Basic but useful tips and tricks for software

Some tricks I want to store.

***Excel

Formulas:
SUBTOTAL(formulaID, range)
SUMIF(rangeIF,condition, rangeSUM)
CELL("row";A12)    [Locate ROW num]
ROW()   [Current row number]
INDIRECT() [Reference in text]

ADDRESS( row, column, [], [ref_style], [sheet_name] )
ref_type
3 Absolute column; relative row

ref_style
TRUE A1  Sheet1!$E$4
FALSE R1C1 style referencing R4C5



***Windows
-If you are using 2 displays as extended desktop,
how to manage, windows, placed in 2nd display if it were off, broken,...
Press Alt-Tab and select the window,  nothing will happen in 1st display
Press Win+Shift +Left or Right, depending on where we configured main display.

-Enable full Administrator account (from Windows 7)
Open a cmd as Administrator (UAC, User Account Control)
net user administrator /active:yes
net user administrador /active:yes (Windows in spanish)
logoff/change of user, logon with the new account



***Firefox
Specify an specific Java plugin version
By default Firefox detects last java version and uses it
about:config then "plugin.scan.SunJRE" change value from 1.3 (which means the minimun version to use) to 1.9 (not existing yet) (*), teh previous step forces to use plugin from firefox folder.

-Copy xxx\j2re1.x.x\bin files to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins

(*)Note: Java version is quite confusing, a version 6.xx means 1.6.xx





***Eclipse

Tricks
ctrl+shift-L. Show a keyb-shortcut list

alt+arrows. Move in the editor tabs

Addons/plugins
"EclipseColorer"
to edit old microsoft .ASP files:
Install from Software update manager:
[url update manager: http://colorer.sf.net/eclipsecolorer/ ]

"Virtual Word Wrap"
Install from Software update manager:
[url update manager: http://ahtik.com/eclipse-update/ ]
right click, select "Virtual Word Wrap"


***Notepad++
Indispensable plugins:    
Compare
TextFX
Function List
Multiclipboard
Javascript formater
JSMinNPP.1.13
JSONViewer
XML tools - Pretty print(XML only with line breaks)
Npp XML Tree view
Analyse plugin (find and mark several string at same time) 

Notepad++ Syntax for a file ext

*Autocompletation for programming languages (Ctrl+Space)

*select rectangle area= alt+select area
*See 2 texts a same time(2 windows or views)
-"View","Move/clone current document", "move to another view"
-"Plugins","Compare","Compare" (big files could hang notepad++)
* CharacterMap, Edit, Character Panel
* Zoom View, Document Map
*Add a new file extension to Syntax Style  for Languages (i.e .NSQL to apply SQL)  (Setting, Style, "Language", User ext:)


**** BMC Remedy tricks ****
Searching

Search
  Classification
     Product Categorization
       tier1 xxxxx
       tier2 yyyyy
       ......
Menu: Actions, Save Search
Menu: Actions, My searches

  Assigned in the log

Search, Advanced Functions, "Advanced Search", "Search Incidents by Assignment Logs"
Assignment type: Assigned
Fill fields in Assignment and Ownership section

Historic of ticket (Assignees and notifications sent)
Functions, View Audit Form




***Internet explorer
(It isn't a free as freedom app)

IE Developer Toolbar(by Microsoft, looks like the firefox webdeveloper toolbar)

Firefox and Songbird/Nightingale config files

In the latest versions firefox has changed its configuration file format, now it is using database files.

SQLite Manager 0.4.8 (firefox AddOn to open files with SQLlite db)

firefox (when 3.08)
files_with_extension.sqlite
files_with_extension.json

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxx

Files description.



songbird (when v1.1.2) (replaced by Nightingale)
files_with_extension.db
files_with_extension.sqlite

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Songbird2\Profiles\xxx

Files description.
main@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music files(local stored)
web@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music references(web stored)
playbackhistory@songbirdnest.com.db

Automate and improving the web

Actually we use some pages like a desktop programs, Webmail as mail clients, some flavour of offices, dictionaries, etc...

But this web software hasn't enough features, functions, menus, etc as the desktop option, in some cases because a free web apps has advertisements and you must see it.

But we can solve these problems and program repetitive task, modify the showed text, appearance...

I've used two tools Chickenfoot and GreaseMonkey accompanied by our dear Firefox and a bit of Javascript knowledge (useful in pages with Javascript).

Our code or actions are transparent to the web server, however our code can interact with the web app, sending forms with our values, going links, opening new windows,...
Our code need to locate the html or Javascript code to interact with it, for it we can use DOM(Document Object Model) or XPath.


Chikenfoot
Greasemonkey
Mozilla Developer Centre:Javascript

Example of Chickenfoot code and a useful real case :

CF find all the "expand" links and click'em all

Example of Javascript function used in Chickenfoot:
 

Chickenfoot have functions to locate elements in a web page, such as find() but many times we must use javascript to locate the elements, so we should the following functions:

array=ref_window.document.getElementsByClassName(buscarpor) array=ref_window.document.getElementsByName(buscarpor)

Other positive thing about Chickenfoot vs Greasemonkey is access to local files (maybe it is insecure but it is so easy and useful for me):

  include ("fileio.js") 
 if (exists(file_origen)) { 
      contenido=read(file_origen) 
 } 
else output("ERROR !!!! fichero no existe") 


How to use JQuery

include("D:\\temp\\jquery-1.7.2.js")
$ = window.$;
jQuery = window.jQuery;

 jQuery('.ppm_filter_expand').click()   
$('.ppm_filter_expand').click()    

hacking the palm lifedrive

Procedure to replace MD(Hitachi Microdrive HD) for a CF II(compact flash memory) in a Palm LifeDrive.(aka LifeFlash mod)


The reasons for this modification are:

-Increase battery duration (more than double)
-Decrease weight of pda
-Increase resistance to blow (no mechanic parts)

Too many people lose their LD after a strong fall, this is because Palm Os is saved in Hard drive, and when it crash, LD don't work (using this mod the more weakly part in the pda will be the screen).



Note:

My method is based in Linux livecd(standalone linux), concretally Ubuntu/Kubuntu.
I read other docs about this modification and i decide to write a new one for help to newbies)

(All people in the world would have linux livecd, but if you haven't it you can free download or request from internet,
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu )


Steps:

1. Boot computer with linux livecd

2. Take a seeing of unit drive with qtparted (this app show us all computer drives, and my case LD has 3 partitions and the name /dev/sdc)

3. Open a terminal shell (like cmd, command mode in windows)

4. We need to have administrator rights (default: ubuntu give you less rights)
>sudo passwd
(we must put the password we want)
>su
(Now ubuntu request us a passw, and this one is the password what we defined in previous step, now we are root or administrator, we have all rights)

5. Now we will make an image of MicroDrive(ld hd) and we store it in our "windows" partition.
(You need replace with you name device and the label of your partition).
>dd if=/dev/sdc of=/mnt/my_windowsxp/imageLD.img
(if=input file of=output file)
(It takes a lot of time (30min or more), you must wait to card reader light go off)

6. Replace MD from cardreader for CF memory card)

7. Execute the next command
>dd if=/mnt/my_windowsxp/imageLD.img of=/dev/sdc
(Now the source is our stored image, and target is the CF Device)

*NOTES /Recommendations:

-dd command, don't show a progress bar, because of it, we must have patiente and don't think that process is hang up, if it doesn't show an error is because the process is OK.

-/mnt/my_windowsxp this a mounted partition, normal UBUNTU automount all your partitions, BUT other linux distributions for example KUBUNTU do not automount the partitions and if you have no experience with linux could require more time to learn to mount partitions in my case with the following commands:
"mkdir /mnt/my_windowsxp"
"mount -t vfat /dev/hda5 /mnt/my_windowsxp"

-I don't recommend to lose time with windows, I tried some apps to make the image, for example Acronis True Image 10 home (true image cdbootloader don't detect MD in the card reader). I can make an image of the first partition 65mb but after it, the acronis show an error.

- Probably there are card readers which support CF mems but not md hitachi. (f.ex. card reader of a epson printer).

- I've used a SANDISK Xtreme III (expensiver than others brands), but because i wanted no risks, but now i think that many 4GB CF should run correctly. (CF mems simulates physical harddrives, and i think what should be possible to change its main structure, cylinders, heads, etc to adjust to MD structure). ***What do experts say about it? ***

>fdisk -l /dev/sdc (a commando to see the device partitions

Good luck!

ReactOS - over vmware/virtualbox

an alternative Windows compatible Operating System

ReactOS at 2018

[updated 2018]
After 10 years the project is still alive and its quite reliable now and it is close to replace Windows XP.

Install on a virtual machine as:
other linux32
RAM 1,2gb
HD 2gb (VDI dynamic)
NET: pcnet fastIII

(add shared folder)








[old entry:2008]Too far to be a stable version free of hang ups or blue screens.

In conclusion too experimental at least for normal users however the system is working and improving quickly and maybe when you are reading that could be a usable system

Blue screen like in the real Windows ;)

Learning English I: Useful things

(in construction)
There is an additional blog entry comparing dictionaries and their databases.

-PC applications(Windows)-
-Oxford pocket genie
Spanish/english dictionary with phonetic and sound
[Portable - 152Mb]
-The Sage 1.4.0
Thesaurus
[freeware - 4Mb]
-Wordweb pro (free use, ecological license *1)
[Free - Portable]
-Verbix 2008 (8.0) (Verb. Conjugator)
Conjugation for spanish/english(*) verbs
-Stardict 3.0.2(GPL, portable)
Support Stardict format, sounds, and online dictionaries.
-FreeLang 3.5.2
Free Lightweight translator, different languages


(*) support for many languages
[shareware 30 days - Installation 22Mb)

Linux
Anki 


-Palm applications-
-ptlyrics (mp3 + text lyrics)
-Collins 1.0 + cobuild eng dictionary
without phonetic
-Slovoed (sound modules)
-Bdicty (sound modules)
-Oxford (Msdict)
-FlashCards 1.2.36 (Lingvosoft/ECTACO) [SAT pdb in SD]
-Vocabulary Cards 1.02 [pdb in ram]
-RNS English Tester 2.1 [db in ram, CAE&CPE level]

-Maemo applications-
-Stardict
-Flashcard software /Mnemosyne


Download Flashcards/Decks

https://ankiweb.net/
http://mnemosyne-proj.org/card-sets


_______________

*1
WordWeb 5.x Free version licensing
WordWeb free version may be used indefinitely only by people who take at most two commercial flights (not more than one return flight) in any 12 month period. People who fly more than this need to purchase the Pro version if they wish to continue to use it after a 30-day trial period.

Testing FreeDOS (v1.1) over Vmware

what is Freedos?
An operative system
>>FreeDOS aims to be a complete, free, 100% MS-DOS compatible operating system<<

http://www.freedos.org/




Why use freeDOS actually?
Maybe all the answers are a bit freak for the most. You can play old games, surf in internet with a rare webbrowser (arachne), and a bit more productive, you could execute dos programs like compilers, office,....

Why use it over vmware?
-vmware is virtual machine server, therefore you can have virtual pcs inside your windows/linux,.... you can use your apps, and to use freedos in other window.
-is "gratis" *
-vmware emulate standard and compatible PC hardware (easier for testing than to use different real hardware)

* however you need to register in the page for a serial number.
http://www.vmware.com/download/server




INSTRUCTIONS
-Download and burn FreeDos in a cdrom
-Create a new virtual machine in vmware (300 mb of harddrive are enough)
-Put FreeDos in cdrom drive
-Start the new virtual machine and it will detect the autobootcd
-Install all the packets
-At the end the install will try to configure, but probably hang up (don't worry)
-After reset FreeDos.
-You could see a boot menu with memory options (option 2 EMM386+EMS: crash in vmware) you must choose 1 or 3
-Configuring the network card (vmware emulate a AMD 79c97oA -PCNET family)
-Go to fdos directory (cd fdos)
-In theory you must execute crynwr.bat file (script) BUT there is a problem in the script when you select 1 or 5 then script crash (*).


However the solution is very simple:
You can execute the next command:
c:\FDOS\drivers\net\crynwr\pcntpk int=0x60

and now you can surf in internet with arachne webbrowser
c:\FDOS\arachne\arachne.bat

Now you have a FreeDos with network working :)


(*) my point of view about the script problem, I think the main reasons are:
- c:\fdos\temp directory isn't created
- FreeDos by default doesn't start autoexec.bat (i don't know why)
- crynwr.bat script try to write in a variable %autofile% and this variable don't exist, i suppose %autofile% should be assigned to autoexec.bat
- FreeDos by default doesn't start autoexec.bat ¿why?

Wellcome to the wonderful world of LRC(minilyrics)

What am i talking about?

An easy definition could be: .lrc files are the subtitles for the music, and looks like .SRT files(video subtitles) are text files with a timestamp before each phrase.

ex. [min:sec.mmm] bla bla bla bla

Note: Some people tags the lyrics in different way (by hand or by software), the players should work with all but could fail if the developer didn't think in that.

Real examples of tags:

[0:34] 1 digit for minute and 2 for seconds
[01:07.037] 2 digit for minutes and 3 for milliseconds
[00:15.38] 2 digits for minutes and 2 for milliseconds ¿wrong?
[1:01.296] 1 digit for minutes and 3 for milliseconds

Minilyrics isn't the same as videosubtitles therefore the millisecond precision is not necessary and any value is correct.

These timestamps must be syncronized with the music file (ogg, mp3,etc...)

what do I need?
A music player hardware or software, with support for lyrics (a plugin for your application is a common solution)favourite player, this player can be a hardware or software, some cheap mp3 player support .srt files (I suppose ipod too).


Software for
Windows/Linux: Winamp, Amarok,..... (some of them need a plugin)
Songbird+scrolling lyric (don't read from local lrc files, download the lyric/minilyric from internet)*
Apple MacOS: XBMC (very good support)
Nokia Maemo: Mediabox (small font and not configurable)
PalmOS: ptlyrics (+Pocket tunes)*
Symbian: LCG Jukebox

* include creation of minilyrics (tag time on lyrics)

where i can get .lrc files?



http://www.lrcdb.org/
http://www.lyrdb.com/
or if you want a pack with lrcfiles + mp3 you can search in torrent with "ramones mania"

and one example of lrc file: Bad Religion - Turn on the light

Present and Future
This is an unknow format for too many people, press, no commercial (i don't know any company using this format)
however this isn't too important because people made their .lrc files by themselves (is as easy as to edit an lyric text file and add the timestamps)


Opinion:
I think this is a good way to improve your english oral understanding.

GPS: Offroad Maps and PDA Soft

Today everybuddy know Tomtom and planning road routes, but there is a huge world refering to GPS, tracking routes,... and a big problem of this world is the existence of hundred formats, depending of the software which we are using which depends of the hardware platform/System operative.

In internet there are avaiable many free maps, but perhaps the format isn't the fomat which we need, sometimes is used oziexplorer format (.map + .ozf3) and this software is only available for Windows and Windows mobile.
Due this I've made an easy diagram explaining the steps for this conversion.


Symbian: SmartComGPS
Map formats: ogf2
Calibration formats: .map
Track formats:

PalmOs: PathAway
Map formats: .prc(container)
Calibration formats: .prc(container), .pwm
Track formats: