Recent Posts

5576

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 04, 2010, 12:05 PM »

I can see where the drag & drop should be a straight-forward path(didn't the Delphi guys go over to MS to do the RAD stuff? Or is that just a rumor?) but I found C# easy because I had C and C++ already.

Java had a similar framework(the Borland tools) but I had to learn different syntax/language at the same time.  It was just more natural to go with C# having a C background.  If you've never done delphi or RAD tools and never done any C based languages, it may be a tough way to start.

Trial and error may be the best approach.  Try a few freebies and see if one sticks.
For easy first language syntax, AutoIt3 is probably as easy as it gets for windows. If..Then Select..Case While..Wend  pretty simple.

5577

General Software Discussion / Re: MD5Hash 2.9

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 04, 2010, 12:01 PM »

Where's the skinned UI and fancy animations, Miles?

-f0dder (November 04, 2010, 03:16 AM)

I thought you were gonna' make me a kit so all I need to do is one function call?

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General Software Discussion / Re: MD5Hash 2.9

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 05:32 PM »

MD5Hash now includes a compiled program, MD5Context for adding or removing MD5Hash to/from the Explorer Context Menu.

It's a super advanced GUI .. meaning, it has an Add and a Remove Button.

Here's a screen shot in case anyone needs a chuckle

5579

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: Toggle Windows Mouse single/double click to open in Explorer

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 05:17 PM »

btw thanks for the link to that tool. I'll be checking it out.

5580

Developer's Corner / Re: Code for America

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:26 PM »

Hmmmmm, strange to think that cities with $Billion budgets have to get freebie web sites.

Weird how stuff works. If you want to bring a city to its knees you don't need explosives. Just get a bunch of "terrorists" to go around putting quarters in parking meters before they expire.  The loss of revenue will likely cripple the municipality.  

5581

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Shortcut Key Article

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:23 PM »

FARR has the advantage that recent finds are at the top when I hit the Pause key.  So when I do video using BD Rebuilder, I hit pause, the number for Core Temp(since my cores will be maxed out and I want to watch the temp) then hit Pause and the number for BD Rebuilder.

The alias or substring searches are better for younger users who haven't developed memory deterioration yet.  Visuals seem to stir the memory better.  For example my password saver program, I forget the password to open it until I see the GUI.  Then my fingers seem to remember what to type to get into it.  Maybe I'm short on Vitamin C or something.

5582

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:16 PM »

For the vc++ dialect of c++ there are some good resources here:

http://www.codeguru.com/forum/

Most of the questions seem to be beginner to intermediate.

5583

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Zentimo at GAOTD (Nov 03, 2010)

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:12 PM »

I got this just now also. I got the USB safely remove on the prior giveaway.  Sometimes though I have to wonder if I'm getting a placebo effect(tm).

I have a folder on network share in drives in a couple of docking stations.  Typically I go to the other machine, disconnect the share in Explorer, come back, kill Everything Search because it's hooked into the drive, then hit the Stop button a bunch of times.  As often as not I have to log off or just push the Off Button on the Docking Station.  I use SysInternals sync.exe to make sure buffers are flushed.  But often as not, it seems to do nadda other than make it convenient to hide empty drives.

5584

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: Toggle Windows Mouse single/double click to open in Explorer

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:07 PM »

I suspect the fly in the ointment would be log off to take effect unless I pushed the buttons with macro.  If you use the GUI it knows enough to reload the settings. If you update the registry I doubt it's smooth.

5585

General Software Discussion / Re: Google Chrome: Time for a Second Chance?

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 03:04 PM »

I've given up on the channels and just download the chromium nightly build. I have XML Tree extension which makes it easy to look through the changes file.  The build I'm running now(64532) the changes file is almost empty. Looks like they fixed up most of what they're going to fix.

Also it occurs to me, Windows Seven is really Windows 6.1 if you look at the return from GetVersion() API call, maybe Chromium 8 9 10 11 is just 6.4532 which is the build number?  The published version number seems to be for PR purposes.

5586

Post New Requests Here / Idea: Toggle Windows Mouse single/double click to open in Explorer

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2010, 02:13 PM »

I've changed from the default double-click to single-click for opening items in Explorer.  The bad side-effect is that holding down shift and clicking doesn't select a row of stuff anymore. You have to deal with individual check marks.

What I'd like to see is a quick toggle, perhaps with a selectable hotkey, that changes between single and double click mode.  So I can toggle to double-click mode, select a bunch of items using Shift click etc.., then when done, toggle back to Single-click mode.

Could be the best of both worlds.  I know where the setting is in the Explorer menus but I don't know the registry keys that control it to attempt it myself.

5587

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Shortcut Key Article

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 02, 2010, 04:00 PM »

Before FARR I used SlickRun. Also I tried several of the alias type launchers where you type and get a match.  Trouble is, I often forget the name of the executable while remembering what it does.  With categorized shortcuts, I go into Editors if I want to edit and the icon triggers my memory.

Unless you know one where typing "duh" finds everything, I'm gonna' need icon based launching.

5588

General Software Discussion / Re: Splash Lite 1.60

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 02, 2010, 03:53 PM »

Looks like the free version will never have PGS subs support:

http://www.mirillis....c.php?f=16&t=338

5589

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Shortcut Key Article

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 01, 2010, 05:28 PM »

I'm with you on that. For launching apps I have several methods but the most organized is folders with categories of shortcuts and each folder is in RocketDock.  For stuff I use the most I have StandAlone Stack in the TaskBar or QuickLaunch depending if it's W7 or Vista.

I just remember trying them and sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn't. I don't recall seeing the info that they had to be in All Programs or Desktop before.  For the hotkey programs I write the hotkey is in the About dialog as reminder.

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General Software Discussion / Windows Shortcut Key Article

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 01, 2010, 02:46 PM »

I found this of interest because on occasions when I tried using a hotkey with a Windows shortcut, it seemed inconsistent. I gave up on it.  The article explains the locations where the shortcut key will work.

It may save running a hotkey just to launch a program esp. if you can stand the shortcut being in the All Programs list.  Unfortunately it seems to favor the desktop. I've cleaned all icons off my desktop and have no desire to put them back.  Anyway, it may clarify some things for those frustrated with the shortcut key mechanism:

http://www.techsuppo...cation-or-folder.htm

5591

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 01, 2010, 12:56 AM »

If the programming bug bites you'll just get absorbed by it. If not, then forcing it will be drudgery.  Way too many details to do it if you hate it or think you have to.  Just try it and see if you're drawn in.

Otherwise just imagine trying to do something difficult with The Song of the Volga Boatmen playing in the background day after day.

It's more like it chooses you rather than you choosing it.

5592

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 31, 2010, 02:38 PM »

btw as long as we are discussing first programming languages, there's nothing wrong with FreeBASIC. It runs on Dos, Linux and Windows. It can create stand-alone compiled win32 programs. Like Python, you can start with a simple print statement as a first program.

Has classes, but not inheritance. Does have user defined types.
Since it uses gas assembler you can compile very small stand-alone Win32 apps.  If you don't include a custom icon I'm talking less than 20 KB.

http://www.freebasic.net/index.php

Forum for guidance here:

http://www.freebasic.net/forum/

On Windows the default installer sets you up with FBIDE. It's really an editor with help set up so you can put the cursor on the first letter of a language keyword and press F1 to get help on Basic. It doesn't have any wizards or resource editors. Just some macros that let you set the compile command line etc..  You can run programs directly out of the editor.  A simple way to start.

The source code files are set up similar to C language in this incarnation of Basic in that you have .bas files for the code files and .bi files for header files. It comes with a whole bunch of Win32 headers so that you can make most of the needed WinAPI calls without having to manually LoadLibrary and get the function pointer etc.  Very nicely done.

5593

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 31, 2010, 02:09 PM »

For a first programming language I think simpler is better. For Python,
print "Hello, World!"

Hello World program is as simple as it gets.
The environment should let you enter stuff like that as well as define classes etc. without a whole bunch of manual intervention. The main decision in Python editor I remember is Tab handling as it effects how sample code from online sites is imported.  The rest of it should be ok out of the box for starting out.  Focus on the programming language rather than the doo-dads.

5594

Developer's Corner / Re: (Removed) Free ActiveX Controls for Programmers

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 30, 2010, 01:14 PM »

I've removed the ActiveX Page along with GradDlg and TellTail ActiveX Controls.  I just don't want to see them anymore. 10+ years is enough!

Plus, at least for instance control, I've found ways of doing it without flicker.
Time for old code to die.

http://www.favessoft...om/changes.html#Site

5595

General Software Discussion / Re: Transpose 1.2.0.0

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2010, 04:40 PM »

Nice idea.  I teh quite often.
Doesn't work on 7 ultimate 64 bit, though.

-AndeT1 (October 29, 2010, 04:09 PM)

What programs have you tried? It's macro so it should work regardless of "bitness." It works for me in Vista64 and W7 32 bit.

See the source code file for a list of programs in the "GroupAdd" lines.
It only works when a progam in that list is the active window to avoid interfering with the keyboard shortcuts of other programs. You can add programs to the group using the instructions in the Readme.

Edit: I updated the Readme to clarify that it only works with programs in the EditGroup in the script.  The likely confusion was the reason I didn't put this up for download earlier.

5596

General Software Discussion / Transpose 2.3.2.3

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2010, 03:10 PM »

I wrote an AHK hotkey awhile back to Transpose the 2 characters left of the caret in some editors and browsers.  I added a couple of Mouse hotkeys for Chrome-based browsers.

The compiled program is available for download:

http://www.favessoft.com/hotkeys.html

Program source and icon are included.  See the Readme.txt for info how to add editors and browsers to the supported apps in the AHK source.

5597

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2010, 11:56 AM »

Another thing to take notice of is the plethora of fantastic tools you get in your context menu in Visual Studio.

It's hard for me to imagine any new learner being anything but negatively impacted by all of the plethora of tools and commands in Visual Studio.  I've been programming for 30 years and i still find these super powerful IDEs a bit overwhelming and distracting.. If you're just starting out learning how to program you might be better off using a simple text editor for your code, and focusing on the language itself and not trying to master a complex development editor/tool at the same time.

-mouser (October 29, 2010, 07:49 AM)

I have to agree with that.  For first programming you should be getting the logic, syntax and how function calls, subroutines work. In gwBasic the only "advanced tool" in the editor was automatic line numbering.  Once you have the hang of getting programs to do what you want using comparisons and other tests and branching, then it's time to find out you really have only scratched the surface.  Unfortunately it's not like The Matrix where the stuff can just be downloaded into your head. It takes a while to absorb it.

It's easy to forget that coming from outside programming, you think there is some real correlation between what you see and what happens in the machine.  You don't realize to some extent it's an illusion created by the programmer(the error message doesn't have to say "file not found" it could say "jeez are you dumb or what?" etc...)  The correlations that seem real are just maintained by consistent practices.

5598

Living Room / Re: New Supercomputer Accomplishes What Other Supercomputers Can't

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2010, 08:18 PM »

Every time I see these announcements of the newest superest computer I can't help thinking of John C. Dvorak and the 80286 with the Chang Modification.  Seems some dude made some genius modification to a 286 PC that allowed it to outperform 386 PCs with faster processors.

Turns out the guy just took the guts out of the benchmark.  Sure put up a high number though!!!

5599

Living Room / Re: I'm thinking about learning how to program.

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 27, 2010, 05:11 PM »

... but I didn't because it was very early in the morning and interfered with my swim team practice....

-superboyac (October 26, 2010, 03:56 PM)

Who knows, one day your ability to swim might proof more useful than your (now non)ability to program Turbo Pascal!

-phitsc (October 27, 2010, 05:21 AM)

Pascal has no float data type. No help there!

-MilesAhead (October 27, 2010, 11:58 AM)

Any Pascal that you're using today will

-wraith808 (October 27, 2010, 12:03 PM)

C'mon man!  Get real.

5600

General Software Discussion / Re: Open Icon Library

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 27, 2010, 12:03 PM »

Thanks for that link. I've recently found a free icon editor that can handle 256x256 Vista icons:

http://icofx.ro/

For icons themselves I have this link, but not all are free to use. You have to read the licensing for each set:

http://www.iconfinde...free_icons/?ultimate