“Talk to other programmers; read other programs. This is more important than any book or training course.”

1. Login to your administration panel: www.yourdomain.com/administrator
2. Click on the Category Manager and add a new category
3. Place your code in the description field
4. Go to the Menu Manager and add an item
5. Choose Articles->Category->Category Blog Layout
6. Fill in the Title and then under Parameters (Basic) select the category you created in steps 2 and 3

Joomla will now display the custom HTML you placed in the description field without changing the code.

$this->getContext()->getUser()->signIn($user, true);

Currently I have 9 “spaces” set up with the following start up configuration:

The spaces correspond to a grid which is laid out as follows:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

Space 1: I keep an open instance of Finder here.

Space 2: Timesheet, for which I currently use Numbers.

Space 3: A open instance of TextEdit where I keep ongoing notes.

Space 4: iTunes resides here, where I usually keep some classical music running when I need to be focused, and podcasts when I’m doing repetitive work.

Space 5: Here is where I spend most of my time with Safari, since I use many cloud based tools.

Space 6: Omnifocus resides here, which I use for personal, GTD based, task management.

Space 7: Empty. I usually use this space when I need to do screen sharing and need a clean workspace.

Space 8: Here is where I keep my IM clients open. Namely Skype and Tweetie.

Space 9: Empty. I use this space to work in applications like PhotoShop where I need to focus on one particular project/task.

I use command + arrows to navigate the spaces. I operate from space 5, so I put the most used items in spaces 2,4,6 and 8 for once click easy access.

Do you use Spaces? What other Mac tools do you use to stay productive?

32 Bit Windows 7
Click 1: Copy and paste the key found here.
Click 2: Download here.

64 Bit Windows 7
Click 1: Copy and paste the key found here.
Click 2: Download here.

Thanks LifeHacker!

1. Install Python

Download: http://www.python.org/download/
Install the following: “Python 2.5.2 Windows installer”

2. Install Python Extensions for Windows

Download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/
Install the following: “pywin32-211.win32-py2.5.exe”

3. Update Skype ( if you are running Skype )

Change the following option so that your Skype install does not use port 80, which will conflict with your Apache server installation.

4. Install Apache HTTP Server

Download: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi
Install the following: “Win32 Binary including OpenSSL 0.9.8h (MSI Installer)”

5. Install mod_python

Download: http://www.mirrorgeek.com/apache.org/httpd/modpython/win/3.3.1/
Install the following ( Note that you need to run this as administrator ): “mod_python-3.3.1.win32-py2.5-Apache2.2.exe”

6. Install PostgreSQL

Download: http://www.postgresql.org/ftp/binary/v8.3.3/win32/
Install the following: “postgresql-8.3.3-1.zip”

7. Install psycopg

Download: http://stickpeople.com/projects/python/win-psycopg/
Install the following ( Note that you need to run this as administrator ): “psycopg2-2.0.7.win32-py2.5-pg8.3.1-release.exe”

8. Download Django

Download: http://www.djangoproject.com/download/
Install the following: “Django-0.96.2.tar.gz”

Open setup.py  and change line 24 from
package = dirpath[len_root_dir:].lstrip(‘/’).replace(‘/’, ‘.’)
to
package = dirpath[len_root_dir:].lstrip(”).replace(”, ‘.’)

Start up a command shell with administrator privileges and run the command “setup.py install” in a command prompt.

8. Test

Test by running “import django” from the Python interpreter, if you have no errors you were successful.

Try out this tutorial to get started with your first project.

When you don’t iterate early and often with the input of your stakeholders you are taking a big risk that a majority of your stakeholders will hate your work.

Gone are the days when you hire someone to create a website for you, then dis-engage for a few months, to return to a finished product… take it or leave it.

I understand that when your stakeholders number in the ten of thousands this type of interaction could be very difficult; however, I propose the following solution.

I propose that a core set of stakeholders (ideally an odd number like three or five) make all final decisions. These stakeholders should have an intimate understanding of the community and ideally should contain a few key members of the community.

Then utilize a Digg-like voting mechanism, like CrowdSound.com to get feedback from the users.

Combine this approach with a Rapid Application Development process to help produce a website that fulfills the needs of the community.

Today, sites like LogoBids.com (I have access to the demo) make this type of collaboration for the graphics design much easier and affordable.

Once there is a majority agreement on the design, wire-frames and layout, its then a matter of execution.

While not perfect, I believe using such a method would have yielded much better results. I think it would be exciting to build the next (or upgraded) social networking community using this strategy.

#!/usr/bin/python
import urllib
import re

# Change the variables "contest" and "path"

def retrieveImage( contest, path, name ):
    url = "http://99designs.com/contests/" + contest + "/entries/" + name
    urllib.urlretrieve( url, path + name )

if __name__ == '__main__':
    contest = "6999" #The 99designs content number from which you want to extract images
    path = "../tmp/" #The path where you want to store the downloaded images
    url = urllib.urlopen( "http://99designs.com/contests/" + contest + "/feed" )
    url_string = url.read()
    p = re.compile( 'd*.large.w{3,3}' )
    iterator = p.finditer( url_string )
       for match in iterator:
           retrieveImage( contest, path , match.group() )

One of the books that was recommended reading, and remains in my library, was The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master. Chapter 3 talks about the basic tools needed for any programmer. Here is a review and description of the tools I use and consider fundamental.

1. Plain Text

There are many advantages to using plain text as the format of choice for programming. The keys for me are: readability, easy manipulation and portability.

I prefer to use XML based formats (XHTML being the primary format) for much of what I do, since primarily I program web applications. I also use YAML for configuration files, mainly using Symfony.

2. Shell

My development environment of choice has always been within a Linux distribution. Starting with Red Hat, then Gentoo and now Ubuntu. The Bash Shell has been my constant companion in the terminal in each distribution. When I must work on a Windows machine, then it’s Bash via Cygwin.

To save countless hours and improve your productivity tremendously, invest some time daily into learning more about how to use the shell. Here are a few resources to get you started:

• BASH Programming – Introduction HOW-TO
• Advanced Bash-Scripting HOWTO
• Bash by example, Part 1
• Bash by example, Part 2

3. Editor

I started with Emacs, then converted to the darkside (Vi). I now use the Eclipse editor mostly. When I’m living in the terminal it’s Vi or Vim for me. As with your shell, time spent learning about how to use your editor will yield massive dividends.

4. Source Code Version Control

If you are not using some form of version control, you are seriously living on the edge! I started out using CVS (or as one professor said, “Save Your Ass”), but then graduated to SVN. You will also want to spend consistent time learning how to properly use the version control system.

Another reason text formats are so useful is that changes are easily tracked using version control.

5. Debugging

In my C++ days, GDB saved me many hours of painful bug chasing. Now, working mostly in PHP/Javascript environments, I use Firebug, the built in Symfony tools and Xdebug. When in Python, I just use the Python Debugger.

6. Text Manipulators

Now that you have all those text based files, you need to be able to quickly manipulate them. You will want to spend some learning about regular expressions. Most of the tools dealing with text manipulation use regular expressions. I prefer to use Python as my tool of choice (sorry Larry). Take the time to study the tools mentioned here.

7. Code Generators

The code generator I use most often is the one Symfony provides. Otherwise, I use Python to create scripts, that given certain parameters or configuration files, pre-generates some template code.

8. Testing Framework

I have just started to incorporate unit tests into my projects using Lime within Symfony. Before, I would write out the results that were expected by various inputs and run those tests manually. Our development group is now implementing the “build the test framework first” strategy into our agile methods.

What are your essential tools?