Nuo Yan : 8. Other (Technical)

Modify bind address for couchdb 0.9.0

Nuo Yan — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:21:00 GMT

By default couchdb only binds to 127.0.0.1 so it's not accepting requests from other IP addresses. The bind address setting can be modified in the configuration file. For 0.9.0, by default, the default configuration file is located at /usr/local/etc/couchdb/default.ini, and the local configuration file is located at /usr/local/etc/couchdb/local.ini. Settings in the local configuration file will override those in the default one.

Bind address is in the [httpd] section

[httpd]

port = 5984

bind_address = 127.0.0.1

Note that in the local configuration file, this may be commented out with a leading ";", if you want to set it in the local configuration file, you need to uncomment the bind_address line and modify 127.0.0.1 to some other IP address.

If you modify the bind address to 0.0.0.0, it will bind all interfaces.

Using Eclipse to add/update files to CVS

Nuo Yan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:31:00 GMT

The command-line based CVS tool is hard to use for first time users; many GUI-based CVS tools are not really well designed to be easy to use either. I’m not against the point that developers and testers should learn how to use a technical tool in no time even though the tool is hard to use, but developers and testers have their schedules and need to be efficient. Having an efficient way to add and update files to CVS is very necessary.

Eclipse is the tool I use to deal with CVS file operations. It works really well not only with source code, but any other file type.

For example, if you want to upload a Microsoft Word document (docx) to a remote CVS repository, simply follow the following steps:

1. In Eclipse, import the remote CVS repository by using the Import wizard:

a. Click File->Import

b. Choose “Projects from CVS” and click Next

c. Depends on real situation, either select “Create a new repository location” or “Use an existing repository location”. In this example, we use an existing repository location because we want to add the Microsoft Word document to an existing CVS repository. Click Next.

d. Select “Use an existing module”, and navigate the tree list to find the repository you want to add the file to. Click Next.

Note: If you need to upload different files to different subfolders (repositories) within a folder (repository), it’s often useful to select the parent folder in this step so you don’t need to run this wizard every time for each of the subfolders.

e. Follow the remaining steps in the wizard to finish the import process. Selecting “Check out as a project in the workspace” is the easiest way to import the repository to a new project. If you want to import it into your existing project, select “Check out into existing project.”

2. Import the file(s) you want to add/update to the CVS repository to the appropriate folders:

a. In the Project Explorer, expand the folder you just checked out from CVS, right click the folder you want to add the new file to, and click “Import” from the context menu.

b. Select “File System” and click Next.

c. Click “Browse…” to browse the folder containing the file you want to add or update to CVS.

d. Select the files, and click “Finish”.

3. Now the file(s) you want to add or update to CVS are in the appropriate folders. Right click each file, and click Team-> Commit to commit the file to the corresponding remote CVS repository.

Hope this helps.

Begin making improvements on SDK documentations before losing your developers

Nuo Yan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:28:00 GMT

SDK documentation is the most official documentation and support material for developers to learn how to use the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) the platform provides. The quality of SDK documentation directly affects the willingness and difficulty of the developers to create applications on that certain platform. However, in the current market, it's just so hard to find perfect SDK documentations. Most developers have to rely on extra information such as books and technical communities to do their development. What are missing from the SDK documentations? Why the developers don't like about the documentations? I think the lack of sample code, the lack of integration, and lack of innovation are some of the main reasons.

Lack of Sample Code

Many SDK documentations only explain what the APIs are, the methods and properties, and how to use them. But there aren't significant amount of sample code to show exactly how to use those APIs.

For example, let's look at the documentation of the ConfigurationManager class (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.windowsmobile.configuration.configurationmanager.aspx) in the Managed Windows Mobile Class Library. Suppose you are not an expert in developing device applications using .NET Compact Framework, can you figure out how to use the ConfigurationManager programmatically in a very short time? I guess not. It's not your fault, but the absent of some sample code. Though in this particular case there is a particular section in the Windows Mobile SDK which contains many sample applications, that doesn't help enough. Code segments are very necessary to be included along with the API descriptions.

But then let's look at the Address.AddressLine Property in the Live Search API Reference (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb251813.aspx). In this case, thanks to the large amount of sample code, I'm positive that developers can get the idea very soon, because I personally do and I never developed any single application using Live Search APIs before.

The developers will still be able to figure out how to use the APIs without good sample code segments after some time, but if the sample is there, then the developers will be able to figure it out immediately. This shows the importance, the value, and the "magic" of the code segments that most current SDK documentations don't have, which is quite unfortunate.

Lack of Integration

Every single API is documented, but unfortunately, nobody knows how to use them together from the documentation.

Sample applications and starter kits do solve part of this problem and provide valuable information to the developers on how to use different APIs together. But looking at a sample application or starter kit with more than 500 lines of code just to know how to use two simple APIs together doesn't seem efficient.

I don't know whether there can be any good way to completely solve this problem, but creating more topics on how to use some of the APIs together seems to be a good idea, because these topics will be of high value. An SDK documentation certainly needs to have some low value contents to cover everything, but users need high value documentation, and the high value part is the set of contents that they will use and appreciate the most.

Users don't need information in using all the combinations of the single APIs (that will be huge amount of contents to create, but low value). The creator of the documentation should do enough user research to understand what combinations of APIs are of the highest demand, then create topics on how to use those APIs together. I bet the developers will like that. Well, don't trust me, your user research will tell everything.

Lack of Innovation

Every SDK documentation in the market looks similar in format and style. Every SDK documentation looks like a dictionary. As I mentioned above, it's necessary for an SDK documentation to include every public API the platform offers, but the documentation can be a lot more flexible in addition to that. The creators focused too much on trying to document every API and fix every bug, but invested too little on researching the users and finding new and innovative ways to present the information.

Then what are such innovative ways? There are a lot; and there are a lot that I don't know. As mentioned above, providing some topics of using certain combinations of APIs (of highest demand) is one possible way to improve the usability and value of the documentation. In addition, I'm also thinking about the way the contents being presented can be improved so that when a developer needs help on a task (note, a task, not an API), information such as the APIs he may use, samples, alternative approaches, etc should be available to the developer. Then the developer can grab the information he needs very easily, and complete the task easier than ever.

Creating high value SDK documentations is the same as creating high quality software products. Users are very important in the process. Formal user studies are very necessary in creating documentations, to determine what innovations can be done to best satisfy users' needs.

Such improvements need a lot of work to be done, and that's why we haven't seen this happen yet. But again, developers don't only need a "dictionary", they need innovative and high value support contents that ultimately help them finish their work. SDK documentation creators should really realize and understand this. But since the demand is there, I'm positive that I can see some innovations on SDK documentations in the future.

The good thing

The good thing is that every major company creating SDK documentations also provides community support materials such as webcasts, blogs, and forums to assist developers. In the mean time, if such community support can be continued, and at the same time adding more code segments to existing topics, creating more high value topics in addition to the dictionary of APIs, begin to do formal user studies on documentation, and do some useful innovations, then the whole customer (developer) experience will be a lot better. As an Independent Software Vendor programming on many different platforms, I really hope I can see that happen as early as possible.

Usability Issue in Windows Recycle Bin on the Desktop

Nuo Yan — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:33:00 GMT

If you put a Recycle Bin on the desktop, you might empty it by right clicking it and click "Empty Recycle Bin" form the menu.

But you may have noticed that there is another option in the menu called "Delete" which is for deleting the Recycle Bin shortcut from the desktop.

I saw many people mistakenly clicking the "Delete" menu item instead of the correct "Empty Recycle Bin" for emptying the trash, so I consider this as a usability issue for this design.

One way to solve this issue is to replace the "Delete" menu item with other names such as "Remove this shortcut." Currently I don't have any better idea.

Privacy, Privacy, Privacy...

Nuo Yan — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:05:00 GMT

Not a very long time ago I studied Human Computer Interaction for a quarter. Not saying how much I learned in the class, even after the course I still keep noticing useability issues of everything in my everyday life.

Last week I went to a ticket office to buy a ticket for a show. There was a line with many people waiting. The sales person in the ticket counter asked the same question loudly to every single one: "What's your address and phone number, please?"

First of all, many of us may concern about why they are collecting such personal information. In ohter words, how they will use the information. Some may also concern about the security of the information stored in their systems. For example, whether they will disclose the information to any third party or not. As the result, at least they should explicitly state they would use the information properly and would not disclose to any third party.

Second, they asked everyone for personal information in speaking, which means all others in the line could hear the information. This is actually disclosing their personal information to many third parties. Nobody knows what others in the line do. Any people in the line can simply record the voice containing personal information to a mobile or portable device, then use or distribute/disclose the information illegally in the future.

In such situation, I guess a lot of people would not provide their real address and phone number. Then from the ticket company's point of view, many of the personal information they collected would be invalid. Then they cannot do what they intended to do with such information.

A Better Design

1. Privacy and disclosure statements are necessary.

2. In such privacy and disclosure statements, must explicitly state how the information will be used.

3. Provide a form for everyone to fillout, including their address and phone number, and explicitly print the privacy and disclosure statements on the form.

By doing so, though there must still be people who don't want to write their true information, at least all people are doing the ticket-buying process with comfort. They don't have to worry about how others in the line will hear their personal information. And similarly, they can at least assume the company will use the information properly, as stated in the explicit privacy and disclosure statements on the form.

TechEd Session Date Confirmed

Nuo Yan — Tue, 02 May 2006 17:52:00 GMT

TechEd 2006 Boston

SVR219 - Ten Reasons to Prepare for Windows Server Code Named "Longhorn"

6/14/2006 10:15 - 11:30

SVR219R - Ten Reasons to Prepare for Windows Server Code Named "Longhorn"

6/14/2006 15:45 - 17:00 (Repeat Session)

Presenter: Ward Ralston– Group Product Manager – Windows Server Division

Co-Presenter: Nuo Yan – Microsoft MVP – Windows Shell / User

Welcome to come!

In addition, our session has been selected to the TechEd Webcasts program so we will have a chance to delivery the course online before TechEd! If you can't make the trip to Boston, join us online. I will publish dates and detail information when they become available.

TechEd United States 2006

Nuo Yan — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:19:00 GMT

I'll be a Breakout Sessions speaker at TechEd US 2006 in Boston, MA, United States during June 12 - 16, 2006. My topic will be "Ten Reasons to Prepare for Windows Server Code Named 'Longhorn'".

Welcome to register to attend the conference. I will be waiting for you at the conference!

Conference Web Site: http://microsoft.com/teched

COME TO SEE ME!!!

Nuo Yan

Outlook 2003 Cached Exchange Mode

Nuo Yan — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:20:00 GMT

Maybe I know this a little bit late, as I'm not an Office expert. But I still want to share.

There is a cached exchange mode in Microsoft Outlook 2003. When the connection between Outlook and the Exchange Server is not avaliable, on the client side it would automatically appear "Trying to connect" or "Disconnected". When the connection to the Exchange Server is restored, it will become "Connected" on the client side and all changes made to the client would be synchronized to the Server.

Please read the following KB article for the details of this feature:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870926

Creating Partitioned Table in SQL Server 2005

Nuo Yan — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 17:49:00 GMT

SQL Server 2005 supports partitioned table to enable database developer to separate tables horizontally to different file groups. This post shows how to create partitioned tables in SQL Server 2005.

Click “Start”, click “All Programs”, move your mouse on “SQL Server 2005” and then click “SQL Server Management Studio” in the context menu.

Connect to SQL Server 2005 with a Windows account or SQL Server account with adequate privileges. (It’s OK for you not to connect to the server at this time.. However, you need to connect to the server with an appropriate account when you want to execute your T-SQL statements.)

If you haven’t created file groups for storing database files, you need to create them at this time. Let me use the built-in AdventureWorks database as an example. The following codes create 3 file groups.

Use AdventureWorks
GO
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks ADD FILEGROUP fg1
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks ADD FILEGROUP fg2
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks ADD FILEGROUP fg3
GO

Then let me add three files. Each to one file group.

ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks
ADD FILE
( Name = data1,
  FILENAME ='C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\data1.mdf',
  SIZE = 1MB,
  MAXSIZE = 100MB,
  FILEGROWTH = 1MB)
TO FILEGROUP fg1

ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks
ADD FILE
( Name = data2,
  FILENAME ='C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\data2.mdf',
  SIZE = 1MB,
  MAXSIZE = 100MB,
  FILEGROWTH = 1MB)
TO FILEGROUP fg2

ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks
ADD FILE
( Name = data3,
  FILENAME ='C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\data3.mdf',
  SIZE = 1MB,
  MAXSIZE = 100MB,
  FILEGROWTH = 1MB)
TO FILEGROUP fg3

Thirdly, let me create a partition function.

CREATE PARTITION FUNCTION namePF(nvarchar(20))
AS RANGE LEFT FOR VALUES ('H', 'P')
GO

This partition function named “namePF” means to separate the names from left. Actually, there will be 3 separate groups, from infinity to H, from H to P and from P to infinity.

Let me create a partition scheme to define these groups to actual file groups.

CREATE PARTITION SCHEME namePS
AS PARTITION namePF TO (fg1, fg2, fg3)
GO

Lastly, let me create a partition table called CustomerNameTable with the partition function and partition scheme I just created.

CREATE TABLE CustomerNameTable
(CustID int identity, Name nvarchar(20))
ON namePS (Name)
GO

We’ve done. Now let me test the partitioned table I created. Let me insert some information to the table, with different content in the column called “Name”. I use “Alan N Yan” as the example from infinity (actually A) to H, “Nuo Yan” as the example from H to P, and “Queen Betty” as the example from P to infinity (actually Z).

INSERT CustomerNameTable VALUES ('Alan N Yan')
INSERT CustomerNameTable VALUES ('Nuo Yan')
INSERT CustomerNameTable VALUES ('Queen Betty')

Then let me retrieve the partition information and see the results.

SELECT Name, $partition.namePF(Name) Partition
FROM CustomerNameTable

Result:

Name	Partition
--------------------	-----------
Alan N Yan	1
Nuo Yan	2
Queen Betty	3

(3 row(s) affected)

Let’s see, “Alan N Yan” has automatically been placed into the first partition, “Nuo Yan” has automatically been placed into the second partition, and “Queen Betty” has automatically been placed into the third partition.

Outlook 2003 (with Service Pack 2) Links Blocker

Nuo Yan — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 15:21:00 GMT

Today I’ve got an email with the message “Your web site is better than others”. I’m very happy with this. By the chance I want to visit the comment link in the email, I discovered a very exciting security feature of Outlook 2003 (with Service Pack 2).

If the email message is from an address not in the “Safe Senders List”, Outlook 2003 (with Service Pack 2) will block the links in the message. If we click the links, Outlook does not start Internet Explorer to access the URL, but pops up a dialog box (Figure 1).

Figure 1

In order to be able to visit links directly from Outlook 2003 (with Service Pack 2), we need to “unblock” them. Note the information bar above the recipient email address (Figure 2). Click it, and then we will see a context menu with 3 options.

1. Turn on Links (not recommended)
This is to simply unblock the links in the email message. Microsoft doesn’t recommend this because not all customers know the links in emails may be unsafe.

2. Add Sender to Safe Senders List
This option is to add the specific sender, in this case, “postmaster at msmvps.com”, to the Safe Senders List. If we select this option, links in future emails from this email address will not be blocked.

3. Add the Domain @msmvps.com to the Safe Senders List
This option is similar to the second one, but adds the whole domain to the Safe Senders List. If we select this option, links in future emails from any address of the “msmvps.com” domain will not be blocked.

Figure 2

Windows OneCare Beta Preview

Nuo Yan — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 22:44:00 GMT

I wrote a brief introduction of Windows OneCare (except the back-up feature). If you're interested, you could view the article at http://msmvps.com/nuoyan/articles/72070.aspx.

Hope you will like it.

Adding MSN Search to our own web site

Nuo Yan — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 23:32:00 GMT

It's not necessary for us to write the search function by ourselves. MSN Search provides codes for site owners.

We can add a search box to our blog by adding (and modifying) these codes:

 <!-- Site search from MSN --> 
<form method="get" action="http://search.msn.com/results.aspx"> 
<tr>
<td width=75>
<a href="http://search.msn.com/" target="_blank">
<img src="http://search.msn.com/s/affillogo.gif" border="0" ALT="MSN Search"/>
</a>
</td>
<br> 
<td>
<input type="text" name="q" size="10" /> 
<input type="submit" value="Search"/> 
<input type="hidden" name="q1" value="site:msmvps.com/nuoyan"/> 
</td> 
</tr> 
</table> 
</form>
<!-- Site Search from MSN -->

Change my URL "http://msmvps.com/nuoyan" to yours, and you will be all set.

Windows XP Shared Computer ToolKit

Nuo Yan — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:42:00 GMT

Today, Microsoft Released the Windows XP Shared Computer ToolKit version 1.0. It's a very powerful tool for administrators of public computers. It combined almost all the tasks that administrators need to do with shared computers to eight simple steps. The figure below shows the interface.

To configure a secure shared computer, we need to configure selected or all (recommended) steps from the 1st to the 8th. Click “Step 1” we will see the details of this step. It's a cool instruction to teach us how to adjust the partitions for public computers. In “Step 2” we can do a couple of security settings, such as “Remove Shut Down and Turn Off Computer logo options”. “Test your Password”in “Step 2”can be used to test the complexity of the Password of the current logged-on user account. In my case, my Password is really strong so I passed the test (See the figure below).

“Step 3” enables us to create a public user account, to prevent using an account with administrator permissions. “Step 4”is a shortcut to log off the current user account, and it includes the instructions to let us log in to the new public user account we've just created using “Step 3” and modify the profile of this user account to make it really “public”.

“Step 5“ is really powerful. It's a tool for restricting and locking user profiles. For example, we can restrict the user from saving internet histories to the account profile with this tool. The figure below shows this powerful tool.

“Step 6“ is a shortcut to log off the computer, so that we can log on as the new user account to test it funcionalities. For example, testing its restrictions and security, etc.

“Step 7“, Windows Disk Protection. It's for scheduling the installation of Windows Updates and it can be used to clear or retain user changes to Windows partition (usually C:\). I want to explain some of these options here:

Clear changes with each restart

Each time the computer is restarted, all user changes to the Windows partition are cleared.

Save changes with next restart

If we want to save user changes to Windows partition for one time, we should select this option. It will save user changes with next restart, then, the option will be automatically changed to “Clear changes with each restart”.

Retain changes for one restart

If we want to install and run a new program, this is the right option to select. It will retain user changes to Windows partition for one restart (i.e. installed a new program and restarted the computer). The option will be automatically changed to “Clear changes with each restart”when we restart the computer for the second time.

Retain changes indefinately

If we select this option, it will allow users to save changes to Windows partition until we change to another option.

“Step 8“, the last step, is to get more resources about configuring public computers. We can also view help of Windows XP Shared Computer ToolKit here.

Well, this is the brand new Windows XP Shared Computer ToolKit version 1.0. Genuine Windows XP Users can download this program for free at www.microsoft.com/sharedaccess. Try it, and enjoy it!

PageDefrag - Defragment Page Files and Registry Hives

Nuo Yan — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 22:42:00 GMT

Windows NT Defragment Tool doesn't defragment pages files and the registry hives. However, in some situations, we need to do this. For example, when we installed a new version of Windows Operating System with the upgrade install option.

PageDefrag can help us with defragmenting page files and registry hives.

Click “Defragment at next boot” radio box, and click “OK”, it will run defragment at the next time we start the computer. We can also set it to defragment at every boot, though I don't recommend to do so.

PageDefrag can be downloaded on sysinternals.com.

The Windows Genuine Advantage program & Calculator Plus

Nuo Yan — Mon, 08 Nov 2004 03:30:00 GMT

You may already be aware of Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage program, it's been announced in September, 2004. The program is for maximize genuine Windows users' advantage, as a part of the program, there's a one-time Windows validation process for some of the users visiting Download Center. If you're a using a genuine Windows, you will be able to have access to the entire download center; if you're not using a genuine Windows, you'll be notified how to obtain a genuine Windows. However, even if you're not using a genuine Windows, you may be able to access the downloads next time when you're not meeting Windows validation process.

When I download Windows Calculator plus at Microsoft's Download Center today, I met the validation. I'm using the genuine Windows, so I passed the validation and received access to download center. Below is the screen shot of the Windows validation process:

I read a post here mentioned the Windows Calculator plus:

http://blog.mvpcn.net/icuc88/archive/2004/10/18/4592.aspx

I downloaded it and found it really great. It not only provides standard and scientific mode, but also provides conversion mode to enable you to easily convert a value from a unit to another unit, for instance, you can easily convert 10 meters to feet by choosing “Lengths” from the “Category” drop box, and “meters” from the “Convert from” drop box, and “feet” from the “Convert to” drop box. Then input 10 to the text area, and click “Convert”. We can see a value will appear in the text area for the converted value.

Here is the screen picture: