23 decembrie 2005

Finally, a period of rest and joy

Today is the last day of active working, the project I was contributing is now on vacantion; of course there are some things to improve, to polish .. but that will have to wait until the first week of the next year.
Until then, I'll enjoy the holidays, resting and thinking about future projects ..
I wish you to enjoy best moments with your dearest, like I'm planning on doing.

02 decembrie 2005

EJBCA - The J2EE Certificate Authority - Welcome

EJBCA 3.1.3 is now available: fixing some bugs and releasing some new features like that
Release Notes - EJBCA - Version EJBCA 3.1.3

Bugs


-[ECA-75] - SCEP not working with Hard token CAs (HSMs)
-[ECA-107] - can't view logs using oracle due to column 'comment'
-[ECA-139] - It is not possible to use a HSM to sign a pkcs10 req to an external root CA.
-[ECA-141] - Unstable default idle-timeout for datasource
-[ECA-144] - Scep not working with Cryptlib
-[ECA-145] - Bug in hard token profile pages, Nullpointer when changing profile type or saving new pages
-[ECA-147] - Star (*) not working in subject alt names
-[ECA-148] - Scep not working with Cisco PIX
-[ECA-149] - unstructuredName/address in DN does not work
-[ECA-153] - cli not working on windows when java_home contains space char
-[ECA-154] - install does not work when JAVA_HOME contain space char
-[ECA-155] - OCSP using CA key does not work with HSMs
-[ECA-156] - binary chars in ejbca-mail-service.xml
-[ECA-160] - display of mail.smtp.host during ant deploy is wrong (cosmetic)
-[ECA-165] - Not possible to remove UnstructuredName from entity profile
-[ECA-167] - CN Postfix doesn't work if UID have the same value or DN is reversed
-[ECA-168] - Hard Token SN search doesn't work with primecard 1.3 >
-[ECA-169] - Hard Token Profiles cannot be cloned
-[ECA-170] - Malformed SVG Template craches the Hard Token Profile pages
-[ECA-171] - Typo in language file
-[ECA-176] - Method CertUtil.getEMailAddress(X509Certificate certificate) hangs jboss
-[ECA-177] - SCEP not working with Netscreen/Juniper boxes
-[ECA-180] - Select, unselect javascript features doesn't work anymort

New Features



-[ECA-109] - Support RSASSA-PSS signatures
-[ECA-140] - Add $UID as a variable to the SVG templates
-[ECA-181] - Javascript checks use unicode for internationlized chars
-[ECA-182] - Possible to select a subset of fields in DN and Subject AltNames in the certificate profiles
-[ECA-186] - Possibility to specify the BasicConstraint path length

Improvements


-[ECA-146] - Device schema for sun directory server missing X-ORIGIN
-[ECA-159] - Not possible to view historical data in CertReqHistory
-[ECA-161] - easy configuration of smtp auth
-[ECA-163] - Describe how to install com.mysql.jdbc.Driver in the documentation
-[ECA-178] - Better error messages when HSM provider not found
-[ECA-183] - Possible to configure for different JBoss targets
-[ECA-185] - new version of batik lib

01 decembrie 2005

Modify Firefox 1.5 to work with all extensions

Scattered » Modify Firefox 1.5 to work with all extensions is a thing that preocupies my since I tried the first release candidate of Firefox 1.5. I hope that this solution will work for you too.
Good luck !

28 noiembrie 2005

Xerto

Xerto is a very nice looking application that kept my eyes on their site for about an hour just looking at the different screenshots .. it's a place to visit .. and if you are interested, buy something !
PS: I have no connection with the autors of application or Xerto web site ..

Apache Derby 10.0.2.1 Release

Apache Derby 10.0.2.1 : Apache Derby 10.0.2.1 was released, fixing some of the problems of previous versions.
Enjoy because is a good database ..and is free !

24 noiembrie 2005

JNLP Java Web Start update in progress

Cafe au Lait Java News and Resources: "Sun's posted the maintenance review change log for the Java Network Launching Protocol and API (a.k.a. Java Web Start) specification. Changes are fairly significant and include an update element to indicate the preferences for how application updates should be handled by the JNLP client, a check attributes to specify when the JNLP client should check for updates, and a policy attributes to tell the client what to do when an update is available before the application is launched."

22 noiembrie 2005

FlightGear Flight Simulator version 0.9.9 released

FlightGear Flight Simulator: "The FlightGear flight simulator project is an open-source, multi-platform, cooperative flight simulator development project. Source code for the entire project is available and licensed under the GNU General Public License.

The goal of the FlightGear project is to create a sophisticated flight simulator framework for use in research or academic environments, for the development and pursuit of other interesting flight simulation ideas, and as an end-user application. We are developing a sophisticated, open simulation framework that can be expanded and improved upon by anyone interested in contributing."

For the interested ones, is a refference you can't afford to miss ! At least at this price ! :)

Home - GeoTools

GeoTools has released version 2.2M2 which is a nice thing to know and with this .. the "brother" uDig.

21 noiembrie 2005

Sun Java Studio Tools - FREE Award-winning IDEs

Sun Java Studio Tools - FREE IDEs : Now lets get serious about developing a web application in Java with these free IDE from Sun !!
If you are after a IDE with full JSF support, this is the way to go .. and from now on without paying for the precious IDE assistance !
There are some very interesting flash presentations here Sun Java Studio Creator. Enjoy a full featured IDE ! I'm waiting for the counterpart from Eclipse Platform ! Aren't you ?

Robert Half Technology 2006 Salary Guide

Robert Half Technology 2006 Salary Guide is a interesting information for those who care about their income and the tendinces in the market ! Enjoy the PDF read ..

Steel dolphin Creative - Color Scheme tool

Steel dolphin Creative - Color Scheme tool is a nice tool with intuitive interface for easily creating your color schemes in web apps or desktop apps. There are some other alternatives to this color scheme creator, maybe some of them are better, but this worths a place in your bookmarks.
Enjoy the play of colors !

18 noiembrie 2005

Sun Studio 11 released for free

Sun Studio 11:Sun Studio 11 software is the latest release of record-setting, optimizing compilers and tools for the C, C++ and Fortran developer. This release delivers the highest optimizations and the best performance in the development of scalable 32-bit and 64-bit applications on Sun's newest hardware platforms including the latest multi-core UltraSPARC, x64 and x86 platforms. And Sun Studio 11 software now removes the price barrier and is available for FREE!
Isn't that good news ?!

17 noiembrie 2005

Intel to 'revise' Pentium M naming scheme

Intel to 'revise' Pentium M naming scheme : Intel is to introduce a new processor numbering scheme when its 65nm 'Yonah' chip debuts early next year, sources from within Taiwan's motherboard maker community have claimed.
The four letters work as follows: E indicates a TDP of more than 50W, T for 25-49W, L for 15-24W and U for under 14W. With Intel's strategy directed towards building chips with ever higher performance per watt ratings, the Yonah numbering scheme may well extend beyond the Pentium M to other mobile processors and quite possibly desktop and server chips in due course.

Intel's secret logos revealed

Intel's secret logos revealed in a article posted in a French-language site x86-Secret but retracted after a Intel's legal team offensive, were re-posted today by Taiwanese site DigiTimes.
So it seams like a real thing .. but we will see..

Apple Planning Intel-Ready iBook Debut for January

Think Secret - EXCLUSIVE: Apple Planning Intel-Ready iBook Debut for January - intersting article for those like me watching the big bang game of changes in Apple hardware strategy. I'm looking forward to see the future Intel based models.

Romain Guy's Weblog : Synth Builder

Synth Builder is a theme builder for Synth.
A nice piece of software to play with if you think you need to modify the Synth theme provided by Java 5.
Enjoy !

16 noiembrie 2005

Mac OS X System Startup

Mac OS X System Startup is a nice article for those interested like me in OSX.. my interest in this OS is enhanced by the quality of Apple hardwaree (mmmhhhh powerbook ..is a wonder)

15 noiembrie 2005

Java people blogs directory

This is a collection of news and views from the Java™ SE Development-Kit Community. Nice and interesting stuff.
There are certain links you could pay attention to.

10 noiembrie 2005

Java 6 TabComponents in action

Alexander Potochkin's Blog: TabComponents in action is a nice article about JTabbedPane components in next Java version, the long waited (for me) Mustang version.
There are good news about java components flexibility !

iReport - version 0.5.2 released

iReport is releasing first version after the partnership with JasperSoft and it's adding new features and bugfixes:
* Partial support for JasperReports 1.1.0 (crosstabs, styles and frames are not yet supported)
* Improved log window
* Fixed all templates
* Serveral bug fixes and improvements
For long run users like me this is good news !!

09 noiembrie 2005

Eclipse Platform 3.2 M3 Released

Eclipse Platform 3.2 Milestone 3 was released on second of november, and there are some news you would be glad to hear about.
Enjoy your reading the of newsworthy and ... go for download mirrors !

Mr Schedule

Mr Schedule is a simple tool for making time estimates and keeping track of your todo items as the author describes it.
It has a nice interface based on JGoodies Looks and Animation and a Eclipse icon subset.
I'll try to see if the functionality stands up to the User Interface ! :)

editor PSPad - freeware editor

editor PSPad - freeware HTML editor, PHP editor, XHTML, JavaScript, ASP, Perl, C, HEX editor is a nice product I'll give it a try, seems to me very cappable..I'm mostly interested right now in editing html files with some code completion and the CSS files too ...

Project management and task management software: Basecamp

Project management and task management software: Basecamp is a interesting tool to make your project more efficient. There are multiple bussines plan to sign up for.
Nice user interface too (from their screenshots only).

GTDTiddlyWiki - try this !!

GTDTiddlyWiki - your simple client side wiki is a very interesting way to tell me that web apps can be extremely good looking and fueled by nice visual effects !
I might give this a try ! You might give this a look !:)

08 noiembrie 2005

jTDS JDBC driver 1.2 released

jTDS JDBC driver 1.2 released with new features and bug fixes.
For Java programmers with SQL Server or Sybase database access applications

07 noiembrie 2005

Apple Intel PowerBooks 'to debut Q1 2006'

Apple Intel PowerBooks 'to debut Q1 2006' is just a rumour but I'm very curious about their new products .. even if I am a fresh owner of a AMD Turion Windows based notebook.

06 noiembrie 2005

.:: QuickServer ::. version 1.4.6 released

.:: QuickServer ::. with the new version 1.4.6. adds some new features like
# Support to specify the maximum number of threads to be used for NIO writes.
# Full integration with ClientEventHandler and comes with default implementation.
# Added support to set default DataMode.
# Now shipped with ready to use Unix shell scripts.
# Added support for ClientExtendedEventHandler.
# Added support to configure initial pool size.
# Introducing new ClientAuthenticationHandler (replacing Authenticator).
# Separated QSAdminGUI to a separate jar.
# Improved logging, ClientHandler.
# Added new QSAdmin command 'client-handler-pool-dump'.
# Improved ThreadPool for performance

Enjoy your new java server library !

05 noiembrie 2005

Hot acquisitions

Last evening was a very good evening for me: I finally managed to get my own notebook, a HP NX6125 Turion based notebook.
As first look, I'm content about the package contents for the spent money. There are some things to be improved ..or some flaws, but I'm trying now to enjoy my new acquisition.
To complete the joy, I did managed to install and configure a wireless router (the D-LINK DI 624+) and the wireless network.

The configuration of the notebook is the following:
- Turion ML-34 1.8Ghz
- 80 GB 5400 Hdd
- 512 MB RAM Infineon DDR333
- SXGA (1400x1050) 15 inch display
- X200 Espress ATI graphics card with 128 MB UMA
- Bluetooth
- Broadcom WIFI a/b/g
- fingerprint sensor for enhanced security
- X90 56K modem
- Windows XP Home (unfortunatelly)

for 1010 EUR (VAT included)
I'll come back with some more and detailed news ..

04 noiembrie 2005

Opteron Madness forces Dell to market IBM servers

The Register says "Opteron Madness forces Dell to market IBM servers" .. it has come to this !
During a Dell-hosted conference call this week with reporters, Kirk Skaugen, Intel's general manager of servers, started detailing new four-way systems based on Intel's Paxville MP chip. Dell needed this chip bad, as its main competitors have had access to a four-way capable Opteron chip from AMD since April.

D- Link Wireless Router DI 624


In my try to build a home wireless network I was interested in getting a wireless router to connect may older Ethernet PC with a new WI-FI notebook.
And I found one very interesting piece of equipment D- Link Wireless Router DI 624 which has a very good reputation and nice reviews.
I'm eager to try it at home, today is the purchase day .. I'll be back with my pertinent comments.

Product Features:
- Up to 108Mbps*
- Advanced Firewall & Parental Control
- Easy Installation
- 802.11g, 802.11b Compatible
- Increased Security with 802.1X and WPA
It has 4 ethernet ports and 1 WAN port.

*(with other selected D-Link devices)

Add [...] button to any TableCellEditor

The article published at Javalobby is an iteresting one and helps implementing a nice usability feature.
JTable allows editing with TableCellEditor. Sometimes the table might contain some complex objects, whose editing may not fit it the small area allocated to TableCellEditor. In such case it is good idea to add custom-editor button to TableCellEditor. CustomEditor is a button with icon [...]. On clicking this button, a more sofisticated UI in a dialog will popup. This is very common in PropertySheets.

Try it and enjoy !

02 noiembrie 2005

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 RC1 Available

The first release candidate of Mozilla Firefox 1.5 is now available for download. Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate 1 is intended to allow testers to ensure that there are no last-minute problems with the Firefox 1.5 code. There will be at least one more release candidate before the final launch of 1.5.
Firefox 1.5 RC1 can be downloaded from the Firefox project page. Users of Firefox 1.5 Beta 2 will be offered RC1 through the software update system. More details can be found in the Firefox 1.5 RC1 Release Notes.

01 noiembrie 2005

Mantis Bug Tracker 1.0 rc2

Mantis Bug Tracker is a php/MySQL/web based bugtracking system.
Worth trying it, because it seems to become a more mature product (as the version number shows) and is sustained by more and more companies.

Launch4j version 2.0 released

Launch4j is a Cross-platform Java application wrapper for creating Windows native executables and a software tool to look for when you need a open source solution.
I tried it, one thing I didn't find there is a way to specify the libraries dependencies, the multiple library classpath.
I believe it is posible to specify that in the main jar manifest file, but not in launch4j.

31 octombrie 2005

JasperReports version 1.1.0

JasperReports 1.1.0 has a list of new features, some of them very long waited by me such as styles and frames.
On the other hand is good to know that iReport author (and iReport project) has joined JasperReports. I'm eager to try the new version of iReport after this move.
Best thoughts for JasperReports larger team !

Oracle to offer free database | CNET News.com

Oracle to offer free database : is a hot news, isn't it ?
This is a move related to the DB2 free edition released by IBM for PHP development or the Microsoft intention to release a free Express version of SQL Server 2005.
Oracle 10g Express Edition will be available for use with servers with one processor, with 4GB of disk memory and 1GB of memory.

28 octombrie 2005

27 octombrie 2005

Browser launcher in Java

BrowserLauncher is a nice library to use in case you need to launch the default platform browser from java application.

25 octombrie 2005

LogDistiller

LogDistiller is a log files analysis tool. It reads log files, parses them into structured log events with attributes, then classify them according rules configured in an XML file. Classification results go into reports, which are published according to the rules configuration : simply stored in a file, sent by mail, or even added in a news feed.
For me it seems to be of use in parsing and analysing log4j generated files.

Swing: Get Started with Flexdock

Swing: Get Started with Flexdock is a nice artcle about a open source project that offers you the posibility to create complex docking application like Eclipse or Netbeans.
Worth a look !
PS: the link is not correctly written in the article, the real one is https://flexdock.dev.java.net/

24 octombrie 2005

SwingFX: Using the Draggable API

SwingFX: Using the Draggable API is an interesting article about creating GUIs with drag and drop utilisability feature in a easier way.

18 octombrie 2005

Paint App Tutorial : Netbeans module guide

Netbeans platform: Paint App Tutorial is a nice written tutorial about creating applications using the module base of Netbeans.
This article includes branding of application and some bug workarounds :)

Improving Code Layout Can Improve Application Performance

Nice and very interesting article about speeding your application execution with some optimisation techniques.

12 octombrie 2005

"Forever For Now" Web Site Discovered

Forever For Now it's a intersting site with some very nice graphics and ideeas. Stop by to give it a look !

Eclipse - Splitting Editors on the Same File

This has been a question about Eclipse capabilities asked by two of my mates who were using JBuider at that time and to my real shame I wasn't able to provide a concise answer to that. We did find some workaround in other facilities of Eclipse but not exactly what thy really asked.
This is for you, Cornel and Rares ! :)

08 octombrie 2005

New project in final stage

As all of you that used or use the Apache Derby Database know, there is no well known GUI for interfacing with the database. I'm working on a project that uses Derby database as embeded database and I needed to create, test the structure and the data inside .. so that was the beggining of developing a simple user interface for using Derby as a network database server, creating databases and a simple front end for issueing SQL commands.
In a couple of days the "product" will be ready to be published as open source project.

06 octombrie 2005

JToaster

Have you really missed in your java applications the animated box rising from the bottom of the screen with a notification message (like guifications or yahoo messenger) ?
If so, JToaster is the swing solution, and best of all is free and opensource !

05 octombrie 2005

Stopped Clock Blog

When it comes to real appreciation, this is one site you can visit often..I really recommend it.
You can find here nice piece of information about graphics and user interface tricks ... real nice ..and pleasing for your eyes.
From here you can discover the icon set of OpenOffice or Gnome 2 or one interesting free editor Inkscape.
There will be followups about me using Inkscape.

03 octombrie 2005

Java Splash Screen in Mustang

For a GUI developer in Java a splash screen was one of the "facilities" that demonstrates the quickness of java .. because even the splash screen was appearing with a delay of some seconds. Yet, the time is changing .. and Mustang is about to bring new possibilities.
Some nice article on an interesting feature !

28 septembrie 2005

Automated GUI Recorder for Eclipse Platform

The article provides an overview of using a GUI recorder and playback tool that is developed under the TPTP test framework. This tool allows users to record GUI actions in the Eclipse platform and play them back to verify the functionality of their product. It is meant to allow Eclipse developers to automate regression tests that often require many resources to perform repetitive tasks to verify basic functionalities.

For developers of SWT and JFace applications it's a interesting feature .. all Eclipse platform developers should be aware of it. And it's a nice introduction in Test and Performance Tools Platform Project.

Opera 8.5 is free !

I'm very happy to see that Opera released a new version 8.5 of his browser without any ads and payment requirements. It may become my browser of choice because of the speed and features combination. The Windows installer is small enough not to bother you with dowloading it .. :)
I'm not an advertiser but I'd like to hear your comments and reviews ..

26 septembrie 2005

Eclipse 3.2 M2 Released

Here are good news for the users of Eclipse IDE .. especially for those who like to do experiments and enjoy the last features of the platform..
Really, enjoy !

20 septembrie 2005

TrackIt

TrackIt: "TrackIt is the first open source, web based project tracking tool designed from the ground up to provide maximum flexibility, customization, and most importantly, usefulness to the developer."
Looks nice .. worth a try..

15 septembrie 2005

Resources for user experience designers

Just for a moment back in front of the computer .. I found a new interesting user interface references ..
Check this out .. it's really valuable..

09 septembrie 2005

2 Weeks off :)

I'll be on vacation 2 weeks from now and my access to internet will be difficult to none ...so "see you" in 2 weeks with some fresh news and brand new ideas !
All the best from a lucky wonderer !

Last before vacantion


The other day I was talking with a colleague about the user interface of the Designer of IBM Document Management System and his attention was attracted by the custom JMenuBar with gradient and a picture ... so today I'm presenting you my implementation. You can specify the color of the gradient and the image that is scaled to the JMenuBar height.
For future improvements I'm waiting for some feedbak !

06 septembrie 2005

Web Content Management System

Magnolia CMS version 2.1 has been released, and even better has open sourced it. Most notable new features:
* full I18N support - delivered with 15 major languages
* native search
* import/export of XML based data
* supports several JSR-170 compliant repository implementations, including the Open Source implementations "Jackrabbit" and "Jeiceira" as well as commercial alternatives.
* improved performance through 70% reduction in number of nodes compared to Magnolia 2.0
* simple war-file drop-in deployment on any J2EE container
* run as many Magnolia sites as you like within a single J2EE container for cost-effective hosting
* choice of two leading cross-browser rich-text editors - Kupu and fckEditor
* vastly improved module mechanism to provide for flexible and easy extensibility
Worth a try .. isn't it ?

02 septembrie 2005

Change of image :)

You, my old visitors, couldn't miss the change of image ! :)
I hope you'll see that as a improvement .. still I'm waiting for your feedback

Digging into Java Web Start

Digging into Java Web Start: I found this article interesting for the Pack200 support description (for Tomcat at least) .. I'm tempted to use it in production .. some customers will be happy for sure ! :)
For those of you who deploy Java Web Start using Apache Web Server here is some stuff for you JWS on Apache Web Server. Enjoy ... and deploy !

01 septembrie 2005

Ergosign - Company website ..

This is the kind of information I would like to have in front of my eyes every day...I noticed the style in site's web design, their projects gave me an impression of their well done work ..
They have the experience that makes my say "If I were interested in developing a product I would count on their expertise". And it's not advertising, I really like very much their work.
It's interesting though that I discovered a lot of companies or consultants covering the User Interface and Usability issues established in Germany .. just one example: Karsten Lentzsch(JGoodies web site).

31 august 2005

EclipseZone - SWT: How to add an icon with a popup menu to the system tray

SWT: How to add an icon with a popup menu to the system tray: The code in the article is a simple SWT app with a systray icon, and a popup menu with an item to exit.
Interesting, if you considered SWT for developing the GUI for your next Java application.

HTMLSource: HTML Tutorials

If you are a beginner in HTML editing .. or not, you might be interested in the stuff I found on this site .. nice presentation, cool information. Enjoy !

Capivara - Java filesync

Capivara - Java filesync: "Capivara is a two pane file manager with support for SFTP and FTP servers. Capivara is not an ordinary file manager because it adds synchronization features like comparing timestamps or SHA-1 hash values."
I was attracted by the declared ability to synchronize two folders .. I must recognize that.

30 august 2005

MiG Calendar Component

MiG Calendar Component: If you are looking for a Java component to have a calendaring application done or a booking one .. this is the place to start searching ..
At least you can be inspired by the clean look and feel and the flexibility of this component(s).
Nice product .. proved by previous experiences like Wing Flight Planning System.

Quaqua Look And Feel

Quaqua Look And Feel: The Quaqua Look and Feel (Quaqua) is a Java implementation of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (AHIG) for Mac OS X. It only works on Apple's Macintosh Runtime for Java. Quaqua is focused on fixing minor bugs and glitches in Apple's implementation of the AHIG as well as providing enhancements that make your application fit nicely into Mac OS X.

I wish I had a Mac to use it .. :(

Aqua Data Studio 4.5 released

Aqua Data Studio: is a database query tool and administration tool that allows developers to easily create, edit, and execute SQL scripts, as well as browse and visually modify database structures. Aqua Data Studio provides an integrated database environment with a single consistent interface to all major relational databases. This allows the database administrator or developer to tackle multiple tasks simultaneously from one application.
I like very much this mature product it's one of my favorites because of my heterogeneity of databases used in my projects ..
I hove you'll give it a try .. and apreciate it like I do.

29 august 2005

Google Talk IM Launch

Google Talk - Last days I was more interested in using the brand new Google Talk instead of using the brave old GAIM.. the excitement is obvious ... and the simplicity and voice conversation quality convinced me to have simultaneously two active IM clients. Yes, I know that is possible to use GAIM for everything :) .. but since I use for now Windows, Google Talk looks more appealing ..
Give it a try, give me a sign :)

Performance Benchmarking of Embedded Databases

Performance Benchmarking of Embedded Databases: A very interesting comparizon between embedded databases and MySQL .. for the interested ones like me in choosing a embedded database solution .. looks like HSQLDB is a winner !
Seems more interesting since version 1.8 of HSQLDB.

iReport 0.5.1 Released

iReport - OpenSource Java Reporting Tool: "The iReport Team is pleased to announce the new iReport release: 0.5.1.
Newsflash
- Full support for JasperReports 1.0.1
- New charting support
- New TXT exporter
- New RTF exporter
- Support for the new Report Virtualizer
- Serveral bug fixes and improvements "
Enjoy ! I know I will try this new version ..

Subversion

Subversion: Subversion project is to build a version control system that is a compelling replacement for CVS in the open source community. The software is released under an Apache/BSD-style open source license"
It's a piece of software I better get use to, because it has great potetial and strength .. and could replace cvs by it's features and stuff. For Eclipse users there is a plugin similar in functionalities with the cvs-implicit one .. Subclipse

23 august 2005

Cobertura

Cobertura: "is a free Java tool that calculates the percentage of code accessed by tests. It can be used to identify which parts of your Java program are lacking test coverage. It is based on jcoverage"
Interested already ? Go there and find out more ...
Ant tasks included :)

22 august 2005

Building Reports with Jasper Reports

Building Reports with Jasper Reports: Using Hibernate queries with JasperReports is a optimized approach of "binding" together JasperReports, Hibernate and eventualy iReport.

21 august 2005

The Swing Connection: Swing Sightings

The Swing Connection: Swing Sightings: With a short delay I'm glad to have de possibility to guide you to a colection of well designed and implemented user interfaces in Swing ..different applications, different approaches ..the same result: You appreciate the designed application, it's look and functionality.

18 august 2005

Hibernate: Filter Collections ...

Hibernate: Filter Collections ...: "Hibernate: Filter Collections"
I should dedicate a section of my blog to Hibernate as R.J. Lorimer creates so many articles concerning Hibernate. Worth a look ! And not only :)

17 august 2005

JINSPIRED JXInsight/JDBInsight Themes

JINSPIRED JXInsight/JDBInsight Themes
I have a huge interest in developing user interfaces in Java so I'm interested in every application that can serve as an example of good GUI implementation. The JInspired products are a example of beautiful user interfaces done with swing, and I can't say no more than: Just look at their screenshots. Very much attention paid to detailes, a complex screen .. but a very nice combination of colors, fonts and icons that make my face smile !
Let us be inspired by such examples !

Desktop Java with SWT: an interview with Steve Northover - OSNews.com

Desktop Java with SWT: an interview with Steve Northover - OSNews.com: "Desktop Java with SWT: an interview with Steve Northover"
Some interesting thoughts from one of the most known technical persons behind SWT and Eclipse Platform development. For SWT addicted is a proud meeting, for the others a worthy reading.

Enhancing JTable : the VLJTable from VLSolutions

Enhancing JTable : the VLJTable - VLSolutions: "Enhancing the JTable with filtering and sorting : the VLJTable"
A nice article, the component seems very useful to me, I eager to test it in a test environment. Maybe you should too. It's released under LGPL license.

SwingWorker: shoot just once, please

A swing-er weblog : Weblog: "SwingWorker: shoot just once, please" -- Interesting article about swing applications and the user habbit of click-ing more than once on the buttons or other action components on the interface.

JavaBlackBelt - Java skills evaluation platform

JavaBlackBelt - Java skills evaluation platform If you want to verify your knowledge, enhance your Java aptitudes, it's a nice place to register and try. Give it a shot, try to earn your black belt ! (for now, try a least the yellow belt)

16 august 2005

Launch4j

Launch4j :: Cross-platform Java application wrapper for creating Windows native executables: "Launch4j is a cross-platform tool for wrapping Java applications distributed as jars in lightweight Windows native executables. The executable can be configured to search for a certain JRE version or use a bundled one, and it's possible to set runtime options, like the initial/max heap size. The wrapper also provides better user experience through an application icon, a native pre-JRE splash screen, a custom process name, and a Java download page in case the appropriate JRE cannot be found"

Eclipse Visual Editor 1.1

Eclipse Visual Editor 1.1 released .. and giving satisfaction to those addicted to GUI Builder Tools.. It's a fine tool, even if it is a hungry memory consumer, maybe you want to share your impressions with me. Thanks !

BIRT 1.0.1 Released

An example of what you can do with BIRT, an interesting alternative to JasperReports since I do use and like Eclipse .. Maybe worth a try .. I'll tell you more after trying it.

15 august 2005

Hibernate Synchronizer

Hibernate Synchronizer: I was using the other day hibernate mapping files editor in eclipse and I found that the incompatibilities between Eclipse version and WTP and JBossIDE plugin can make your day miserable.. so I looked for another plugin to help me with this mission ..I found Hibernate Syncrhronized, a mature plugin (ready for Eclipse 3.1) which helps me a lot..

Eclipse Platform 3.2 M1 News

Eclipse Platform 3.2 M1 News: Eclipse 3.2 M1 - New and Noteworthy for those eager to meet the future release of Eclipse Platform .. so, get to downloads !!

10 august 2005

GNU Source-highlight

GNU Source-highlight You wanted at a moment in time to publish some source code into a web page and the formatting and highlight of code was difficult ? Here's a solution for your problem. (I know for mine it is ..)

Introducing the JDesktop Integration Components

Introducing the JDesktop Integration Components If you missed some of the native integrated functionalities of java .. this is a place to be accustomed with such functionalities provided by JDIC.

09 august 2005

Swing: Component Titled Border ...

Swing: Component Titled Border ...: If you were wondering about or wishing to have a titled border with a component (like a checkbox as in Santhosh Kumar's example) .. this article can help you accomplish that ..

Hibernate: Externalize HQL Queries ...

Hibernate: Externalize HQL Queries ...: Thanks to R.J.Lorimer we have another thing to think about when we use Hibernate in our projects .. :)

08 august 2005

Apache Derby 10.1.1 Released

Apache Derby 10.1.1 Released: "The Apache Database Project has released Apache Derby 10.1.1.0 (formerly Cloudscape), an open source SQL database written in pure Java that supports JDBC. New features in this release include:
* A network client driver
* Support for J2ME/CDC/Foundation with JSR-169 JDBC subset
* Online compress functionality for reclaiming disk space during operation
* XA support for Network Server
* Identifiers can contain up to 128 characters
* SQL INTERSECT, EXCEPT and SYNONYM
* JDBC Updatable Result Sets
* ORDER by expressions
* Allow insertions into an identity column
* Support for explicit Java method signature in function and procedure definitions

Hibernate: Tuning Lazy Fetching

Hibernate: Tuning Lazy Fetching: As the previous tip from R.J. Lorimer was referring to Hibernate Lazy Fetching, is now time for tuning, isn't it ?
A well written article with samples .. all you need for digging deep into Hibernate Fetching mechanism ..
Enjoy your reading !

07 august 2005

EclipseZone - An online community by and for Eclipse users everywhere

EclipseZone - An online community by and for Eclipse users everywhere For those usual visitors of JavaLobby there is a new place to look for.. a site dedicate to Eclipse users. Join me in the quest :)

06 august 2005

Eclipse Platform Project Draft 3.2 Plan

Eclipse Platform Project Draft 3.2 Plan: "Eclipse Platform Project
DRAFT 3.2 Plan"
It's better to know what's your future with the favorite IDE (at least mine) .. isn't it ?

Politics of User Interface Design

Politics of User Interface Design: "An understanding of good user interface design eludes most people. And most couldnÂ’t tell a good design if it hit them. The one true test, however, of quality is in the usersÂ’ feedback. It is important that we designers use this to our advantage"
Some truth is difficult to be understand. But I'll keep on trying ..

05 august 2005

EJBCA - The J2EE Certificate Authority

EJBCA - The J2EE Certificate Authority: "EJBCA is a fully functional Certificate Authority. Based on J2EE technology it constitutes a robust, high performance and component based CA. Both flexible and platform independent, EJBCA can be used standalone or integrated in any J2EE application."
For those interested in a Certificate Authority solution customizable and accesible, it's a piece of software to look after. I know I am .. :)
I'm watching their efforts for over 2 year ..

Jaccal - smart card data access library

Jaccal - smart card data access library ...Jaccal was developed to allow easy acccess to smart cards to more developers. Traditionally smart card access is through bits and bytes and through sending byte arrays to the smart card, and programming access to the smart card is tedious and requires a great deal of understanding of the card specifications.
Still, I'm waiting for the final JSR 268: JavaTM Smart Card I/O API implementation as I did fight for accessing Schlumberger Access Cards 2 years ago using Open Card Framework 1.2. The result was reached after 3 terrible months because of the APDU level .. the OCF1.2. was not supported by Schlumberger.

Wicket Web Application Framework

Wicket - Home: "Wicket is a Java web application framework that takes simplicity, separation of concerns and ease of development to a whole new level. Wicket pages can be mocked up, previewed and later revised using standard WYSIWYG HTML design tools. Dynamic content processing and form handling is all handled in Java code using a first-class component model backed by POJO data beans that can easily be persisted using your favourite technology."

04 august 2005

Enhance JGoodies Looks on JTabbedPane

I'm using for a period JGoodies Looks for displaying a polished face of my applications and I did like the demo of Karsten Lentzsch -Metamorphosis- so I becomed interested in obtaining the same effect of JTabbedPane tab header. The setting
tabbedPane.putClientProperty(Options.EMBEDDED_TABS_KEY, Boolean.TRUE);
helps but is not enough as the result is
A closer look like this

is obtained if you overwrite PlasticTabbedPaneUI method for
protected void paintText(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, Font font, FontMetrics metrics, int tabIndex, String title, Rectangle textRect, boolean isSelected) with using a derived Bold font
and
protected void paintTabBackground(Graphics g, int tabIndex, int x, int y, int w, int h, boolean isSelected) with a GradientPaint on tab's header width.

03 august 2005

Hibernate: Understanding Lazy Fetching

Hibernate: Understanding Lazy Fetching: I found last night a interesting and well explained Hibernate article on JavaLobby web site authored by R.J.Lorimer and since Hibernate is on my interest list....and I belive yours too..I publish here a link to it. Thank you, R.J.

Nuvola icons by David Vignoni

Nuvola icon repository Being interested by GUI makes me look for the most attractive icons for applications .. and I found that Nuvola is a nice source of high quality icons .. works well with java applications even on Windows.

Creating a custom UI delegate for JTabbedPane

Jon Lipsky’s Weblog » Creating a custom UI delegate for JTabbedPane One nice and complete example of what you can accomplish with JTabbedPane .. and the step by step aproach is encouraging .. the source code is a plus :)

02 august 2005

Your Last Chance

Your Last Chance If you think is hard to find some Java related stuff, you should try this link.. if is not here that means that you will have a hard job searching .. :)
A comprehensive list of links ..something like a bookmark store ..

Desktop Java Features in Mustang

Update: Desktop Java Features in Mustang: For those interested for he future of java development and eager for using new improved features in Java Desktop Development here is a link to give you a clue of the path we are going on.

Swing: Use an Accessory to Spice Up JFileChooser ...

Swing: Use an Accessory to Spice Up JFileChooser...: Interesting article for those interested in adding custom features to JFileGhooser, in this particular situation a image preview option. Worth more than a look ..

01 august 2005

JUMP GIS Project

Vivid Solutions Inc. - PROJECTS: "The JUMP Unified Mapping Platform is a GUI-based application for viewing and processing spatial data. It includes many functions common to other popular GIS products for the analysis and manipulation of geospatial data. The JUMP also provides a highly extensible framework for the development and execution of custom spatial data processing applications.

JUMP offers the following features:
* an interactive workbench for viewing, editing, and processing spatial data
* an API providing full programmatic access to all functions, including I/O, feature-based datasets, visualization, and all spatial operations
* a high degree of modularity and extensibility
* support for major industry standards such as GML and the OpenGIS Consortium's Spatial Object Model
* Open Source code written exclusively in Java™"
Jump was one of the candidates for a GIS viewer implementation in one of my projects, but finally GeoTools 2 was the choosen one because of the previous experience with Geotools 1.
Anyway worth your consideration .. I'm watching them. Alternate site is http://www.jump-project.org/

IntelliJ IDEA 5.0 released today by JetBrains

IntelliJ IDEA 5.0 released today by JetBrains: "IDEA 5.0 brings enhanced support for JSPs, code completion for HTML, CSS and other non-Java file types, Subversion support, and hundreds of other enhancements."
Even if I am a Eclipse user, that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate and respect one of the most powerfully and distinguished IDE for Java (the second in command as I see things). Worth more than one try ..Maybe worth the money to buy it !

Open Source Licensing

Open Source Initiative OSI - Licensing: "For your convenience, we have collected here copies of the licenses approved by OSI. If you distribute your software under one of these licenses, you are permitted to say that your software is 'OSI Certified Open Source Software.'" Nice list of licences for thouse interested in using or releasing open source software.

Javalobby - Java2D: Translate To Simplify Graphics ...

Javalobby - Java J2EE Programming Forums - Java2D: Translate To Simplify Graphics ...: Very interesting tip from R.J. Lorimer for the beginners of Java 2D API and not not only for them.

29 iulie 2005

JTS Topology Suite

JTS Topology Suite The JTS Topology Suite is an API of 2D spatial predicates and functions. It has the following design goals:

  • JTS conforms to the Simple Features Specification for SQL published by the Open GIS Consortium

  • JTS provides a complete, consistent, robust implementation of fundamental 2D spatial algorithms

  • JTS is written in 100% pure Java

  • JTS is open source (under the LGPL license)


Last version is 1.5 from september 2004. It's a thurstful partner for developing Java GIS applications.

GeoTools - Java GIS Toolkit

GeoTools: Geotools is an open source Java GIS toolkit for developing standards compliant solutions. It provides an implementation of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications as they are developed. Last version is 2.1. and here is the feature list.

Using JasperReports with Hibernate

www.hibernate.org - Using JasperReports with Hibernate: For those interested in using Jasper Reports with Hibernate, this is real valuable stuff asorted with java code samples. The JRBeanCollectionDataSource will do the job of getting the information from HSQL queries. Integresting stuff in Hibernate Tools for Eclipse and Ant

25 iulie 2005

Enhanced Scrolling for Swing ...


Javalobby - Swing: Enhanced Scrolling for Swing ...: Nice implementation of mouse scrolling in JScrollPane, refined approach. Nice performances from the author too. You could find new tricks from his blog.

22 iulie 2005

Swing Hacks on Amazon

Amazon.com: Books: Swing Hacks (Hacks): "Swing Hacks helps Java developers move beyond the basics of Swing, the graphical user interface (GUI) standard since Java 2. If you're a Java developer looking to build enterprise applications with a first-class look and feel, Swing is definitely one skill you need to master. This latest title from O'Reilly is a reference to the cool stuff in Swing."

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures: Interesting stuff, no matter how experienced you are, your memory can't match with the information collected here. Check it out, put it in your bookmarks ..

JasperReports - new version 1.0 !

JasperReports - What's New in v.1.0:
1. Built-in Chart Support
2. Support for large reports
3. Support for CLOB and BLOB report fields
4. Returning values from subreports

Good news for every user of this trustful tool !
I'm eagerly waiting for a iReport update too :)

20 iulie 2005

Hacknot - Beware The GUI Builder

Hacknot - Beware The GUI Builder: "So, are GUI builders good for anything at all? Perhaps. They have some utility for mocking up interfaces. You can create static 'snapshots' of your interface and show them to users, perhaps employing printouts of them as paper prototypes. In other words, you ignore the code generation functionality and use the GUI builder as a shape-based drawing tool. I believe this is one of the few useful applications of GUI builders.

Attempting to use them in the prescribed manner is generally a bad idea. They shield the programmer from coding details that they must eventually conquer anyway, introduce an unnecessary tool dependency into the development cycle, and discourage re-use. Of course, as long as there are uninformed managers with access to the company purse, GUI builders will continue to be sold on the basis of their novelty and unsubstantiated claims to productivity improvement."

11 iulie 2005

.:: QuickServer :: new version 1.4.5

.:: QuickServer ::. Java library for creating robust, multi-threaded, multi-client TCP servers: "QuickServer is an open source Java library/framework for quick creation of robust multi-client TCP server applications." Worth a try cause it could help you in developing client/server application..

08 iulie 2005

Hibernate Tools for Eclipse and Ant

www.hibernate.org - Hibernate Tools for Eclipse and Ant: "Working with Hibernate is very easy and developers enjoy using the APIs and the query language. Even creating mapping metadata is not a too complex task once you've mastered the basics. However, supporting tools have always been important to speed up the development process in important projects."

Document Digital Signer

Nakov Document Signer: "NakovDocumentSigner is a digital document signing framework for Java-based Web applications. It is freeware open-source project initiated by Svetlin Nakov and provides the Web applications with digital signature functionality based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). NakovDocumentSigner consists of a digital signer applet and a reference Web application for signature and certificate verification."

Route Planner

RAC Route Planner: For thouse who are interested or have time for a trip or a car journey this is the place to search for ... nice interactive information for card drivers all over Europe, in best conditions for UK, but working for Romania too.
You can even set places to visit before you reach the very end of your trip :)

07 iulie 2005

Eclipse release webtools M5

Javalobby - Java J2EE Programming Forums - Eclipse release webtools M5: "The feature complete M5 milestone of the eclipse webtools project has been released. The webtools project provides a complete set of eclipse plugins aimed at web and J2EE programming."

Eclipse plugins

Eclipse plugins: are one of central point of interest for Eclipse Platform beside the Eclipse IDE, so here are two sites dedicated to eclipse plugins Eclipse Plugin Central and Eclipse Plugins. You will find mostly every type of eclipse plugin you could be interested in:) .. at least I did.

06 iulie 2005

ESRI Romania - Bucharest Map

ESRI Romania - Bucharest Map A interesting initiative of ESRI Romania is to publish a interactive map of Bucharest with embassy, train stations, hotels, hospitals, roads layers. The interactive map uses ArcIMS technology.

Guidebook: Graphical User Interface gallery

GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface gallery: One day I discovered a nice website that touched my interest very deeply, as I am very interested by Graphical User Interface and Human Machine Interface. The site is a vast collection of screenshots, icons, splashes, articles concerning GUI. Very interesting .. you can discover this way the evolution of GUI over the years ...

Firebird SQL Service and Server Config

Firebird SQL Service: Firebird SQL Service monitor is a application tray that can monitor, start, stop, restart Firebird SQL 1.5 Services over network like apache monitor can.
Also there is a firebird configuration utility that helps you with a GUI for editing for firebird.conf and aliases.conf files.
Nice job .. worth a try.

IBExpert - nice and powerful tool for Firebid database

IBExpert:If you are interested in using Firebid database on Windows OS, one of the most recomended tools you can count on is IBExpert which offers you a variety of functions and interfaced for a easy administration and use of Firebird capabilities.
Some of the features are:
-Code completion
-Stored Procedure and Trigger Debugger including Trace Into, conditional breakpoints, and much more
-Visual Query Builder
-Autoinc Assistant for Trigger, Generator and Stored Procedure creation, etc.
Educational Version is full version limited to 50MB database and there is a Personal Version with some limited functionalities
I strongly recommend this tool, as I'm using it since early 2004.

Firebird - Relational Database for the New Millenium

Firebird Relational Database - one interesting bet on free databases: "Firebird is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL-99 features that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix platforms. Firebird offers excellent concurrency, high performance, and powerful language support for stored procedures and triggers. It has been used in production systems, under a variety of names since 1981.
Firebird is a commercially independent project of C and C++ programmers, technical advisors and supporters developing and enhancing a multi-platform relational database management system based on the source code released by Inprise Corp (now known as Borland Software Corp) on 25 July, 2000 under the InterBase Public License v.1.0.

Firebird is completely free of any registration, licensing or deployment fees.It may be deployed freely for use with any third-party software, whether commercial or not.
I'm interested in this database as it shows to be opened to Java access through a JDBC Type IV driver."

05 iulie 2005

Qute Theme for Firefox

Mozilla Update :: Qute Theme: "Qute is my favorite theme for Firefox, and as you can see I'm not the only one that prefers this theme. The folowing description comes from the theme author:
Icons designed to be modern, dynamic and fresh, with attention paid to usability and comfort over extended use.
Requires: Firefox: 1.0PR - 1.0 Firefox"

Affine Transforms

A very interesting introduction to affine Transforms A Java Runtime is required to see the lesson which leeds you through the necessary steps for defining your needed transformations and image manipulations. The tutorial is dedicated to text transformation too. So, interesting stuff to read about...

One of my desire spots - Treo 650 Smartphone


palmOne - Products - Treo 650 Smartphone: "The Treo™ 650 smartphone from palmOne makes it easier than ever to stay connected. It simplifies your life by combining a compact mobile phone with email,3 an organizer, messaging, and web access.3 There’s also Bluetooth® technology so you can connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices. Not to mention an MP3 player,2 a digital camera that captures video, and a vibrant color screen that brings everything to life – all in a device that’s still small enough to fit in your pocket. Seems like Treo smartphones just keep getting smarter."

JasperReports - Interesting and powerfull reporting solution

JasperReports - Home: "JasperReports is a powerful open source Java reporting tool that has the ability to deliver rich content onto the screen, to the printer or into PDF, HTML, XLS, CSV and XML files.



It is entirely written in Java and can be used in a variety of Java enabled applications, including J2EE or Web applications, to generate dynamic content."

iReport - OpenSource Java Reporting Tool

iReport - OpenSource Java Reporting Tool: "The iReport Team is pleased to announce the new iReport release: 0.5.0.

See details on iReport 0.5.0 What's new? page!

- Full support for JasperReports 0.6.7
- Support for exporter options
- New contextual menus and formatting tools
- Support for Groovy "

Cafe au Lait Java News and Resources

Cafe au Lait Java News and Resources: "Bernhard Fastenrath has posted GetOpt 0.97, a free (GPL) Java library that parses command line options such as -d, --help and -version. The command line options and responses can be stored in XML. Version 0.97 fixes bugs, especially involving the built-in web server. Java 1.4.2 or later is required."

04 iulie 2005

Nice pictures from Den Haag


Last month I had this opportunity to go for 5 das in Holland in The Hague. Here it is a nice picture a took there in this nice and interesting town. But more about this in future post asorted with pictures.

IM Client satisfaction

One of the most often used programs .. the IM client; for me it's GAIM, a simple and efficient program that links me with friends all over the world..

First one

This is the inauguration of my blog, a thought I always had but never transformed into reality.