NetBeans Jackpot project

Sam has just written in the JUG-ID that there is a NetBeans Jackpot project.

The first impression is of course the Logo.

I really like the Duke logo playing the slot machine. Hihihi.

Jackpot is Java source code reengineering tool. It works on NetB eans IDE.

Apache Hudson Continuous Build

This week I have had intensive touch with Hudson. I need to setup a new environment for development. It is a continuous build application, from the open source free software (OSFS) stack.

Hudson could run on any JEE application servers, such as Tomcat or Jetty. The project is now under Apache Software Foundation. The license is Apache License v 2.0.  

In our enviroment we use Subversion, and Hudson integrate well with Subversion. It polls for changes in Subversion, and  build on changes so that we could know which commit breaks the build. Hudson could run Ant build project but support Maven 2 build as well. To configure Hudson to use Maven 2 build, you only need to specify the pom.xml file. 

Back To AWT!

Last 2 weeks has been my time revisiting the Java AWT. I was assigned to create a chart graphics which is not supported by existing open source projects. The graphics required to be overlapping with left and right side showing different scales on the Y-axis. I took a look on an open source project that do similar graphics, and finally come into decision to create the graphics itself in Java AWT, and later display it through servlet streaming the image.
Last time I dealt with this stuff was long time ago, first time I learnt Java 1.1. The assignment was to create a GUI application for Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) calculator. RPN is a stack machine, where all operations takes place in the stack. RPN itself was widely used in the first generation programmable calculator (with the first and notable player: Hewlett-Packard!). The assignment was displaying 8 rows of stacked line seven-segment-digits that contain numbers stored in the stack machine.
This is a real fun though, it remains me the time of BASICA when drawing in the screen requires us to compute the coordinate, transforming it, etc. Now of course the AWT has bunch of more satisfying features such as Graphics2D (which wasn't there during Java 1.1 reign).
This is a real banana!

Digital Mars C/C++ Compiler Review

Some peoplein the Linux programming mailing list suggested people to use this Digital Mars C/C++ Compiler to learn C/C++ language. I still maintaining my C/C++ programming skill once a while, but it's been quite long since last time engaged in big project.
You can take a look here: http://www.digitalmars.com/download/freecompiler.html
The compiler seems to be free, but you are required to pay when requesting for the CD.

I tried to play around a bit with it, which seems a good for fast up-and-running C/C++ environment. It runs on Win32 and Win16 environment as well. Of course you might need a DOS Extender for Win16 environment in order to be able to use high memory (if you don't understand this, it's ok, just a heritage from the old x86 architecture which we might not be using anymore).

I downloaded the 8.50 version and try to make a working environment out of it.

Java2D for Custom Report Graphics Display

This last 4 days I was forced to learn the Java2D. Java2D is a powerful library, but it was only introduced in Java 1.2. The last time I learn about graphics in Java, was the time when I took the OOP Course, back to 1997? Mr. Stef taught us OOP using Java 1.1. AWT has just changed the infrastructure to message based to reduce complexity. We implemented a graphical Reverse Polish Notation calculator with 8 rows representing the contents of the stack (the first electronic calculator was using this kind of stack based Reverse Polish Notation).

Now I have to browse through it again, because the requirements asked for a type of graphics which I believe currently not supported in any reporting engine. It needs an overlapped view of two graphics. One with the legend on the left, and the other on the right. I have tried to use JFreeChart, but eventually found out that this kind of graphics is not commonly used. I have to build the graphics from scratch, except for the encoder that converts the BufferedImage objects into a PNG or GIF files.

It's interesting to see how JFreeChart is doing it down the hood. Last time when I touched this library it was still 0.9.x and not so stable. Now the library has grown up so much, and the page display flashy pictures.

AquaLogic Portal and WebLogic Portal

The event of Oracle Corp (NASQ: ORCL) bidded price on BEA Systems, Inc (NASQ: BEAS) has raised some users' eye brows.

This time I read and found out that the AquaLogic set of products were actually the PlumTree products which was bought by BEA Systems, Inc on 2005. BEA Systems made a major rebranding of the products as AquaLogic, with AquaLogic User Interface (ALUI) actually a complete, more mature, service oriented based, portal solution. AquaLogic was positioned as SOA based portal solution because it is not just involving Java technology instead it could be integrated with other platforms such as .NET technology.

The WebLogic Portal (WLP) gives illusion that this is the best portal product of BEA Systems' line of products, but I seemed the AquaLogic is somehow a better product than WLP. I haven't dug it well enough into the ALUI, but my experience with WLP has shown that it has a steeper learning curve. WLP technology is not just simply easy to use out-of-the-box.

Oracle Corp now keep adding more and more middleware products from the companies it buys. Some of them intersected each other. Some other obviously overlapped. When there are 2 products of the same kind within the same company, one must die. While ALUI and WLP still co-exist, the acquisition by Oracle, if it really happens would have created a company with overcrowded portofolio of enterprise portals. Then, 3 out of the 4 must die slowly?!? 

Let's watch for the Survival of The Fittest game once again...