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Archive for the ‘Programming’ Category

Explorer Leaks Memory

Tap dripping

According to Mishoo, Internet Explorer leaks memory.

The problem I’m discussing here is that Internet Explorer leaks memory on certain occasions. If your script complies to this behavior, you will usually notice an abnormal slowness when IE executes it, usually after 40-50 requests made within the same browsing session…

This comes as a surprise to some and nonetheless it gives another reason to upgrade to Firefox.

Poor User Interfaces

Open-source advocates must have come across odd GUI‘s where formality is neglected. An example is presented below (from GIMP 1.2.3, edited using the GIMP):

GIMP GUI Screen-shot

Firstly, have a look at the window title. Is the exclamation mark necessary? Secondly, look at the poor layout of the buttons. Thirdly, is the message at the bottom helpful? It does not make the application look professional. Is it inexcusable that open-source programmers cannot deploy their products in the commercial world?

On-line Banking Scripts

Money on keyboard

Do you happen to view your bank statements on-line? Long process, is it not? It can be automated with this huge library of Perl scripts for many different banks around the world. A click or two can reveal your balance, transactions, etc.

Design Bugs

Broken CRT

Certain design bugs are so common that we have become too blind to spot them. An essay titled Ten Most Persistent Design Bugs makes some excellent observations.

  • If the computer loses power for more than a few thousandths of a second, it throws everything away.
  • Designers offer no way for users to discover why a given menu or option has been dimmed (grayed out), nor how to turn it back on.
  • 15 Dec 2008 sorts as being before 2 Jan 1900

Moment of Fame

Pause/Resume Demo

MATLAB Central had me ranked 4th (world-wide) for my code contributions this month with over 1,600 downloads. This nearly tops July 2004 when I was ranked 2nd with almost 2,000 downloads. I was then only surpassed by the product manager, Stuart McGarrity.

PHP: The Programming Language of 2004

This morning I wrote my first piece of PHP. I can now see why it has been awarded ‘Programming Language of 2004′. Truly deserved. For the curious, the code rotates banners in my front page depending on the time of the day. Below lies an example.

Image rotation example
Picture at 10AM GMT

Collaboration Sought

I have recently been thinking about extending a project of mine, Othello Master, to form a new project. The new project will take a different title and occupy a different domain. Chess, Checkers and the like can be considered. If you would like to be a part of this, please send me an E-mail because without somebody’s collaboration, I don’t plan on doing it.

Othello Master

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Original styles created by Ian Main (all acknowledgements) • PHP scripts and styles later modified by Roy Schestowitz • Help yourself to a GPL'd copy
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