I too have used Subversion since it was in pre-release (0.8) I think. When I started doing research on Source control, my managers said "Use VSS". I disliked MS at the time and still doo and thus avoided that path. I came across the thesis by the author of RCS (great read) and researched about RCS, PVCS, CVS and SVN. SVN was a dream come true when I saw it. Tortoise SVN was the icing on the cake. I have since continued to use SVN and have converted many others to SVN away from VSS and other tools. I love SVN still and use it daily and will not be switching any time soon.
Regarding the post, I don't really like hearing is that "All major open source projects" are moving away from SVN. Sorry but there are many still using SVN and will continue to do so. For instance FreeBSD, which is a huge project, who are still using SVN today. Also, saying that SVN is wrong is wrong. SVN is wrong for some groups but very right for others.
Also, people are constantly mis-reading Linus's comments on SVN. Linus was just dissing SVN for his uses and was tired of the evangelical SVNers nagging him to use it. I appreciate that his code models are different and require different SCM tools and that a SVN centralized model does not work. But this does not mean that SVN is wrong for everyone.
SVN is valid for many groups, teams, around the world and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Actually this does show some maturity from M$ if this is a "approved" statement.
Scary thing is that only a year ago, it almost looked like M$ would not allow other security vendors to release virus software for Vista and OneCare was going to be the only option.... Now that was completely ignorant and short sighted.
Many of my faves are already covered but URLParams and Console2 are both handy additions to the developers toolbox.
URLParams is very handy for breaking down get params for web page calls which speeds up debugging of complex calls. I use this almost every day becuase the 3rd party app that I need to extend is heavy on get params.
Console2 is necessary to filter out many annoying css warnings that come out by default since FireFox 1.5.
Also, when you run a diff on an M$Word document, it acually loads a MSWord Diff version so you can graphically see the differences in the document. Not sure if OOo has this yet...
I have looked at Groovy but it does not seem stable enough to use in enterprise apps. However GNUStep for server side development is very solid platform. Objective-C, the language of GNU Step, is very good at talking with Ruby and Python.
My money is that there will be alot of attention passed to GNUStep in the near future as a condender on server side and even client x-platform side app development.
My Ideal web/app server is Free BSD + GNUStep + Ruby and/or Python.
Managing windows with a Virtual desktop is the only way to play.
By using Virtual desktops, having multiple tail windows open to view an appliation is not so bad.
Personally, I create a folder for each application with startup, shutdown shortcuts and tail execution shortcuts to each significant log file for the application I am testing.
This methodology works with x11 or win32 hacking / administration.
Now that I virtual desktop, I have don't know how I managed without them:]
One important point regarding the apples to oranges comparisons is that we are comparing one dynamic development process with constant changes and improvements (FireFox/Mozilla) and one that has had no new improvements for many years (IE).
It is reasonable to expect that Mozilla/Firefox would have more flaws because over time because it is a product that is still in flux. Where in IE's case, we are still finding flaws that may have actually been there for many years or worse yet, were created through IE trying to fix other bugs.
Basically, boiling it down to the raw numbers, Firefox is way more secure than IE... PERIOD
If you can play on OSX or Linux
. Play with AppleScript -or- TCL -or- Ruby -or- Python -or-...:]
If you must play win32:
. win32 GUI Hacking
. . IronPython and.Net or Mono
. For preadsheet hacking:
. . Must go Office? - VBA
. . Can Go OOo:
. . . Unless you go OOo which allows many languages
. . . Including *basic (VB clone)
. . . IMHO, I would suggest Python though.
If you are really brave, go for GNUStep - don't get confused by the archaic looking interface. It is maintained by some of the best hackers on this globe of ours.
The reason is that this is too timely to not be a gesture from the patent board regarding their potential standing on all patents. It takes no more than common sense for the judge to take todays ruling into account.
Regardlesss, tomorrows ruling has serious implications not just for RIM but for IP patents in general. Being Canadian, I have a special place for RIM but at the same time they are getting a bit of what they delivered themselves.
I still remember the day that my dad showed me this. I freaked!... The Super Baker... With his trusty custard armor he valiently sets forth to defend the rights (and density) of pastry chefs everywhere!
Driver 1 was easily the best driving simulation game of its time. I have yet to see a game that surpases the physics algorythms of that game. The hackability was like a dream come true.
If the original hackers are still in Reflections are still there, I would buy just them and let them loose making the ultimate pure driving game.
To Reflections: Drop the stories and cut-scenes and shooting modes and make us the ultimate hackable cross platform MMO driving game. I guarantee millions of sales globally. Make it happen number one!
Favorate Driver 1 Hack (Mac OSX): Survival mode + High Park in San Fransisco + Sweet Red Jaguar + Really Pissed off cops ==:P' (drool)
I agree Foldering is probably not the best word but it does get the point across but since I have been working stupid amounts of hours lately, my veriage engine is not the most efficient at the moment.
BTW - I am a self taught programmer working on very siginificant projects for a very big company. The fact that I sound like a PM scares the !@#$!@ out of me:]
I analysed and deployed a SVN repository for my team two years ago and I love it more every day.
It is stupidly easy to configure and maintain (as opposed to CVS) and very powerful. The only thing I really miss with Subversion is an obliterate command which hopefully will come around some time.
If you have to windoze your way around, get TortoiseSVN - Once of the best Open Source Win32 projects available.
As a side suggestion about managing your documents, it is a good idea to get anal about foldering your files and maintaining consistent naming conventions in your repositories.
Re:Ruby + Objective-C + C == :]
on
Beyond Java
·
· Score: 1
Don't get tricked by the old style UI.
GNUStep is a highly refined application development environment that works fine for Headless apps on servers. It will take time to get a nicer refined GUI layer.
Besides, Java Sucks for GUI as well although it does look nicer.
Ruby + Objective-C + C == :]
on
Beyond Java
·
· Score: 1
Truly, once GNUStep gets known, building applications using Ruby as the prototype layer (or Python for that matter) you can build some sweet and very high performance applications for desktop and server and embeded systems.
If Java does not get with the times and start supporting """ identifiers, object and array literals (JSON) and cleaner iterative constructs foreach r in l {, it will get left behind.
Less lines == improved readability == less scary == maintainable code
Steve's ploy here is may be to get Disney to start thinking more of Apple as the good guys. I am sure that Steve is just delaying the day when he says goodbye to Disney permentantly and lets Pixar move into its destiny as the pinnacle of digital creativity.
Pixar now has enough clout to run head to head with the beast of Disney and fortunately for their size, they can run circles around them. Given enough time, the long term value of Pixar and their creative paradigms will make Disney shareholders sweat.
OSX is the best place to hack these days because they support full array of cross language development. Objective-C has alot of promise becuase of its ability to leverage C and C++ libraries very easily. It also bridges well to Ruby and Python.
By using Python and/or Ruby as your prototype layer, you can migrate stabalised code to Objective-C and even further optimize locked down frameworks to C or C++. All within the same application.
Cross-Lanugage applications is where the future of large application development is.
I've been hacking a web app for several years now and have been pushing farther and farther away from using a templating engine on the server side. Since I am hacking mostly in Java Server side, I focus on a simple template model using servlets to control JavaScript libraries sent to the client.
The html sent to the client is very simple and contains only as much html is necessary to reference CSS and JS libraries and initializations. All my data is nested in JS data structures - Arrays, HashMaps and JSON constructs.
It takes a little while to learn how to prevent pitfals of searializing data to JS constructs but it is well worth it. Just a few libraries server side to handle your marshalling of data is needed. Not complex code at all.
Once you have this model built, the sky is the limit with what you can do. If you want to use AJAX or AJAJ, your web apps are ready to go.
The biggest advantage of simplifying the client server model is that you can build client side prototypes of your tool for customers to see in a quarter of the time it would take to get a real working version going with JSP's or other server side templating methodology.
Honestly, this is the future of web application development. I've been doing it for several years now and my apps are very fast and extremely easy to debug.
But you will have to learn how to debug JavaScript which is a feat on it's own but just follow these suggestions and you will actually enjoy hacking in JS:
1) Build in Mozilla (FireFox...)
. . Code written in Mozilla works in IE most of the time. Be careful of how you code but it works.
2) Build up yourself a debugging library
. function dbg(sMsg){
. . Should do a dump of the message as a well as any stack info
. function dbgErr(sMsg,e){
. . Make sMsg optional
. . Will show message, Show complete information from error `e`, Show stack
. Use Window.onerror handler.
. wrap any complex methods with try{...body...}catch(ex){debugErr(ex)}
. Because of stupid flaws in IE (No stack property of error), you must catch the error as close to its origin as possible.
3) Create or use a good JS library to extend and simplify JS. A great example of JS hacking is www.cross-browser.com. Very nice hacks indeed!
4) Create a console toolset
. . Sometimes, debugging with alerts does not work. This is especially true with event models blur / click...
. . Have a function that opens and configures a new window or floating frame
. . Create a simple set of methods to push data to this console
. . Use this whenever you have very complex code that you would like to fully understand the sequence of code. (very very handy)
5) Learn and use JSON
. Great way to nest complex function/method arguments
. Great way to do your OO programming to preserve NameSpace
. Also very clean and efficient way of expressing data
. Native construct of JavaScript, Python and Ruby(?) ~ ergo fast
6) Hack in Mozilla
. . I am repeating becuase most wannabe DHTML hackers start with IE and fail misserably in the long run. Good example is a guy by the handle of StereoFrog. That guy had great code and ideas but did not respect the Moz. He only supported IE and now he has vanished from the earth. (Sad because I lost my copy of his libraries...:[ )
Slashdot Mirror
I too have used Subversion since it was in pre-release (0.8) I think. When I started doing research on Source control, my managers said "Use VSS". I disliked MS at the time and still doo and thus avoided that path. I came across the thesis by the author of RCS (great read) and researched about RCS, PVCS, CVS and SVN. SVN was a dream come true when I saw it. Tortoise SVN was the icing on the cake. I have since continued to use SVN and have converted many others to SVN away from VSS and other tools. I love SVN still and use it daily and will not be switching any time soon.
Regarding the post, I don't really like hearing is that "All major open source projects" are moving away from SVN. Sorry but there are many still using SVN and will continue to do so. For instance FreeBSD, which is a huge project, who are still using SVN today. Also, saying that SVN is wrong is wrong. SVN is wrong for some groups but very right for others.
Also, people are constantly mis-reading Linus's comments on SVN. Linus was just dissing SVN for his uses and was tired of the evangelical SVNers nagging him to use it. I appreciate that his code models are different and require different SCM tools and that a SVN centralized model does not work. But this does not mean that SVN is wrong for everyone.
SVN is valid for many groups, teams, around the world and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
- JsD
Check out the nice video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg7J8P-uXqM&feature=related
Actually this does show some maturity from M$ if this is a "approved" statement.
... Now that was completely ignorant and short sighted.
Scary thing is that only a year ago, it almost looked like M$ would not allow other security vendors to release virus software for Vista and OneCare was going to be the only option.
Many of my faves are already covered but URLParams and Console2 are both handy additions to the developers toolbox.
URLParams is very handy for breaking down get params for web page calls which speeds up debugging of complex calls. I use this almost every day becuase the 3rd party app that I need to extend is heavy on get params.
Console2 is necessary to filter out many annoying css warnings that come out by default since FireFox 1.5.
Cheers,
JsD
VMware and FreeBSD offer a rock solid and secure open source powerhouse.
;^)
Why would I go with a network crippled VM solution like VPC and use a bloated OS like vista. For a server, use a server OS - BSD!
Unless of course I love to click pretty boxes and turn white at the first sight of a CLI
JsD
I love UltraEdit as well when I have to windoze my way through code.
Treepad is not that bad as an alternative though. It is missing the nice compact search and replace dialog but otherwise is very feature rich.
JsD
Thanks. You saved me the typing.
... Subversion rocks :]
I support this completely
Also, when you run a diff on an M$Word document, it acually loads a MSWord Diff version so you can graphically see the differences in the document. Not sure if OOo has this yet...
JsD
I have looked at Groovy but it does not seem stable enough to use in enterprise apps. However GNUStep for server side development is very solid platform. Objective-C, the language of GNU Step, is very good at talking with Ruby and Python.
My money is that there will be alot of attention passed to GNUStep in the near future as a condender on server side and even client x-platform side app development.
My Ideal web/app server is Free BSD + GNUStep + Ruby and/or Python.
JsD
When using Yahoo mail or GMail, you get free Pop access and therefore can use Thunderbird. Why would I want to get spammed by HotMail?
But then again, the most profitable marketing strategy is as a sheep herder; and damn, there are alot of sheep!
JsD
Managing windows with a Virtual desktop is the only way to play.
:]
By using Virtual desktops, having multiple tail windows open to view an appliation is not so bad.
Personally, I create a folder for each application with startup, shutdown shortcuts and tail execution shortcuts to each significant log file for the application I am testing.
This methodology works with x11 or win32 hacking / administration.
Now that I virtual desktop, I have don't know how I managed without them
JsD
One important point regarding the apples to oranges comparisons is that we are comparing one dynamic development process with constant changes and improvements (FireFox/Mozilla) and one that has had no new improvements for many years (IE).
... PERIOD
It is reasonable to expect that Mozilla/Firefox would have more flaws because over time because it is a product that is still in flux. Where in IE's case, we are still finding flaws that may have actually been there for many years or worse yet, were created through IE trying to fix other bugs.
Basically, boiling it down to the raw numbers, Firefox is way more secure than IE
JsD
on what you want to play with.
... :]
.Net or Mono
If you can play on OSX or Linux
. Play with AppleScript -or- TCL -or- Ruby -or- Python -or-
If you must play win32:
. win32 GUI Hacking
. . IronPython and
. For preadsheet hacking:
. . Must go Office? - VBA
. . Can Go OOo:
. . . Unless you go OOo which allows many languages
. . . Including *basic (VB clone)
. . . IMHO, I would suggest Python though.
If you are really brave, go for GNUStep - don't get confused by the archaic looking interface. It is maintained by some of the best hackers on this globe of ours.
JsD
Correction: It takes no more than common sense for the judge to not take todays ruling into account with.
[:..itchy.mouse.finger..:]
The reason is that this is too timely to not be a gesture from the patent board regarding their potential standing on all patents. It takes no more than common sense for the judge to take todays ruling into account.
Regardlesss, tomorrows ruling has serious implications not just for RIM but for IP patents in general. Being Canadian, I have a special place for RIM but at the same time they are getting a bit of what they delivered themselves.
> The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a final rejection of one of five disputed patents owned by NTP
Does this make Feb 24 2006 legal gatherings moot regarding RIM network shutdown?
I had the same thought.
... The Super Baker ... With his trusty custard armor he valiently sets forth to defend the rights (and density) of pastry chefs everywhere!
I still remember the day that my dad showed me this. I freaked!
Driver 1 was easily the best driving simulation game of its time. I have yet to see a game that surpases the physics algorythms of that game. The hackability was like a dream come true.
:P' (drool)
If the original hackers are still in Reflections are still there, I would buy just them and let them loose making the ultimate pure driving game.
To Reflections: Drop the stories and cut-scenes and shooting modes and make us the ultimate hackable cross platform MMO driving game. I guarantee millions of sales globally. Make it happen number one!
Favorate Driver 1 Hack (Mac OSX):
Survival mode + High Park in San Fransisco +
Sweet Red Jaguar + Really Pissed off cops ==
JsD
I agree Foldering is probably not the best word but it does get the point across but since I have been working stupid amounts of hours lately, my veriage engine is not the most efficient at the moment.
:]
BTW - I am a self taught programmer working on very siginificant projects for a very big company. The fact that I sound like a PM scares the !@#$!@ out of me
Very true.
I analysed and deployed a SVN repository for my team two years ago and I love it more every day.
It is stupidly easy to configure and maintain (as opposed to CVS) and very powerful. The only thing I really miss with Subversion is an obliterate command which hopefully will come around some time.
If you have to windoze your way around, get TortoiseSVN - Once of the best Open Source Win32 projects available.
As a side suggestion about managing your documents, it is a good idea to get anal about foldering your files and maintaining consistent naming conventions in your repositories.
eg.
repo/trunk/
~repo~/branch/dev ~~ Developmental Branches
~repo~/branch/rel ~~ Release Branches (Trunk branches)
~repo~/trunk ~~ Trunk Releases
JsD
Don't get tricked by the old style UI.
GNUStep is a highly refined application development environment that works fine for Headless apps on servers. It will take time to get a nicer refined GUI layer.
Besides, Java Sucks for GUI as well although it does look nicer.
Truly, once GNUStep gets known, building applications using Ruby as the prototype layer (or Python for that matter) you can build some sweet and very high performance applications for desktop and server and embeded systems.
If Java does not get with the times and start supporting """ identifiers, object and array literals (JSON) and cleaner iterative constructs foreach r in l {, it will get left behind.
Less lines == improved readability == less scary == maintainable code
JsD
Steve's ploy here is may be to get Disney to start thinking more of Apple as the good guys. I am sure that Steve is just delaying the day when he says goodbye to Disney permentantly and lets Pixar move into its destiny as the pinnacle of digital creativity.
Pixar now has enough clout to run head to head with the beast of Disney and fortunately for their size, they can run circles around them. Given enough time, the long term value of Pixar and their creative paradigms will make Disney shareholders sweat.
JsD
I wonder if within the agreement is that Apple must (continue to) not pass any resources in creating a native Aqua port of Open Office.
OSX is the best place to hack these days because they support full array of cross language development. Objective-C has alot of promise becuase of its ability to leverage C and C++ libraries very easily. It also bridges well to Ruby and Python.
By using Python and/or Ruby as your prototype layer, you can migrate stabalised code to Objective-C and even further optimize locked down frameworks to C or C++. All within the same application.
Cross-Lanugage applications is where the future of large application development is.
JsD
I've been hacking a web app for several years now and have been pushing farther and farther away from using a templating engine on the server side. Since I am hacking mostly in Java Server side, I focus on a simple template model using servlets to control JavaScript libraries sent to the client.
...)
:[ )
The html sent to the client is very simple and contains only as much html is necessary to reference CSS and JS libraries and initializations. All my data is nested in JS data structures - Arrays, HashMaps and JSON constructs.
It takes a little while to learn how to prevent pitfals of searializing data to JS constructs but it is well worth it. Just a few libraries server side to handle your marshalling of data is needed. Not complex code at all.
Once you have this model built, the sky is the limit with what you can do. If you want to use AJAX or AJAJ, your web apps are ready to go.
The biggest advantage of simplifying the client server model is that you can build client side prototypes of your tool for customers to see in a quarter of the time it would take to get a real working version going with JSP's or other server side templating methodology.
Honestly, this is the future of web application development. I've been doing it for several years now and my apps are very fast and extremely easy to debug.
But you will have to learn how to debug JavaScript which is a feat on it's own but just follow these suggestions and you will actually enjoy hacking in JS:
1) Build in Mozilla (FireFox
. . Code written in Mozilla works in IE most of the time. Be careful of how you code but it works.
2) Build up yourself a debugging library
. function dbg(sMsg){
. . Should do a dump of the message as a well as any stack info
. function dbgErr(sMsg,e){
. . Make sMsg optional
. . Will show message, Show complete information from error `e`, Show stack
. Use Window.onerror handler.
. wrap any complex methods with try{...body...}catch(ex){debugErr(ex)}
. Because of stupid flaws in IE (No stack property of error), you must catch the error as close to its origin as possible.
3) Create or use a good JS library to extend and simplify JS. A great example of JS hacking is www.cross-browser.com. Very nice hacks indeed!
4) Create a console toolset
. . Sometimes, debugging with alerts does not work. This is especially true with event models blur / click...
. . Have a function that opens and configures a new window or floating frame
. . Create a simple set of methods to push data to this console
. . Use this whenever you have very complex code that you would like to fully understand the sequence of code. (very very handy)
5) Learn and use JSON
. Great way to nest complex function/method arguments
. Great way to do your OO programming to preserve NameSpace
. Also very clean and efficient way of expressing data
. Native construct of JavaScript, Python and Ruby(?) ~ ergo fast
6) Hack in Mozilla
. . I am repeating becuase most wannabe DHTML hackers start with IE and fail misserably in the long run. Good example is a guy by the handle of StereoFrog. That guy had great code and ideas but did not respect the Moz. He only supported IE and now he has vanished from the earth. (Sad because I lost my copy of his libraries...
JsD
[:==Moz+AJAJ+OSX==:]