Java Application Launcher

The Launcher Component is designed to be a cross platform Java application launcher. Commons-launcher eliminates the need for a batch or shell script to launch a Java class.

Top Reasons Why People Think Java Un-Cool - Debunked

A few things I totally agree is that Java is resource hungry and lacks of a really good IDE compare to Microsoft's line of product.

Nvu

Finally! A complete Web Authoring System for Linux Desktop users as well as Microsoft Windows users to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver. Nvu (pronounced N-view, for a "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. Nvu is 100% open source. This means anyone is welcome to download Nvu at no charge, including the source code if you need to make special changes.

Some CSS Links

Basic CSS Box Model CSS Box Model Exploratorium Roadmap to Standards CSS Tutorial from w3school Fix your site with the Right Doctype How To Write Efficient CSS Writing Perfect Style Sheets Learning CSS CSS links to truly keep you reading for days Modifying Dreamweaver to produce valid XHTML From Table hacks to CSS Tables vs CSS :Fight to the Death Throwing Tables out the Window Creating Accessible Tables Validators: Cynthia Says Bobby CSS HTML Link validator

Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP

As long as you aren’t making any hardware alterations, you can back up the activation status files before you reformat the hard drive and then restore them after you reinstall the operating system. To perform the backup, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.

HTML forms and ENTER

There are quite a number of occasions when I have to deal with forms that contains multiple submit buttons. A problem occurs when we need to specify a default submit button for user when user press the enter on any of the form elements. Usually for struts based framework, the developer will need to know which submit button is being clicked so the different functionality such as add, update or delete can be detected and performed. However, there is not clear guideline on which button will be submitted when a form submit without focusing on a submit button. An MSDN library article on submit button says that the first submit button will be used if none is on focus at the time of form submit is performed. Therefore certain workarounds such as creating a duplicate default submit button and placing it at the begining of the form and then hiding it using CSS are being suggested. Another suggestion which I found on this article; is to use a image submit button and set the size to 0. However, I am not sure this will be workable in my struts based project as I remember that the way struts framework handle image submit and normal submit is different. But then again, I could be wrong. If I ever encounter this scenario in this project, I think I will use <div style="display:none"><html:submit property="action">label</html:submit></div> just next to my html:form tag.

Estimation

The shorter the tasks, the better the estimate.

Digerati

digerati \dij-uh-RAH-tee\, plural noun: Persons knowledgeable about computers and technology. [dig(ital) + (lit)erati.]

Simple Mathematics Equation

Maths?

Add UNC information to the command prompt

From the TechRepublic Windows XP Tips newsletter. If you’re like most system administrators, you more than likely prefer to perform common tasks using Windows XP’s vast array of command-line tools. If so, here’s another trick to add to your toolbox. Did you know that you can configure the command prompt to display the full UNC of a mapped drive letter? The ability to tell at a glance which server a particular driver letter maps to can save you both time and frustration when working at the command line. All you have to do is add a special character to the Prompt command. Follow these steps:

1. Press [Windows][Break] to open the System Properties dialog box.
2. On the Advanced tab, click the Environment Variables button.
3. In the System Variables section, click the New button.
4. Enter PROMPT in the Variable Name text box.
5. Enter $m$p$g in the Variable Value text box.
6. Click OK three times to close all open dialog boxes.

Now, when you open a command prompt and access a mapped drive letter, you'll see the UNC path in the prompt.

Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD

Microsoft added the ability to Slipstream a Service Pack to Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It not only has the advantage that when you (re)install your OS, you don't have to apply the Service Pack later, also if you update any Windows component later, you'll be sure that you get the correct installation files if Windows needs any.

Compressing and Decompressing Data using Java

This article:

• Gives you a brief overview of data compression
• Describes the java.util.zip package
• Shows how to use this package to compress and decompress data
• Shows how to compress and decompress serialized objects to save disk space
• Shows how to compress and decompress data on the fly to improve the performance of client/server applications

Help Make Blogs More Visible!

There are by some estimates more than a million weblogs. But most of them get no visibility in search engines. Only a few "A-List" blogs get into the top search engine results for a given topic, while the majority of blogs just don't get noticed. The reason is that the smaller blogs don't have enough links pointing to them. But this posting could solve that. Let's help the smaller blogs get more visibility! This posting is GoMeme 4.0. It is part of an experiment to see if we can create a blog posting that helps 1000's of blogs get higher rankings in Google. So far we have tried 3 earlier variations. Our first test, GoMeme 1.0, spread to nearly 740 blogs in 2.5 days. This new version 4.0 is shorter, simpler, and fits more easily into your blog. Why are we doing this? We want to help thousands of blogs get more visibility in Google and other search engines. How does it work? Just follow the instructions below to re-post this meme in your blog and add your URL to the end of the Path List below. As the meme spreads onwards from your blog, so will your URL. Later, when your blog is indexed by search engines, they will see the links pointing to your blog from all the downstream blogs that got this via you, which will cause them to rank your blog higher in search results. Everyone in the Path List below benefits in a similar way as this meme spreads. Try it! Instructions: Just copy this entire post and paste it into your blog. Then add your URL to the end of the path list below, and pass it on! (Make sure you add your URLs as live links or HTML code to the Path List below.) Path List 1. Minding the Planet 2. Luke Hutteman's public virtual MemoryStream 3. JayBaz_MS blog 4. kokwai's trail 5. (your URL goes here! But first, please copy this line and move it down to the next line for the next person).

There is no such thing like “best practice” in software design

Interesting part from this article.

An increasing number of practitioners in the software design profession are observing that good design always depends on context; in fact they detect this notion of “best practice” as a harmful notion that prevent thinking and good design judgment because is commonly perceived and practiced as a silver bullet that just divulge the form but preclude the essence of the design process. Certainly, there is no such thing like “best practice” in software design; the notion lacks too many things to be useful for the advance of our design profession. A much better concept is that of a “good practice” or even better a design pattern which complete definition—accordingly to ‘Pattern Hatching. Design patterns applied’ by John Vlissides—is composed at least of name, problem, context, solution, recurrence and, teaching to tailor for variances.

The first CSS font on the web

The numbers [0-9],letters [A-Z @ .] and email address, have generated using just CSS.

Are Your Apps Java Verified? (J2ME)

To participate in the Java Verified Program, mobile Java developers can register at www.javaverified.com, and select among the participating global testing providers to test their applications. Also available at www.javaverified.com are detailed explanations of the testing process, testing criteria, pricing and access to member companiesÆ marketing and distribution programs. Wireless network operators, device manufacturers, application publishers and others interested in joining the Java Verified Program and advancing the program's goals should email the Java Verified Program Office at jvpo@javaverified.com.

Java facing extensive changes

A .NET fan decides it might be interesting to "drop in" on a Java user?s group meeting. What he discovered was that the Java community is going to be seeing some pretty drastic changes to their programming language....

Resume Tips Roundup

Signaling System No. 7: The Role of SS7

This article has shown that, although it is transparent, SS7/C7 plays a role in the lives of virtually every individual in developed countries. It is also the key to new, revenue-generating services and is crucial to the QoS as perceived by subscribers—both of which lie at the very heart of success in a fiercely competitive telecommunications market. Furthermore SS7/C7 is a common thread that ties fixed-line, cellular, and IP networks together, and it is a key enabler for the convergence of the telecommunications and data communications industries.

Oracle Universal Installer

One of the beauties of the Oracle database is that nearly everything associated with it can be automated. Oracle installation is one of the easiest tasks to handle with little or no human intervention. Sadly, Oracle Corporation has historically provided little documentation on exactly how to accomplish this. This article provides a handy guide to using this feature of Oracle to its fullest extent.

SQL Server Health and History Tool (SQLH2)

The Microsoft SQL Server Health and History Tool (SQLH2) allows you to collect information from instances of SQL Server, store this information, and run reports against the data in order to determine how SQL Server is being used.

Making Copies

Xerography, most of us use it everyday, but do we know how it works and who invented it?

A web standards checklist

A site built to web standards should ideally be lean, clean, CSS-based, accessible, usable and search engine friendly.

iPod vs. The Cassette

No Name No Slogan labs tests this years must-have device against one of the all time great audio formats...

Which OS are You?

Which OS are You?

Fengtek Releases Motherboard Designed Using Feng Shui Principles

Motherboard designed using feng shui principles Read more. BBspot is a satirical news site.

Blogger NavBar

Blogger NavBar

The Blogger Navbar replaces the default ad block formerly inserted on blogspot.com pages with a more useful navigation tool. Navbar features include:

• Blogger: takes you back to www.blogger.com. Search: searches the blog you're viewing, via Google SiteSearch.
• BlogThis!: a popup for quick 'n easy blogging, further explained in the BlogThis! Help article.
• Get Your Own Blog: another link to www.blogger.com.
• NextBlog: takes you to a random, recently-updated Blogger blog.

PHEVOS AND ATHENA getting ready for the Athens Olympics!

Most of you might be wondering how did Athens 2004 mascot came to be... Ο Phèvos and Athenà are two modern children, a brother and a sister. Yet they were inspired by a doll from ancient Greece, as their names suggest. The boy is named after Phèvos Apollo, the God of Light and Music, and the girl after Athenà, the Goddess of Wisdom. In this way, Phèvos and Athenà symbolise the unbreakable link between the modern Olympic Games and Greek history. At the same time, they carry with them all the values that represent the Olympic ideal. They are two children who show us, through their love of play and their love of the game, that the important thing is taking part and not the result. A brother and a sister, symbolising the great Olympic idea of fraternity of all the world’s people. A boy and a girl, ambassadors not only of cooperation and noble competition, but more importantly of equality. And most of all, two human beings that represent Human Scale and remind us that the heart and soul of the Olympic Games is and will always be humanity. Phèvos and Athenà are two children, happy and simple, full of life and creativity. Two children ready to make mischief, but giving us an object lesson in how we should participate in the 2004 Olympic Games. With their laughter and their vivid presence, running around and playing together inseparably, Phèvos and Athenà express with enthusiasm and optimism the need that we all have to unite and share in the joy of the world’s greatest celebration of humanity: the Olympic Games...

Samba-3: A Simple Anonymous Read-Write Server

Simple article on how simple it is to configure Samba for a small office.

MakeMeAdmin -- temporary admin for your Limited User account

Common scenario: you log on with your Windows domain account, which you have removed from the Administrators group (as well as from Power Users, Backup Operators, etc.). When you need to perform tasks that require elevated privileges, you use RunAs to start a program with the local Administrator account. You quickly realize two things:

1. The program running as local Administrator cannot access network resources, since your local account is recognized only on your own computer; and
2. Any per-user settings apply to the local Administrator’s profile, not to the profile you normally work with.

This article will explain on how to run as different user accounts on Windows.

Stopdesign

A design consultancy based in San Francisco, California, Stopdesign specializes in simple, clean, beautiful, and flexible design. They were the people behind the design for the interface in blogger. Check out their site for lots of design tips especially on css.

Simple XML Grammar

The DTD file contains several types of declarations. First, it includes declarations about the XML document structure. You need to specify each element's content. The root element sales, see below for a listing of our mydvd XML file, includes the elements summary and data:

  <!ELEMENT sales (summary, data)>

Be sure to put all child elements within parentheses and separated by commas. The summary element includes the following elements: heading, subhead, description, author, and date:

  <!ELEMENT summary (heading, subhead, description, author, date)>

The data element includes one or more elements of month. You specify a repetition with an asterisk:

  <!ELEMENT data (month*)>

The month element consists of two elements: name and week (one or more instances):

  <!ELEMENT month (name, week*)>

Here is the mydvd XML file:

  <?xml version="1.0"?>
  <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="mydvd7.xsl"?>
  <!DOCTYPE sales SYSTEM "mydvd8.dtd">
    <sales>
      <summary>
        <heading>MyDVD Rental Store</heading>
        <subhead>Periodical Sales Report</subhead>
        <description>Sales Report for January, February, and &lt;&month;> of 2001</description>
        <author>author: &preparedby;</author>
  	    <date>Jan 30, 2002</date>
      </summary>
      <data>
        <month>
          <name>January 2001</name>
          <week number="1" dvds_rented="12000" />
          <week number="2" dvds_rented="15000" />
          <week number="3" dvds_rented="18000" />
          <week number="4" dvds_rented="11800" />		 
        </month>
        <month>
          <name>February 2001</name>
          <week number="2" dvds_rented="12390" />
          <week number="3" dvds_rented="19050" />
          <week number="4" dvds_rented="11200" />		 
        </month>
        <month>
          <name>March 2001</name>
          <week number="1" dvds_rented="15300" />
          <week number="2" dvds_rented="12390" />
          <week number="3" dvds_rented="10050" />
          <week number="4" dvds_rented="11230" />		 
        </month>
      </data>
    </sales>

The TechNet Script Center

provides one-stop shopping for system administrators wanting to manage their Windows computers using Microsoft's scripting technologies

Puss in boots, Shrek2

introducing... The NS-5, the world's first fully automated domestic assistant.

Inno Setup

Inno Setup is a free installer for Windows programs. It may be used completely free of charge, even when deploying commercial applications.

Programming Reference Cards and e-Books

Couple of programming reference cards and ebooks for reference. Most of the stuff is in PDF format.

What is Java Technology?

Model of Java Technology. View in Internet Explorer (full screen) to see the navigation button for the diagram

Favorite Java novice programming mistakes

List of common programming mistakes by novice Java programmer. Most of the mistakes are already being caught by IDEs, compilers or code checkers. Let's hope I will not make any of this mistakes and can brand myself as a non-novice Java programmer ;)

CodeHighlighter - Freeware Code Syntax-Highlighter ASP.NET Web Control

Allows you to paste text code into a textbox and syntax highlight it. Currently supports VBScript, VB.NET, CSS, HTML, C#, SQL, XML, JScript.

Publishing XML Documents in PDF and HTML with Cocoon

Follow this article on devx to take advantage of Apache Cocoon's ability to deliver PDF and HTML documents on demand.

Using JAAS for Authorization and Authentication

This paper explains how to use the Java Authentication and Authorization API (JAAS). It plugs JAAS into the Struts framework. Though this paper focuses on Struts, and in particular the example application distributed with Struts, the lessons learned should be applicable to any MVC web framework.

ASP.NET and Struts: Web Application Architectures

Learn about the similarities and differences between ASP.NET on the .NET Framework and Struts on Java 2 Enterprise Edition; and the features that each provides to solve common developer problems. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the utility that they bring to next-generation Web development.