The surprisig truth about what motivates us

The value of the web

I have found this web site : http://www.stimator.com/
It pretend to estimate the value of a web site...this one you are reading it's estimated 5,482 US dollar at the moment. ?!?!?
Let me have some doubts about the algorithm they use but if you belive it then I will sell you this domain just for 4500 $. So don't lose this unbelievable opportunity!

DOC the code

Hi
Finally the exam is out!
SAOL has been a good choice.
thanks to J.Lazzaro for it's great tools SFRONT and great book "The MPEG-4 Structured Audio Book"

Now is the turn of Emyl and Pasq. good luck guis.



Apart this, today I have tried a tool to automatically generate documentation for my source code: "doxygen"
Yes, java users uses javadoc but doxygen have many usefull features that javadoc have not.
It's too long to explain here (this is a blog!) but synthetically doxygen can :

• generate source documentation in a fashion way for a variety of languages (C, C++, Java, C#, PHP and some others) with the result that, if you write in different languages, you can maintain an homogeneous style for your docs.
  
• generate documentation in many languages (still italian!)
  
• The output may be in many differt formats, from HTML to rtf to PDF...interesting thing no?
  

the only snag that I have found is the needed of discrete amount of hardware resources' to produce complex documentation for large project (up to 1000 files I mean)
But I'm distrust that others tools can do it better.

As usually, if you know a bettr solution, let me know ;-)

good weekend to everybody!

Jython 2.2 released...it's not a Joke!

A little tear is running over my face :,-)

2007/8/23, Charlie Groves on the Jython mailing-list say:

> It's done! If anyone has a
> mountain top from where they can proclaim it, this would be a good
> time to let some people know about Jython.
>
> Charlie
>

...finally!

Ugly surprises

I knew that work around existing software is not so simple but I didn't think that it could cause me so many problems.
I am trying to build a wrapper for Subversion (inside an ampler project) for my degree thesis .
Ideally this program should be able to work in an (almost) transparent way also with CVS.
So, to get this I have avoided to use the developer's API of Subversion and I have confined to build a wrapper around the command line client.
Besides doing this, unfortunately, I should make Subclipse (the plugin Eclipse of Subversion) able to recognize the new commands that I adds to SVN.
Stupidly I had supposed that this dearly worked.
Sinned that go now to discover that in reality, Subclipse doesn't succeed in communicating in http or svn(a proprietor protocool for Subversion) if used through the command line!!!
Taken by the panic I have gone to adjourn Subclipse. What do I discover? The bug is still present and, worse, the command line won't be anymore avaliable as a supported interface in future versions of subclipse.
what a cheat! :,-(

Another spring for Jython?

I have yet spent times on Jython on this clod.

At the beginning of the year was announced an acceleration of the development (due to the PSF of Brian Zimmer).
After the initial spring the run has slow down...AGAIN!
In spite of the Road Map of Zimmer, that predicted a 2.4 version of jython (i.e compatible with CPython 2.4), the only real achieved progress has been done the passage from 2.2alpha0 to 2.2alpha1. Something, but not enough.
This is certain not due to a Zimmer's or Pedroni's guilt (that meanwhile is passed to PyPy).
Perhaps it is because, from the abandonment of Jim Hugunin, there has not been a true historical leader of the project that have coordinated and proposed innovations as is in CPython with Guido Van Rossum.
Jython is an exceptional project with enormous potentiality (only who has tried it knows what I mean).
When some big company will decide to bet on this jewel? Do you think that with some economic stimulus Jython would have stayed frozen in the 2.1 for more than 4 years?

Now the new coordinator of the project is Frank Wierzbicki.
Frank has just created a weblog with which he will adjourn on the progress an newness.
We hope that this blog will have longer life that Zimmer's website. (excellent until it was online).
He also has (finally) proposed a new version of the jython official site that should be housed by the python foundation and, therefore, it should have a support deigns of a project of such importance.

It seems that Jython is again to a turning point. We hope there again is not a postponement.

Good job Frank, I hopes that you will not be left alone

Ps: Jython 2.1 are perfectly usable and productive however.

Pps: 1What do you see at the top of this post is the new Jython's logo . Really cool! ;-)

GIS, Arcview, Avanue and headache

Sometime in the programmer’s life...


Sometime in the programmer’s life happen to meet strange languages, this has happened to me in latest two months.
Im trying to introduce you Avenue.
The reason of this meeting is that Avenue is the proprietary scripting language of the most used software to make GeographicInformationSystem in the world: ESRI ArcView!
Now I am here to tell you something about it.
Firs of all it is not a general-purpose language…yes you may not use it outside the ESRI environment, something like Visual Basic for Application in the MS Office suite but in a different way.
What is means? It simply means that you cannot make an IRC client with Avenue but you can perfectly drive ArcView to do what you wont (if ArcView can do it !-).

In my project - the principal I have made - the target was a geographic information system to simplify the life of metropolitan’s user.
Substantially the heart of the system is the capability to give the best road …yes, have catched it: Dijkstra is in the house.
The following is the code of the resulting script:
(Note that it was made only to work … not to be optimized, so please, have compassion and if you have suggestions please let me know) :


Smart notes for the readers:

• ' this is the Avenue code comment marker
  
• Self is the reference to the invoking script...not much more then a list of paramiters! :-/
• a Dictionary is a classic list of couple key:value
• {} is the constructor for the list (like [] for python/jython or ArrayList in Java)
• the reserved word are in violet
• Avenue is not CaSeSENsiTive



' '------------------------------------------------------------------
' ' A (very bad) implementation of Dijkstra's algorithm to find the minimum
' ' path in a single source graph
' '
' ' Input : The graph and the start node (a station of our metropolitan)
' ' Output : the dictionary of minimum paths
' '
' ' Note : Due to the impossibility to use a real Priority Queue it is implemented as a linear array
' ' and the varius push and pop operations are maked "in-line"
' ' The elemnts in the queue are lists(that are not changed during theelaborations)
' ' made of :
' ' a) The minimum estimated distance from the source node
' ' b) The node that precede it in the optimum path from the source to
' ' the current node
' ' c) current examinde node
' '------------------------------------------------------------------
' Input reading (Paramiters are spcified trought the SELF reference)

G = SELF.Get(0) ' Graph
startNode = SELF.Get(1) ' Starting node (the starting train station)
endNode = SELF.Get(2) ' Final destination

D = Dictionary.Make(_StimaLunghezzaMassimaDiUnPercorso) ' minimum distance dictionary
P = Dictionary.Make(_StimaNumeroStazioniNelPercorsoOttimo) ' predecessor's dictionary

Q = {{0,nil,startNode}} ' List of "(estimated distance, predecessor, current node)" ;
' Q is the priority queue of the estimated distance of the varius vertex
'of the graph the initial node have a 0 distance from itself
while (Q.count >0) ' The algorithm will end whenn there will be no more distance to be evaluated



' From Q we select the element with the minimum weight
mintupla = Q.get(0)
for each tupla in Q
if( tupla.get(0)< style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">then
mintupla = tupla
end
end
dist = mintupla.get(0)
pred = mintupla.get(1)
v = mintupla.get(2)

index_mintupla = Q.find(mintupla)
Q.remove(index_mintupla) ' We remove the minimum element from the priority queue (pop)

'Verify if v is in D
D_contain_v = D.add(v,100) 'if D contain v D.add return False

if(d_contain_v) then 'if so it means that we have added it so we will remove it
D.remove(v) 'to restore the previus situation
end




if(D_contain_v) then
d_contain_v = false
else
d_contain_v = true
end

if (D_contain_v) then ' If D have the node in exame it means that we have
continue ' yett found an optimale distance and so we can jump it : good :-)
end


D.add(v, dist)
P.add(v, pred)



key_list = G.ReturnKeys
Lista ={}
for each id in key_list
Lista.add(id.get(0))
end

branch_list_v = G.get(v)

'now we analyze the distanceses of the node v from his neighbors w
for each w in branch_list_v.ReturnKeys
'Optimal distance from the source to the endpoint node v
start_v_lenght = D.get(v)
'distance under exam from v to the neighboring w
v_w_lenght = branch_list_v.get(w)
'EXTIMATION of the optimum distance form the source to w
vwLength = start_v_lenght + v_w_lenght
tuplaToPop = {vwLength,v,w} 'we insert w and w predecessor's (v) in the optimum walk
' and the distance from w to the source of the walk
'we do the pop in the queue
Q.insert(tuplaToPop)
end 'for
end 'while

return P 'for our purpose, it interests only us the dictionary of the walks.
'Then we avoid to also return the dictionary of the distances (D)

Ok, good and not good:

Good
Avenue is an Object Oriented scripting language
Avenue have built in List and Dictionary
String and numbers are immutable

Bad
Is not possible to define Abstract data Type in a Script...we have to find some tournaround, like in ouar case for a priority queue.
The internal ArcView editor is worse than MS Notepad :-O (you have to write a script to call an externale editor.)
No Exception mechanism.

The conclusion is tha AVENUE is a powerfull scripting system but not syncornized with the modern programming language tendence even though it do the job!


PS: I'have tryed Avenue in ArcView 3.1 and it's not a so recent softwere. Now there is a new version but I haven't the possibility to try it, so if someone have let me now the improvements.

PPS: Migrating from Avenue to VBA Workshop

Nacho

No frontiers for open source people...even too open some time!

This is Nacho:

discovere all the story here

Why people do it?

Being a computer scientist is not a simple thing;
If you are a computer scientist, you will often have happened to have to explain to some friend what you do and what a computer science is. You will certainly have seen doubtful looks.

If instead, you are not a computer scientist and some your friend, that it is, has tried to explain you what he does and what a computer science is, you will certainly have seen him begin strange discourses with the lost look in incomprehensible sentences.

Software is really a complex thing and even more complex is to understand the motivations of whom chooses to make software in their life.

The situation is also very confused among the computer science employees: Is the software an engineering field? mathematics? science or something of completely different?

John D. Mitchell has given in a post on Artima weblog a very beautiful and exact , IMHO, definition that explains, perhaps, because who makes software considers it a wonderful and rich of creativeness activity:

Software is to functional bridge between the abstract and reality.

It is not fascinating?

Nerds? o___O

Hmmpf....I'have to argue about this I think! :-)




What's your score?

Nevertheless it stirs

something finally stirs in the world of Jython
It was from endless once that the official site seemed frozen and now, to the improvise
3 big newness:

• A tutorial in two part (1,2)has been published (in reality the work come from IBM)
  
• Has been announced that the new prophetic "new class-style" is almost at the end. :-O
  
• A remaking of the same site has been announced (indeed it is almost "vintage" :)
  

whether to say, compliments to the journalists :-)
Apart the jokes, I think seriously that Jython is a winning project and of certain it will continue to be precious for the one that will want be a shoulder above the competitors.

I attend with anxiety the release of version 2.2 (2.3?)
I feel as a child that waits for Christmas! :-D

What sense does it have?

To help who is less fortunate is, without doubt, a noble action but really I am not able of to understand the sense of Windows Starter Edition.


In theory it should be a way to allow the use of the operating system also in that countries where the people cannot afford the cost of a classical license.
Ok, is all right if you remove support for the Themes, video games, firewaal, wizard of configuration, software for make CD-Rom etc. but what sense does it have today, in 2004 to propose a system that

• Cannot make more than three programs race at same time?
  
• Cannot it work to most greater resolutions of the screen of 800x600?
  
• Limited bandwhid...
  
• No support for PC-to-PC home networking
  

At the Microsoft have to think that the poor people are also stupid (certain, if they were intelligent they would not be poor! no?) if, according to them, they can want to choose this sketch of operating system instead of Linux or to FreeBSD or to Windows 98se...Windows 98 would surely be a best purchase!

Is the thought always the same: but which sense can it have?

to be a .com

My second blog have changed the address, so, it is now
preponderante.splinder.com
At the moment a have more thing to tell, but no time to do it.
So, be patient

see you

Microsoft and opensource?

Yesterday I have read the SourceForge mailing list and a news founded in it has attracted my attention:

"Perhaps the most interesting news, which generated the greatest press,
was the release of Open Source software on SourceForge.net by Microsoft.
It is the first time Microsoft has ever released code in this manner.
The company released the code using a valid Open Source (OSI-approved)
license. We applaud Microsoft for releasing code to the Open Source
community. We hope this is just the beginning of its Open Source
software releases. You can view the press here:
http://tinyurl.com/2w5xz
The project is located here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/wix/"

I can't belive! O___O
I have not yet tacked a lock at wix but...the news by itself is astonishing!
What next? Windows under GPL? ;-)

Free Ideas in a free world

just a link

Try it:
http://www.msxnet.org/humour/terror_alert

A new blog?

Hi, by now I've a new blog!

What it means? I leave this place?
Be quietly , I'have only understand that I need a place in witch I could spook about everything but the computing.
To do this (cause my bad English) I' have meet the decision to have a new space in my natural language (Italian if you don't know)
So if you speak Italian and you want to read something about everything, take a look to preponderante
If no, no problem, just stay tuned, computing is still my 1th passion!

by

J2SE 1.5 in a Nutshell

One of the most interesting entry in the programmer's world was some years ago the Java programming language
Through the time Java has demonstrate it's value in many application's environment and the community of programmers
have been constantly enhanced.
Yes, Java is not perfect (and IMHO it never will be) but are undeniable the progress due to Sun diligence;
the last mark of this is the beta release of the Java SDK (Standard Development Kit), Tiger for friends.
More are the innovation, and the major benefit of this upgrade is the objective to simplify the coding process attempting
to remove some redundant (and ugly) programmer's obligation...Java designer have been inspired from jython/python community? ;-)

Some of the most important new feature are :

• Metadata
  
• Generic Types
  
• Enumerated types
  
• Core XML Support revision
  
• much, much more
  

some answer for the crowd of onlookers are in this introductory Article:
J2SE 1.5 in a Nutshell from the J2SE team.

The Article is smart but, perhaps, too expeditious; however a good overview

all the best!

PS: My personal doubt are about Metadata concept: I have not understand it! ;-P
PPS: I'm sorry about my long absence, but this is not a simple period of my life.

Say goodbye

A sad day.

In the last three years I have meet many people, many souls...
Now, is time to go on...but:


~ Don't be dismayed at good-byes.
A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
And meeting again,
after moments or lifetimes,
is certain for those who are
friends ~


Richard Bach; from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

goodbye my friends
goodbye.


-Domenico-

PS: hey, friends...click on the "Comment" blu label below ;-)

Mozilla 1.5 (aka people's power)

Great news!

Finally my preferred browser has been released! It has arrived to version 1.5.

I'm obviously talking about Mozilla! In fact it is not just an Internet browser (the best I never tried!), and moreover.
It is not only a great program suite that contains many of the instruments needed to have a satisfaction internet experience
(the greatest web browser-Mail and news client-Html editing-IRC client etc.)!
As a matter of fact Mozilla is a vast, good structured, open source, multi-platform, flexible developer platform.

For example, this is a very minimalist list of what from Mozilla platform are coming out :

• XUL, an XML based user interface language.
  
• BugZilla, a powerful bug-tracking system.
  
• TransforMiiX a module to process XSLT that can be used as a standalone tool.
  

Many Mozilla based project may be found on MozDev (something that look like sourceforge)
Also commercial project are based on Mozilla , for example Comodo an IDE for building Perl and Python.

I'm not an extremist or a fanatic, if a better browser will be developed (I think that this day is not near to came), I will be the first to switch, but apart this user-oriented attitude is important to note that Mozilla is another example of the ferment behind the Open Source movement, an important sign of what people are able to do when , together, work to produce something to make this a better (not only virtual) world!


PS: In the moment I wrote the new Mozilla web site is near to be released, you may take an preview look here

Reference :

About Mozilla
About XUL : xulplanet
About TransforMiiX
About BugZilla

About me ;-)

I'm still here!

Hi!

I'm sorry for the long absence, but it's due to my university commitments!
Have you felt homesickness? I know, I know!

At the moment I'm waiting for the results of my last exam about approximation algorithms for NP-Hard algorithms.
If you are interested to this kind of problems (and you are able to read in Italian!) I suggest to take a look to the notes of my course.

Others interests of mine at the moment are hermetic poetry, python, Cold Fusion and, as usual ;), girls ...I'm starting to think that all these things have something in common...hmm...are you able to see what?

For this to do what it does is impossible by any science I understand.
--Mr. Spock, City on the Edge of Forever

stay tuned.

Do it for love!

Hmm...this Eckel's post is related to the last of mine

I totally agree with him since my idea is that passion is more important and have more power than goodwil.

Do you think so?

Crisis time.

The era is not good for poor informatics.
The International crisis have involved many developers and in special way telcecomunication's workers.
Everyone have an explanation to this bad situation.
But who have the solution?
I have not (what surprise!) but I have a personal strategy: If no one invests on me, I have to do it by myself.
Take new skill or study in depth what you just know?
It's a personal choice!
My modest opinion is that before to spend our time we need to take a loock around.
Who have less feel the effects of the crisis? and why?
Who will need my competences when the resumption will came? And what it will search for?
are not simple questions and I'm confused like you but someone have said :


Your culture will be your passport to the future.
Tomorrow belong to who prepare himself today!


I' believe in
I'm going to study! ASD II (i.e.Algoritms And DataStructure II) exam is near! brrr

stay tuned!

Bruce Eckel's Python Answers

Bruce Eckel give his answers to common questions (i.e. FAQ ;-) )about Python Language.
I'have find it very interesting, so, if you want an accredited opinion about this powerful language, take a look.

The question are :

• Do you think Python is good enough for large projects?
  
• What are your views on Python for Object-oriented programming?
  
• How do you see the future of Python in terms of penetration into the programming world?
  
• There is also this huge Web Services momentum in the industry. Do you know if we can do quality web services in Python? If so, could you send me some instructions to build one.
  
• What's your opinion of Zope as an application server?
  

Need related links? try those :

http://www.python.org
http://www.python.it (in Italian)
http://www.jython.org (python in Java)
http://www.zope.org/
GOOGLE

Examination time again!

It's the time for oral part of the school-leaving examination (in Italy I means)!

I hope that all work fine for my friends.
Gil have just did it and she said that was all right!
Now,in this exacltly moment, Mile is under examinatio...go Mile, go!
For Tania Instead 4-july is the D-day, but she's too cultured to make me worrying. ;-)
the only really preoccupation I'have is for Giovanna ... I'm joking Gio'! ;-)

and after these days?
What will happen?
There are (too frequent I think) crossroads from witch is sometimes difficult to come back and this is, for these girls, one of mutch important life shoice's : what I will became?
You have the answer inside...search!

see you

RSS

I'm trying to use the RSSify at Wytheville Community College.

I'hope that it work fine...we will see!

sunday evening

The E-Day is near (i.e. the "examination day" for the novice to this blog ^___^)
and so I have spend the entire day on the book.
Yeah, SAOL is a great language for sound processing but, sometime, today I have thinked to the sea...ah...the girls on bikini..hem, sorry.
But this is the 2nd summer's day and so...

Now I'm ready to go (not at the sea, is too late for that!)

but before let you go out from this cloud, I wanna to suggest you to take a look at this...Imagination power's!

nice sunday night to everybody

coding rules.

Are you a developer? A Java developer?
Are you frustrated reading your code written only one month ago?
Are you in a team and the code of your collaborators are sometime illegible for you?
Then your situation is like mine! ;-)
So we need something like this: javaCodingStandard
It's a (very rich) collection of rules about the correct and standard way to write (Java)code...
note: I think that most of these rules may be applicable also to others languages

PS: Today is Friday ... I'Love Friday ;-D

Dia

Do you need a tool to draw ER Diagram, UML models, electronic circuits and so on?
And do you want it for free?
Then, DIA may be wath you are looking for.
It's a powerful program that allow you to draw an incredible variety of charts.
The User Interface is similar to the "The Gimp" UI (do you know it, I wish!) and is released under the GLP license.

You can try the original version available here : www.lysator.liu.se/~alla/dia
or (I suggest) you could download the simplified installation for Windows (if you have it!) here: http://dia-installer.sourceforge.net/

Try it and if you have some comments or you know another tools better than DIA: pleas tell me!

Examination time!

Hi, today I'have some problem with my internet connection...so I'don't now if this post will be publish...i hope!

Now, In Italy today is a great day for all the students... the mythical school-leaving examination! ... brrr! ;-)

All the best to this guys and in a special way to Milena, Tania, Gil and Giovanna in culo alla balena sisters! (an italia expression for good omen!)

That's all.
see you ...

Comment me!

I have added the capability to comment my post on this Blog.
Try it.

Tx to HaloScan for the service.

moreover, by now, i use the shinyStat free service to monitor the flow over this clod...I'm looking at you ;-)

And now? what's next step? RSS ? .... suggest me!

crazy and desperate study

Not a glorius weekend 4 me!
"Studio matto e disperatissimo" how has said my friend MissPennyLane some day ago.
"crazy and desperate study"
The day of the exame is near...too near!!

I wanna suggest, for all the other university students, the program IMSV
It's nice to calculating your average. It's a Beta, but work fine.

And in the last: I hate mondays! :,-(

I'm searching for a better UI (i.e. user interface) for my blog ... someone have suggest?
tell me!

I' don't like the banner on this blog ... :-(

PS: I never said it, but my real name (how you can see from the poster signature) is Domenico, nice to meet you!

my second post ... just for a test ;)

Nice to meet you.

Hi, I'm Icaro
I was born on a clouds 23 years ago, and this is my 1st post on my blog