main December 2006

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35 participants
33 discussions

This is the ultimate in "object oriented" programming????
by cl＠isbd.net 02 Jan '07

02 Jan '07

So I have been playing a little with Ruby on Rails. I have it up and running and it works in a way but I'm totally unconvinced that it's the answer to the ultimate question - or even the answer to writing database apps for the web. Here's one little bit of code from a *very simple* tutorial example:- <html> <head> <title>My todo list</title> </head> <body> Not done:<br /> <%= display_items(@not_done) %> <p> <hr size=3> <p> Done:<br /> <%= display_items(@done) %> <hr size=3> <form method="post" action="add_item"> New item: <%= text_field("new_item", "description") %> <input type="submit" value="Add item"> </form> </body> </html> If that's either structured or object oriented then I'm a purple hippopotamus! :-) I think the fundamental problem is that HTML is a mess, until such time as that can be hidden somehow then I think we're stuck with rubbish like the above. I was hoping that Ruby on Rails helped hide some of the above junk but apparently not. Sorry - just felt like a bit of a rant! :-) -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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Re: Web/Sql development environments
by Christopher Dawkins 31 Dec '06

31 Dec '06

>> Are there any mature and easy to use software development environments >> for Web/Database programming? I reckon PHP/MySQL but that may be only because that's as far as I have gone. > If you've not touched rails, and you want something nice, I suggest > django, uses a postgres backend by default, though supports multiple > others IMHO the problem with any of these is "lock in", and when they change their system you have to change with it. All us PHP developers got a nasty shock a few years ago when the "register globals" policy was changed, and we (basically) had to declare our variables in order to keep our code running. Long-term code needs to be able to run on any server under any configuration, and while this is impossible it's a lot more likely if it uses common and basic resources. I looked into Django and Dojo, and they're just - well - "big" (and Dojo seems to need Flash on the client to preserve state, and Flash has now been de-licensed for all BSD platforms except the Mac). Most effects can be created using basic HTML/CSS/Javascript - look, for example, at AHAH instead of Ajax. Of course, for progress we need bleeding-edge programmers to try out all these new things. -- Christopher Dawkins Garnetts Corner, Braintree Road, Felsted, Dunmow, Essex CM6 3DS cchd(a)pjcd.org 07816 821659 01371 821076

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Defective By Design - Petitioning Number 10 on DRM.
by Ten 31 Dec '06

31 Dec '06

Hi all. Please consider the petition for the beloved persons in government to look at banning DRM. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bandrm/ I won't go on at great length about the evils of hardware, software and commercial media being "defective by design", of paying consumers being penalised (and presupposed to be dishonest) while the "pirate" suffers no ill effects, or of the threats to innovation and Free software that this technology carries along with it. This sort of nonsense is on the cusp of being an inescapable problem without much fuss, so those who have any issues with it might consider it important to make a noise at the earliest opportunity. I will leave this in the hands of the reader, although if you were apathetic or inclined to living happily with defective systems, you probably wouldn't be reading this here. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone here's already signed it that wants to. Apologies for the sort of spam, but hey, it's important. Cheers. -- There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary, and those who don't.

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None
by None 30 Dec '06

30 Dec '06

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Web/Sql development environments
by cl＠isbd.net 30 Dec '06

30 Dec '06

Are there any mature and easy to use software development environments for Web/Database programming? I don't really mind what language mySql/PHP seems the obvious pair but it doesn't necessarily have to be those two. I'm after writing a Web enabled database application and would like to choose a good way to do it. -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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Removing Ubuntu
by Simon Royal 29 Dec '06

29 Dec '06

Hi I have a PowerBook G3 that dual boots between Mac OSX Tiger and Ubuntu 6. I want to remove the Ubuntu and have a single installation of Mac OSX. Well actually I don't but I cannot work out how to set Mac as the default os. I know it is to do with Yaboot but I cannot fathom it. So if anyone can help me switch Mac OSX as the default OS then it would be appreciated, otherwise any help on removing Ubuntu would also be much appreciated. Regards Simon --- www.simonroyal.co.uk - The box said requires Windows 2000 or better, so I bought an Apple Mac. There are only 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't

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Book
by David Reynolds 29 Dec '06

29 Dec '06

Hi, We're having a bit of a post Christmas clear out and have a bunch of books to get rid of... (I know this isn't strictly on topic, but there is a linux book hiding in there!) Haynes Vauxhall Cavalier F - N * Hacking Linux Exposed - Brian Hatch, et al Five minutes in heaven - Lisa Alther Summer Sisters - Judy Blume * Love is a four letter word - Claire Calman Babyville - Jane Green * Sahara - Michael Palin The worlds greatest UFO mysteries - Roger Bore and Nigel Blundell Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Dave Morris Batman - Craig Shaw Gardner Long Division - Sarah Harvey American Pyscho - Brett Easton Ellis Cat - Freya North The Ivy Chronicles - Karen Quinn Wanderlust - Daniel Still Chloe - Freya North Rounders - Kevin Canty Come again - Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees Princess Daisy - Judith Krantz * We are family - Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees Lisa and Co - Jilly Cooper Ladies Man - John Ramster Serve Cool - Lauren McCrossen Pip - Freya North Azure like it - Wendy Holden Misbehaving - Sarah Harvey Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody - Michael Gerber Snap Happy - Fiona Walker Diary of a Manhattan Call girl - Tracey Quan Fame Fatale - Wendy Holden My Legendary Girlfriend / Mr Commitment - Mike Gayle Deep Heat / Flatmates - Chris Manby Sex and the City - Candis Bushnell Fen - Freya North Virtual Love - Susan Oudot Lady Chatterley's Lover - DH Lawrence The Nanny - Melissa Nathan The Waitress - Melissa Nathan Insiders / Badboy - Elizabeth Goldsmith Seven Sunny days - Chris Manby Adrian Mole the cappuccino - Sue Townsend The Beach - Alex Garland The Ex Files - Jane Moore 4 Blones - Candis Bushnell The Trials of Tiffany Trott - Isabel Wolff Revenge of the middleages woman - Elizabeth Buchan His and Hers - Mike Gayle The boy next door - Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees * = hardback book Let me know if anyone wants any. Thanks, Dave -- David Reynolds david(a)reynoldsfamily.org.uk

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Re: main Digest, Vol 18, Issue 18
by Peter Alcibiades 24 Dec '06

24 Dec '06

> So what should I do? Slackware isn't exactly you "new to Linux" > distribution (though it's what I use). What else can I try that will > be reasonably easy for a new user? Get PCLinux. All the Mandriva gui admin tools, and synaptic for software installations, and helpful forums. Can't go wrong. Peter

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Re: [ALUG] Installation conundrum
by John Seago 24 Dec '06

24 Dec '06

On Sunday 24 December 2006 12:00, Chris Green,cl(a)isbd.net wrote: > So what should I do? Slackware isn't exactly you "new to Linux" > distribution (though it's what I use). What else can I try that will > be reasonably easy for a new user? Try replacing the ribbon cables, use new ones, that was the answer when I tried installing Mandrake years ago, either that or undo the screws to the access panel of the case. Perhaps a hardware expert can tell you why these solutions worked, but they worked for me, ( I undid the screws and found that I didn't have the right cables, that worked, I then replaced the cables and tried again , that worked too.) Or you could just stick with Slackware, IIRC that was what I did, all the others being rejected within a couple of hours of initial use, its fearsome reputation is undeserved. -- John Seago GNU/Linux Registered User No. #219566 http://counter.li.org/ () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments

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Installation conundrum
by cl＠isbd.net 24 Dec '06

24 Dec '06

I'm having trouble installing *any* Linux on a system here. Well, not quite any Linux but I want something that's "easy to use" for a non-techie user. I have lots of distributions on CD and have tried several. All the various Ubuntu 6.06 distributions simply hang during the package install part. Mandriva 2006 panics while copying packages from CD to disk. Strangely enough Mandrake 8.0 installs OK and so does Slackware 11. So what should I do? Slackware isn't exactly you "new to Linux" distribution (though it's what I use). What else can I try that will be reasonably easy for a new user? -- Chris Green (chris(a)halon.org.uk)

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