Codito Ergo Sum

Last week we went over the basics of configuring your IDE and compiling your first program. I have class this evening, but I wanted to point you to a resource that I will be developing as I go through this class. The CfCode C++ Blog Series is basically a listing of all posts in the series, as well as an example C++ program with what I hope are good comments throughout of what is going on. In today's iteration of this example document, I go over declaring constant variables, using cin and cout to accept input and provide output respectively. I define several data types, and show you how to evaluate expressions and place the result onto the screen. This example document also introduces static_cast to force a result to a specific data type. You can always find the latest version of my example document at http://www.cfcode.net/blog/page.cfm/c-series, or you can browse back through prior posts like this one to see the code as it grows. More tonight after class!

Read more...

So last night was my 1st night of C++ class, and I want to try and pass on what I learn in a blog series. I'm a total newb as far as C++ goes, but if you want to learn as I go this may help! The majority of our first class was just intro, talking about computer basics, and only in the last 45 minutes or so did we really get into coding, and we did a simple 'display some output' app.

Read more...

After about 10 minutes of playing, here are my initial thoughts in a nutshell: Chrome is FAST!  Gmail and google docs are lightning quick.  Starting a new tab has a very opera-like quick start (only this is automatically created as you use the browser).  Each tab shows up in windows as its own process under task manager (request:  stick part of the URL there so we can nuke one by name!).  The interface is un-obtrusive, imported all my firefox settings and favorites just fine, and renders the pages I have tested it on just fine.  I like it, will be using it as a daily browser here for the future, and will let you know how it goes!  Mac fans will just have to hold onto their macbooks, this is a windows only release so far, but you will get yours some day =)

*edited* - Check out the html / style inspector (right click anything in the page, choose inspect element)  - you can view the derived styles, and edit the html in-line and see the changes as you make them.  Super sweet!

*edit* OK, I keep finding cool goodies.  Right click the task bar for chrome, and choose 'task manager'.  You get a window with each tab, the memory and CPU that each tab is taking up,  and even the network usage of that tab (how awesome is that).  The rabbit hole gets deeper though, click 'stats for nerds' to get a very detailed memory page.  Go google go, appeal to us techies, I love it! =)

*edit* OK, it has not been an hour of use yet, but its now my default browser =)

I have been coding coldfusion for about 7 years now, since I first got the Coldfusion Express edition and learning kit when it was still owned by Alliare.  Next week I start 2 new classes at school, Java I and C++ I  (with JAVA II and C++ II the following semester)  Does anyone have any advice for me?  I have at least been exposed to Java in my CF travels, but I have done little else in C++ than compile a 'hello world application.  I know Java has many frameworks, is there one that would be more useful to learn over another one?  How about C++, are there frameworks out there (I'm sure there are, I just have never been exposed yet).

I'm a big fan of Eclipse, and feel very comfortable within it.  Can I work just as easily in Eclipse with C++ as I do with CF or Java?  What are the best plugins for Java or C++ work?

Thanks anyone for advice you can offer!

So you did it. You ran an UPDATE or DELETE SQL statement without a WHERE clause. Don't panic (well, panic, but don't despair). You can fix it with a few steps I will outline here, provided you are doing a few 'best practice' SQL maintenance items.

Read more...

I am writing code that will replace a legacy CF system. At some point in the past this system was forked to run a 2nd company, and the web root was copied to another folder. Of course, over the years the 2 systems diverged, fixes were not always put into both, and gradually the single code base become twice as hard to handle. One of my goals for this new system was to write it such that many sites could share the same code base.

Read more...

Cute little joke my wife told me this weekend (click the 'read more' link for the punchline):

Question: What kind of bee's make milk?

Read more...

I wanted to put this code out here just to help anyone out who try's to get started with the IBM toolbox for Java.  This is still rather rough, but this CFC will allow you to connect to your iSeries, retrieve a filtered list of spool files, and download a spool file into ASCII or PDF format.  This is really not 'production ready' code,  but it does function in its limited capacity right now.  I am releasing this to solicit opinions or additions to this, and maybe even find other sections of the iSeries toolkit that someone else has addressed.  It would be cool to create a Riaforge project that has a rollup of CFC's that can interact with the AS400 to do anything! *Note: You  need to install the JTOpen classes into the coldfusion classpath and restart before this component will work.

Anyway, you can download the wrksplf.cfc file and check it out. Don't try and drop it into a production environment, just look and see if you can learn anything from it, and if you have something to contribute either email me at justice@cfcode.net, or comment here!