Jython Podcast Domain Name

Thanks to Groovymag.com, the Jython Podcast site is now available at jythonpodcast.com. If you haven't yet had a chance to read Groovymag, I suggest that you take a look if at all interested in Groovy or Grails. The magazine is an excellent resource for beginners and advanced Groovy users alike.

Thanks to Michael Kimsal and the Groovymag for the domain name.

Jython Podcast Site Ready

I finished the preliminary Jython Podcast website last week and I thought that it would be a good idea to release it to the world for your thoughts and opinions. I wanted to create and deploy the website as a Django site running on Jython. However, as it turns out I am unable to deploy a Django on Jython site to a server running on JDK 1.5 (at least I haven't figured out how to do it as yet). Therefore, I have had to postpone the deployment of the Django site until I can upgrade to JDK 1.6.

It is my plan to begin the podcast with an episode near the end of December. Hopefully once I get the first episode released, iTunes will not have any problems updating to include it.

Check out the Jython Podcast site here. I also would like to thank HostJava.net for providing the domain name and sponsoring the podcast.

Jython CLASSPATH

I ran into a small issue this past weekend while doing some Django development with Jython 2.5 b0. The Django scripts appeared to be running correctly until I attempted to synchronize with the database using:

jython manage.py syncdb

Each time I tried to run this against my Postgresql backend I was receiving an error stating that "org.postgresql.Driver" could not be found. In reality, that driver was already in my Jython CLASSPATH because it is installed by default when Django is set up.

The issue may be that I have too many Jython installations on my Mac now, but nonetheless, it is easy to work around. I still have not found the complete solution as yet, but as long as the "--verify" argument is passed along with the "syncdb" call then everything works out well. This is because the verify argument forces the CLASSPATH to be parsed at runtime. While the --verify argument makes it take a second or two longer to run, it should resolve issues where the CLASSPATH is not being parsed as it should.

Workaround solution:

jython --verify manage.py syncdb

NetCAT 6.5 Complete!

I'd like to thank all of the developers at Netbeans for hosting a great NetCAT session for the 6.5 release. It seemed that everyone on the development team played an important role in this great release and the NetCAT team members also provided meaningful feedback and assistance.

I'd recommend that anyone who is interested in having their voice heard for future releases of Netbeans should get involved in future NetCAT programs. All of us members certainly had "our say" in many features of the final product. This is a program that really goes to show how much the community can make a difference.

Thanks again to Netbeans developers and fellow NetCAT 6.5 participants.

Netbeans 6.5 GA Available

If you haven't done so already, I suggest that you go and pick up Netbeans 6.5 at this time. It is arguably the best IDE release ever. Along with the Java feature updates, this new version of the IDE includes Groovy support, compile on save, and Python support is available in EA format.

If you want to migrate your libraries from an older version of 6.5 (release candidate), simply copy the project libraries files. See this wiki article for more details.

Check out GroovyMag

Interested in Groovy or Grails? If you are then you'll want to check out GroovyMag.com as the first issue of GroovyMag is now available for download. Unfortunately, it looks like you have to purchase the magazine. However, the cost looks pretty reasonable and it looks as though there is a lot of good content...probably worth the $4.99, so check it out at http://www.groovymag.com/main/ to see a summary of the content.

Netbeans 6.5 RC2

Download Netbeans 6.5 RC2 now and try it out.

If you have been using 6.5 RC1, then you will need to redo all of your settings for RC2. However, the easiest way to get around this is to copy the contents of your Netbeans user directory from RC1 into RC2. If you do this then all of your settings will be retained.

Test RC2 and give feedback to the development team (nbdev@netbeans.org) if there are issues.

Jython Monthly Newsletter

Anyone who wishes to post an article for the October distribution of Jython Monthly should place link on the following page. http://wiki.python.org/jython/JythonMonthly/Articles/October2008

Distribution of the newsletter will occur this week. Thanks in advance for all article submissions.

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 2

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 2 has been released. Mac users (with compatible machines) should go to software updates and download soon. I just installed the update and used it to run some tests with Netbeans 6.5 and the performance is much better than running on an Apple JDK 1.5 release. Things are looking good so far...

Learn About Java 16 New Features: https://examples.javacodegeeks.com/java-16-new-features-tutorial/

Groovy Datasources - Changing Hibernate Dialect - Oracle 11g

I found a funny while working with some Grails applications today. I have been developing one of my Grails applications for about 2 or 3 weeks now. I updated DataSource.groovy on Day 1 to make the application work with my development Oracle repository and all was well.

Yesterday, I migrated my development Oracle environment to 11g and my Grails application stopped functioning. I was receiving messages stating that the correct Hibernate dialect was not able to be determined. I was forced to explicitly list which dialect to use within my DataSources.groovy file and I thought I'd share.

If you migrate to Oracle 11g (from any previous release...in my case it was 10.2.0.3), and you need to specify the Hibernate dialect then you will need to add the following line to your DataSources.groovy within the DataSource block:

dialect = org.hibernate.dialect.OracleDialect

Detecting Google Chrome In Javascript

Thanks to javascript.internet.com, here is a quick post on how to detect the new Google Chrome browser from within your Javascript code.


var is_chrome = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf('chrome') > -1;

By the way, if you are looking for some great javascript tips, take a look at javascript.internet.com as it is an excellent resource.

Having Fun with JavaFX

I finally had a chance to play around a bit with Fx over this long holiday weekend. At this point, the JavaFx script language is fairly straight forward, but I still find myself looking at examples in order to get the syntax correct when building a GUI.

http://silveiraneto.net/2008/08/11/javafx-draggable-node/

http://silveiraneto.net/2008/07/31/javafx-creating-a-sphere-with-shadow/

I will be posting some updates to this blog at a later date. As for now, I've successfully created a news ticker using JavaFX and I plan to release the source once I've worked out all of the rough edges.

More to follow...

Jython News!

Check out the latest Jython Monthly for some great news on the up and coming Jython 2.5 release. It is now in alpha stages, but it is looking great so far!

You can also read-up on using Django with Jython...good work Leo Soto! Also take this opportunity to ask all of your Jythonic questions of Jim Baker...a lead Jython developer. See newsletter for more details!

NetCAT 6.5 Update

I thought I'd give a brief update of the status on the NetCAT 6.5 testing. If you are unaware of what NetCAT is, please visit the site to learn more about it.

Thus far, it appears that Netbeans 6.5 is on track with the latest projections of a production release sometime in October. As you probably already know, the first beta release was distributed already and is available here. In the release, most of the new features are fully implemented. I will warn that there are some bugs obviously found in the release (expected because it is a beta) that could cause some minor issues in your development. For instance, the new "deploy on save" feature of Netbeans is nice but has many quirks at this time. If you are developing a JavaEE application, each time you save an XHMTL, JSP, or HTML file then the complete application is recompiled and deployed. I have found that this can lead to decreased productivity as it can cause workstation performance degradation as well as PermGen errors on the deployment application server. This is probably the largest bug I've seen since the beta release, so please do not allow it to keep you away from testing the release.

For those of you who have downloaded and tested the beta release, you already know that the IDE is looking great! Netbeans developers have been outstanding in repairing bugs and putting great new features into the IDE. Each new release of Netbeans brings it one step closer to "the only IDE you will ever need" in my book...but don't take my word, please test and see for yourself.

Before I post this blog I also want to mention that for those Grails developers in the community, Netbeans 6.5 is a must have! Productivity time is increased even more by using the combination of Grails with Netbeans. One of the advantages that Netbeans offers is the Grails plugin wizard...just right-click on your project to install or uninstall any Grails plugin. No need to make that trip to the website any longer for plugin updates!

Download 6.5 beta and enjoy...

Netbeans 6.5 Beta Is Available...Grab It and Test!

The Netbeans team has just released 6.5 beta. Having been testing the latest nightly builds, I think that you'll be pleased with the beta once you try it. The Groovy/Grails support is in great shape. New features have been added since M1, including a plugin manager and different application layout.

You'll also enjoy the automatic deploy on save feature. This really helps to speed up development time.

Congrats to the Netbeans team on delivering this beta of 6.5...it is looking so far.

Plan Your Events for Free - Gather Event Planning

Gather Event Planning is a free service that I started a few months ago to assist individuals or groups that are planning events. The service is based upon my open source reunion planning software. This service is web hosting which provides sites geared towards planning and organizing events such as reunions, meetings, or gatherings in general. Each Gather Event Planning website grants it's owner privileges to change all page content, administer mailing and guest lists, post news, etc.

Originally, I was planning to charge a minimal fee for the service in order to cover the costs of hosting. However, I've partnered up with another group to pay for the hosting and together we've produced Restoring The Roar a Chicago Blackhawks Hockey fan site. I've also partnered up with another associate who will be starting a website shortly. Gather Event Planning is now free thanks to the new partnerships.

So if you or someone you know needs to plan an event of any kind, please try out Gather Event Planning...and give me feedback!

Netbeans 6.5 - Project Properties Additions

Some of the nice new features of Netbeans 6.5 include Groovy and PHP support, automatic project deployment on save (which makes development time much quicker), and some new additions in the Project Properties menu. Allan Christensen blogs about the new Project-Based formatting option which is available. This gives you the ability to apply different formatting styles on a per-project basis.

Another nice new addition to the project properties menu is the Javascript Libraries. This allows you to choose from a set of default Javascript libraries (Yahoo User Interface, Dojo, etc) and add them to your project. This new option also gives you the ability to add your own libraries which is very handy.

Adding Groovy File Compilation To Any Netbeans Project

Many of you may already be aware that adding support for groovy file
compilation in any Netbeans project is easy. You can easily adjust the
build file to use the groovyc compiler. For those of you who do not know
how to do this, simply perform the following:

1) Adjust build.xml by adding the following target:

<target name="-pre-compile">
  classpath="${your.netbeans.groovy.library.classpath}" />
  <groovyc destdir="${classes.dir}"
  classpath="${ your.netbeans.groovy.library.classpath}"
  jointcompilationoptions="-j -Jsource=1.5 -Jtarget=1.5">
 
  </groovyc>
  </target>

2) Compile your project as normal!

All .groovy files will be compiled into Java...seamless integration. If you
are already using the "-pre-compile" target for another task, then name it
something else and adjust the build-impl.xml accordingly to include the new
target.

NetCAT 6.5 - Keeping Busy!

NetCAT 6.5 just started yesterday and I can say that there is a great group of Netbeans users from the community testing! This is sure to be a stellar release of the IDE, and if you've downloaded and tried M1 I am sure you will agree.

As Roman Strobl and Greg Sporar say...Happy Netbeaning...

Jython 2.5 Alpha Released!

Frank Wierzbicki of Sun Microsystems has just announced the release of Jython 2.5 Alpha 1. Click on the link above for the download...

More to come once I have a chance to play with it a while...