Tag Archives: Software Sagacity

What does “Hello World” really mean?

ProgrammingAlmost every modern programming language tutorial starts out with a short script that simply outputs the phrase “Hello World.” This sample code has been used so much that the phrase has become part of the computer programming lexicon – and its ubiquity has caused the words to lose much of their meaning. A stroll through the annals of programming history, however, give us a pleasant refresher of the true reason many of us started programming.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

Linux vs Windows File Permissions

SecurityOne of the interesting differences between Linux and Windows is in the file permission structure and management. While both operating systems are able to conceptually handle the same set of file management scenarios, they implement those permissions in different ways.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

How to read Excel XLSX files using ASP.NET

.NET DevelopmentIt’s often useful to import Excel files directly into an ASP.NET web application in order to simplify data entry. Excel makes it easier to manipulate data, and has far better integration with other apps than most web grids. As a result, integrating a web application with Excel lets users leverage the best features of a spreadsheet software, while taking advantage of the RDBMS and business logic in the web application.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

Amazon EC2 Cloud – Resetting the PEM Key

Virtual ServerEach virtual server instance in Amazon is secured by a unique file, called the PEM Key Pair.  This file needs to be saved onto the client computer in order to access and maintain the cloud server.  Unfortunately, these keys can occasionally be lost, such as during a hard drive crash or when switching software vendors.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

The Open Source Experiment – OpenOffice Writer Review & Tips

Open SourceAfter a long hiatus from open source productivity software, I am again giving OpenOffice a shot. My home laptop started with an old vanilla install of XP, and out of installation convenience, I have been using open source software as opposed to the usual higher-end commercial packages. Below are a few of my thoughts and suggestions for others undertaking the same experiment.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

PayPal IPN Integration – SSL Connection Reset By Peer

PayPal IntegrationWhen integrating PayPal payment processing into a web application, one of the common errors is “SSL: Connection Reset By Peer.” This cryptic error message can be challenging to fix without the correct set of headers.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

How Search Engines Work

Spider WebOften when building a web application, it’s necessary to add search to the site.  A variety of tools exist to help make it easier, my personal favorite is Sphider – a PHP-based search engine, however the basic principles in each approach are the same.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

How to Bypass Firewalls Using SSH

Web DevelopmentSSH is an age-old technology used by network administrators to remotely log into servers. With a few clever tricks, it can also be used to bypass most firewalls, and open up ports on the local network. All that is required on the target machine is an SSH client.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

PowerShell – Will It Be The End of VBScript?

PowerShellWith the growing popularity of Microsoft PowerShell – the new batch scripting language from Microsoft, it seems that VBScript was dealt yet another blow in one of it’s last vanguards, the server admin scripting space.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email

Four software lessons from the notorious Robert d’Artois

lionThe notoriously successful political schemer of 14th century France has, for most Americans, been reduced to the distant annals of history, visited tepidly by liberal arts grad students. Yet with the recent remake of the Maurice Druon’s Accursed Kings series, his vivid tale is brought back to life. In between the pages and stories of murdered kings, sex, and violence, lies a bounty of wisdom for software developers.
Continue reading

RSS Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email