Ruby on Rails IDE Tip

After working on a Ruby on Rails (RoR) project for a bit I would suggest using NetBeans IDE over Aptana IDE for a number of reasons.

Too many to mention at the moment.

Since you don't know me (maybe) I can't just say: "Trust me!" (But you can :) )

Ruby on Rails (Better late than never)

After many years of never getting around to Ruby (and it on Rails), even after hearing all the hype, I finally a decided to do something about this shameful situation.

I am writing a employee recognition system using RoR 2.2. I am very impressed (to say the least).

I'll need to say some more in a few days ... I am having too much fun coding! (I haven't been able to say that in a while!)

Trying a blog post from Flock

If this ends up on my blog I will be most impressed!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

.Net Application works on Windows XP and not on Vista (Anymore)

I thought i'd post this to save someone the 15 hours I just wasted.

Disclaimer: I am a novice C#/Windows developer (at best).

We have a component of our application that is written on C# and compiled against the .NET 2.0 framework. This application had always executed successfully on Windows XP and Vista until this weekend: Executing on XP, no problem. Executing on Vista, got an APPCRASH and some "beautiful" Hex (my Hex is rusty).

After many hours of trying everything i ran out of options (because of course I assumed it was my code changes or the embedded code being executed by C#). After many cigarettes and even more cups of coffee, i had a suspicion the problem might be caused by the .NET framework itself. I had a look and noticed that .NET was updated (without my knowledge, or consent to Service Pack 2). Hmmmm. Oh, by the way, you can't roll back the update.

Tested my theory by compiling my application on a system that only had .NET 2.0 SP 1 installed. The application works perfectly on Windows XP and Vista now.

*sigh*

Flex Builder on Linux

I have read on several web sites that it is quite likely that Flex Builder for Linux will no longer be under development. Although I develop on the windows platform, I see this as a major step backwards for the adoption of Flex and AIR across all platforms.

Please take a second to vote this "issue" up:

http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FB-19053

Seinfeld & Bobby Brown (The My Prerogative Connection)

After a bit of "Googling", it appears it's just me (and a friend of mine) who have noticed Bobby Brown's, My Prerogative in the Seinfeld theme song.

Seriously! Give it a listen (closely!)

Business & IT at Odds

We've all seen this, worse been a part of it.

It is only lately that I have actually managed to empathize with Business. Taking a step back, they have the same problems IT are faced with:

The need to roll out a solution that meets some operational or strategic objective in the shortest possible time frame.

Almost always the solution requires an information system of some sort. Business knows they can find a solution: off the shelf or custom built (because let's face it, IT is swamped and they will rework the solution later if need be). Business knows what the software must do and even if they can't find a perfect match at least they can get a close enough fit and roll out on time.

Yet who are these IT guys asking silly questions with regards to systems proposed by business. Why do they care about:

1) Open systems architecture
2) Security
3) Operating platform
4) Data storage
5) Size of the development team/company?

This is of course if the organization is forward thinking and actually invites an IT representative to meetings where technology is evaluated. (Thank goodness I am!).

IT must seem like an obstacle to Business: They don't have the time to deliver a solution for us, yet here they are shooting holes in solutions that seem perfectly viable.

At the end of the day the process becomes frustrating for both parties. There is no denying that both parties are stakeholders in the success of the organization. Business needs to deliver the solution as soon as possible and IT has to ensure that it fits in with the technology and processes defined.

Failure of IT to make sure that all systems are in accordance with the strategic architecture result in the problems we read about in textbooks (yet, as students, can't believe actually happen in the real world). These include:

1) Disjoint processes feeding into each other. The end of the dream of technology automation.
2) Multiple data stores, more often than not duplicating important information (and at least one of them out of date)
3) Inability to report on the big picture.
4) Expensive and complicated integration projects.

These problems do not emerge until long after the new system has gone into production. By that time it is too late and both IT and Business are the victims of what is described in our first year textbooks.

Yet neither party is at fault. I just hope for an Open Systems Architecture :)