June 2006 - Posts

Today, I'd be teaching my most commonly used tool in MS-Access 2003, the upsizing wizard. This assumes that you have an SQLServer 2000 installed on your local system. I'd be focusing more on the wizard than SQLServer itself. I'd also assume that you already have an Access database already created for this session. I'd also like to inform you that I am not a Microsoft guy neither an Open-source guy so please forgive my mistakes about common terms... I'd be trying my best to explain. Ok, let's start.



1. On the main menu, click Tools -> Database Utilities -> Upsizing Wizard




2. Select Create New Database then click next




3. Depending on how you setup your SQLServer database, choose what's appopriate for your settings. Following my example, select local on the What SQL Server would you like to use option, check Use Trusted Connection and put a name for your new SQLServer database.





4. Select the fields you want to export then click next.





5. Check Indexes, Validation rules, Defaults, Table Relationships then select Use DRI if you want to have referential integrity on your tables. There is an option if you want to add Timestamp fields on all your tables, but I prefer not to do that and add the Datetime fields on my tables manually. If you have any existing data, uncheck the Only create the the table structure; don't upsize any data checkbox. Click Next






6. Depending on what you're trying to do. Select the appopriate option that corresponds to yout need. For the purpose of this example, choose No Application Changes. Click Next.





7. If you are ready, click finish. The database would be create and you should be able to see your newly created database in SQLServer Enterprise Manager.


Please note that while using the wizard, you should leave the database server running. Be warned that even if the wizard produces errors, the database will still be created (and you don't want that so you might start over again.





Posted by lamia | 2 comment(s)
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Ok, that was nice suggestion from keithrull to upload my pics to http://www.flickr.com/ (thanks!). From now on, when I need to have some visual-aid to help you people visualize the stuff I'm talking about, I'm gonna upload a picture and post it here. Here's a quick tour with Flickr screenshots. Enjoy!




Posted by lamia | 3 comment(s)
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    Once during our development period my boss and I were discussing about the drawbacks that Java technology could give us. I used friendster.com as a basis of analysis since they used JSP before and have experienced slow-down with it. Here is a topic from tipidpc.com talking about the topic I'm discussing here, why was friendster.com back then...
Posted by lamia | 2 comment(s)
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    Well, this is the first time I've been working alone... Literally, alone... On my first job, I worked as a Symbian C++ developer which didn't last very long. I lasted only about three weeks since I really didn't like the workplace...
    I was able to get a job soon after as a Java Developer trainee. I wasn't able to finish my contract though because of health reasons(I was working on graveyard shift). And now, on my third job, I'm working again as a real Software Developer this time(maybe) with a start-up company. It's been almost two months now... I haven't received my contract yet, but I'm sure they're not trying to take advantage of my innocence... I'm using Java technology right now... With six months(going seven) months of experience working in the field. With one Java project completed, one half completed, and several others which are too lame to mention. I have no one else to talk to in person about technology and other I.T. related stuff other than my boss who is actually our VP for Information Technology.


How does it feel?


    Well... It kinda feels great having the freedom to install whichever software you like... Browse any site you like... Leave the office premises anytime you like... Plan the database design and UML class design anyway you like.... I don't really know what I'm missing, but the internet and my friends in IM/IRC, and discussion forums who are online most of the time are enough to solve almost every problem. I have to agree to things I've learned from my previous job really helped me a lot. I even feel that I'm at some point better than them now... But I leave that to my accomplishments to see how good I have really become...


    Working in a team ain't that bad... As long as there is no one to pop you a message every other minute asking the same question over and over again. I like working in a team, and I sure hope to build my own, full of talented people. I like to work with different technologies which some say, is not a very good idea. Although I agree that you should master at least one language, for me it's still good to learn a lot of it... See what's the difference between them, use whatever suits your needs... I think that would pretty much make you flexible learning any othert future language.
    What I like most about working in a team is that you could ask about other people's idea. You could have them critique you code or coding style so you could improve more as an individual. But one should not be dependent on his collegues for all time though... I always try to remember, people in the I.T. world... They always try to search for something better... We always go to where our careers would grow, not only for the sake of money, but to learn as well. So it's best if you don't get too attached to your officemates you know... ;)

Posted by lamia | 2 comment(s)
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    Since yesterday, I was having trouble with JSP's <jsp:include/> tag. I had to include a page which has a dynamic content in it. I was strict into following the model 2 approach so I wasn't even a little tempted to include scriptlets in my page. Using <jsp:include/> tag, it is possible to incorporate a JSP file to another JSP file like this...


<jsp:include page="/templates/myincludepage.jsp"/>




    However, we always want to separate our business logic with the presentation layer. So by all means, we create a Servlet (or a Struts Action class in my case) to handle that. Ooops! Problem! When I tried to include an Action servlet that forwards to another page, it doesn't include the page!It literally forwards to that which shouldn't be the case!


<jsp:include page="/actions/serveapage.do?=search"/> //WON'T WORK!!!



    So I googled and searched a few forums about this topic. Voila! I bumped into my never-before used tag in the JSTL tag library which is the <c:import/> tag. So now I could do...

<c:import url="/actions/serveapage.do?=search"/>


And now the page gets included without me putting the business logic in it... Sorted!


Posted by lamia | with no comments
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    I bumped into a site that suggests the use of divs instead of nested tables when looping through a dataset or list in JSP/PHP/ASP/etc. Here is the link...
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I just happen to find this site on some forums I've been visiting. Since I can't think of anything to post right now to start my blog, and since I'm using Struts on my current project...  I'll be posting this link...


Struts 1.1 Controller UML diagrams


I haven't read the link yet. But it should explain how struts works, in an Object-Oriented approach using the UML.
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