Ian McShane » Development

Project Euler

Ian — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:33:19 +0000

I came across Project Euler this evening via this post.

Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve. Although mathematics will help you arrive at elegant and efficient methods, the use of a computer and programming skills will be required to solve most problems.

The motivation for starting Project Euler, and its continuation, is to provide a platform for the inquiring mind to delve into unfamiliar areas and learn new concepts in a fun and recreational context.

I thought this would be a good way to get my hands dirty with Xcode and ObjC.

I’ve just completed the first problem (Add all the natural numbers below 1000 that are multiples of 3 or 5), which has elevated my Genius level to the dizzy heights of 1!

Whilst some of them are pretty simple mathematic manipulation type problems, some of them are proper head scratchers!

I’m quite tempted to post my solutions to them here somewhere so I can get some code feedback – i’m probably making a right mess when it could be done in a much simpler fashion!

Versioning a web development project

Free Trac and SVN hosting

Ian — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:20:23 +0000

I’ve been getting really pissed off trying to install Trac to my Dreamhost shared server, to the extent that i’m contemplating moving hosts.

In the interim, DevJaVu have just started to offer free Personal accounts that include integrate Trac and SVN.
All you need to do is sign up using the referal code johnny5. I don’t know how long that code is valid for so get on it.

Versioning a web development project

RadRails – Unable to detect ruby install on OS X Leopard

Ian — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:34:18 +0000

I installed the RadRails plugin for Eclipse and Aptana today.
On first start, it complains that it is “Unable to detect ruby install” on my Leopard macbook.

Now, I know ruby is installed and working so had to try and figure out the path to the ruby installation.

Took me a while to work it out, I thought it would be under /usr/.. but it’s actually here:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr

After adding a new RubyVM with this path everything was good again.

Incidentally, although Aptana is available on it’s own as an IDE (built with the Eclipse framework), I decided to use it as a plugin for a native Eclipse IDE. That way I just have one IDE for Java, C++ as well as RoR. Made sense to me.

I’ve only had a quick play with it but it already beats the bejesus out of my Notepad and command line setup on XP.

[tags]OS X, Mac, Eclipse, RadRails, Aptana, Ruby on Rails[/tags]

Ruby on Rails, mySQL, Mongrel and OS X Leopard

Ian — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:33:55 +0000

For the majority of my RoR development, i’ve used a Windows machine running Instant Rails. Apparently, the Mac is the so-called “favoured platform” for Ruby on Rails development so i’ve been looking forward to getting rolling with this on my shiny Macbook. However, i’ve spent a couple of days scouring Google and Groups trying to find the optimum way to get everything set up and running. There isn’t much information where Leopard is concerned, most of the posts and articles are geared toward Tiger and involve building and compiling Ruby from source with XCode.

Well, i’ve got mine environment up and running so hopefully this will save someone else a bit of time. Of course, that does assume that i’ve done this all in the correct manner! Any corrections or updates welcome!

Firstly, it’s quite well documented that OS X 10.5 comes with Ruby, Rails and all kinds of other goodness ready to go out of the box. You can get a rails template app built and served by entering three lines into Terminal:

rails myWickedAceApp

cd myWickedAceApp

ruby scripts/server

Get your browser to http://localhost:3000 and you’ll see the Welcome Aboard page..

Pretty neat as apparently there were some problems with prior versions of OS X having a version of Ruby that was in some way incompatible with Rails.
You’ll need to add some code behind this template or all you have is a nice page with some AJAX in there for fun! You’ll probably also need a database application of some sorts, such as mySQL (other database apps may be available, YMMV).

Google brings up all kinds of problems with the OS X dmg package of mySQL 5.0.45, there’s even a defect logged for it. (First bugged back in June but closed because mySQL didn’t have access to the Apple Developers programme!)
I have to say though, my installation of it worked fine. I installed both mySQL and the StartUp packages, ran “chmod -R 777 /usr/local/mysql” and rebooted.

No problems there.

In the current absence of a SVN client (I haven’t gotten around to sorting that out yet, i’m sure there is one around) I quickly grabbed a copy of the production code and imported a DB dump locally. (“mysql %DATABASE% < database.bak”)

Again, worked straight off of the bat. So, currently, I can’t see what the fuss is about. Nor why there aren’t any quick start guides for Leopard.

(I’ll re-iterate, i’m still pretty new to OS X so I may well have missed/cocked up something here)

[tags]Switch To Mac, OS X, Ruby on Rails, Macbook, mySQL, Leopard[/tags]

iPhone (continued)

Ian — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:19:43 +0000

Whilst the iPhone is sync’ing up (gonna take a while to sync mp3s and photos), i’ve been perusing the myriad leaflets stuffed in the bag by O2.
This one is hidden away in the t’s & c’s under the information about credit checks, which is a bit of a strange place to put it:

Making unauthorised modifications to the software on you iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement, and the inability to use your iPhone due to unauthorised software modifications is not covered under your iPhone’s warranty.

At the moment i’m not sure if i’ll bother with any forthcoming Jailbreaks, when they manage to exploit 1.1.2. I’m looking forward to the SDK next year though.

Versioning a web development project

Ian — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 12:07:12 +0000

This week, i’ve been trying to get my head around workflow using SVN.
As i’ve mentioned before, i have a Ruby/Rails project on the go at the moment and at the start I decided to use SVN for version control – Mostly because DreamHost provide SVN as a one-click-setup job.
Here is a list of what I wanted to achieve, in order:

1. Backup in case I lose my local working copy.
2. Automatic publishing to webserver.
3. A nice way to track changes throughout the project.
4. Be able to publish the changes dynamically to a webpage.

I use TortoiseSVN on my XP installation to manage my working copy.
The first requirement was easy to achieve, so long as I check in regularly I have a nice shiny copy on the SVN server (obviously).
The second was fairly simple. I just checked out the latest version to the root directory for the webserver and run “SVN update” when I want to refresh it.

When I started, I didn’t really have much comprehension of source control from a developer perspective so I just had the root of the SVN repository as my working copy.
I have since read up a bit, taking in the concept of trunk, branches and tags.
Today I spent a couple of hours working out how my folder structure should be and moving everything around using TortoiseSVN to the following structure:

http://U.R.L/ProjectName/trunk
http://U.R.L/ProjectName/branches
http://U.R.L/ProjectName/tags

I also changed the web version to use the latest release version using SVN switch %URL_TO_RELEASE_VERSION_IN_TAGS_FOLDER%.

My idea of the workflow is that I make changes to the working copy (a subfolder of branches, i.e /branches/0.1.x) and check in as required.
Once I am happy with the changes, I transfer the changes to the /trunk/ version which can then be accessed via the web for any remote testing I may rope people into.
Once the trunk version has been tested against I can go ahead and make a copy of that into the tags version as the next release, do a SVN switch in the web directory and all is done (along with any config changes to the app’s db of course).

I’m not sure if that is a ‘best practice’ way of running an SVN linked project but it makes sense to me and would seem to work out in an environment where there was more than one developer working on it.

Like I said, it makes sense to me but maybe I have missed the point and made some fundemental error somewhere?
For example, I still don’t get the ‘Patch’ part of SVN, would it be possible to just update the web directory using a patch from the latest release rather than running SVN update?

I’ve also been looking been looking into a product called Trac which appears to be a good project management/defect tracking application, anyone had any dealings with it? From research it looks like a pain in the ass to install (to Dreamhost at least)

Project Euler

Wii-ked

Ian — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:57:54 +0000

This was my final week off before heading back to the office. Having been off for 3 weeks and in the US for 3 weeks prior to that, i’m not keen! On the brightside, I get my driving licence back at midnight on Thursday January 11. However I have yet to get my car serviced and MOT’d – it’s been sat motionless for almost six months now

After 3 weeks of searching Teh Internets and visiting game stores every couple of days or so, I finally managed to get hold of a Nintendo Wii. I didn’t want one bad enough to start queing outside of stores early every morning so it was pretty lucky that a friend of mine managed to reserve one for me.
It’s pretty cool, definately a lot of fun and I can see it being a great party game when there are a few more titles out and the accesories are readily available. The system only comes with one set of controllers, the Wii-mote (right-hand side of the pick above) and a controller called the Nunchuck which connects up to the Wii-mote. Incase you’ve been in a hole, these controllers are motion sensitive. I’ve already seen the sharks on Ebay selling the accesories for almost double the price, fuckers.
Anyway, WiiSports is fun -
Tennis is a little annoying as, even if you are playing on your own you still play a doubles game but with you controlling two characters – the one nearest to the ball reacts to your ’swinging’ which can get frustrating if you are teeing up a sweet cross court forehand only for the chap infront to lummox it out..
Baseball is extremely difficult, maybe I just need to give it more time as I either miss the ball completely or knock it out for a foul ball!!
Golf is great, i’m looking forward to the Mario Golf franchise to come over to the Wii.
Boxing is good fun, its more fun watching someone else play it though!
Bowling is probably my favourite of the bunch, it reacts very well and it feels like a pretty good simulation of the real thing, you can spin the ball and everything!

The only other game I picked up is Zelda. Now, people have been moaning that the Wii isn’t as powerfull as the 360 or the PS3 and they’re right, it isn’t. That doesn’t mean games look like crap though, this has great 3D graphics and the usual amazing gameplay. I managed to put in 3 hours of play on my first go with it, without even noticing the time going past. Note to self, put clock above the TV.

I came quite close to buying a Macbook this week, the only thing that held me back was the upcoming MacWorld Expo this week. I didn’t want to sp00ge out over a grand GBP only to find i’d missed out on something cool like built-in GPS or maybe HD-DVD. I have decided to move to the Mac full time at home though. I already have the Mac Mini running as a HD media server and have realised that I don’t really do anything MS centric on my own lappy any more. Any C# is done on my work lappy and besides i’m thinking of canning that again and giving Ruby/Rails another whack.

Talking of Ruby, this free book is great – Mr. Neighborly’s Humble Little Ruby Book – It gives a pretty decent intro to Ruby and also a good explanation of OOP.
There are a bunch of links here as well.

I’m still hooked on the Black Stone Cherry record.

Finally, I caught Wicked The Musical in Londons West End this week. Taglined “The untold story of the Witches of Oz”, it’s a really good show.