Inklings in October 2005
A Basic RayCaster using the <canvas> Element
Really, really cool! Mind you, I see no reason why it needs to be so blocky.
Productivity of static vs. dynamic languages
Also see The Local Change/Local Effect Principle and Domino Changes in Static Typing, both referenced in the post.
Signs of Art
There’s a never ending battle going on in your software development team right now. It’s the battle between the Organic Engineers and the Mechanical Engineers.
Reading Smalltalk for Java Programmers
Cleared up a few issues I had with reading it!
esr Implodes Spectacularly! Again.
And it’s a beautiful thing. :-) Also, read this comment on the entry that Tim mentioned (see ‘via’).
OpenBSD: Improved (in security terms, that is) Memory Allocation
OpenBSD to start using mmap() at randomised locations in the virtual address space with guard pages to implement malloc() to prevent buffer overruns and underruns. Nifty!
The Sensitivity Problem
Bob Martin compares Test Driven Development to Double-Entry Bookkeeping to explain why testing isn’t just a good idea, but an ethical obligation for developers.
Linux is Not Windows (and nor should it be, or try to be)
Now, if only more people understood this.
Zipper-based file server/OS
Really must read and try to understand this.
TaskSwitchXP Pro 2.0
A Win2K/WinXP task switcher that doesn’t suck as much as the regular one. Pity I’m stuck using Win98 right now. :-(
BLIT
A short story by SFX contributer David Langford about an image capable to crashing your brain.
Agnula Libre Music
A library of freely distributable music.
SQLite Spy
Graphical interface for SQLite databases.
The Lobby Bar Lives!
The Half-Moon won’t quite be the same—not as intimate—but this is good news! One reason at least to regret leaving Cork.
Abyss Web Server
A nice, solid, and rather small Windows webserver. Even runs on this ancient Win98 box, and setting up PHP on it’s trivial.
The Other Side of Design
An interesting side-effect of this definition is that the quality of a design is context sensitive. […] Most people, when they think of design, think of predictive design. […] There’s another side to design, though, one that experienced designers use every day. We just don’t talk about it much. What is it? Reflective design. […] Up until now, the conversation has been about up-front design versus evolutionary design. I’d like to eliminate that false dichotomy. Let’s put predictive design and reflective design on the table together.
And Keith Ray is saying similar things on his blog too.
Merlin's (10 + 2) * 5 Procrastination Hack
It’s a great way of getting through things, but I can’t see it’d how work well for a developer.
Charming Python: Scaling a new PEAK
Python Enterprise Application Kit’s new generic functions and predicative dispatch features enhance rapid app development.
What I take from this is that generic functions are essentially the same thing as multimethods, but I’m still not sure. Answers on a postcard…
Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes
Jakob makes baby Jesus cry! ;-)
Object Reorientation: Generic Functions
Yup, I think I get it now.
CRM114: The Controllable Regex Mutilator
A spam filter that uses Markovian filtering rather than Bayesian filtering, and gives better results than Bayesian filters.
µTorrent
A really small Bittorrent client.
Rails ActiveRecord vs anything ColdFusion
aka “ActiveRecord, and why it kills anything ColdFusion has or could have with the Right Framework”.
Does Visual Studio Rot the Mind? by Charles Petzold
Yup, that Charles Petzold.
AJAX: How to Handle Bookmarks and Back Buttons
Oh, how I despise that acronym! Not a bad article though.