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Our daily Blog

This page spotlights the most interesting posts collected from our forum every day.

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New App! File/Folder Date Organizer

screenshot.png
This little app will search through a selected folder and
reorganize everything in that folder (keeping relative paths intact) into
dated folders.

need an example? ok:

let's say you have the following folders

c:\my stuff\something old (files in this folder are dated Feb. 2005)
c:\my stuff\something new (files in this folder are dated Mar. 2008)

Select 'c:\my stuff' as the search folder and you'll end up with this:

c:\my stuff\2005-02\something old
c:\my stuff\2008-03\something new

seems simple and useless... that is, of course, unless you have literally
hundreds of folders and random file sitting in that folder!

How does it work?

All files in the root folder are treated as separate entities and put into
their respective dated folders based on their own file date.

All folders in the search directory are kept in the exact path structure
as they sit in that folder. The date is determined by the newest file date
found within that folder and it's subfolders. Because of this, it ideally
works with folders that only have one level of subfolders within itself.
If you use this in folders that have multiple layers of nested folders,
the files/folders being moved to a dated folder will all be grouped by the
very latest file within that entire tree!



Click here to read more and download..


The D programming language - an interview with the author

dmlogo.gif
D takes C++ and incorporates elements from more modern programming languages such as ruby,python,java,etc...
I find this particularly interesting because D remains a true systems programming language, with many of the original concepts that make me stick to C++ in it.

Recently featured on the OSNews blog was an article on compuworld with the author of the D programming language, Walter Bright.

It looks like D has come a long way since I last tried it, and they are getting ready for their 2.0 release (alpha has been released now).

D is not without it's problems, for example, it's standard library has been forked and is not compatible with the original stdlib. Bright addresses this and other criticisms on the language in the article above.

Very interesting read!


GalaXQL - Cool interactive sql tutorial toy

Screenshot - 7_25_2008 , 6_00_02 AM.png
Someone submitted this through the suggestion form and i tried it -- very fun and cool.

Great way to learn a little sql database stuff.  You learn while you manipulate the universe  :Thmbsup:

Cross platform runs on windows and mac and source code is available.

Follow the instructions by your virtual teacher. The teacher can understand several possible mistakes that you may make, and gives hints on what may have gone wrong. You can skip to any chapter in the tutorial whenever you want.

Use the query editor to interact with the database, and to complete the assignments given by the virtual teacher. In case of syntax errors, SQLite (the database engine used in GalaXQL) returns helpful, human-readable error messages.

http://sol.gfxile.net/galaxql.html

Author seems like a cool guy too and there are lots of other fun things on his website, including an active blog: http://sol.gfxile.net/index.html

From the last lesson in the program: "Also, send the author some mail! One of the biggest motivations for writing free software like this is getting comments from people, and it's always nice to hear when people find your programs to be useful."

So if you use the program send him an email and say hello (contact button is in upper right on blog page)

HEXelon MAX 6 - free mathematical calculator currency converter units converter

2008-07-25_201452.jpg
HEXelon MAX 6 is a free mathematical calculator, currency converter, and units converter.

More screenshots

Features:
  • Language versions: English, Polish, Czech.
  • Solves math expressions like: Sin(Pi)-Root(-8;3)+3
  • Creates user's functions (e.g. surfaces, volumes, and so on). Publishes in Internet. Receives from Internet.
  • Program shows position of bugs in math expression made by user. Descriptions of bugs help solve a problem.
  • Prompter shows functions, variables, constants. Simply press SPACE key.
  • Exchange rates table and currency converter are update from Internet by one click.
  • Units converter makes easier to convert various units.
  • 14 categories of units: length, temperature, pressure and so on.
  • Creates user's variables.
  • Numeral systems: binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal.
  • Measures of angle: radian, degree, gradus.
  • 5 sets of keyboards configured ba a user.
  • 3 calculators - user can calculate three various math expressions.
  • Button Undo and Redo.
  • History of math expressions.
  • Comprehensive Help.


DonationCoder/Veign Programming Contest Results Posted

A month and a half ago we announced a programming contest here at DC, to give away an amazing programming prize generously donated by long time DC forum member Chris Hanscom.

Three people chose to enter the contest, with entries that could not have been more different.



Complete DC newcomer Eric Wong blew everyone away with not one but two unusual entries that were extremely impressive from a technical/programming standpoint.  His first program, Webcam Signature, uses a computer webcam to identify and track a colored object and let users create signatures from it.  It's described by eric (VideoInPicture) on this thread, and has it's own full and beautiful website along with a video demo: here.
JohnDoeScreen.JPG

Eric's second submission, coded in only a couple of weeks, is called Circle Dock, and is a wonderfully cool implementation of a circular floating toolbar/dock/start menu.  Eric describes it in this thread and has another great website for it complete with a demo movie: here.
CircleDockSpiralMedium.jpg



Long time active DC participant Eóin entered a very polished professional program for managing sets of windows system services.  His program is called ServiceProfiles, and is described on this post has a website: here.  It's a program we expect many power users would find immediately useful and valuable:
eoin1.png



Sometimes poster and long time DonationCoder chatroom participant hollowlife1987 submitted Btts, a complete standalone torrent tracker, complete with it's own web server (made in C# with asp.net).  It's a pretty impressive accomplishment and a very cool demonstration of what can be done combining asp with C# in a standalone tool.
btts1.png
btts2.png



We AGONIZED over who to give the prize to.  All of them really deserved it for different reasons.

It's a strange prize to give out because it's such a varied set of tools that very few people on planet earth would have real use for more than one or two of the components in it.  We decided to ask the participants to tell us honestly how they would use the prize if they won it.. We do this quite a bit at DonationCoder because we try very hard to be fair and put things into the hands of those who will benefit from them.

This was actually the primary way we decided who to give the prize to -- not by deciding which program or programmer we liked best, but by deciding at this stage who we thought could most use it.

In the end we decided that there will be no single "Winner" but that:
  • We will give the MSDN giveaway prize to Eóin.
  • And we will create additional prizes for the other 2 entrants; both Eric and Hollow will get $250 in cash to spend as they wish (hopefully on programming related stuff!), and we'll endeavor to find some other gifts for them as well.
  • And all entrants will get a custom mug commemorating the contest (hey this is the best prize of all) and free web hosting for life.



So congratulations to the 3 winners, tied for first place: Eric Wong (VideoInPicture), Eóin O'Callaghan, and Hollowlife1987.

You should all be proud, and on behalf of DonationCoder and Veign, thank you for making this forum and site a more enjoyable and educational place to hang out.

I hope you will all keep us updated on your programs and future work.  Eric in particular we cannot wait to see what software you develop next(!)

DeVeDe - Convert files for DVD playing

2.png
DeVeDe is a(nother) video converter, but with the sole purpose of producing DVD's viewable on a TV using a standalone DVD player

Features (from the site)

Spoiler
  • Preview Video with selected settings
  • Save disc structure to convert at a later time
  • Ability to check for updates
  • Menu option to view documentation
  • Create
        - Video DVD
        - Video CD
        - Super Video CD
        - CVD
        - DIVX / MPEG-4
  • Menu - DVD
        - Action to Perform when Title ends
            - Stop reproduction/show disc menu
            - Play the first title
            - Play the previous title
            - Play current title again (loop)
            - Play the next title
            - Play the last title
        - Menu Options
            - Choose custom background
            - Choose PAL/SECAM or NTSC format
            - Customize menu font
            - Preview menu
            - Option for no menu
  • DVD Options
        - Convert only to MPEG
        - Convert only to disc structure
        - Convert to ready to burn ISO file
        - Choose 1.4 GB, 4.7 GB, or 8 GB DVD
  • Video Information
        - Original size (pixels)
        - Final size (pixels)
        - Length (seconds)
        - Estimated length (Bytes)
        - Output aspect ratio
        - Frames per second
        - Video rate (Kbits/sec)
        - Audio rate (Kbits/sec)
        - Size of chapters
  • Video Properties
        - Set video rate (Kbits/sec)
        - Set audio rate (Kbits/sec)
        - Output video format as PAL/SECAM or NTSC
        - Set Final video size to:
            - 720x576
            - 704x576
            - 480x576
            - 352x576
            - 352x288
            - Default
        - Choose scaling mode
        - Can choose to use 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Quality Options
        - Trellis search Quantization
        - MacroBloc decision algorithm
        - Deinterlacing
  • Audio Options
        - Delay audio (in seconds)
        - Create DVD with 5.1 channel sound
        - Specify video already has AC3 sound
  • Subtitles
        - Add subtitles from sub and srt formats
        - Choose encoding type of subtitles file
        - Ability to raise subtitles above black bars (if chosen in scaling)
  • Misc Video Options
        - Split video file in chapter (for easy seeking). Defaults to 5 minutes per chapter
        - Specify video file is already DVD suitable MPEG-PS file
        - Use a GOP of 12 frames (this improves compatibility)
        - Option to specify extra parameters for mencoder (DeVeDe back end)
 


I'll start by saying that I have (until recently) had no interest in or requirement for anything like this, hence my knowledge of all things relating to video editing, conversion, production, etc is practically nil, and as such, I have absolutely no qualifications for writing this review...

Recently though my inlaws purchased a shiny new HDD camcorder...

how is that relevant?  well, for a start they are techonogically challenged.  They really shouldn't have any tech whatsoever, period.  They didn't seek any advice regarding their purchase, just what the salesmen told them on the day (I think you can see where I'm going with this....)

...

DeVeDe on the other hand was something of a revelation.  Not only was it dead simple to use, but I understood what it was doing, and I got good results (choose the output format (DVD, VCD, SVCD, CVD or DivX), add my files, answer the prompts, and I'm done!!)

The interfaces are logical, clean, and simple, with all the common functions ready to hand, and the lesser only a click away.   

Click here to continue reading the full minireview now..


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