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MySQL & XAMPP

 

"The MySQL® database has become the world's most popular open source database because of its consistent fast performance, high reliability and ease of use. It's used on every continent -- Yes, even Antarctica! -- by individual Web developers as well as many of the world's largest and fastest-growing organizations to save time and money powering their high-volume Web sites, business-critical systems and packaged software -- including industry leaders such as Yahoo!, Alcatel-Lucent, Google, Nokia, YouTube, and Zappos.com."

MySQL is flexible enough to be able to run on about 20 different platforms, from Windows to Mac to Linux. Leaving the ability to have different types of applications running in balance with MySQL one of these programs is XAMPP. XAMPP is an open source project that bundles MySQL with Apache Server, PHP, and Pearl making it a dynamic bundle being able to create and run websites. One other feature that XAMPP has is that it provides support for creating and manipulating databases in MySQL allowing developers to have greater flexibility while writing their applications.

"XAMPP's designers intended it for use only as a development tool, to allow website designers and programmers to test their work on their own computers without any access to the Internet. To make this as easy as possible, many important security features are disabled by default. In practice, however, XAMPP is sometimes used to actually serve web pages on the World Wide Web." When XAMMP's security features are enabled it makes it a secure web service, and makes secure calls to the MySQL database.

XAMPP is just one example of a development tool that can be used with MySQL to create dynamic web pages. MySQL is often the choice of developers because it can be tied in closely with PHP creating a rich user environment. The reliability of MySQL being able to be bundled with other programs makes it indispensible when trying to search for databases that are compatible with other software packages.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sun Microsystems, Inc., (n.d.). Retrieved Oct. 30, 2009, from http://mysql.com/why-mysql/

Apache Friends, (2009, Oct. 07). Retrieved Oct. 30, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XAMPP

Why SDK Development?

I worked for a company that provided virtual tours for real estate agents for the homes that they listed to sell. Near the end of 2007 the company wanted to set itself apart from other companies that were providing virtual tours. The company wanted to provide a tool for real estate agents that would help their prospective buyers take more psychological ownership of the home. This tool later became a product call StyleDesigner, which allowed perspective buyers to customize pictures of the home by changing the colors of the walls, change carpet to hardwood floors, color of trim, and the colors of the cabinets. The company knew they could cut costs and development time if they could purchase software that already provided the masking utilities they needed and then add some custom features to give them the extra edge. They were able to find a company that provided an SDK for them to work with so that they could build their custom product.

There are many other companies like Microsoft, Apple, Bytes Software, and Quick Books that provide SDK's for developers so that they can customize their products and make them flexible so they can communicate with other systems. "Many of our clients have proprietary systems that have been developed over time," explained Joe Herb, general manager of Byte Software. "The SDK will allow those clients to radically streamline their processes by automating tasks that were previously done manually. That, combined with the ability of third-party vendors to integrate their systems directly into BytePro, makes the SDK a key addition to our product line." Byte Software was able to make themselves more marketable because they were able to provide a way for their existing customers and potential customers systems to integrate with other financial institution's systems to provide service to their customers.

Apple's iPhone SDK is one of the most popular SDK's for programmers to become familiar with. It has opened up a new door for companies to reach users in a mobile environment. Apple also provided the SDK on a platform that made it easy for developers to work with to help them build rich programs. Brian Doig, a software developer with Walt Disney said the SDK is "A bag full of awesome . . . you can reach in and find everything you need." Other mobile devices have similar programs, he said, but nothing as easy to use as this. The trick, according to Mike Myer, another Walt Disney developer, is that Apple lets developers debug their apps right on the phone.

SDK's are providing a platform to help take a company's products into ventures that the companies could possibly only dream of, because it helps tie in the customer directly with their products. It is also helping developers work on an existing platforms that they are familiar with so they can provide programs for companies they work for at lower costs, than if they had to build whole custom program themselves instead of just adding on extension to programs that already exist.

Bibliography

Byte's SDK to Ease Integrations [SEATTLE, WA] 16 July 2007, Technology sec.: 14. Print.

"Developers: iPhone Software-Writing Tool is Awesome." Developers: iPhone Software-Writing Tool is Awesome. Popular Science, 9 June 2008. Web. 16 Oct. 2009. .

What’s wrong with this spreadsheet?

Working with the Suspicious Subtotal worksheet in Chapter 8 on page 257 our group noticed the following:

1. When the person originally was sorting the spreadsheet they had sorted the totals by each specific item, then by category, then by month. This added about 1900 rows to the spread sheet that weren't needed because the information wasn't sorted correctly. What we did was just the opposite sorting by month, category and then item.
   
2. When working with the Subtotal function we just wanted to see the main subtotals for the months, then break down into category, and then by item. When doing subtotals you need to not replace subtotals when you are doing a break down, meaning you just want the main subtotal to be for the Month, and then you want your own subtotal for category, and item. If you select replace subtotal in the design box in excel it will change your information so that it will be incorrect.

Data Flow Diagrams to understand life.

Data Flow Diagrams are mostly used for developers to get a physical representation of the system of they are using, or designing. You can use them to represent how a customer is going to interact with an ordering system, to how you are going to have your system provide a data export to a third party vendor.

However I realized today that I learned about data flow diagrams as early as eight years old, and in a place that would seem very unusual for a data flow diagram to be found. I learned it while attending a Primary class from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint on a lesson about the Plan of Salvation. The lesson was about how we lived before we came to this earth and where we will go after we leave our mortal life.

If we look at the diagram below and understands ourselves as an actor in the data flow diagram it is easy to see that there is more for us then us just being here in mortality. To better understand the really the purpose and concept of the diagram of the Plan of Salvation The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states:

In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father prepared a plan to enable us to become like Him and receive a fullness of joy. The scriptures refer to this plan as "the plan of salvation" (Alma 24:14; Moses 6:62), "the great plan of happiness" (Alma 42:8), "the plan of redemption" (Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:30), and "the plan of mercy" (Alma 42:15). The plan of salvation is the fullness of the gospel. It includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all the laws, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel. Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father's plan. Because of this plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fullness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.

 

 

We can take this diagram and then we can break it down even more in to lower level diagrams so that we can better understand what it is that we need to do in this life to receive all that our Father in Heaven wants from us. We build a data flow diagram to show all the things that we need to do here on earth such has how we need to search for truth, be able to grow in faith to, accept the atonement of Jesus Christ so we can have faith in him, and how can provide service for others. From an article given by Elder Duane Gerrard of the Quorum of the Seventy of the LDS Church we read:

The Lord has carefully provided a plan of life called the plan of salvation. It comprises all of the laws, ordinances, principles, and doctrines required to complete our mortal journey and progress to a state of exaltation enjoyed by our Father in Heaven.

I know that if someone had try to explain the plan of salvation to me as a young boy without the aid of a diagram that I would have been severely lost and would not have understood what it was the teacher was trying to get across to me. Data Flow Diagrams help us to physically represent information if we were to just to try to explain to someone would be hard from them to grasp concepts that are unfamiliar with.

 

Bibliography

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The Plan of Salvation, Retrieved October 3, 2009 Website: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=45af9daac5d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Gerrard, D.(1997).The Plan of Salvation: A Flight Plan for Life. Ensign

 

Importance of Asking Questions

I have worked in support and help desk positions for the past three years and have learned that asking questions is crucial to getting anything done. Before the company I worked for had invested in any type of remote support software like GoToAssist, or LogMeIn123 I had to try my best to describe to our clients how to maneuver through the management end of their websites so they could edit information on their personal website.

I took a call one day from an older lady, who wasn't to tech savvy, wanting to know how she would edit the information on her personal website. I began my regular routine of asking her to open a web browser, and then enter in her username and password into the website. Then once logged into the management area of the site to select the particular area of the website that she wanted to edit, and after she has edited her changes to click the saved button. She then said to me, "I don't see the save button" I then said, "It's off to the bottom right corner of the site" she then replied, "I am not on your website." I was confused because I thought that she had been following along with my instructions on how to maneuver through the website. What was my mistake throughout all this phone call? I was giving her instructions and not asking questions.

When working in a technical support role you are going to be finding yourself asking a lot of Close Ended type of questions. Closed Questions are those for which there are a limited number of acceptable responses or "right answers."(1) For example asking something like, Have you opened up a web browser?, and Were you able to successfully log into the website? If asking those questions I will know exactly whether or not the person has completed the instructions that I just gave them.

There also comes an important need to listen to your clients and especially listen to the questions they ask you. "Try to give more than a one word answer. No matter which questioning technique customers use, try to answer as though the question is open ended."(2) You now have a great opportunity to share more with your clients about your system so that they will be able to know how to get the most out of using your products and services. This will also lead to building a relationship of trust with the customer because they see that you are willing to listen to them, and are able to answer their questions.

The art of asking questions is something that you will continue to learn over time, and you will need to be able to detail your questions to the specific clients you deal with in different situations. People in technical support positions are often described as very non-commutative, and not very customer oriented. You will be able to get an edge over others in a technical field if you learn to communicate effectively and be able to ask questions to further your fact finding to help someone.

I have noticed with the people that I work with now that they are very appreciative of the service that I provide to them. They comment on how I am able to ask those questions that guide them through the steps on how to get their work done on websites more easily and efficiently. I have come a long way since I very first started in providing technical support, and I know that I will continue to grow as I learn how to communicate with people, and to ask questions so I know what level of service and guidance that I need to provide to them.

 

Bibliography

(1) Blosser, Patricia. "How to Ask the Right Questions." National Science Teachers Association. Web. 26 Sept. 2009. <http://site.ebrary.com/lib/byuprovo/Doc?id=10240824&ppg=4>.

(2) Renee, Evenson. "Customer Service Training 101 : Quick and Easy Techniques That Get Great Results." AMACOM. Web. 25 Sept. 2009. <http://site.ebrary.com/lib/byuprovo/Doc?id=10120166&ppg=67>.

Fishbone Diagram

A Fishbone diagram is a visual tool that one can use to see what could possibly affecting a system. The book Quality: a critical introduction suggests, "that the major categories such as 'Men, Machines, Material and Methods' may provide a useful first set of categories, each of these categories, each of these categories is then subdivided again, the 'fishbones' gaining further rubs and subribs as the whole issue is explored".

In an article in Tooling and Production it gives some helpful hints in creating these diagrams. "The diagram is best constructed by a group that is knowledgeable about the process at hand. The group brainstorms what variables in each category may contribute to the current problem.This exercise stirs the thought processes of the group's members and extracts core process knowledge to identify likely contributing factors." So if you are an outside consultant hired to go into a company to see what you can do to help the company streamline its operations this can be a very useful tool. You may want to gather together those who are in different levels of the "company food chain" to better understand the companies needs to create a better working environment.

The Vanderbilt University School of Engineering has a great diagram that we can look at and then break it down to better understand the fishbone diagram.


The diagram is trying to dissect why a company may have unhappy workers. Listed are four areas where there could be potential problems, environment, workers, management, and machines. We can see that branching off of these areas:

• The environment is to hot
• The workers feel like they have not been adequately trained
• The machines are to old

I'm sure that there are many other reasons why the workers may be unhappy however you can get a good idea on why these workers are unhappy with the information provided in the diagram.

In conclusion you should try using a fishbone diagram in the next system analysis that you do. It will provide you with a great physical representation of what problems exist in a system so that you can better analyze what solutions will best fit for your company.


Bibliography
Maze-Emery, Elizabeth. "Knowing the cause is half the battle." Tooling and Production
Nov.-Dec. 2008: 28-29. Print. (Beckford, John. Quality An Introduction. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print.

Future Value Equation

Did you know what you can invest smarter with Excel? Its true! Our good friends at Microsoft Office have this wonderful formula in Excel that is called Future Value. How does it work, and how do you use it? Well lets first bring up a situation where you would apply this formula.

Over at Microsoft Office they have a great example situation:

If I invest $2,000 a year for 40 years toward my retirement and earn 8 percent a year on my investments, how much will I have when I retire?

Really you can put any numbers in there, but now we have the situation and its time to show you how to put in that information. The equation for the formula looks like this:

FV(rate,#per,[pmt],[pv],[type])

The break down:

rate: this is the interest rate, so we are looking at in our example it is 8% or .08

#per: is the number of periods in the future for what you are calculating the future value. #per is also the number of periods during which the annuity payment is received. In our example it is 40.

pmt: is the payment that is going to be made each period. In this example, pmt is -$2,000. Why the minus sign? It means that we are receiving money over all.

pv: is for if we were to owe someone money or if we have money in savings. If we owed money then we would simply input it in as $10,000, if we had the money in savings -$10,000. But we right now will ignore this because it doesn't apply to do what we are going so we will just leave this blank.

type: is meaning when a payment is made. You have only two values you can enter 1 or 0. 1 is for if the payment is made at the beginning of the period and 0 is for if the payment is made at the end of the period. If you were to leave this blank then the formula will assume the value should be zero.

If you have made it this far you are a trooper! To put all of that together would look like:

FV(.08,40,-2000,0,0) and the final value will be $518,113.04.

You may now be asking, "Thats great and all, but how do I switch out the numbers easily?" I got you covered! You are able to use cell references so that you will only need to change the value of the cell and not the equation each time you want to do a calculation. The screen shot below will explain:

You will see that we have the cell referenced of B2, B3, and B4. Here you will see that I used semi colons in the formula, this is because I used Open Office to compile the equation =FV(B2;B3;-B4;0;0). In Microsoft Excel it would look like =FV(B2,B3,-B4,0,0).

Now all you will need to do is change the values in the cells and immediately the information will show in the total. If you have any other additional question feel free to leave a comment, or you can Click Here and read the full article provided by Microsoft Office.

One of the great things about attending a LDS Church owned school is that they have a different teaching structure is different then most schools. Here at the LDSBC ( Latter-day Saint Business College) one of the main focus's is teach one another. In this way the students are more responsible for their education then at other college's or universities. As part of the schools mission statment we read:

Teach One Another: Engage in meaningful learning experiences individually and in groups to help you understand concepts and develop skills.

I would like to pose the question, Who learns more then the teacher while teaching? A student may grasp bits and pieces of what the teacher is saying, but when a teacher is prepairing the lesson and then sharing with the students what they have learned, the teacher is in more of an advantage then the students. Why? becuase they have internalized the message then they figured how to share that information. That part is crutial, the ability to be able to vocalize what you have taken in.

From one of the sciptures of the church, D&C 88:78 we learn:
78 Teach ye diligently and my ^agrace shall attend you, that you may be ^binstructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

As we teach he will have the help of the Lord, and we will have a better understing of what it is that we are supposed to learn. Now for the application, we need to teach one another the things that we learn. As we teach we learn, and as others teach us they will learn as well.

Open Application Created by Visual Studio 2008

When creating an application using visual studio I was trying to figure out a way that I could just run the application without having to install it first on my machine. You can run the application without installation by opening the project folder of your application then navigating to the bin folder, then the release folder:

My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Visual Basic 2008 Terms\Visual Basic 2008 Terms\bin\Release

You can then double click on the application file without having to first installing the setup.exe file that is found if you publish the program.

Why use Linux Operating Systems

"When Miguel De Icaza spoke at the 2000 Ottawa Linux Symposium, he opened his talk with a blunt message, "Let's make Unix not suck."(McAllister, 2004)

Miguel De Icaza can make such a statement because he is one of the main founders of Gnome, which is a GUI that is widely accepted and used in different distributions of Linux. His idea is that we need to use concepts that are already familiar to computer users, but just make those concepts better.

With dedicated programmers such as this you may wonder why they are having what they created open-source or essentially free to the public to use. The reason for this is that they are helping create a standard amongst developers and programmers to create systems for the benefit of all users.

This can be seen widely through all of the forums that are available on how to use Linux distributions. There are many discussions on how to fix security issues that may exist as well as different bugs and errors that they have come across while using Linux. With so many eyes looking at what is going into making Linux better there are not many major security issues as there are with Window's products. Usually when a security issue is found by someone outside of Microsoft Windows Development team they will exploit the security vulnerability and the issue may not be found by Microsoft for many months. Security issues with Linux are more easily detected and then are fixed sooner, making it more secure and a better option for those who do not like Microsoft operating systems.

References

McAllister, N. (2004). Open source's usability champion narrows the gap between linux and windows. InfoWorld, 26(21), 52-53. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=13196091&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Fedora 10 "Failed to get a TID" Error

Problem:

When trying to update Fedora 10 I got this error:

failed to get a TID: A security policy in place prevents this sender from sending this message to this recipient, see message bus configuration file (rejected message had interface "org.freedesktop.PackageKit.Transaction" member "SetLocale" error name "(unset)" destination "org.freedesktop.PackageKit") (0)

The fix:

Open Terminal and type:

su -c 'yum update' then press "Enter" to execute the command

Your system will then search for available updates and then install them. Restart your system and then everything should work fine from there.

Why Linux for business needs?

Why Linux? First off, its free! The ability to have an operating system that is free makes a huge difference when needing to cut costs in a business. You also have developers constantly looking at the different flavors, or brands of Linux. With hundreds of developers looking at Linux operating systems there are constant fixes to bugs that effect the security of your system and the performance of the machine. You also have the opportunity to install only the key components of Linux that you are needing in order to be productive. You can go even as far as writing program specific programs for Linux to meet your company needs. Just think about how awful it would be to choose a company to write a custom DBMS for you to then have them all of a sudden go out of business without warning. Who then will support the product you just purchased? Who will refund the money you just spent as well? By doing your own custom programming you then do not need to worry about these issues, and constantly update, and fix bugs that may come across. Linux can be used for Mail Servers, Routing, FTP services, Web Services, DNS Services, and much more.

What to consider when choosing a database

Gints Plivna at gplivna.eu has some great advice on what factors you are needing to consider when choosing a database. I am going to attempt to “Cliff Note” the article for convenience . Click here to view the full article.

How robust is the system needing to be?

A Geo Metro cant perform as a Power Stroke Ford F-350 can with how much it can carry and how fast it can move. If you are expecting the system to not to be strained or have to carry to much data then go with something that will perform like the Geo, but if you are expecting high volume and a lot of strain then go with the F-350.

Will it work with the existing system?

Lets continue to think of the database as a car and now your system as the garage. Can your new car fit in your old garage? Or are you going to have to build a new garage for your new car? You need to make sure that what you already have in place is compatible with what you are going to implement.

What will the cost benefit be?

If its going to cost to much to keep the system up and hire someone to maintain the system then it may not be in your best interest to upgrade to a new system. However if you are able to do most of the work yourself, find forums, and other useful tools that are free then it could be beneficial to you to implement the system.

Keep these three questions in mind when you are thinking about upgrading or starting out with a new database.