The Unix Divide

This is cool:

http://beginnersjavatutorials.blogspot.com/2008/01/java-swing-example.html

Make the textbox go larger than the frame.  What I like is that the Java compiler told me why it wouldn’t run this code at first, and so I fixed line 7 to read:

frame.getContentPane().add(panel);

Is quite cool after all. 

I had an epiphany about a week ago because I wanted to use pointers in Java, or at least a hash from Perl.  Well, luckily the JavaCollection library has things like HashMap, which does the same thing.  Now it looks like I’ll have to sort it with an ArrayList. 

The main purpose for using these “pointers” is to allow the code to handle dynamic situations, where the results of some operations aren’t know in advanced (like with just plugging in an enum, instead).

People keep saying Java is an OO language only, but you can use static methods and vars, and then it’s just like using a code module in VB or Perl, conceptually.  It’s the lack of pointers that is limiting, that’s _why_ you end up using objects instead.

I was all psyched to try out this Perl example using XML::DOM, but it didn’t work on either Windows or Linux.

CPAN got it installed on Linux, and ppm got it installed on Windows.  CPAN on Windows, not so great.  I guess it didn’t know to use nmake, so I tried it manually (Well first I had tried the whole process manually).  Then make install couldn’t find a command called ‘cl’.  ppm was effortless, and I already knew the prereqs for XML::DOM (in case that mattered).

I’m tasked with implementing a web survey.  At this point, I was already like okay, okay, I won’t use XML.  We’ll see if I can get a key guy there to install it for me.

“Give me root on your server!”  Grrrrr!  ;-D  Nah, this one guy is tops at doing that stuff, but he’s not technically an admin (full root).  CPAN needed root, probably because Perl is root.

The DOM seems to point out the entire object collection to the very end, like this: <contact><FirstName>joe</FirstName><LastName>blow</LastName></contact><contact><FirstName>sue</FirstName><LastName>smith</LastName></contact><contacts>

So what I need is to use SAX to make it look like a readable file, and later XSL to make a report-like version that is displayable, in human terms, to the browser as a web page.

I have a number of computers, but I think I’ve made my ideal choice. I am using a Slackware server, and soon I’ll just setup a barebones Windows desktop machine next to it.

Of course, I am typing this from an Ubuntu desktop (at another desk), but just for idealsies, I’ve made a separate arrangement.

Two reasons. 1. Thin desktop - I can run IE and Swing from. 2. Thick server - lets me run the server from an ideal server distro. Slackware is a completely different animal from the shrink-wrap, marketecture (got that word from xampl type of distro. The Debian based distros are alright, but they aren’t as hand-crafted, traditional Unix-like style, as Slackware.

Oh, I do learn and practice Swing on Ubuntu (Gnome), but the users at my co. (most businesses) have Windows desktops.  So I can tweak the final result, or watch web page results on a Windows machine.

Armed with things like Perl, Bourne, and ISQL, I’m going to tackle quality-assurance today; or at least, maker sure my programming changes are shooting out the right data.  Data-verification is also a term that works for me.

Step one is to check a flat-file’s output.  Now, I don’t have buffering in Perl, like java has.  So step one is to see if I can do a readln() loop, in Perl, on a really large file and see whether it’s slow or fast.

Let’s talk about some core skills for a Unix enterprise programmer.  Well, after system administration and scripting skills, and also after setting up an RDBMS, we finally come upon Java and stored procedures, but let’s start with Java.

The first thing java needs is to be able to connect to the RDBMS; therefore, I learned enough JDBC to be able to get out of and into the MySQL database.

Following JDBC, my next task is to first setup either an RMI server or going straight on to building a substantial Swing GUI.  You can vote here on which you would like me to tackle and write about first.

The theme of this site is altering from it’s original intro and *nix title.  I have changed the title of this website to “Unix” as it would seem that not only is it a mixture of both Unix and Linux, but also that Linux conjures up the image of “desktop war” in people’s minds.

I will cover some Swing soon enough, but that’s hardly a “Linux desktop”, and more to the point it’s the only part of this system I’m working on that runs on Windows.

What are core “skillz”?  The most basic core skills are command-line administration and word-processing from the console.  Other skills are MySQL (or other RDBMS) and Java.  IOW, a “Unix” enterprise system as opposed “MS-shop” skills.  I put Unix in quotes because we use Solaris servers at work, but at home I use Slackware - and Ubuntu for the desktop, but as I said desktop Linux is another story.  I am trying to confine myself and this blog to building up the core skills before indulging in the skills of debatable market-value.

I tried installing the express edition on Slackware, but it wanted a PAM, even though I chose NT/Unix system proxy login. When I tried to install the express or developer edition on Ubuntu, there were JVM errors.

That’s how I spent my Sunday. Now I’m downloading OpenSolaris.

I should note that I didn’t try either Suse (wanted to) or RH.  They both come with PAM, but supposedly each has their own version or build of it or something like that.  What a pain.

We use Solaris at work.

I’d like to write an improved version of the find command. First, I’ll try to see if I can write one in perl, then I’ll look at C/C++ if need be.

If a directory doesn’t belong to your group, then don’t search it. IOW, don’t search the whole machine for directories that I don’t have permissions to look in anyway, whilst telling me so, and wasting *reams* of time needlessly.

Of course, I’ll be typing it all in from Vi at the Linux console, but this is already cake next to an SSH terminal connected to Solaris.

This may be one of the last overriding, if least talked about, themes of this blog. Behavior effects things. My favorite IBM commercial for Linux is the one with Ali, “I shook up the world!” (search on YouTube.com). Great commercial, and it’s about one thing, the things we effect.

I’m on a mission to effect what I can. I should throw in that I’ve removed some of the forum links because I’ve finally moved past that stage; now it’s time for action. This was a message to myself, and I’m also sharing it with you, whoever is reading this.

As I may have mentioned once before, I’m still trying to see what programming I can achieve straight from the Linux console. At least at home, on my own time, I’ll make an effort to stay as pure as I can, and keep my way of going about things as interesting, and “powerful” as I can.