If you ask someone for an export of data, and you know the data is coming from SQL Server, be sure to clarify what encoding you’d like the export in (if they can configure it) – I spent a bit of time trying to figure out why I couldn’t reliably read a file, and by [...]
For a project, we have the need to create charts dynamically from data. In another project, we’ve used ChartDirector for this. It has worked great there, so we pulled it into this project as well. Now, the type of charts I was working with in particular is a stacked percentage chart, which is kind of [...]
FYI – If you’re using jQuery in your application, and you’re trying to submit a form programmatically (ie, $(‘#myform’).submit(); ), you’ll want to make sure you don’t have a button with an ID/Name of ’submit’ – the code fails silently, with no indication of why. This is something that caught me today, and was [...]
You can now sign-in to Facebook Chat using your favorite XMPP/Jabber client (Pidgin, Adium, Kopete, etc). If you’re on Linux (Arch, specifically) you’ll need to install the cyrus-sasl package.
I love SSH tunnels. I use them as a cheap VPN solution when traveling, and if I need to get access to an internal web server on the inside of a network (assuming the network isn’t separated). As an example, I have 2 computers at home which I use daily for development, etc. [...]
A quick shout-out to a great product. Concrete5 is an excellent CMS. With easy theming, and even easier setup, it’s a snap solution for some of the most particular of tastes.
It’s open-source, which I really like, but the ease of getting it setup, and the polished look and feel just make me happy [...]
At work, we’re developing an application that uses LDAP for authentication. Specifically, we’re using OpenLDAP. We use a VM for development, which allows each developer to have a copy of the ’standard’ environment, to ensure we’re on the same version of libraries, compilers, databases, etc. As part of managing the VMs, we [...]
In today’s Adventures in Database Design, we’ll take a look at a relevant topic, ICD9 data. ICD9 data is the diagnosis and procedure codes used by insurance companies to categorize, well, diagnoses and procedures to be determined / performed by medical professionals. The design is simple, but very versatile, given the type of data we’re storing.
Stef and I recently switched phone providers, and thus, could take advantage of the latest deals. Well, Verizon had a buy one get one free offer on Blackberry phones. Step went with a Curve and I went with a Storm. Not having a physical keyboard takes some getting used to, but the [...]
This weekend, I watched (again) one of my childhood favorite movies, WarGames. This is a classic, and a must see for anyone involved in technology. Some of the concepts used, are accurate (war-dialing) while others, a little far-fetched (war-dialing into NORAD). Anyways, in one scene the WOPR is running a simulation of [...]
My boss used an analogy today, which struck me as quite accurate for the position we’re currently in. We’re moving at a fairly rapid pace, quick releases, and plenty of improvements / changes. Along with this, there is new business, new ideas, and new potential sources of revenue that we’re working on.
Assuming that the speed [...]
In health news – I’m getting my gallbladder removed tomorrow. It should be interesting, as it will be my first official surgery. I had my wisdom teeth out (3 of which were impacted) and was put under for it, but I didn’t really consider it a sugery-surgery.
I’m getting it done laparoscopically so the recovery time [...]
I use VirtualBox fairly regularly for virtual machines of various types (XP under Debian, FreeBSD, etc) on my main desktop. Compared to VMWare I have no complaints. It works flawlessly, and with the latest release things are just polished.
Also, it now supports OpenGL for guest VMs. This is huge for graphics work [...]
Today is the day we remember our freedom and the rights we enjoy as citizens of this great nation. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank any and all members of the military – as well as anyone who has contributed to the continued fight for freedom. The rights we enjoy as citizens should [...]
Today’s ‘Friday Fun Post’ maybe be an old one for some of you, but it is something I have continually found amusing. It is somewhat of a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless for the majority.
Happy Friday!
I have an older laptop, which I brought back out of storage for fun and to keep it updated. It runs Debian Lenny, so it’s a pretty stable machine, and very handy. A recent purchase of a new battery gives me ~2.5 hours of time with it, which isn’t bad for a laptop [...]
I’ve been thinking about obligations to software customers lately. I don’t have any of my own (yet) but it is something typically on the front of my mind. At my day job, we maintain various versions of our software, while not directly on the client – in our backend systems. This means that our backoffice [...]
Recently I encountered an issue at work. I had recently merged some code, and someone who tested from start to finish said there was an error right off the bat. Crap.
Looking at the error, my blood began to boil:
?View Code DOSPHP Fatal error: Column count doesn’t match value count at row 1
So, I investigated where [...]
I recently purchased a new HP Mini. Love the form factor, as does Stef. It’s great for checking e-mail, web surfing, etc in the living room while watching TV.
First thing I did was drop Windows in favor of Linux. In this case, Ubuntu. I found that everything worked flawlessly except I couldn’t SSH out. After [...]
Put new floors in the hearth room & kitchen. Finished up a week or two ago. Really took about 20 hours tops, with the help of a good buddy. Still need to decide what to do about trim (floorboards, base shoe).
