http://www.smiffysplace.com/software RSS Feed for Smiffy's Place: posts filed under category software en (C) Copyright 2001-2010 Matthew Steven Smith All Rights Reserved dc.blog v1.0b http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:58:53 GMT Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:58:53 GMT http://www.smiffysplace.com/extensible-metadata-for-your-cms http://www.smiffysplace.com/extensible-metadata-for-your-cms How many Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS) have an extensible system that can allow the creation, maintenance and display of metadata such as Dublin Core? Very few, if any. Now over 2 years in the making, this article explains concepts that may be used to extend CMS to accommodate this. Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:30:00 GMT Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/base-conversions-in-mysql http://www.smiffysplace.com/base-conversions-in-mysql Want to convert between number bases in MySQL? Here are a couple of stored procedures to let you convert to/from any base you fancy. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:30:00 GMT SQL Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/in-and-out-of-svg http://www.smiffysplace.com/in-and-out-of-svg Whilst SVG is a great graphics format to work with, sometimes there is a need to import other formats into it or to export it to the likes of PDF. This article details a real-life application and techniques I used to import to and export from SVG. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:00 GMT SVG Scalable Vector Graphics Software Technical raster graphics rasterizer http://www.smiffysplace.com/dear-oracle http://www.smiffysplace.com/dear-oracle Oracle to buy Sun Microsystems. Smiffy wants stuff. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT JAVA ORCL Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffys-random-tech-tips http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffys-random-tech-tips The first in a series of irregular and infrequent collections of tips relating to (X)HTML, Perl, MySQL, Un*x and other technologies. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/follow-u-tron http://www.smiffysplace.com/follow-u-tron Smiffy's answer for Twitter #followfriday nominations. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT API Social Networking Software Technical Twitter social media social networking http://www.smiffysplace.com/ada-lovelace-day-women-in-technology-whom-i-admire http://www.smiffysplace.com/ada-lovelace-day-women-in-technology-whom-i-admire It started with - I will publish a blog post on Tuesday 24th March about a woman in technology whom I admire but only if 1,000 other people will do the same. - These are my nominations. Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT ALD09post AdaLovelaceDay09 Social Inclusion Software Technical computing female technical technology woman women http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-3 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-3 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Part 3 presents the circuit schematic and board layout of the prototype Solstice Clock. Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Moon Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic lunar microcontroller microprocessor moonphase solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-2 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-2 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Part 2 tells of a simplification of the original concept, more things that the clock can do, and choosing a microcontroller and clock crystal to drive it. Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Moon Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic lunar microcontroller microprocessor moonphase solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/all-change-on-the-desktop-again http://www.smiffysplace.com/all-change-on-the-desktop-again Smiffy starts preparing to migrate to a new Linux distribution. This article explains how and why. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:30:00 GMT BSD Debian Gentoo Linux Software Solaris Technical ThinkPad Unix VMware operating systems virtual machine http://www.smiffysplace.com/open-source-midi-control-surface http://www.smiffysplace.com/open-source-midi-control-surface I am in the process of designing a simple MIDI control surface, all design information to be released under a Creative Commons license. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:30:00 GMT CMOS Flash MIDI Microcontrollers Music Software Technical arts controller digital embedded logic microcontroller microprocessor music http://www.smiffysplace.com/mysql-51-general-release-at-last http://www.smiffysplace.com/mysql-51-general-release-at-last MySQL 5.1.30 is released - the first general release (non-beta). Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:30:00 GMT Software Sun database databases sql http://www.smiffysplace.com/web-accessibility-techniques-workshop-in-adelaide-on-20-november-2008 http://www.smiffysplace.com/web-accessibility-techniques-workshop-in-adelaide-on-20-november-2008 Vision Australia is running their popular Web Accessibility Techniques workshop in Adelaide on 20 November 2008. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:30:00 GMT Accessibility Social Inclusion Software Technical adaptability http://www.smiffysplace.com/sql-o-matic http://www.smiffysplace.com/sql-o-matic This is about the fourth generation of this programme that I have been using over the last few years to generate SQL and Perl code based on a MySQL database schema. The idea behind this is much repetitive coding can be eliminated - the ouput of this programme can be tweaked/corrected and then cut and pasted into an application. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:30:00 GMT BSD Linux MySQL Perl Software Solaris Technical Unix operating systems stored procedures http://www.smiffysplace.com/foxy-add-ons-tab-mix-plus http://www.smiffysplace.com/foxy-add-ons-tab-mix-plus Tab Mix Plus is a Firefox extension that allows enhanced control over tabbed browsing. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT Firefox Mozilla Software Technical Thunderbird http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-1 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-1 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic microcontroller microprocessor solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/vmware-no-developer-should-be-without-it http://www.smiffysplace.com/vmware-no-developer-should-be-without-it After some ten years since being told about the joys of VMware virtualisation, Smiffy finally gives it a go and wonders how he ever coped before. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:30:00 GMT BSD Linux Software Solaris Technical Unix operating systems virtual machine virtualisation virtualise virtualization virtualize vm http://www.smiffysplace.com/sun-to-buy-mysql http://www.smiffysplace.com/sun-to-buy-mysql Sun Microsystems announces that it is going to buy MySQL AB. That's rather exciting. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:30:00 GMT BSD Commentaria Linux Software Solaris Unix commentary current affairs news operating systems solaris sun http://www.smiffysplace.com/perl-5-10-now-available http://www.smiffysplace.com/perl-5-10-now-available Smiffy rejoices at the announcement that Perl 5.10 has been released and finally has a switch statement. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:30:00 GMT BSD Blogathon07 Linux Software Solaris Technical Unix operating systems http://www.smiffysplace.com/screen-size-tracker http://www.smiffysplace.com/screen-size-tracker Smiffy presents a small piece of PHP and JavaScript code that can record the screen and window sizes of visitors to a web site. Data is written to a MySQL database. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:30:00 GMT Blogathon07 Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/blogathon-2007 http://www.smiffysplace.com/blogathon-2007 Smiffy returns to his writings after a three-month silence and makes some excuses. Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:30:00 GMT Blogathon07 Commentaria Gesundheit Health Krankheit Life Without Gluten Personal Software Technical allergy blogger blogging coeliac commentary current affairs food gluten free health healthy illness infirmity intolerance malade maladie malady news sans glutene sante senza glutine sickness wellness http://www.smiffysplace.com/gluten-free-feeds http://www.smiffysplace.com/gluten-free-feeds A shameless plug for Smiffy's Gluten-Free RSS aggregator service. Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:30:00 GMT Food & Drink Gesundheit Health Krankheit Life Without Gluten Software alimentation allergy coeliac drink epicure epicurean food gluten free gourmandisme gourmet health healthy illness infirmity intolerance malade maladie malady nutrition sans glutene sante senza glutine sickness wellness http://www.smiffysplace.com/new-version-of-functional-accessibility-evaluator-released http://www.smiffysplace.com/new-version-of-functional-accessibility-evaluator-released The Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has released a new version of its online Web Accessibility Evaluation tool. Thu, 03 May 2007 14:30:00 GMT Accessibility Software Technical adaptability http://www.smiffysplace.com/accessible-tag-clouds http://www.smiffysplace.com/accessible-tag-clouds A look at an example PHP programme as a means of producing an XHTML weighted list, both in the form of a 'Tag Cloud', where the information is ordered alphabetically and weight is given by visual styling and as a 'Tag Wedge' where a styled ordered list is used to convey the information in a more semantic manner. Fri, 30 Mar 2007 14:30:00 GMT Accessibility Software Technical Web adaptability semantics tag cloud tag wedge http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffycalc http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffycalc A command-line calculator, written in Perl, SmiffyCalc offers persistence between sessions. This is a step-up from doing calculations from the command line using perl -e Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:30:00 GMT BSD Linux Perl Software Solaris Technical Unix calculation calculator operating systems programming