Life as a Programmer

SM City - Cebu Christmas 2008

2008-12-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

This is a view at the North Wing SM City Cebu (actually facing NORTH). The shot taken in the afternoon and the Christmas within few days. I was on the second floor having a clear view of the three(3) trees from above. It's nice to see some people in random around the trees.

In another angle facing East, this is the view of the North wing. You can see some sections/ stores around the big Hall. This area is only composed of 2 Levels. Above us, is already the parking lot and Cinema theaters in some sections.

A center view, facing East.

This is a closer view of the Tree at the center of North Wing.

A closer view of the 3 Trees.

Facing west, this is the view you can see from the Center. I'm at the opposite side of the previous photo.

This is an example of traditional hand-made Lanterns here in the Philippines. Composed of metal wires, lights, frames and some colored materials to add fancy effect.

Experiencing Sleep Paralysis , awake but body can't move

2008-12-05T21:40:00.001-08:00

I've been experiencing Sleep Paralysis about 3 to 4 times already. It's a terrible feeling that will freak you out for an hour. The paralysis can take up to few minutes and suddenly disappears.

The first stage of the feeling is that your mind and body is so relaxed and you feel the ringing and shaking sound at the back of your body. My arms felt the chilling cold, my feet is feeling warm, my neck is stiff.

I can hear the wind out side the window, also hearing the electric fan across room.

I want to wake up!!!!
I tried to awake myself, I needed something like movable object to touch my skin, so that my body could react. I also like someone touching me or poke me so that I could react. It's very scary if no stuff or somebody to wake you up. Hearing something is useless.

I tried breathing fast just feel my body move an inch, Yet still no use.

Seconds later, my mind is completely attached to my body functions. I can maneuver my body to another direction, my heart beats faster and I got freak out for an hour.

The new web browser, Google Chrome?

2008-09-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Chrome is the latest web browser announced all over the internet, application is created by the Giant company, Google. The application is also free to download. Some people expects that chrome should have additional features while viewing "web pages" but the company focuses on application that uses lesser resources and easy for ordinary users. The advantages of Google Chrome is that it loads up very fast without waiting another few seconds.

Google features Chrome with new engine for JavaScript and offering lesser usage on Flash objects. Their target was make a web browser that features user-friendly environment, quick drag and drop and new organization of history management.

Small screenshot of Google Chrome:

Firefox web browser has some advantages when it comes to advanced users. Even though it consumes more resources than Chrome, Firefox was able to implement "add-ons" for developers and "power users". As of now, Firefox may gain more points than chrome when it comes to additional features and security.

Web browsers are used to view a collection of information over the internet. When it comes to applications, user's CPU resources are always an issue.

CICC LAN Party August 2008

2008-08-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Around 8:00PM in August 23, 2008... we went to LAN Party held at CICC (Cebu International Convention Center). The event started in the morning, we came very late though.

At night we just had a little walk at the entrance and I took some few pictures outside the structure.

I took a quick photo of those arcs. They are not so big but very nice to see.

The place is like a mall, everyone can notice the two escalators catches the eye of every people when they went through the entrance door.

I like this large screen. It's like watching to wide screen a movie! The quality of the graphics is great. Feels like we are zooming in. I think this one had a very nice video card and the memory.

There's a tent at the end of this row!

This is the view of the event. I took a photo facing west.

These people are watching a movie. Seems like they are enjoying it.

These are the computer displays at the www.fineupgrades.com. They are playing Star Craft and showing off the Very nice PCs! I think these PC's are worth a fortune :)

They also provide seats for spectators and watch them :)

There's a kid playing!

This photo is kinda blurry. Resting for awhile I took a seat and a quick snap shot.

I took a picture of this Big Screen again. The graphics are great and smooth.

Seems like they are enjoying playing this game. Many people are watching behind the players.

These people are very serious! They are concentrating on their game.

Some players are out of their seats. Lining up to the organizer and getting something.

Seems like they getting something for their entries.

Two processors! This one might worth a fortune. This one could be used for servers!

Many spectators around watching the tournaments and computer games.

This is a very nice PC Tower Case from SUNBEAM. It is illuminated blue with bunch of fans inside. The case is mostly transparent and elegant to see.

This is a quick snapshot of the fan.

There's also a big Projector. Sometimes they play movies, video clips, also doing some game demonstrations. They played Beijing Olympics Entrance Ceremony.

I also enjoyed watching the DRIFTERS during the event. They also look like real cars, painted shine, lights and drifting on the arena. The drifting methods are very interesting and nice to see just like in the movies.

Several cars on the table. They look expensive.

Look at the lights! They look real... a miniature version of a real car? It looks like it, they are shinny and nice paint too.

Little secret to prevent SQL injection

2008-08-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Preventing SQL injection could be anything that's why I will NOT SHOW coding here. Each programmer has their own styles of preventing those..... but there is one thing in common, "the sequence" specially in PHP development.

Always remember these following sequence:

1st Priority: Sessions (backend priority)
2nd Priority: Header (backend priority)
3rd Prioriy: Error trapping (prevent sql injection here)
4rd Priority: Processing and redirecting
5th Priority: Output / parse output

In this way, it is easier to manage your codes and more likely to prevent any attacks.

1st, Start up your sessions specially for login queries or whatsoever. Any queries are vulnerable for attacks that's why you have to apply Error trapping. Error trapping could be something like..... isUserExist? isPasswordExist? That's the place you return TRUE or FALSE.

If it doesn't exist you will do your Processing and Redirecting the suspected attacker and throw them to the error page. Very simple :)

The Beginning of Programmer life

2008-04-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Years ago... after graduating highschool, I really have no idea about technology. I only knew few things about computer, games, and other stuff.. but it was not so very technical. All I did at those times was just for fun. Just plain normal teen, and simple minded..... just do normal things around only looking forward for interesting stuff flying around or do whatever I like.

Some of my schoolmates went to different courses, some of them just getting courses like others did. Some didn't thought how they feel for themselves. My instincts told me that I should not follow their way of thinking specially choosing a great course that would fit for my skill and the way I think about things. In the end, I just choose computer related course because I thought that it would possible to have job at an earlier age, and also lesser expense when it comes to learning process. That was the way I think at that time.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get into the University. I did attempt once in apopular University but I got low scores at the entrance exam. I got disappointed at the result but I was not sad about it because I knew that it was not the end of my journey. I also thought that it is not a good place to learn because it may having longer time to learn computer stuff with all those unwanted subjects running around in the university. I already knew the advantages of the University because of a "degree" or a title... but I was eager to learn computer stuff in just few years, few months or having a diploma as soon as possible or to do it "early". Then at that time, I just choose a vocational course (major in programming).

After summer vacation, I attended to a vocational school, (means only couple of years of study)... I entered the course not knowing any technical stuff. It was like sent to a battle without any weaponry. I had hard time learning stuff but thanks to the few schoolmates and teachers that helped me understand the basics where to begin. Few months later, I was able to keep up with the studies and learn in advance. It seems that all the stuff I was doing was interesting, exciting, and evolving every month. I decided to go through with it.

I was eager to learn

2008-04-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Way back few years ago when I was still learning programming and techniques... during learning hours, I had a strange feeling that some of my schoolmates were not serious about the their current course. Some of them find it very difficult, some just copy codes and assignments from classmates. It's disappointing sometimes that some of them really transferred to another course or attended to another school or university. It's kind of sad feeling because I thought that it's somehow wasted their money on a course that they were not so serious about it. I do have close friends at school that they also have intention to finish the course and graduate and earn that diploma.

It was funny experience specially at that time as a newbie, I did some cheating but not too broad. I had my own methods, I only copy ideas. I don't like cheating codes during exams but I do copy codes from different sources to study and do some improvements. I realized that being a programmer is not about ego, it is how to do creativity and wise methods on the codes and meet the requirements of the project.

Honestly, there was a time I was able to copy a code/project from a school without knowing the owner(whoever it is). I did not use the code, but I was learning the code and find its mistakes and flaws. At that time I was doing "debugging" without knowing to myself that I was really debugging it. I didn't use the old code, I just recreate my own code but the same concept. From there on, I was able to improve myself to find and make mistakes to make better codes. I can't tell how I did it but it's the idea that counts all along.

Morse Code Applet , Java

2007-11-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

In the old days, Morse Code was a great invention to be able to transmit information in form of "dots" and "dashes". Using only two symbols to represent letters. In the modern age, many young people are very unfamiliar with morse codes. Some didn't even knew what morse code looks like. So, I created a program (previously it was in C/C++) but it's kinda unfriendly to share with. I decided to make an Java Applet version of the program to be running in ordinary browser and to see how it works.
This time, I did it in reverse. Translating from Alphabet letters into morse code symbols.

Input your words in the upper textbox. The output of the morse code is shown at the lower text box.

A 0-
B -000
C -0-0
D -00
E 0
F 00-0
G --0
H 0000
I 00
J 0---
K -0-
L 0-00
M --
N -0
O ---
P 0--0
Q --0-
R 0-0
S 000
T -
U 00-
V 000-
W 0--
X -00-
Y -0--
Z --00

1 0----
2 00---
3 000--
4 0000-
5 00000
6 -0000
7 --000
8 ---00
9 ----0
0 -----

"The source code is not revealed here...."
Created by: Dooodz

Encryption / Decryption Binary value

2007-11-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is just a trick, by manipulating the binary values of each characters, like 1010001100101010 and so on, and by inverting them from 1's to 0's and 0's to 1's.

Input the text or encrypted data in the upper textbox. The output will be shown at the lower text area. Copy the output at the bottom, then paste it above and see the result.

"The Source code is not revealed here..."
Created by Dooodz

CAPTCHA - Tell Computers and Humans Apart

2007-08-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

CAPTCHA is an acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart".

The use of CAPTCHA is to challenge the computer that is unable to solve (Only Humans can solve) and some examples like solving through seeing or basic mathematical questions. In some websites (preventing spams) , they also use CAPTCHA in their forms. Generate images that only Humans can see, and Computers or spam bots unable to Solve.

CAPTCHA is very easy to create in PHP Programming with the help of PHP image functions and sessions.

First is to create a SESSION, (hidden string):
*use session_start();
*Create a function that will generate random STRING like a,b,c and 1,2,3.
*Use loop statement to limit your characters.
*use rand(); to generate your random characters.
*Assign to $_SESSION['captcha'] to store your hidden string in the session (invisible in the browsers).

Generate Image in the FORMS:
*Create a phpfile image.php to show the image of the hidden string.
*use session_start();
*to generate image, use png, gif or jpg datatype, header("Content-type: image/png");.
*use imagestring(); function to print the hidden string in the image, you may also use any necessary image functions in the PHP.
*The last codes should be..... imagepng($image); imagedestroy($image); to clean up.

Processsing the FORM:
*Create a script that will check each field of the form. Your first priority to check is the HIDDEN STRING in the Session.
* access the $_SESSION['captcha'] then compare it to the user's input.

The Procedures above are the basic structures of the CAPTCHA code of PHP. And it is very simple and very effective. You can tell that only humans can READ the hidden string in the generated image. If we added more colors and random arrangements of the Characters, it creates more complications and that is impossible to identify by computers, they don't have visual capabilities.

Goody goody tools for Developers

2007-08-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Context
One of the best free text editors on the internet. Easy to use, the controls of the texts is very easy and friendly. You can also execute C/C++ compilers on the editor without using the Old Interface of the compiler. With Macros, Text highlighters and other basic actions for a programmer.
The negative side of this software don't have a collapse and expand feature for the source codes.
Notepad++, phpedit and other text editors are the alternatives as your main editor.

Eclipse/PHP PDT
Another good editor, downloadable and free. Perhaps one of the new editors out there. This is also Advantageous for the PHP Programmers. This software supports PHP, embedded with highlighers, PHP manual, and PHP Explorer. This software can navigate easily to all the functions and Classes in your PHP Project. Very advantageous to trace, track or fix codes in a snap.

DEV C++ or Borland C Compiler
One of the old and common compilers used for beginners is Borland Compiler. Using an old interface.... example DOS interface.
Dev C++ is also a good tool to start and also Friendly for beginners and novice programmers. This works in Windows environment which makes it more easier to use. I was able to download this Software for free. You can compile your cpp codes easily without worrying the destination folder of the exe file.

XAMPP
This is a tool for Website Programmers and Developers. This is a package software with Apache, PHP and Mysql. The Xampp Creators made the installers for Windows , Linux etc.... so that users in different Platform can also create website projects. This is one of the friendly localhost virtual hosting on the net. With this tool, you can create offline developments in your local PC (create php projects without using a real webserver).
You can also use other Virtual Host softwares as your alternative.

TELEPHONE: Dialing without touching the KEYPAD

2007-04-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's possible. With your phone, you can dial or call your friend or someone without Pressing those KEYPADS.

Example Scenarios:
1. The KEYPAD is broken
2. Dirty keypad
3. You don't like to leave your fingerprints on the kaypad.

What you Need, any of the following:
*(Recorder) or (Cellphone with loud keypad tones)

For the Recorder (must be loud enough), if possible / if you have recorder.

For the Cellphone, you can enable the "BEEPS" and turn the VOLUME up! so that it will be loud enough everytime you press the keypad.

-----------

Now, bring recorder or Cellphone's speaker to the TELEPHONE's MouthPiece, and play those Tones.

This will only work if the Sounds are LOUD ENOUGH.

first post

2006-11-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

uhuh... this is my first post..
hhhhm... I have to think what things i'm gonna post next :)