There is a theory as to how and why GAs work: Holland's Schema Theorem. That should clear up the misunderstanding of how the algorithm works.
As for its mechanics, I recommend examining Goldberg's "Simple Genetic Algorithm" (SGA) implementation. A web search should reveal many versions of it.
If you search on the net, you'll find a page dedicated to GUI frameworks and toolkits. It lists millions of them! Unfortunately, I don't have the URL on me.
Also, there's quite a difference between a framework and a toolkit. GTK+ is a widget toolkit, whereas Swing, PowerPlant, and even MFC are application frameworks. They provide more than just graphical widgets for menus, buttons, and sliders.
I think it would be interesting to see an exact port of Swing to C++, say to X11 directly.
I used to play The Faery Tale on my friend's Amiga a decade ago!
The problems with schedule, lack of software engineering (even when having read those classic books, it's true!), etc. are endemic. I just left such a company...
...for a new company doing data mining (www.molecularmining.com). Good development process, respect for ideas, decent hardware, opportunities... the list of advantages goes on.
I just tinker with open source games on my own time (www.cgocable.net/~mlepage). I've never been in "the industry" and I suppose have no real need to.
My guess is not likely. The Digital Paper Hummingbird acquired is not allowed to be used within the company (I know this because I tried). My personal theory is that it is being packaged for sale.
[Disclaimer: I worked at Hummingbird. I am not under NDA.]
I worked at a large corporation with about 75% engineers to 25% computer science. There are remarkable differences.
[I am CS.]
In my experience, the engineers suffer from a fatal flaw: they think computer science is easy. They think programming is just a trivial exercise, nothing compared to say building a bridge and putting your name on the blueprints for liability purposes.
Of course I believe differently. I believe we'd have had a bit more robustness in our designs if the engineers didn't just charge ahead into coding, but rather considered the theoretical aspects of what they were doing.
Of course this is a generalization, there were good and not so good individuals on both sides of the fence. But I found the generalization strange and peculiar.
I've worked at a Large Corporation, a Startup, and on my Own Open Source Project. You can find links to all of them on my web page.
Needs differ. There should be some process, but it differs.
For example, I have just enough documents for my GPL'd game, that I can handle it. They are on my web site for others to look at, but I am the main consumer. When more work is done and others begin to use my code, for example as a library with which to create another game, those documentation needs will clearly outweigh what I have. I will have to produce more documentation.
Finally, search the book reviews for my review of "The Unified Software Development Process" by Jacobson, Booch, and Rumbaugh. It's probably too heavy weight for small/medium sized projects, but the concepts are valid and the ideas intriguing. Reading it didn't hurt me.
Why? Not for political correctness. I don't believe in that.
For variety.
And, if you look carefully, you will find another reason. In my writing I generally refer to the user as "her" and the developer as "he". Therefore, the pronoun gives a hint as to the referee.
I've actually been accused of being un-PC for that particular convention.
But I have worked on projects in a company where our own tech writing and graphics department created our own user manuals. They won industry awards for their work.
This book is equivalent to a commercial quality user manual. I'm not sure it would win an industry award (or even qualify) but it isn't just cobbled together.
I left halfway through the movie, just after they got lost.
Generally not feeling 100%, drinking the night before, and having some popcorn (don't do that much anymore) didn't help.
The jittery camera was making me nauseous.
However, I've also seen the Sci-Fi Channel documentary. The film was shot 4:3 on video and 16mm, and actually looks better on television! So I'll just rent it when it comes out.
Again you have it wrong. The code I fixed was from a good programmer with good intentions. Not an idiot.
However, a lack of general process caused the entire development process to fail, in that respect. There was no incentive to get your component right, because nothing worked.
The shipping date was always "next month" instead of "a year from now". Management thought we could just stay an extra weekend to fix bugs as they arise.
People went off and did their own thing, not what they were supposed to. One team upgraded compilers to make their life easier, screwing up others. Documents were written but quickly fell out of date as they were not updated.
Everyone had the best of intentions. This was supposed to be the "big project that we did right". I only got on it about 2 months before shipping, and saved a major component from disaster.
I argue that more process, enforced, would have prevented this. And I'm not talking Gestapo here. I just want enough of a framework in place so that everyone knows what they're doing, when they are behind, when they've succeeded, etc.
Now I'm at a place where that's true, and I'm happy. My former employer's stock continues to stagnate.
Small apps are good, but when they communicate together (as in the web) the complexity is still there, it's just distributed amoung components.
I've worked on a large web architecture, involving thin clients, fat clients, servers, CORBA, XML, a broker, services, HTML generators, etc. Even if each component were small (and not all were), the complexity of them all working together wasn't.
We didn't have a process, and it nearly killed us. We shipped very late, and many hard nights and weekends were required just to do that. We spent the next half year fixing the bugs we shipped.
I think a process could have helped. Any process, as long as we had some.
And, as another pointed out, we aren't all developing web apps.
Finally, remember that the Unified Process is more than the UML. Also, although it really suits the UML, you could probably follow its tenets (as in Fowler's book) without using the entire process, or perhaps without the UML.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm reading The Selfish Gene right now!
I also recommend Waldrop's book Complexity (mentioned in my review).
Is Morovec's good? Never heard of it (or can't recall).
There is a theory as to how and why GAs work: Holland's Schema Theorem. That should clear up the misunderstanding of how the algorithm works.
As for its mechanics, I recommend examining Goldberg's "Simple Genetic Algorithm" (SGA) implementation. A web search should reveal many versions of it.
At my job, my boss emails me links to the best Slashdot stories.
I guess that's the advantage of working at a cosy startup.
Hate to say it, but if you aren't paying for Unisys software (LZW or other) you *aren't* a customer.
If you search on the net, you'll find a page dedicated to GUI frameworks and toolkits. It lists millions of them! Unfortunately, I don't have the URL on me.
Also, there's quite a difference between a framework and a toolkit. GTK+ is a widget toolkit, whereas Swing, PowerPlant, and even MFC are application frameworks. They provide more than just graphical widgets for menus, buttons, and sliders.
I think it would be interesting to see an exact port of Swing to C++, say to X11 directly.
Means it covers lots of topics on different axes.
I used to play The Faery Tale on my friend's Amiga a decade ago!
The problems with schedule, lack of software engineering (even when having read those classic books, it's true!), etc. are endemic. I just left such a company...
...for a new company doing data mining (www.molecularmining.com). Good development process, respect for ideas, decent hardware, opportunities... the list of advantages goes on.
I just tinker with open source games on my own time (www.cgocable.net/~mlepage). I've never been in "the industry" and I suppose have no real need to.
Openness: Wickett
Concientiousness: Ackbar
Extraversion: Ewok
Agreeableness: Emperor Palpatine
Neuroticism: R2-D2
My guess is not likely. The Digital Paper Hummingbird acquired is not allowed to be used within the company (I know this because I tried). My personal theory is that it is being packaged for sale.
[Disclaimer: I worked at Hummingbird. I am not under NDA.]
I too believe Exceed is a good product.
But I too worked at Hummingbird. And I do not believe it is an excellent company. I eventually quit for greener pastures.
That's if you aren't one of the (typically non-developers) who are being axed.
I also was acquired by Hummingbird. I eventually quit for a better job with more pay.
Good luck though.
I worked at a large corporation with about 75% engineers to 25% computer science. There are remarkable differences.
[I am CS.]
In my experience, the engineers suffer from a fatal flaw: they think computer science is easy. They think programming is just a trivial exercise, nothing compared to say building a bridge and putting your name on the blueprints for liability purposes.
Of course I believe differently. I believe we'd have had a bit more robustness in our designs if the engineers didn't just charge ahead into coding, but rather considered the theoretical aspects of what they were doing.
Of course this is a generalization, there were good and not so good individuals on both sides of the fence. But I found the generalization strange and peculiar.
I've worked at a Large Corporation, a Startup, and on my Own Open Source Project. You can find links to all of them on my web page.
Needs differ. There should be some process, but it differs.
For example, I have just enough documents for my GPL'd game, that I can handle it. They are on my web site for others to look at, but I am the main consumer. When more work is done and others begin to use my code, for example as a library with which to create another game, those documentation needs will clearly outweigh what I have. I will have to produce more documentation.
Finally, search the book reviews for my review of "The Unified Software Development Process" by Jacobson, Booch, and Rumbaugh. It's probably too heavy weight for small/medium sized projects, but the concepts are valid and the ideas intriguing. Reading it didn't hurt me.
Being the reviewer, I can answer this question?
Why? Not for political correctness. I don't believe in that.
For variety.
And, if you look carefully, you will find another reason. In my writing I generally refer to the user as "her" and the developer as "he". Therefore, the pronoun gives a hint as to the referee.
I've actually been accused of being un-PC for that particular convention.
Hope this clears it up.
I haven't looked at the online user manual.
But I have worked on projects in a company where our own tech writing and graphics department created our own user manuals. They won industry awards for their work.
This book is equivalent to a commercial quality user manual. I'm not sure it would win an industry award (or even qualify) but it isn't just cobbled together.
Actually I noticed that too. I think it's the gloss paper. It's probably vegetable-based ink as well. :-)
I left halfway through the movie, just after they got lost.
Generally not feeling 100%, drinking the night before, and having some popcorn (don't do that much anymore) didn't help.
The jittery camera was making me nauseous.
However, I've also seen the Sci-Fi Channel documentary. The film was shot 4:3 on video and 16mm, and actually looks better on television! So I'll just rent it when it comes out.
That's a valid comment; no disrespect to the review, reviewer, or commenter.
Just to point out that I do a number of reviews on C++ and programming in general, and am quite a competent C++ programmer.
My GIMP review should be posted shortly, and I'll admit I'm not a GIMP god but I do use it for graphics needs (whenever I have such needs).
I'll probably review another UML book shortly, if anyone's up for that.
Hm I can't reach the Win2000 site at this moment. Perhaps there is a thunderstorm? Maintenance?
Dig that funky chain reaction shit.
It isn't surprising that many systems (and books about them) are smaller than the applications (and books about them) written on top of them.
X is bigger than Linux.
GIMP is bigger than the Standard C Library.
Why should it surprise you that a CORBA book is bigger than a book on fundamental algorithms?
PS: I have both books and they are both great.
Then again, I had access to a Solaris machine.
Still, saying "it didn't even compile" is misleading.
Exactly.
Again you have it wrong. The code I fixed was from a good programmer with good intentions. Not an idiot.
However, a lack of general process caused the entire development process to fail, in that respect. There was no incentive to get your component right, because nothing worked.
The shipping date was always "next month" instead of "a year from now". Management thought we could just stay an extra weekend to fix bugs as they arise.
People went off and did their own thing, not what they were supposed to. One team upgraded compilers to make their life easier, screwing up others. Documents were written but quickly fell out of date as they were not updated.
Everyone had the best of intentions. This was supposed to be the "big project that we did right". I only got on it about 2 months before shipping, and saved a major component from disaster.
I argue that more process, enforced, would have prevented this. And I'm not talking Gestapo here. I just want enough of a framework in place so that everyone knows what they're doing, when they are behind, when they've succeeded, etc.
Now I'm at a place where that's true, and I'm happy. My former employer's stock continues to stagnate.
Small apps are good, but when they communicate together (as in the web) the complexity is still there, it's just distributed amoung components.
I've worked on a large web architecture, involving thin clients, fat clients, servers, CORBA, XML, a broker, services, HTML generators, etc. Even if each component were small (and not all were), the complexity of them all working together wasn't.
We didn't have a process, and it nearly killed us. We shipped very late, and many hard nights and weekends were required just to do that. We spent the next half year fixing the bugs we shipped.
I think a process could have helped. Any process, as long as we had some.
And, as another pointed out, we aren't all developing web apps.
Finally, remember that the Unified Process is more than the UML. Also, although it really suits the UML, you could probably follow its tenets (as in Fowler's book) without using the entire process, or perhaps without the UML.