OO Programming Newsletter #52 from Bruce Eckel February 2004 Calendar: http://www.mindview.net/Calendar Seminars: http://www.mindview.net/Seminars = = = Contents = = = * Note * Final TIC++ V2 on shelves and downloadable * Signed copies of books available * Thinking in Java, 4th Edition * In the bay area through May * Project reviews * BOF and book signing at SD Conference * At the Python conference * Oakland user group presentation * Added to review of UML tools * Need Flash expert * Signed copies of books available * New interview in JDJ * Articles vs. Weblogs * Comparison program with stats? * Seminars =================================== * Note It's obvious I've fallen badly off of the "monthly" schedule of this newsletter, but if you've been following some of the entries in the weblog (more about that later) you'll have some understanding of why. Much of it had to do with finishing "Thinking in C++, Volume 2," but the experience of going to Burning Man (where I took notes that will eventually turn into an article) reshaped some of my ideas about the world and what it could be like, and in general left me a bit stunned. Fall has been bizarre, with fires and earthquakes and other odd experiences. I think I'm finally beginning to catch my breath from all this and am starting in on the next version of Thinking in Java. =================================== * Final TIC++ V2 on shelves and downloadable After several years, "Thinking in C++, Volume 2" is finally available in bookstores. Chuck Allison (former editor of the C/C++ Users Journal) and I coauthored this thing to its completion, and it took a great deal of sweat from the both of us so we hope you'll appreciate it. You can get it from my download site: http://www.mindviewinc.com/Books/ You can also find it on Amazon here (URL may wrap): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0130353132/bruceeckelA/ Markus Gritsch was instrumental in helping me produce the download version, by stepping in and doing the job that I kept putting off. Thanks, Markus! =================================== * Signed copies of books available You can now buy signed copies of a number of my books, both in English and various translations. See http://mindview.net/Books/Signed =================================== * Thinking in Java, 4th Edition I'm beginning work on this, based on Sun's promise that they will have a final JDK 1.5 out "this summer" (from past experience, this means September 21, the last day that could possibly be considered summer). I'm rethinking lots of things about this edition so I don't know what will happen and when it will happen. The initial Beta JDK 1.5.0 was just released, and I was pleased to discover that only a tiny change or two was necessary in the code for TIJ3 in order to compile it (library naming collisions). This, at least, is promising. As I begin to delve into the new features we'll see what things really look like. =================================== * In the Bay area through May I'm back in Emeryville, CA (between Berkeley and Oakland right across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco). This place has changed almost completely since the last time I lived here. If you have a user group you would like me to speak to or if your company has consulting needs (see below), I hope to have a little breathing room for such things in between book work. You can email me directly. =================================== * Project reviews I've learned that the most valuable consulting service I can offer is that of reviews. This generally takes from 2-5 days and involves an intensive walkthrough including all or part of your team, examining your architecture, design, or code, depending on where your project is. During this process, it's likely that we'll discover numerous places where the design and implementation can be improved. A review is also valuable as a team communication tool, to help people understand parts of a project they might not otherwise have the opportunity to study. I've also found that the review process typically offers chances for impromptu learning sessions, whenever we discover programming concepts that aren't quite clear to everyone. If you'd like to consider scheduling a review, you can email me directly. =================================== * BOF and book signing at SD Conference Chuck Allison and I will be giving a Birds-of-a-feather presentation on Monday night, 7-8:30 pm at the Software Development Conference in Santa Clara: http://www.cmpevents.com/SDw/a.asp?option=C&V=11&SessID=2592 We will also be signing books; when the date and time are finalized I'll post it on the calendar. Chuck and I both plan to be at the conference for the whole week, so if you'd like to meet up let me know. =================================== * At the Python conference I will be attending the Python conference March 24-26 in Washington DC, and possibly giving a talk there. Because it was self-organized and creatively free form, last year's conference was easily the best Python conference I've been to (and one of the best conferences overall), so I expect even better things this year. It's also cheap as conferences go, and easy to get to, being held at George Washington University which is right on the wonderful subway line that's in the DC area. This means you can stay at a cheap motel somewhere near a train stop and then get to the conference easily each day. In the US, www.JetBlue.com flies directly to DC quite inexpensively. The goal was to allow more people, and especially people from more countries (including those with unfavorable exchange rates) to come to the conference, and I think it has succeeded quite well. I think it's one of the most fun and educational events of the year. Learn more at: http://www.pycon.org/ If you want to meet up during the conference, let me know. =================================== * San Francisco East Bay user group presentation I'll be speaking at the East Bay IT Group Java SIG on April 21st in the Oakland area. http://www.ebig.org/sig/sig.aspx?SIGid=21 The subject will either be Threading in Java or features of JDK 1.5. =================================== * Added to review of UML tools A number of the articles posted at my weblog site http://mindview.net/WebLog continue to evolve long after I've posted them (which is why those are really articles rather than simple weblogs, a subject about which I've weblogged at http://mindview.net/WebLog/log-0048 In particular, the review of UML tools has continued to accrete new information: http://mindview.net/WebLog/log-0041 =================================== * Need Flash expert I'm looking for someone who can give me advice on a Flash development project. Basically, I'm trying to take PowerPoint slides, convert them to Flash by outputting them through OpenOffice 1.1 Presenter into SWF format, and then somehow add navigation and sound controls so that I can attach a sound narration file to each slide. This is for standalone use (for the next version of the Hands-On Java CD, for example), not for delivery from a server. I have long experience with PowerPoint and have large presentations in that format so that's why I want to use it, but if there's a better way to produce Flash from PowerPoint and add sound and navigation controls, I'm open to that, as well -- I like the simplicity of the OpenOffice approach but I'm trying to solve the general problem. If you've had experience with something that works, please email me directly with suggestions. =================================== * New interview in JDJ I've been interviewed in the November 2003 issue: http://www.sys-con.com/story/?storyid=37801 You'll need to sign up to read it. =================================== * Articles vs. Weblogs As you can read in http://mindview.net/WebLog/log-0048 I've come to realize that I've primarily been writing articles, and the frequency also reflects this. I think there's a place for articles, but I'm also trying to figure out the best way to express simple thoughts, which are also important but need to be fairly effortless to express. Bill Venners (www.Artima.com) has said that he's got this project on his mythical "list," so at some point my "idea blog" may move there (the articles will stay on the MindView site). =================================== * Comparison program with stats? I'm looking for a text comparison program that produces a value indicating how similar two documents are to each other. This could work for either Word or a text file. If you know of such a thing please email me. =================================== * Seminars Although there were numerous opportunities presented, I have decided against doing a seminar in Europe this spring, largely because of the impact it would have on the "Thinking in Java, 4th Edition" project. I should be able to fit in one or two in-house seminars through May, but no more than that. I plan to give one or two seminars this summer in Crested Butte; I'll put these on the calendar once I get a sense of how much effort TIJ4 is going to entail. If you'd really like a Thinking in Java seminar in the Bay area, email your request to me and I'll see if there is enough interest to warrant it. ___| Until Next Time... |________________________ Speaking & Seminar schedule: http://www.mindview.net/Calendar/ Computer nerd humor http://www.valleyofthegeeks.com/ Java programming questions: http://www.mindview.net/Books/TIJ/JavaQuestions.html Anyone can sign up for this free newsletter by visiting: http://www.mindview.net/mailman/listinfo/eckel-oo-programming Bruce Eckel http://www.mindview.net