amazing how much the weather can affect your outlook.
Strange week this week.
First work - project's going OK - one aspect is being tested and has resulted in some sensible changes. Another sub-project is on hold while i finish the changes to the first - it's a Mediator (see previous post) for access to various disk/ftp etc file systems - nothing too major, just needed some decent testing and re-jigging. I suspect it needs some refactoring as well, but that will have to wait.
Even though i've been busier, I can't say as i'm particularly motivated by my job, and the fact it feels like a junior coding role, so last week i applied for a job and today i applied for another. The first is a senior dev role - some responsibility, client facing and project based, i.e. some change and people aspects - hurrah.
The second is a financial dev. related one, and with good money. Got a feeling that would be stress but we'll see.
Want cash and i need interest/motivation!
Weather has been dreadful this week, but suddenly today is great and spirits lift (or is it because it's Friday?). Oh well, lets hope things happen.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Friday, September 17, 2004
Mind me specs!
I know specifications are good - a formalised way to describe systems and all that, but it is getting a little beyond a joke when you find several specifications descibing the same thing but using slightly different syntax.
For example, the project i'm working on is a framework for ODMG 3.0 object standard. Basically this describes a type system to descibe and store information about Object-systems, the idea being you build an ODMG implementation and then it will store information in an object hierarchy with little more input. Excellent. A colleague of mine has indeed written such an implementation in Java, called Virtual Repository (VR), and it is an extremely clever, robust system.
The next step, using this framework is to write what has been termed (by our company/him) as Mediators. These act as drivers or middleware between VR and the target system you wish to describe and store metadata about. To do this you express the system you're interested in Object Definition Language (ODL). It's a syntax for describing interfaces, classes, inheritance etc, along with relationships, attributes, operations, etc, etc. Not too difficult and quite cathartic really. Then you code the mediator (overriding some standard interfaces) to provide the necessary functionality for accessing the target system etc - can be tricky, but not open-heart surgery.
The frustration comes from a situatio i'm in at the moment - i'm creating a mediator to access CWM compliant systems - CWM is a type system to describe datawarehouses and is being developed/adopted by such heavy hitters and Oracle and IBM. So, step one, turn the specification for CWM (large PDF, with UML diagrams) into ODL. This takes some time. Frustratingly, the CWM type system is also supplied as a series of MDL (Rational Rose) and IDL (Corba, i think) files. Furthermore, IDL is similar to ODL. so we have 3 syntax's/expression languages for describing the same type system - 2 i can use, and 1 i have to create myself. I dont mind (plus it gives me increased familiarity with the CWM type system), but ity does seem like a waste to have such a situation!
Anyway, end of rant!
For example, the project i'm working on is a framework for ODMG 3.0 object standard. Basically this describes a type system to descibe and store information about Object-systems, the idea being you build an ODMG implementation and then it will store information in an object hierarchy with little more input. Excellent. A colleague of mine has indeed written such an implementation in Java, called Virtual Repository (VR), and it is an extremely clever, robust system.
The next step, using this framework is to write what has been termed (by our company/him) as Mediators. These act as drivers or middleware between VR and the target system you wish to describe and store metadata about. To do this you express the system you're interested in Object Definition Language (ODL). It's a syntax for describing interfaces, classes, inheritance etc, along with relationships, attributes, operations, etc, etc. Not too difficult and quite cathartic really. Then you code the mediator (overriding some standard interfaces) to provide the necessary functionality for accessing the target system etc - can be tricky, but not open-heart surgery.
The frustration comes from a situatio i'm in at the moment - i'm creating a mediator to access CWM compliant systems - CWM is a type system to describe datawarehouses and is being developed/adopted by such heavy hitters and Oracle and IBM. So, step one, turn the specification for CWM (large PDF, with UML diagrams) into ODL. This takes some time. Frustratingly, the CWM type system is also supplied as a series of MDL (Rational Rose) and IDL (Corba, i think) files. Furthermore, IDL is similar to ODL. so we have 3 syntax's/expression languages for describing the same type system - 2 i can use, and 1 i have to create myself. I dont mind (plus it gives me increased familiarity with the CWM type system), but ity does seem like a waste to have such a situation!
Anyway, end of rant!
Tiger, Tiger
well, another day another dollar/pound/euro.
Todays mini-mission is to try out Java 1.5, nee 5.0, nee Tiger in conjunction with JBuilderX.
The reason? Well, i like the look of generics and for the project i'm working on, it looks like it would be extrenmely useful. Anyway, i downloaded it, installed it and all is fine. Set up another JDK and built projects with it - all good.
Trouble is, if you try and use it as the actual JRE for JBuilder itself, it all goes a bit 'Pete Tong' - i.e. it doesn't work. Googling around provided lots of similar errors, but no suggestions as to how to get it to work, which is a real shame as it seems to be alot faster than 1.4 (aparently Swing is much improved) but I guess i'll have to wait.
Todays mini-mission is to try out Java 1.5, nee 5.0, nee Tiger in conjunction with JBuilderX.
The reason? Well, i like the look of generics and for the project i'm working on, it looks like it would be extrenmely useful. Anyway, i downloaded it, installed it and all is fine. Set up another JDK and built projects with it - all good.
Trouble is, if you try and use it as the actual JRE for JBuilder itself, it all goes a bit 'Pete Tong' - i.e. it doesn't work. Googling around provided lots of similar errors, but no suggestions as to how to get it to work, which is a real shame as it seems to be alot faster than 1.4 (aparently Swing is much improved) but I guess i'll have to wait.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
And they're off..
Well, finally signed up for a blog account.
I guess this will be a moan about work and general rant and ramblings.
You can see who i am from the profile, but why am i here - and no that's not a metaphysical question.
Basically, i want somewhere to put thoughts, that may be of interest or use, or maybe i just want to vent my spleen - you decide!
I guess this will be a moan about work and general rant and ramblings.
You can see who i am from the profile, but why am i here - and no that's not a metaphysical question.
Basically, i want somewhere to put thoughts, that may be of interest or use, or maybe i just want to vent my spleen - you decide!
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