General

Database Modelling Software for MySQL

I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I’ve been using DBDesigner 4 from FabForce, an open source visual design tool, and apart from working around a number of bugs, I’ve found it practical to design from scratch.

Read more

How many installations, and just what are they doing?

Would it not be great if on the MySQL website there was a page of stats (updated daily) that provided statistics like number of installations, a breakdown of versions registered (not certain I like that exact word) , OS’s, countries etc.

Read more

MySQL 5.1 is gaining some momentum

It wasn’t that long ago that MySQL released the GA Release of Version 5.0 with major new features (Oct 24 2005). It still took 5.0 about a year to go from alpha to GA, however I’d suspect a much shorter turnaround this time.

Read more

Unit Testing A Database

In a recent job interview I was asked the question regarding Unit Testing/Automated Testing of a Database? An interesting question and indeed an interesting problem. I thought it was a good topic to describe what I’ve done in the past, and where I would go for a more complete testing environment given the opportunity of a entire XP project.

Read more

Some light hearted Google Fun

Sometimes I wonder how I get to trivial information. Well in the Wikipedia article Google Hoaxes you will find that the Google search engine is valid in a number of unusual languages including Klingon.

Read more

Database Modelling within an XP Methodology

In an eXtreme Programming (XP) Agile Methodology approach towards software development the absence of adequate database design, or the scant regard of it, with the assumption that a framework and persistence infrastructure will take care of that can be a disaster in a larger enterprise solution.

Read more

Ruby

Being a little despondent regarding Spring, a framework I’ve chosen to skill up in Read More , I’ve changed tack to investigate further Ruby. I was in a training demonstration of Ruby late last year, I’ve had other colleagues talk about it, and in a number of readings of late, Ruby has been making an impact, so time to delve in.

Read more

Book Review (Part 1) – Better, Faster, Lighter Java

Well if the weight of the book has anything to do with it, it’s the lightest Java book I’ve got. Better, Faster, Lighter Java, which I got from Amazon, has been a quick read.

Read more

The Java Spring Framework

I’ve been reading Spring in Action as part of reskilling in Spring Framework and Hibernate. The rationale of this was, I wanted a better testing capacity of my web apps, and after some review of a number of options and input from other colleagues I went down the Spring path.

Read more

Handling User Requests of ‘I got an error!’

Don’t you just hate that, a user at the end of the day, week, or only when you ask them say “I got an error.” Ok, well can you give me some more information.

Read more

What do you want in a job?

Well it’s a good question, as part of sorting out tax documentation I came across the following list (go figure why it was with tax stuff). I made this list sometime mid 2002, I remember specifically the job I made the list for to evaluate.

Read more

Linux Format Reader Awards 2006

The Linux Format magazine is having it’s annual reader awards in a number of categories. These include (I’ve include my picks after each category): Best Desktop Application (Gnome) Best Distro (CentOS 4.

Read more

What’s in a Wiki?

I’ve been wondering what exactly is a wiki? It’s also not the first time I’ve been asked myself. Here is an explaination I came across. A wiki, from the Hawaiian term for “quick,” is an ongoing, ever-evolving, organized compilation of information.

Read more

Windoze and Microspew at it again.

In reading the Google News Sci/Tech headlines today, near the top was the following article. Windows Security Flaw Is ‘Severe’ Washington Post – 36 minutes ago A previously unknown flaw in Microsoft Corp.

Read more