14 Jan 2008

Just couldn't resist, mate.

From time to time I read a tutorial trying to educate myself on programming, which is just my hobby so I'd like it to be nice and easy. I've read some java tutorials, skimmed through some C++' ones lately, seen some Scala's, Python's and so on. I am not calling myself an expert on that, I am far from that. I am just a average human.

I am trying to push myself through one of tutorials on ActionScript 3. It's name is ActionScript 3.0 for developers and designers – Part 1: Creating a preloader. I've just wonder whether that's me or there is actually something wrong with this article. I hesitated a little, but couldn't resist to write about it so you may judge it yourself.

First thing, Jamie Kosoy is using code convention that makes my hair go gray. Below is the sample.

private function _onProgressBarComplete($evt:Event = null):void
{
_isLoadComplete = true;

progress_mc.removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,_onProgressEnterFrame); _animateOut();
};
private function _animateOut():void
{
gotoAndPlay("OUT");
addEventListener(AnimationEvent.ANIMATE_OUT, _onPreloaderOut,false,0,true);
};
I am almost sure this is not the recommended style for ActionScript 3. What the heck is with those $ and _ ?! Are those really that useful to understand code? You know what? When I read this source code I wondered whether those might some special variables, I had to check AS docs to clear it is just a convention. One thing it leads to is to ask useless question: what do those character mean? You have to be pretty sure that there will be questions about tertiary operator as well, and this _animateOut() function call on the of the line!

And the flow of article kills me of. Instead of going from start of program it goes the other way. You see on method there, another here. I know Jamie is senior developer and probably most of developers will understand this cliploader he is presenting. Including myself, but it is hard to read it this way.

Concluding I think this article should be revised to my liking! :))) That is:
  • make all the special characters from variables go away (this would let me concentrate on the problem tackled in the article and not on wondering what those underscores and dollar sings might mean),
  • rewrite the article so that it goes from top to bottom (this would present it the way source code is read - from application start. For this very clipLoader I would start from the code that actually loads the content and would drill down to details of passing the event to the timeline objects).
I am sure I will learn a lot from the article, but this could be even better experience for me. And how do you think?

13 Dec 2007

The warm feel of Thermo

Some time ago I watched the presentation about Thermo. You can read Thermo description or you can jump start to the presentation.

Well, Thermo is a tool not for Java, this is certain, but is built with Java and Eclipse. When you first see you will doubt, but it really is built on Eclipse. Anyway, IBM does a good job of changing Eclipse not-so-attractive appearance in its Lotus Symphony office suite and Lotus Notes app, which, I dare to say, share some good amount of source code.

After watching presentation I think some designer will certainly find Thermo useful ;). I am eagerly waiting for new designer tool from Sun.

11 Dec 2007

Death of e-zealotery

It is so human to allow yourself a little bit of bias, unjust judgment, close your eyes and open your mouth to only say 'it's my way or highway'. How many more time shall we see post about this and that being death chicken not realizing its head being chopped of its rotten body?

We need some heat, those unfair opinion and numbers taken from the sky, performance measures giving us pure bullshit facts are motivations to clarify, explain and develop. Man, I am lazy and I write seldom, but you see I just can't stand when someone misses the fact train and goes on the bias side. Give me flames so they can burn my laziness :)!

Of course the linked post is in many points right - I especially would like to see delta patches for Java and better modularity, but I'd also like to see those for other software like that developed using Eclipse RCP. I think it is not just a matter of some developer lazy decision - KISS I guess played its role here. About the patches for Solaris. My guess is that Sun's engineers wanted to make sure every patch is installed. The implementation is quite funky, but the goals is met. And I don't think it is big issue for admins in military area or any other high profile deployment. Well, one have to remember that Java and Solaris just only entered desktop market. Both are still looking for solutions to problems meet on the field of end customer shiny desktop :). Project Indiana and Java 6 Update N are still quite young projects.

So anyway, I am more relaxed when I publish this post when I was when I had written it. I guess it is still worth to express my feelings and share my look at some issues.