Remote Coder Blog

A brief respite from my coding closet

Wow, look at all these cobwebs

January12

It’s amazing what happens when you don’t spend any time writing new articles.

-Absolutely nothing!

I am on my last year of my computer programming degree and my class loads have lightened up a bit. Along the way I’ve purchased a new house with my wife, had a meager 3 week Christmas break (not nearly long enough), and managed to acquire 2 internships doing web development.

Those are just a few of the things I’ve done.

Upon reflection of where I started this journey and where I am now I’ve learned that what I want to do MORE THAN ANYTHING is web development. I love designing websites, helping people put their brand out, and along the way learning more about myself, and my capabilities. This doesn’t mean I don’t like application development, but certainly with web design/development, I have more creative freedom and it’s that freedom I enjoy most.

My computer programming degree hasn’t covered (in my opinion) 2/3rds of what I believe I need to know to become a good web developer as far as web technologies go. I’ve covered html, javascript, xml, php and mysql. Those languages are a good basis for most sites, but in reviewing what other web developers out there are covering (thinks like JSON, JQuery, MooTools, CSS) I think I am not as prepared to handle all of the requests that might come to me.

So what can I do?

My wife was amazing in that for Christmas she got me a copy of the Smashing Book which has been a good start.

The Smashing Book is chocked full of tips and ideas about good site design and characteristics that I believe will help me be a better Web Developer. But while learning this, I have this deep sense that I need to learn more.

So, this is where you come in (if you even read this): I need to find out what current market trends are in web development and determine if those tools/skills are something I can acquire by reading, or if I should continue my education and find a school geared for Web Development.

I am so fried on education that I want to suppress the college route for awhile and see what I can do before that. I realize that this market is BLEAK, but certainly some one some where can use a developer (let alone pay one)

This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so the question is, how to insure that happens.

:)

posted under Blogging, HTML, XHTML, CSS, AJAX, Javascript, Lifestyle, MYSQL, PHP, Programming, School, XML | Comments Off

Java Timer Applet

November17

I am not certain whether or not it’s taboo to post your code on the internet. There are several sites out there that do this, and I know without some code examples every now and then to look at, I might never understand certain elements.

It was hard to find any thing that closely related to what I’m about to post here. Basically, I was looking for some example that would illustrate for me how to use the Javax.swing.timer method.

I could understand that I needed to create the method by using:
timer = new Timer(1000, new TimerListener); which initializes a variable called timer as a new Timer method, counting by seconds, and called using the TimerListener class (inside class I had to create).

The reason why I was trying to create this java class was so I could imbed it into an applet for use on an html page.

This is the html code I used to call the applet:
<.html>

<.head><.title>Timer Applet<./timer><./head>
<.body><.applet code="timer.class" width="300" height="100"><./applet><./body><./html>
<./code>

Basically, the applet tag calls the java class and puts it in a predetermined sized window. When you load the html page in your browser (with Java enabled) it will call the java class, and run it.

So my Java code is as follows:
//Name: David Nick
//Date: 11.16.2009
//Purpose: To create a Java Timer Applet

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class timer extends JApplet
{

private JTextField tLabel;
private JPanel tPanel;
private JPanel bPanel;
private JButton startBtn;
private JButton stopBtn;
private Timer timer;
private int x = 0;

public void init()
{
timer = new Timer(1000, new TimerListener());
getContentPane().setBackground(Color.black);

//building the panels
buildTpanel();
buildBpanel();

//add panels to content pane
add(tPanel);
add(bPanel);

//setting the panel layout
setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
}

private void buildTpanel()
{
//create the panel
tPanel = new JPanel();

//create Textfield that goes into the tPanel
tLabel = new JTextField("000000");

//add textfield to panel
tPanel.add(tLabel);
}

private void buildBpanel()
{
//create the panel
bPanel = new JPanel();

//create the buttons
startBtn = new JButton("Start");
stopBtn = new JButton("Stop");

//create the button listeners
startBtn.addActionListener(new StartListener());
stopBtn.addActionListener(new StopListener());

//add buttons to the panel
bPanel.add(startBtn);
bPanel.add(stopBtn);
}

//creating a listener for the start button

private class StartListener implements ActionListener
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
timer.start();
}
}

//creating a listener for the stop button

private class StopListener implements ActionListener
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
timer.stop();
}
}

//creating a timer listener
private class TimerListener implements ActionListener
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
x++;
tLabel.setText("000000"+(x));
}
}
}

One of the difficulties for me was nailing down how to increment the counter once I hit the start button. The Timer method has only timer.start(); and timer.stop();. There is no timer.reset(); method. It is in poor taste to try and force the timer to set itself to all zeros because in clicking start it continues where you hit stop.

And so there you have the Java Timer Method used in an HTML applet.

posted under HTML, XHTML, CSS, AJAX, Java, Programming, School, Source Code | Comments Off

August is here

August11

W00t w00t!

So many things have happened since my June post. July didn’t see a single day that my schedule was open and I was relaxing.

I spent most of my summer training in my 2 martial arts, my SkyWarn spotting was slim to none (calm summer, not a lot of severe weather), and then the first week of August I finally took a trip out of town.

It was nice to get away from school, and to focus time on family, and other diversions.

That will all end of course at the end of the month when school starts.

I am hoping this means more time writing my thoughts as I progress through another semester of college. 3 more of them to go before I am done, and I can start looking for work.

I miss work!

posted under Blogging, General Writing, Lifestyle, School, SkyWarn | Comments Off

Wow, the end of May is already here

May27

And you thought you were busy? :)

Just a quick update to my last post. I completed my spring semester and passed all of my classes. So I’ve successfully navigated through Java 1, Agile Programming Methodology (Using Ruby on Rails), XML (DOM, SAX, XHTML), and PHP/MYSQL!

I am by far not finished learning ANY of these languages as they are all excellent and have their uses. Let’s just say this semester was getting my feet wet.

In retrospect, I certainly have a ton of work to do to master each of these. Along with working them, I also dusted off my HTML, graphics work, javascript, and picked up a new skill (CSS).

I have all of my textbooks for next semester, but I need to also find time to dive into them and get some of that knowledge under my belt before the semester starts. I’d like to do better this semester than I did the last one.

Now, as for this summer and blogging…. Mid June is going to be terrible for me as I am leaving for a 4 day excursion w/family. July is looking slightly better, and August I am taking another trip w/family. That means to you (the few of you there are) that I am going to continue my sporadic blogging.

I did want to pass along a link that I received for an IDE geared for MAC OS X called Coda. For a VERY limited time, Panic Inc (the company that makes Coda) is offering their products for 50% off what they normally sell them for.

If you go here, you’ll find more about it. I am about to download the demo and see for myself what the fuss is all about. I have also recently picked up Komodo Edit and I love their Windows IDE product. It’s worth finding something you like and sticking to it.

posted under Blogging, HTML, XHTML, CSS, AJAX, Java, Javascript, Lifestyle, MYSQL, PHP, Programming, Ruby, School, XML | Comments Off

School season is winding down!

May6

May is a great month. Baseball, warmer temps, bugs are not fully aware that humans are outside, AND… school season is wrapping up for the semester!

Before my final exams next Monday and Tuesday, I have to complete 2 projects (1 Java, 1 php) and make sure that I have all of my code handy on a single thumb drive. This is incase we are allowed only 1 for taking our final app tests.

In Java we are working on abstract methods and classes. So we’ll create a driver/main app, which will call upon a parent class, and 2 child classes. This sounds simple enough but the work is tedious and I hope I have time to take care of it.

In PHP, the project is a bit more difficult as we have to completely revamp a website we’ve written, that has SQL functionality, and so not only changing graphics, web pages (which are all in php) but also making sure that every aspect that calls a DB query works.

So, PHP first, and we’ll sweat the small stuff later right?

And that is what I am doing now until next Tuesday. After class is out, then I am hoping to write more frequently over the summer!

Wish me luck!

posted under Blogging, Java, PHP, School | Comments Off
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