to keep our customers happy by providing high quality products at extremely affordable prices and friendly support packages for your computing needs.

We are happy to see that a number of Small and Medium Businesses have benefitted from our services and so we shall be introducing a Best Small Business award for the most active SMB on the iDonationCoder.com portal. Such a winner will be officially given the title of "iSMB of the year".

The process will be as follows:
1. Each applicant will detail his/her contributions and benefits derived from iDonationCoder.com
2. Possibly the financial and other legal documents to support the claimed figures.
3. The applications will be reviewed by our screening community and we will decide three final winners.
4. The decision of the screening committee will be final and binding.

Winners will be entitled to a free one-year subscription to special iDonationCoder.com sections like SMB Central and iSMB.

Kindly note that due to a speedy acquisition process, we have not been able to finalize the subscription packages for these zones for the general public so far. We apologize for the same and will soon be fixing the issue.

In addition to benefits like access to these special SMB zones, paying members will get attractive free gifts like handouts for display at their various office locations, audio clips, and cellphone ringtones to greet their friends and family with, and a free download of the client software. Additionally, one email support issue comes totally free with paid membership.

We hope you enjoy this new offering of ours as much as we enjoy providing it for you.

Yours sincerely,
2stepsback,
Chief of Operations,
iDonationCoder.com Support

71

Living Room / Re: cheap domain name with private registration

« on: April 01, 2007, 02:41 PM »

Just remember you get what you pay for.. well in most cases.. So if you want your site to be stable, don't cheap out on the hosting.. Especially if your site is a business one... 

-mitzevo (April 01, 2007, 09:24 AM)

Thanks for the tip! I figured that out somewhere in the process, and so, I purchased a proper domain from my host.
But I don't think the next big AJAX app will come from me lol

72

Living Room / This is different - visibone printed paper cheatsheets for web design reference.

« on: March 29, 2007, 05:43 AM »

Hi,
while trying to look up HTML/CSS references, I came across this interesting site full of webdesign cheatsheets : http://visibone.com.

The author, Bob Stein, has put some good webdesign reference information online like:
"The 216 color webmaster's palette"
"The world map with internet country codes"
"hexadecimal HTML color codes"
"JavaScript a free online quick reference"
and more:
Color Lab  Swatches  Color Codes  Color FAQ  Color Wheel  Color Blindness  Popups  Font Survey
HTML Tags  Style Sheet  Characters  JavaScript  Regular Expressions  Country Codes  Typing Tutor

The most important part however is that he has made cheatsheets in print form for easy reference to carry around with you. The rationale is stated like this:"It's not what you learn. It's what you remember."

I believe complexity is best mastered by seeing the whole picture in rich detail; that expertise consists mainly of vivid mental pictures; that working knowledge is best aided by precise reminders within view or reach. I've tried to give you both extremes, the totality at a glance, with as much useful detail as can fit.

And so, he's crafted near works-of-art - printed cheatsheets made with great attention to detail like colors, contrasts, layout, sizes, fonts, etc. to display HTML color codes, fonts, layouts, contrasts - the standard HTML/CSS references. The cheat sheets are not limited to that. There are others for MySQL, Characters, JavaScript, Regular Expressions, Country Codes etc.

NOTE: the site may appear amateur at first glance, but you'll find it's not, when you realize that colors and layouts are his forte, he probably knows best how to arrange those around the page.

So, if you have the liking for offline references, visibone is for you.

Also, you can vote for which cheatsheet he should work on next at his survey page:
http://www.visibone....lorlab/labright.html

Hope that helps,
2stepsback

73

General Software Discussion / Re: A programmers notepad w/ syntax highlighting

« on: March 28, 2007, 02:10 PM »

(readme*)

O child! You have indeed thought wisely. Therefore, I shall confer upon you the wisdom of old that sayeth that Notepad++ is the Holy Grail of the unlimited freedom software worlds. And verily so for making changes to your character(s). Swiftly and without hurting limb. You shall seek plugins and extensions and you shall code and it will be well. You shall use code folding and it will be well. You shall customize autocompletion and it shall be well.

If only I could find a color scheme which resembles the old green text with black background like on older terminals for it.

You shall customize as you wish within five sixtieths of the hour and it shall be well.

ok ok .... I guess you got the idea

* A different approach to explain my affection for this wonderful text editor.....

74

Living Room / Re: cheap domain name with private registration

« on: March 28, 2007, 10:26 AM »

For the record, a good place to look for country code Top Level domains (ccTLDs) like .us, .uk, .cz, etc and the corresponding domain name registrars is:

http://www.norid.no/...avnbaser/domreg.html

Does anyone know any cctld registrars with odd packages like the dot tk folks or the co.nr folks?

TIA

75

Living Room / Re: Why Small Programs Can Take Years To Complete

« on: March 28, 2007, 10:15 AM »

A tool that enables humans to exhibit NEW behaviors they could not otherwise or exhibit existing ones in a more significant efficiency. To me this is no different than inventing the wheel, fire, or electricity.

-cnewtonne (February 09, 2007, 07:59 AM)

I second, third, fourth, fifth that . Inventing is fun!
Hint: cross-disciplinary thinking  makes one a good analyst and a better inventor. (EDIT:subject to normal social limits. Otherwise things can go horribly wrong......)

Example of cross-disciplinary thinking:
Go sit down in the park. watch a dog happily eat a bone. put yourself in his position - eat without using hands. Sounds sloppy. think again. assume you're in the next century, where everything's computerized. food is delivered to you at your desk. by robotic arms. all you do is make a physical movement (like a mouse gesture) and the proper arm, lifts the proper burger from the mini oven and presents it to your lips. eating without using hands! too far fetched? think again. stephen hawking. ICU's ICCU's. medical equipment. big money and big market!!

You can do all of that in game programming, eg. in second life
Enjoy!