web2.0goodies.com

If you program in Java, you NEED to become fluent in Maven.

Why?  Because it simplifies working on projects a lot. 

Specifics:

• Lots of utilities that can be run on any and all maven projects at any time with only one command, and without downloading anything manual.
• Generate Javadocs instantly.(mvn javadoc:javadoc)
• Run all tests with one command and receive pretty html reports of your test results.(mvn test)
• View Test Code coverage with one command and no downloading. (mvn cobertura:cobertra)
• Almost instantly use the latest Java libraries, like Apache Commons. (IDE detects unknown class and prompts you to add a dependency to your project).
• Do selenium testing with one command. (mvn selenium:start-server)
• Generate web projects that include Hibernate, Spring, and more in minutes. (mvn archetype generate)
• Run your tomcat projects with a single command. (mvn tomcat:run)
• And more!!!  If you develop in Java,  learning Maven will increase productivity a lot.

So, LEARN IT

Start off with this video:

I was using a php sdk today where the config file is NOT a php file, but rather a file named .cfg…

The problem?  You have to restrict access to this file with a .htaccess file to prevent someone from reading it.  Whereas, if it were a php file, not only would you not have to prevent access to it, you also don’t have to write your own parser.

Lesson…  Don’t use a cfg file, where a php config file will do.

I used to rely on the Firefox Plugin Tamper Data to get the nitty gritty deatails of http requests.  Firebug has a feature that is similar as well (the net tab).  But I find it buggy.  Recently, a fellow developer introduced me to the HttpFox Firefox plug-in, and it is awesome!

I now use it all the time.

The only caveat,  is only start it when you need it, and stop it when you are done.  Leaving HttpFox running and capturing for long periods of time slows Firefox a lot.

Check it out:  http://code.google.com/p/httpfox/

Uniserver on Windows REQUIRES the .htaccess file to have the “Options +ExecCGI +FollowSymLinks” line in it… Or else you get a 403 forbidden on every page you try to access.

Uniserver on Windows REQUIRES the .htaccess file to have the “Options +ExecCGI +FollowSymLinks” line in it… Or else you get a 403 forbidden on every page you try to access.

I’ve used phpMyAdmin for a while, but I find it to be a little heavyweight at times. Sometimes I just want to run a simple query. The MySQL client is obtuse to use sometimes. So I went on a search for alternatives.

I now use phpMiniAdmin almost exclusively. It’s extremely light weight, fast and has LOTS of neat features. It provides everything I need 99.9% of the time. And it’s easier to configure then phpMyAdmin.

I watched this talk on You Tube by Mary Meeker who is the Managing Director for Morgan Stanley (A Big Wall Street Company, A Good One). It is extremely informative and filled with facts.

It’s a piece of cake…

Just create a file called favicon.ico (an icon file) and put it in the root of your domain. Optionaly, you can include a meta tag to do it.

More information is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon

Also, here is an online generator: http://www.favicon.cc/

There is one gotcha… On your browser, the icon is almost NEVER updated, unless you load just the icon, i.e. http://yoursite.com/favicon.ico then it will refresh the cache, and the new icon will always appear.