Bitwise Operations

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-24T23:48:00.001+08:00

It's that time of the year again, when light, once again, conquers darkness. Happy Christmas! :D

Object Oriented Programming for Scalability

2010-09-09T18:54:00.006+08:00

I have encountered some projects before that were a bit old (around 10 years old). Naturally, years of patching and expansion has made it a bit large, and also a bit unmanageable because of its size. The sheer amount of code that I had to read through is fine. But the most annoying part is having to look for the locations of the functions. Where the hell are they located? That is the problem with functions that are not contained in neither namespaces or objects.

Namespaces and Classes give the element a certain locus by which it is identified with. This means, the larger the programs, the easier it is to identify where they would be found if you need to use them, or it just so happens that you need to maintain them.

Of course, OOP is just a tool. We do not have to code using an object-oriented paradigm. That is why there are still some code that are just simply hard to read through.

Imagine going through a few thousand lines in a source file, and trying to look for a function that was not defined there. You are left guessing where the function is in the mass of source files that you have. The header files that were included could provide a clue, but that is as far as helpful as they can get.

I am aware that there are search tools that could be used, but I do not think I would enjoy having to use the find function the whole time. I also use grep to look for functions. But I would not have to want to do that the whole time.

OOP is a great idea for programs that have large code bases. Abstraction allows you to modularize the implementation, thereby limiting the amount of damage that a coding error can make. You may also keep reusing code. This also implies something: You might want to leave using namespace out of your code and just get used to typing the std namespace. Well, maybe if you will not be using it too often. using namespace is also useful when libraries are collected into namespaces, and you will be using elements in the namespace very often.

I have stuck with OOP ever since I got the hang of it, and I will continue to use it to keep project maintainable. Happy coding, readers. :D

The importance of documentation

2010-08-19T22:54:00.005+08:00

I have been working on a lot of code lately, and one sure thing that has kept me from progressing as fast as I want to is the fact that it lacks documentation.

Some people assume that their code is readable enough so that they do not have to write comments. While sometimes that may be true, sometimes it is not. What I would have given just so that the programmer would write a comment on what the function actually does so that I do not have to actually read the whole thing. I mean, if I had to read the code line by line, what happened to abstraction of code? Isn't that supposed to make programming easier by keeping me from having to care about how you implemented you function, just as long as I know what it does, what it needs (as parameters) and what it returns?

If the code is small, fine. Perhaps that is something forgivable because I would have time to know the code completely. But what if the project is around 50-100 files of source code long?

There are some programmers who even inadvertently just copy and paste the code, which means that sometimes they include code that is not used at all. Even if redundant code does not have anything to do with documentation, if someone had taken the time to document the code, then someone would have noticed that the function is quite useless in the context of the program, no?

Anyway, it has become my policy to at least explain at the top of my files what the code inside it really is. I tell them that this only includes the class prototype, and heck, I even put what the class does. Some people just write classes and they end up with misnomers that confuse the heck out of me.

If you write bad code, it is a given that I will dislike you. But if you write bad code AND even not have the courtesy of documentation, I will dislike you even more. Giving someone else badly written code and making them read it is just like writing a badly written story or essay and expect someone else to appreciate it.

So, kids, make sure that you write your code properly, and more importantly, never assume that the next person who will be working with your code has the time to read through your implementation. Write some comments: Explain it to them. Keep it clear and concise.

Hope you guys continue enjoying writing code.

New Layout

2010-08-19T12:45:00.002+08:00

I have been fooling around with the design of my blog, and I have found that there is a more convenient way of customizing my blog just by clicking at things. I have come up with this for the time being.

Why does it seem that I am not completely satisfied? It is not because of the limitations that the design has. In fact, sometimes, restricting options is the way to getting a good design. It is also very easy to modify my blog to my heart's content.

Perhaps I am not satisfied by the fact that I chose stock content for my blog at this point. Sure, the design might look cool, but other blogs would find it easy to imitate this. Even the background is not unique, and could be used by other users.

Eventually I will find the time (I am not sure if it will start this afternoon or during this weekend) to work on my very on design and material. I already have some ideas for it, so all I need to do is to plan this really well, make the materials and execute it according to plan.

Also, watch out for another blog entry that might come up this evening.

Calling All Innovators, Linux Support Society and Graduation

2010-03-09T06:58:00.004+08:00

Calling All Innovators
This month, a couple of friends and I decided to join this contest by Nokia called Calling All Innovators. It is a contest for applications made for Nokia mobile devices. We had three choices of platform: The Symbian S60, Maemo and another one that I forgot (we did not pick that, anyway.)

In the end, we went for The Symbian S60. For one thing, I already have a phone that runs on that operating system. Secondly, it is quite interesting to program the system that has been running on most Nokia phones.

Besides, if ever we need to try the programs on more than one system, I could always borrow my dad's phone. But then again, that might not be an option if I had to keep working in school.

At this point, however, I am considering looking for another application contest that does not involve mobile devices. While it might be interesting at this point, I am the only one in the team who has a phone that runs the Symbian S60. That means that it would be much more difficult to test. If we have the chance to move to a PC platform, then we might find ourselves doing just that.

Linux Support Society
After a long hiatus for Linux Support Society (LSS), I am finally resurrecting the idea by holding some events for the team. A couple of them are actually film viewings of open source documentaries and another is a general assembly of the members when the rationale for LSS would be read and ratified by the founding members of LSS.

The rationale would hopefully provide direction for the future batches of LSS. Linux representation might do well, especially in the context of the university. Secondly, it would also be important to introduce open source ideals and hacker culture in the student body. The original definition of hacker make the best computer science students both in theory and practice, because these people show enthusiasm in the systems they study. Therefore, I find it very important to introduce these ideals that may become assimilated into the culture of Computer Science majors.

At the same time, it seems that we are no longer going to be linked to the Computer Society of the Ateneo, as our ideals are much more focused than the broader goals of CompSAt. This does not mean that we are against CompSAt or any of its goals -- it is just that we want to give our own ideals much more attention.

Graduation
Ah, the day is finally near. I do not have classes anymore, so I am really just waiting for graduation. It is three weeks from now. I have mixed feelings about it. For one thing, I feel excited to work (hopefully, I end up in a field that I am very much intersted in). On the other hand, while I might move on and say "see you later" to a lot of friends, there are a few special friends that I would be making effort to maintain contact with.

Perhaps it is easier that way. Rather than having a multitude of friends that I have to maintain relationships with, I would rather focus on a few close ones.

Anyway, looks like things are about to become more exciting.

Fail!

2009-08-18T17:37:00.002+08:00

I know that it is such a bad choice to write something like this after a long hiatus of not blogging anything, but crap... I failed my CS130 midterms! The papers have not yet returned, but given the way I feel at that time, I don't think I will be getting much credit for what I had done.

This is the first time in a very long time that I have failed anything as major as a the midterm exams. I don't know why this has to happen to me, who have been suffering because of that instructor's definitions and lectures that are so full of flaws. He also has a hard time articulating what he means to say during the lecture, and that only worsens everything. He may know what he meant, but unfortunately, he might not have been able to realize that he also has to make sure that the students also understand him.

Of course, nothing is without exception. A friend of mine really did well in this exam, because he has already learned these things before. Therefore, he did really well. But for us who have never encountered these things before, it did not help us.

Why is it that when a professor does not teach very well, that the students have to shoulder all the blame? When you think about it, students may give up listening to a teacher if that teacher is really bad at teaching. There is nothing much to motivate the students to even consider listening to the teacher once they have learned that the teacher is simply unintelligible.

With that said, I hope that things turn out for the better. I don't want to repeat a course just because of someone who is worse than someone with a speech impediment.

Hopefully I will be able to blog about other things at a later time. But for now, I think I just had to get this out, ok? Thanks for your patience. Until next time.

ACM Programming Contest

2009-07-09T16:54:00.002+08:00

Ok, I probably have not been writing much on this blog, but that's just because I'm very busy at this time. But this afternoon, I'll be writing something down anyway.

Because this is my final year in college as an undergraduate student, I finally decided to join the ACM Regionals. I will be teamed up with a two other guys. I believe that I know them really well. But then again, it's the team dynamics that count, and I do think that I am able to work quite well with them.

The ACM regionals is a programming contest, and the thought of getting trained for it is really fun. Much as I love physics, computer problems also involve a lot of math. I have been longing for this kind of challenge. I hope that I would be able to do really well. But then again, it is really up to me.

Lately, I was able to implement one of the problems that were given in an ACM contest called Nuevo-Romano. It is something like a new Roman numeral system, which follows the classic Roman numeral manner of counting, with an added character. The introduction of an 'O' means multiplying the previous value to a thousand. There are also other special cases. Hopefully, by tomorrow, if I have the time, I will also be implementing addition between the two.

There is also another programming contest that is also one of my favorites. It is not really an official contest, competing for world-renowned awards. Rather, it is in the learning itself, and it gives me a lot of shorter problems to solve. That is a good thing since solving ACM problems usually take hours.

And, guess what, I am going back to weight training! I am actually planning to stimulate my body later, by lifting relative lighter weights, and also probably gauging how heavy I should start. I believe that I did not necessarily fall back to square one. Yet, it is still important to find out what weight I should start with. (Actually, I would mean 'weights' because different exercises vary in 'heaviness.' But I'll just leave it to that until my mind is cleared up again.)

Anyway, I don't know why, but my head feels heavy. I know that I have been getting frequent bouts of morning cold, but I hope this eventually goes away when the weather becomes more stable. However, I wonder when that is? Anyway, that's all I can write until next time. :)

Thesis and other stuff

2009-06-23T10:01:00.002+08:00

Ok, I know I have not be writing a lot here. The last time I wrote anything here, it was at the start of June. Now, it's the last week of July, and I have not even updated this blog! Talk about being busy.

Lab Shifts. Right now, I am at one of the laboratories open for students with computer science subjects. There is no one around here, though, since it is only the start of the semester. You can definitely tell that there is a crammer culture here, LOL. I am quite sure that by the end of this semester, there will be a lot of students working on things in the laboratory. I think this would more likely be the case once the printer is installed.

So, why am I here anyway? Well, for this final year in college, I am also working as student assistant for our home department, the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS). I never actually planned for this to happen, but here I am.

And to think that my 'older brother' had to take a fifth year in college, worked as a lab assistant in the physics labs (of the same school)... Well, well, well. It is really funny how unintentionally we really have become very similar.

Thesis. This is the biggest thing that I have for this year. In fact, I will be having regular consultations with the department chair (I also have consultations with our thesis adviser, who is another person, of course) later this afternoon. Unfortunately, my thesis partner came down with the flu, and he won't be available for the consultation. I hope that he gets well, soon.

But anyway, I have lots of time to work on my thesis. I won't write about it for now, as I always like to keep my research shared with only a few people. But this is going to be a big year. Imagine that. It's my final year, and I am quite that it would very well end with a lot of great things happening.

So, yeah. Until then... I should actually be editing the draft now.

Still sleepy.

2009-06-08T14:18:00.004+08:00

Last night, I was sooo busy surfing the Internet that I did not notice the time. By the time I looked, it was almost morning, rendering sleep useless. We had to leave school at an early hour in order to be able to reach school before the other come and crowd up the streets.

So, that meant that I had to catch up on lost sleep (even though technically I really can't) through naps in different hours of the day. I have been napping for a few hours now. I am lucky that the library is open the whole day, so that I do have a place to stay.

I can't believe this. I am still sleepy, and I keep making typing errors or typing something else.

It seems that I would be getting back to sleep for probably an hour again after I post this blog entry. I was supposed to tell you guys about this, but I can't even do it without having my eyes close at any moment. You will have to forgive me for this.

I'll try to write later, if I am able to.

Demonstrations and Final Presentations

2009-05-25T11:10:00.002+08:00

Demonstrations. I have finally reached almost the end of my internship period. Well, actually there are two weeks left, but that is relatively close than a month, isn't it? Anyway, today I will be demonstrating the third working version of my software to the company that I am working with. The software is supposed to help them in their future projects, and I really wish, for what it's worth, that it would really help them. If they can't pay me, the best that they can give me is the assurance that they would actually use the product of my efforts. If not, then, they will also find me ungrateful. Just kidding. But really, I have learned a lot of things from my internship about website development than I have learned in a whole semester. There was so much action and so much challenge that I felt like it is pushing my beyond my border. But I have to admit that it has not pushed me to my borders yet, because in one of the tasks, I actually gave up trying to accomplish it. How embarrassing.

Final Presentation. The title of this post seems to have been misleading. Perhaps I was also referring to the thesis proposal defense that we had last Saturday. But since that is over, I am not going to write about it, as it was not really very exceptional. It was really just a simple proposal to our department chair. All right, move along, nothing to see here!

But the presentation I have been referring to is the one that would be taking place tomorrow, Tuesday morning. That gives me a very good reason to leave the office later, as soon as I get the demonstration and some documentation of my OJT experience done. I have to make Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. (I do not know if OpenOffice Impress would do it for me, so I'll just go with ubiquitous MSppt.)

So, yeah. I will be taking pictures of the area where I work (not exactly the most glamorous place), the people I worked with (these guys are the greatest!) and of course, present some of my opinions on my experience, which I will not mention here for privacy purposes. But overall, the internship is fun, if not stressful at the beginning. That was way back when I was starting, and I really did not know what was going on, and out boss seems to stress me out a lot with his loud voice, even if he really means well.

I guess that is it for now. I am running out of batteries on my laptop. I am such a tightwad for not wanting to pay for electricity coming from the cafeteria sockets.

The Big Bang Theory etc.

2009-05-22T11:32:00.004+08:00

The Big Bang Theory. Last night, while eating some fish snacks and drinking a nice can of whiskey flavored with cola, I watched the Big Bang Theory. It was really quite funny because I knew that tomorrow I will be back to work (that's today, and yes, I am working), yet I still thought of drinking alcohol and staying up late at night.

Just watching Sheldon being obnoxious with his indifferent, straightforward statements made my night last night. Somehow I feel like I can relate. While I may not be lacking any tactful inclinations like he does, I do tend to point out facts like they don't hurt people. In fact, I do not think that it should hurt anyone. After all, the truth is the truth. We all have to face it no matter the circumstances. That may sound harsh, but I believe that everybody does face their own truths everyday.

The Big Bang Theory is the latest I have seen that had something to do with 'physics' and 'fun' together. In fact, it inspired me to start reading the preface of Roger Penrose's book, The Road To Reality. I was only able to get as far as the first few pages, because staying up late at night and alcohol were really taking its toll on me.

But there, I am once again inspired to do some physics. I may be considering a career in the sciences after graduation after all. (I don't know about the corporate world, but as egotistical as I am, I believe the only limits that I have are the limits that I make to myself.)

Yes etc. Yesterday, I asked my friend Leon if the Pet Shop Boys' latest album, Yes, has reached Manila. He said 'yes,' and they are found in Music One stores. Unfortunately, I am nowhere near one, so I am not sure if I will be able to get the limited edition entitled Yes, Pet Shop Boys etc. Of course, if it runs out of stock, that's too bad for me. But nonetheless, I will be satisfied with the regular Yes (white cover with colorful check mark).

Dancing to disco. People who knew me as a rock artist will be shocked about this. I actually dance to disco! If you have the time, watch Madonna's music video of Hung Up, start playing it at 1:50, and yes, I've been trying to do those seemingly simple moves, yet they got me sweating after just a few minutes. I just discovered that this would be a great exercise for me. Listening to music and exercising at the same time in the convenience (and privacy, in case it gets a bit embarrassing) of my own room. Heck, I might be able to try dancing in public someday.

That's it for now. I'll tell you guys more about my internship once it's over. That would be in around a little more than two weeks. Until then, I would be keeping busy on the work that I need to get done, as my internship is according to deadlines, and I really really want to contribute something meaningful to the company during my internship. Never mind the pay, I just want the experience and satisfaction at the thought of people using my contributions. (cf. Richard Feynman, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out)

Stormy days, OJT and thesis work

2009-05-10T21:45:00.000+08:00

I was supposed to write this yesterday, but I have been really busy, and so I did not have the time to write it completely. The couple of lines I have already written was quite outdated now, because I was writing about the events happening at the time.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's see. I have not been writing here for quite a long time. In fact, my previous post has me writing about how unsatisfying my internship was. But that is not really the case these days, now that I have warmed up to the people there. Last week, we also had my task changed into something more feasible, as I worked on the first task assigned to me for three weeks to no avail. Now, that was definitely unsatisfying.

But my job right now is to write this generic class that encapsulates website behaviour for our company's future services. Because of that, I feel like this is my 'baby project,' which I would always want to take care of and continue developing. But tonight, obviously, I'm too tired to do that. I will focus on that tomorrow.

So, that is what happend for my OJT. I do not have any allowance, which sucks, but as of the moment I'm not really complaining about it. What I need there are proper grades and the experience, because the tasks in the company sure are challenging!

As for the thesis work, I spent most of yesterday and today searching, reading and writing our review of literature for our thesis proposal. I submitted ours a little more than two hours late, because I had to fix some things. The time just did not seem enough. There were lots of juicy details that I would have wanted to discuss, let alone finish reading the articles. But I feel that I must get used to this, as I am also planning to work in the academe for quite some time, as a first choice. I love teaching computer science. That would also allow me to spread the Linux love and the open source gospel. As they say, universities are the ones which help define what the operating system market share will be for desktops and laptops.

It's been quite rainy here in Manila, despite the fact that it is still supposed to be summer. We just had our typhoon, Emong (Chan-Hom). A few minutes ago, it rained really hard while I was singing Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys songs. Who would have expected that singing "Stripped" would make it rain really hard? But to be honest, I like rainy days.

But yesterday was really crazy. It was really windy, and there was a rainstorm. The smart thing about me was that I forgot my jacket, and I just had one small umbrella with me. I had to go out because I was really hungry. It was already afternoon. The cafeteria was already closed. So with my trusty umbrella trying to maintain its posture in the strong wind and braving the torrents, I went out straight to Jollibee, which was just outside the university. But along the way, almost all the paths were flooded, and I had to walk through the parking lot instead, which was not necessarily very nice because it was not made to be a walkway; you could get hit by a car driven by some idiot any time. Luckily, the storm was so strong that no one even bothered to get to their car. You could imagine that I was the only one walking into the storm with just an umbrella! The wind blew moist air into my face and the rain, falling obliquely because of the wind, wet the lower part of my jeans. So it was really funny to have gone through all that just to eat in an air-conditioned restaurant. It was a good thing that they were smart enough to turn off the aircon.

So, yeah, stormy days are really crazy, but I love it because my mind seems to think clearer at lower temperatures. Of course, my vanity also tells me that it's a good time to wear fashionable clothing like sleeveles sweaters on long-sleeve shirts and a jacket over it. I love rainy days. :)

OJT and stuff

2009-04-19T14:56:00.000+08:00

Ok, I believe it has been quite a while since my last post on this site. You see, I have been working at a certain company that provides internet services for the telecommunications industry. I actually don't think much about it, but you can call that some hasty judgement: I have only been there for about three days.

But one thing that I noticed is that I prefer working in an environment in which I do not necessarily have a big boss to have around who works out the timetables for me. Sometimes I find that inefficient because the boss does not necessarily do the work himself, and therefore has a poor sense of how the lengths of time in the Gantt charts become meaningful, or just plain short or stressful.

I also love to work in a place where I can also get some artistic satisfaction. When a place becomes too technical or too much on application and not on discovery, it becomes boring.

Perhaps that is why I prefer the sciences and the art world. These are places of discovery, learning and not just merely building something. Even in the field of game development, the drive to improve and develop is very important. These are things that I would like to pursue.

Hope all is well with you guys, and please continue to pray for me that I would not lose interest in what I am currently doing in my OJT. I need to continue getting excited and motivated while working eight hours during the weekdays.

Until next time!

AMC and a new website.

2009-03-24T11:22:00.003+08:00

Much has been happening since the last time a posted. In fact, that was the reason why I was not able to post things for quite some time. Where do I begin?

It has always been this habit of mine to keep in mind what things I would like to write about. However, sometimes I just forget and then I wouldn't really know what things would be great reading material. But ok, I'll try.

AMC. To be honest, I have much to do. I will be taking my final exam for Math for Computer Science, also known as AMC, tomorrow. As of now, I was able to compile all the theorems, definitions, lemmas and corollaries needed for the final exam. No, I'm not memorizing them. I'm actually focussing on the way these statements actually work together. So, yeah, after taking this break I'll be testing myself on how much I know about the lessons that we had from the start of this semester to the end. Too bad I was not able to reach the exemption cut-off mark.

Open source advocacy. You might notice that I am not becoming more of an open source advocate. I am planning to pursue a career on open source development by working in many projects and actually working for a company that supports open source. I can take my pick on pretty much a lot of companies, like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Red Hat, Sun Microsystems... too bad Intel no longer has a base here in Manila. I really hope my favorite open source companies like Red Hat would actually build some headquarters here. For the record, I dislike Microsoft right now, and their attempts to enter into the open source culture, which by its nature is contradictory to Microsoft strategies. That is why I have not mentioned Novell either, because they are collaborators with Microsoft. Talk about lots of money. It seems that Novell is on its way down this year.

Affinity with the hacker culture. I was reading the Jargon, which is a site all about hacker culture. I have not really read into this, but what I did read is the page with the title "How to Become a Hacker." This came from the a part of the site where Eric Raymond proposed an emblem for hackers. With the glider symbol, one is able to show affinity or support for the hacker ideals, values and culture. Using the emblem does not make the claim that you are a hacker, but that you show your support. And really, with the definition of what hacker means in the original sense, the way Stallman used it, I would say that I show behavior akin to a hacker, but that does not mean I am until someone recognizes me and actually tells me. You can see the glider logo on the front page of my site. John, now I know what your former chat avatar was. ;)

New website. nickbana. So that leads me to the discussion of my site. It is called 'nickbana', which is a contraction of my name Nikolai Banasihan. The address is at 'nickbana.athost.net'. As a personal site, you can see my personal advocacies and other stuff related to me there. That's right, it's all me me me! Just kidding. I would probably be adding more stuff on the links page, and some other pages. You would probably start seeing essays on what I think on that site. I hope to get lots of readers and supporters, thank you very much. :)

Toward an acceptance of Linux

2009-03-12T13:49:00.003+08:00

There has always been this stigma that Linux something that is not as user-friendly to people, and also somewhat like a programmer's operating system only. That is wrong in both accounts.

For one thing, Linux has matured a lot since its inception almost two decades ago. There are distributions that make it as easy as possible for everyday computer users to use Linux. There are different desktop environments for you to choose from. You can use a pure command-line Linux (although I have not seen a distribution like this, but I believe there may be one), one that uses KDE or Gnome or X11. These are graphical user interfaces that people can use. It is quite easy to do that.

Secondly, people claim that it is just a programmer's operating system. That is wrong. First of all, I have mentioned that Linux distributions these days are much easier to handle. Secondly, the fact that there are a lot of choices for what distributions gives anyone a lot more choices. All of them can be modified and updated by programmers, but Linux as a programmer or hardcore-only OS is a far cry from what we see in distributions these days.

But perhaps, a word of warning is the fact that while Linux and Windows may have some similarities (GUI and command-line), they have completely different sets of programs, and of course, command-line commands. If you do not have a Linux distribution installed in your hard drive, a great way to learn and practice Linux commands would be to use Cygwin. Cygwin was developed by Cygnus Solutions, which is a "free software" support company. This allows a layer of UNIX to be run on Windows, which allows one to use UNIX commands on a bash emulator.

While there is much functionality by Cygwin that allows one to get used to some Linux commands, it is far from complete. While there is a lot of functionality, it is still somewhat incomplete compared to bash found in actual Linux systems. However, I believe that it is enough for one to be able to practice on.

Aside from this, another important thing is that Cygwin creates a directory that is similar to an actual Linux system. This allows one to get used to the file system of most Linux distributions.

So, why not start getting used to Linux? Download Cygwin now at www.cygwin.com. Here are also other resources that one can use to help in installing and using Linux.

Installing Ubuntu Linux
Transitioning to the Linux System
Windows-to-Linux roadmap - I believe this is one of the more important links I've placed here!

Next time, when I'm feeling a bit better, I will be talking about som Linux distros. For now, just have fun with Cygwin for now.

Sweating Bullets

2009-03-10T13:10:00.002+08:00

About an hour ago, I took my physics exam on electronics. It feels like I'm going to fail the long test. There were three long problems on creating circuits with shift registers and stuff, but it's like crossing the bridge while eyes closed: I don't exactly know completely what I am doing.

I was able to finish two out of the three problems, both of which can be solved relatively simply because there were instructions given. But I was not able to finish the last one. Because of that, I feel like I'm going to fail.

After eating lunch with my friends, well, not I'm sitting at Faura Hall, sweating and getting itchy on different places in my body. It think it's the dried sweat, and some flies gong about on the first floor, but it's annoying.

I have yet to edit some videos for our presentation tomorrow. I hope everything turns out fine. There have been a series of misfortunes going on lately. They're just small things, but I hope they don't start to snowball.

In the Library 3:16pm
Ok, it's a couple of hours since I've written this blog entry. I thought it was published, but it seems that I must have saved it on draft instead. So, I'll just a little more things.

I am becoming more and more interested in how the Linux kernel works. In fact, I am borrowing a book about it. With more time, I should be able to get my hands dirty with the kernel. So, it seems that I was finally able to rediscover my interest in operating systems.

I wrote my first pseudo-operating system using QBasic. I was in my fourth grade back then, I think. It is nothing like a real operating system, of course, but I already fancied the idea of working on the command-line, parsing the commands and getting something out of certain arguments. I had a lot of fun making it. Of course, the nature of the code I have written was not extensible, but at least it looked like an actual operating system.

Somehow that interest in operating systems got buried along with other things. But now that I am using Linux. It being open source, I am able, in fact, encouraged, to look at and study the source code. Of course, I am doing this with the help of some documentation, namely the library book that I have mentioned. It is quite refreshing to be able to learn something like this. This may be called a niche interest, but it is something that I am really excited about.

For those who do not yet know, if you are using Linux, the kernel source code is more likely found in the folder /usr/src/linux. I've been there, so at least on Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10, I can assure you that it is there.

I am also looking into another thick book on Linux, which tackles Linux administration and such. I find it exciting to actually begin working with Linux, as Microsoft tends to be expensive and exclusive to those people who would rather support only a single operating system (ie. Monopolistic tendency). That is not to say that you are a bad person if you are using Windows. To put it nicely, it would be great if people also explored other operating systems that they, in fact, might like.

Linux is relatively easy to try, because burning a LiveCD allows you to try the OS without installing it. In the case of Knoppix, Slax and Puppy Linux, you do not even have to install OS on you hard drive to work on it. Linux is a great thing. It is even better if you are a programmer, because there are a lot of things there that you would definitely find handy.

So yeah, I'm no longer sweating bullets now, as I am in an air-conditioned building. Again, it's a lot of fun to discover Linux.

If you want to get a copy of a Linux distribution, go here to get a glimpse of the numerous distributions, or flavors of Linux. Have fun! :D

Java is worth looking at again.

2009-03-03T16:42:00.003+08:00

I just came back from my application examination at Azeus, one of the international companies from China which also has a headquarters here in Makati. It was quite nice, although I am not very fond of offices which are cramped. One of the laboratories looked like an internet cafe. But the difference was that the atmosphere was much better than any internet cafe.

Anyway, I just took the examination, and found out that they are quite focused on Java. Now, you guys know me... I personally prefer C++ because of the nuances it has that makes one a more responsible programmer. But nonetheless, I still believe that Java is quite useful for many things.

The test was somewhat like the long tests we used to take when I was in Management Information Systems. It was quite nice and familiar. Although later on, I realized that sometimes I am not sure of my answers unless I actually test them on the computer. At that time, we were not allowed to use computers, it was just pen and paper stuff. But then again, any practice that would help me become a better programmer is quite welcome (except the painful and violent methods, if there are any).

At that time, I realized that indeed, Java is worth looking at again. The first time I learned Java, it was relatively new (and that means that I am that old, or I was young when I started). Even I did not take it seriously, although I found it interesting. At that time, I felt that it was relatively slower than C++ and I would have preferred C++ over Java anytime. I still will, but this time, I love Java a little more.

I also looked around and saw some Linux machines. They are using Ubuntu! Oh joy! :D

So yeah. That's it for now. I admit that I have been gone for quite a long time. I am glad to have written something here again. :)

Fedora 10

2009-02-07T12:29:00.002+08:00

Just before I had my lunch, I was trying out Fedora 10, because I kept seeing a friend of mine using this distribution of Linux. The appearance of KDE really appealed to me, as it looks really clean. Don't get me wrong though, I am not saying that my Ubuntu Linux looks bad, it's just that KDE looks better than GDE, in my opinion.

Overall, the whole desktop environment took me a minute to get used to. After a while I had no problem locating buttons that I need to press more often, like the menu of devices mounted. This means that Fedora is quite user friendly, although I have yet to get used to the large amount of programs that it has. I might be exploring it when I have the time.

The only thing left to do is to find a hard drive or a computer that I own in which I can install it. Perhaps once I am able to afford that little laptop that I've been wanting for travelling purposes, I might install Fedora there. Of course, I will be dual-booting, as not all Windows games and applications run very well on Windows Emulator (WINE).

Later this afternoon, I want to read several chapters of our Theology textbook just to review for an exam I will be taking on Monday. After that and some level-creation on Neverwinter Nights, I might be spending some time learning how to use Subversion and familiarizing myself with TCP/IP classes.

Until then, I will be off again for quite some time. Hopefully I would be able to post more often during March, when I have relatively larger amounts of free time.

Another day on the job fair.

2009-01-22T13:13:00.002+08:00

That's right: in the next two or three months, I will be preparing for an On-The-Job Training course, which we are required by our department to take. Actually, it is pretty exciting and exhausting, perhaps even more enjoyable if my academics were not in the way. Sometimes I wish there was some form of Job Fair break, which might last a week while the company stalls are still here at one of the quadrangles of the university.

So I have to get my resume printed at this time, but it seems that I might be facing a long line first. I should have printed at least ten copies of my resume. But today, I improved on the previous version of my resume just so that it may be more informative and accurate.

As far as programming goes, PHP and I are becoming better friends now. I used to have a big problem with that programming language, because of my experiences while learning it. I learned the language under the pressure of a person who takes pride in knowing that he likes to drive people crazy just to get his results right, which, I think, is not a good form of management. Because I have associated the language with that year-long stressful and depressive period, I had some emotional problems in rediscovering the language. The same goes for MySQL.

I left my previous course (MIS) for Computer Science. It also meant that I was leaving behind a lot of things in my life which I did not find worth keeping anyway. Those where the terrible experiences, bad people and the emotional trauma I was in to. Don't get me wrong, though, it was not because of MIS why I was this way. I just had a few unstable friendships and other issues which bugges me for some reason. But shifting to Computer Science also meant that it was my choice to live again. It was my choice to survive, a choice not to crumble.

So going back to PHP was something like cleaning out your closet, and discovering that there are really some things in there that you will not dare throw away or leave behind. These are important things, that are not bad in themselves, but have been victims by association.

So these days, PHP, MySQL and HTML are quite nice companions, especially that I am using them to develop this database my teammate and I will have to finish very soon.

- Nick

This weekend will be a blast.

2009-01-16T14:20:00.002+08:00

Tonight, when I get home, I'll be putting up a new bookshelf in my room, so I could get rid of the books on my table. That means I'll finally have a table that I can use as a table! Great, lol! But seriously, I really need a table so I could work better. Just having a chair and a table does wonders over other things, like sitting on the floor and looking at papers on the floor. You would get a back ache in the process. So, the bookshelf would really be a welcome addition in my room. Afterward, I hope I still have the energy to read more programming books.

On Saturday, I will mostly be working on the GUI and getting it to work with the database. That reminds me that I have to send a copy of the database for my team partner so she could also work on her part of the database. Hopefully this weekend will also be the time to integrate the input form so we could finish the outputs all throughout the week.

As for game design, I still have to work on getting a hak to work on my copy of Neverwinter Nights. It has to work, because we will be using the modifications on Monday. By tomorrow I hopefully would have had it work.

I still have not yet fully recovered from the severe lack of sleep that I had two nights ago. Surfing the net without checking the clock frequently was a bad idea. It just led me to two hours of sleep. And so my head still feels slightly heavy, although I have had relatively better sleep for the past two nights.

So, yeah, that is all the update I can give for now. I'll also be quite busy on January, and so maybe I will not be posting on this blog very often. Probably twitter is your best bet in getting updates from me.

Things are getting exciting.

2009-01-08T19:03:00.003+08:00

So, here's the deal, I have been commissioned to create this database for some client. I wrote down all the long documentations, and everything. I have scheduled meeting this partner of mine in making this database. It was supposed to be today, but then, there has been some misunderstanding along the way, so the meeting did not push through. I just hope that we could get this done in time. January 26 is the deadline, baby, and I don't want to cram the whole thing. I do not want to disappoint anyone either. Let's just hope that I do not have to rely on lack of sleep just to get things done. Perhaps I'd already be doing things during the weekend for this. I'd probably whole days getting this done. But no matter -- I'm getting paid, even if I think it's a measly sum for my time. But I'm just starting, and I'm getting paid. That's the end of it for now.

But before I actually start "enjoying" the weekend, I will have to face this Math for Computer Science long test tomorrow. Now, I'm having trouble with congruences, and I must grapple with that tonight, or else. But then again, I am already halfway through. Let's hope that the second half of what I have to review can be all covered tonight.

It's seven pm, and I have not even eaten anything yet. I'll be going out, buying some food, probably watch some internet TV while eating, and get into the Math stuff.

Blah. The things I do for money and academics. But hey, all things must pass, and it's just a matter of whether you're going to fold to the challenge or not.

Wish me luck. If I am not able to post some more for quite some time, the reason would be that I am doing a lot of things. But who knows when I'll be posting something again. Yep, I have to get through some things. I'm already tired, and I have just enough energy to review for AMC, not even read anything for Theology tomorrow.

But other exciting things are bound to occur tomorrow. :-) These would probably be the start of bigger things. Probably bigger than we could expect for now.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:56:00.001+08:00

Here's to a great 2009 ahead of us. May everyone of you receive great blessings during the coming year. And here's to a year that may well give us the opportunity to shine. :-)

Intrepid Ibex (Ubuntu 8.10)

2008-12-29T23:49:00.003+08:00

Ok, so I finally decided to take the time to upgrade one of my laptop's OSs, Ubuntu. I have been using Hardy Heron for quite some time, since April 2008, to be exact. But it is only now that I had the time to allow the laptop to download a little over a gigabyte of data. Given that I just started this afternoon, this download will probably be over sometime in the early morning. That means I will probably have to wake up at 2am just to check if the laptop is ready to install the packages it has downloaded.

It's taking some time, so it had better be good. Besides, The Mana World requires me to use Intrepid so that I can use their updated clients. Man, the things I do for a free MMORPG.

I will be meeting up with my client tomorrow morning, just to clarify things about the database they commissioned me to make. It's relatively simple, really, and I am the head of a team (a pair, actually, but I'd rather call it a team). This database should probably be finished near the end of January, as other deadlines require it to be so. Hope it everything works out fine tomorrow, so I could start writing the documentation. It would definitely make things easier to work with.

How I wish I could add another person to the team just so I could better distribute the work. Even the simplest databases can be so complicated once one starts to think about how it should work, and how it should be stored.

Not to mention that I have yet to write a code for that assignment our professor for Mathematics for Computer Science II gave us. I have to write it in python code. Good thing Python is relatively simpler and lots of mistakes are forgivable. Probably I'd start coding it after New Year's Day.

The NickBana site

2008-12-26T19:21:00.003+08:00

I finally decided to make my personal website. This site will feature mostly things about what I do and my interests, and probably also some achievements that I have had that might help me get into a job or at least establish some kind of credibility. The host I am using, which is athost.net, originally hosted my band's official site. But this time, I have also divided my webhost space to accommodate this personal site. This will probably help me in updating you guys about a lot of things going on.

You will be able to access the site at www.nickbana.co.cc. Take note that I have said that you 'will be' able to access that site because I have not yet uploaded the website. In fact, I have not yet finished designing it, too. But it will come up very soon, I promise.

Now, that brings into question whether or not I should keep bitwiseoperations here, as it seems that my site will mostly be the source of my updates. But then again, I could always keep updating stuff here specifically pertaining to games, or programming, in general. That might even be more convenient for me.

See ya soon, and Happy Holidays!

The Mana World

2008-11-23T19:18:00.002+08:00

The Mana World is a 2d MMORPG that I have been playing for almost a year now. It is free, and it is also open-source, as they are also open to people who want to help out in this project.

It has actually reawakened my interest in computer programming. Just a few hours ago, I started up The Mana World client. I have not played this game for a very long time, even though I started playing it last year. Exploring the world once again caught my interest once again, and the very idea of creating worlds for people to explore and familiarize themselves made me want to begin developing programs once again.

As for the code that I am writing down these days, I am back to exercises in C++ programming. I have not received enough support in C++ programming in my college experience, and I guess that means I will have to improve by myself, and much more intensely. But then again, that is all part of the fun.

In the context of C++ it seems that the reward is in the journey of learning the language itself, because some people have spent years with the language, but they do not want to claim that they have mastered the language. As new technologies get launched in very short intervals, there is always something new to learn and always something new to discover. Hopefully, this also gives us the opportunity to contribute to the wealth of possibilities that we have in world of computer programming.

Going back to programming.

2008-11-14T12:24:00.002+08:00

Wow, it really has been quite some time since I last posted anything here on this blog. Perhaps, it reflects the fact that I have not been into programming during the past few months. I have only reawakened my interest in programming last night, when I was looking at some books in the library.

Last night we went to a store of used books, and I bought an old copy of Java in a Nutshell. (It covers Java 1.0, so it's really old.) When was the last time I programmed heavily in Java? I used to have the reputation of being really good at it, and these days I am almost near to forgetting the things I used to be able to do in that language. I bought the book not because I wanted to learn Java, although I could not discard the fact there might still be something in that book that I might have not been aware of, but also for the very idea of a history of a programming language. These old books are first-hand sources or probably second-hand sources of the state of a programming language back then. In fact, it occurred to me once that maybe it might be interesting to actually write a history of computer languages. A history of C, for example, and the context it lived in. A more funky history might come from Assembly Language, especially its heyday in funky times. Speaking of Assembly Language, I'm still aiming to learn that.

When I got home, the interest developed even more because I began to look and read some of the books that I have in my own library. I am quite surprised that after all this time, I have not yet even finished Friedman and Koffman book on C++! I bought it in 2001. It is 2008, and the bookmark is still in the same place where I had left it when I stopped reading the book in high school.

Programming during the sem break.

2008-10-08T17:50:00.003+08:00

Wow, it certainly has been quite some time since my last post!

Anyway, I'm back for now. Let me just tell you that the semestral break is finally here! I have more oral exam to go, which is on Saturday, so wish me luck. After that, I am free to do as I wish, including honing my programming skills.

Well, see you until then!

real time 3D games: Is it always the way to go?

2008-09-14T16:11:00.003+08:00

So, yesterday, I was back from SM Marikina, from where I bought an original copy of The Sims Hot Date. The clerk at DataBlitz told me that even if the game and its expansion packs are very old, they still sell very well. I told her that a lot of us agree that The Sims 2 is not as enjoyable as The Sims 1.

There are two reasons why I prefer Sims 1 over Sims 2. For one thing, in The Sims 1, people do not age, which means that you can let time pass based on your choices. In Sims 2, I feel that you have to hurry up before changes become too drastic. Secondly, in The Sims, the perspective is very simple. This means that it leaves something to your imagination. As for Sims 2, where it is rendered in 3D, the realism, I feel, makes the game much less appealing.

Although some people obviously enjoyed Sims 2, it still brings a big question in games. Is 3D always the way to go? It seems that there have been an outburst of 3D games during this decade due to the greater capabilities of game consoles these days. Case in point: Final Fantasy IV 3D remake. Warcraft III, Starcraft II and Diablo III have all turned 3D, as compared to the previous titles in their catalog. realMyst and Uru by Cyan Worlds are also 3D-rendered in real time, as compared to the first two titles, Myst and Riven, which are prerendered stills (you understand that this is done to bypass the relatively poor performance of computers back in the early 90s.)

For some reason, I still enjoy games like the classic Pokemon one. Pokemon Yellow, even Leaf Green. These are not made 3d due to the limited capabilities of the Gameboy Advance. But for some reason, the character of these games are dependent on these things.

One thing that troubles me about the current gaming industry is the fact that there are some games around that look great graphically, but really lacks in substance in terms of character development, storyline, motivation and such.

When it comes to older games, it is easier to identify which games are actually enjoyable or not. While great graphics may play a part in it, it is also important to consider the way characters have been developed, or how the storyline is expounded. Perhaps I am just against using 3D rendering or mind-blowing graphics as an excuse to call a mediocre game a good one. A lot of people seem to go gaga over the fact that something is rendered in 3D real time, whether the game is any good or not.

Besides, when Warcraft and Starcraft went 3D, in those two different occasions, I was quite ambivalent with what was going on. It just seemed to me that the more realistic they tried to make it, the more cartoonish it became for me.

But in the end, I still believe that 3D games are quite nice. I would just like to warn everyone that not everything 3D is good, because really, great graphics can be used to hide a mediocre game. So, enjoy games and stay critical.

Ubuntu Resolution Fix

2008-09-13T14:14:00.001+08:00

Finally, after almost a year of using Ubuntu Linux in an ugly, 1024 x 768 resolution, I was able to fix it to display in a higher resolution, working with my laptop's widescreen LCD panel. I am quite happy to see Ubuntu the way I was meant to see it on my laptop.

But then, I noticed some weird thing happening. The way the 3d screensavers were rendering were not very good because they are not as cohesive as they are meant to be. In windowed mode, it works fine. When I look at the gears screensaver, the gears look as solid as they can be. But when I maximize them to full screen, the gears behave differently. I can see their insides! That is very strange.

But anyway, right now I am happy that I am not seeing the Ubuntu screen stretched out like before. Besides, I get to see a lot more code on my IDE.

One more thing, I was able to install Code::Blocks properly. But since I was not very good at following instructions, it took me a few hours of research and experimentation. Haha. But nonetheless, I finally have it.

Myst I

2008-08-20T11:34:00.005+08:00

Ok, so this is a really old game, but I have just recently finished it... for the second time. There is something about this game that is really interesting. But then again, the whole game is actually interesting in its own right.

I was introduced to Myst when I was in grade school. A friend of my mom lent us the disc so we can try it out. After I installed it and everything, a ran it, and was introduced to the game's back story, in which the player is only known as the Stranger, who has somehow found the linking book to Myst.

You start at the dock. To your right is a sunken ship. Right ahead of you is a staircase which may lead further into the island. From far away, you can see a huge sunken gear. Everything in this place beckons you to explore, by the very mysterious nature of the island. Heck, that's why it is called the Isle of Myst. ("Mystery," get it?)

You start the game with absolutely no idea about what is going on. You will have to explore the place, and start piecing together the different clues which make up the story. But then again, it is also actually more of slowly getting familiar with the world, rather than just putting together a series of consecutive events.

Relative to our time, my computer almost a decade ago was a piece of junk. Despite that, I was able to play the game. However, I was not able to complete the game, and for some unknown reason, the File Allocation Table for DOS/Windows was lost. So, not only was I not able to finish the game, I also destroyed my computer in the process. (Arghhh! Data loss! Talk about forgetting to make backups!)

Of course, it may not necessarily mean that the game caused Windows to crash. Windows really likes to crash from time to time. Sometimes, I feel that it does so whenever it feels like it.

Many years passed, and Myst slowly dissolved into my subconscious. That is, it was not on my mind all the time, but from the back of my head, images of Myst surfaced from time to time. There really was something about the game which kept me interested!

Just this year, I was able to get a hold of another copy of Myst I. I was really happy because it is very hard to come by Myst these days. The last time I checked, DataBlitz only has Myst III: Exile as its earliest copy of Myst. So, it seems that The Riven will also be hard to find.

I was able to get Myst: The Masterpiece Edition, so its graphics were remade into 16-bit, as compared to original 8-bit rendering. But of course, that only served to make a more vivid presentation of the world. I found myself back to the old familiar dock, but with much more worlds to explore. Back then, I was not able to get out of the island of Myst, and explore the other ages. This time, I was able to explore the other ages, and I can tell you that they are all very interesting.

I will try not to put any spoilers here, just in case you have not played it yet... but I think there are only a few people who have. In this world, you will find yourself solving a lot of puzzles in order to go to different places. But in comparison to other games, where there is time pressure, and there is the possibility of dying, Myst does not have any of these characteristics. You are free to explore the world without the danger of killing yourself or getting killed by others.

So, in this world, you are pretty much alone, except for some people who you will find in unexpected places. You can, however, get lost, and it may take a much longer time to finish the game. But there is no hurry. Take in the atmosphere and surrealistic beauty of the world.

You may find yourself lucky if you are able to find realMyst3D, which is a remake of the game. Instead of the point-and-click mechanism of the game, with static images, you are fully immersed in the world by traversing it in real time. Not only that, but realMyst is no longer composed of five ages (Myst, Channelwood, Selenitic, Stoneship and Mechanical). It includes an additional age, called the Rime age. I suggest that you do not look for spoilers in order to get through this game. You will find it extremely satisfying. Don't be in a hurry to finish the game, either.

About This Blog

2008-08-19T19:38:00.000+08:00

In another attempt to chronicle one of my journeys in life, I have started this blog so I can post my progress in my programming projects, or my comments and news about anything I find interesting in the world of computers.

For starters, I do not really have anything to put in here, but since this thing is set up, I hope I will be motivated to post substantial entries more often.