Chatter Of The Squirrel

DM Of The Rings

Re-live the magic of Lord of the Rings here.

Basically, this guy has taken screen-caps (captures) of scenes from the amazing trilogy, and made a comic out of it.

In this comic, the Dungeon Master (the voice in the narrative), has created a game campaign for a bunch of players, who are role-playing the characters of the Fellowship. And he’s frequently frustrated by his players in ways only a DM can relate. All the time and effort to create a rich campaign setting, and writing dialogues, but the only thing the players want is killing Orcs and getting XP.

It might take some RPG-ing experience before you can appreciate some of the humor. But the strips are still funny even if you’ve never gone geek. And the author has a real knack for finding just the right screen-cap for the punchlines.

Weird and Interesting…

http://ishi.blog2.fc2.com/blog-entry-180.html

A very unusual Java ‘game’.

Build layers of Ground. Plant Seeds on it, or fill it with Water or Oil and watch how everything flows.

Build a base of Wax, spray a sheen of Oil over the top, and ignite it.

Then toss in 49 Zombies and see them all BURN~~!!

Kept me amused for hours.

Plant grows into Water, but not Salt Water.

Zombies eat Ground.

Armageddon weapon destroys everything except Zombies and Plants.

Much coolness.

Excel Shortcuts

CTRL+( Unhides any hidden rows within the selection.
CTRL+) Unhides any hidden columns within the selection.
CTRL+& Applies the outline border to the selected cells.
CTRL+_ Removes the outline border from the selected cells.
CTRL+~ Applies the General number format.
CTRL+$ Applies the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses) .
CTRL+% Applies the Percentage format with no decimal places.
CTRL+^ Applies the Exponential number format with two decimal places.
CTRL+# Applies the Date format with the day, month, and year.
CTRL+@ Applies the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM.
CTRL+! Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values.
CTRL+- Displays the Delete dialog box to delete the selected cells.
CTRL+* Selects the current region around the active cell (the data area enclosed by blank rows and blank columns).
In a PivotTable, it selects the entire PivotTable report.

CTRL+: Enters the current time.
CTRL+; Enters the current date.
CTRL+` Alternates between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the worksheet.
CTRL+’ Copies a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar.
CTRL+” Copies the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar.
CTRL++ Displays the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells.
CTRL+1 Displays the Format Cells dialog box.
CTRL+2 Applies or removes bold formatting.
CTRL+3 Applies or removes italic formatting.
CTRL+4 Applies or removes underlining.
CTRL+5 Applies or removes strikethrough.
CTRL+6 Alternates between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects.
CTRL+7 Displays or hides the Standard toolbar.
CTRL+8 Displays or hides the outline symbols.
CTRL+9 Hides the selected rows.
CTRL+0 Hides the selected columns.
CTRL+A Selects the entire worksheet.
If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

When the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula, displays the Function Arguments dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+A inserts the argument names and parentheses when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula.
CTRL+B Applies or removes bold formatting.
CTRL+C Copies the selected cells.
CTRL+C followed by another CTRL+C displays the Microsoft Office Clipboard.
CTRL+D Uses the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected range into the cells below.
CTRL+F Displays the Find dialog box.
SHIFT+F5 also displays this dialog box, while SHIFT+F4 repeats the last Find action.
CTRL+G Displays the Go To dialog box.
F5 also displays this dialog box.
CTRL+H Displays the Find and Replace dialog box.
CTRL+I Applies or removes italic formatting.
CTRL+K Displays the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlinks or the Edit Hyperlink dialog box for selected existing hyperlinks.
CTRL+L Displays the Create List dialog box.
CTRL+N Creates a new, blank file.
CTRL+O Displays the Open dialog box to open or find a file.
CTRL+SHIFT+O selects all cells that contain comments.
CTRL+P Displays the Print dialog box.
CTRL+R Uses the Fill Right command to copy the contents and format of the leftmost cell of a selected range into the cells to the right.
CTRL+S Saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file format.
CTRL+U Applies or removes underlining.
CTRL+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the insertion point and replaces any selection. Available only after you cut or copied an object, text, or cell contents.
CTRL+W Closes the selected workbook window.
CTRL+X Cuts the selected cells.
CTRL+Y Repeats the last command or action, if possible.
CTRL+Z Uses the Undo command to reverse the last command or to delete the last entry you typed.
CTRL+SHIFT+Zuses the Undo or Redo command to reverse or restore the last automatic correction when AutoCorrect Smart Tags are displayed.

- Function keys -

F1 Displays the Help task pane.
CTRL+F1 closes and reopens the current task pane.
ALT+F1 creates a chart of the data in the current range.
ALT+SHIFT+F1 inserts a new worksheet.
F2 Edits the active cell and positions the insertion point at the end of the cell contents. It also moves the insertion point into the Formula Bar when editing in a cell is turned off.
SHIFT+F2 edits a cell comment.
F3 Pastes a defined name into a formula.
SHIFT+F3 displays the Insert Function dialog box.
F4 Repeats the last command or action, if possible.
CTRL+F4 closes the selected workbook window.
F5 Displays the Go To dialog box.
CTRL+F5 restores the window size of the selected workbook window.
F6 Switches to the next pane in a worksheet that has been split (Window menu, Split command).
SHIFT+F6 switches to the previous pane in a worksheet that has been split.
CTRL+F6 switches to the next workbook window when more than one workbook window is open.
Note : When the task pane is visible, F6 and SHIFT+F6 include that pane when switching between panes.
F7 Displays the Spelling dialog box to check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range.
CTRL+F7performs the Move command on the workbook window when it is not maximized. Use the arrow keys to move the window, and when finished press ESC.
F8 Turns extend mode on or off. In extend mode, EXT appears in the status line, and the arrow keys extend the selection.
SHIFT+F8 enables you to add a non-adjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys.
CTRL+F8 performs the Size command (on the Control menu for the workbook window) when a workbook is not maximized.
ALT+F8 displays the Macro dialog box to run, edit, or delete a macro.
F9 Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks.
F9 followed by ENTER (or followed by CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER for array formulas) calculates the selected a portion of a formula and replaces the selected portion with the calculated value.
SHIFT+F9 calculates the active worksheet.
CTRL+ALT+F9 calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they have changed since the last calculation.
CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+ F9 rechecks dependent formulas, and then calculates all cells in all open workbooks, including cells not marked as needing to be calculated.
CTRL+F9 minimizes a workbook window to an icon.
F10 Selects the menu bar or closes an open menu and submenu at the same time.
SHIFT+F10displays the shortcut menu for a selected item.
ALT+SHIFT+F10 displays the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag is present, it switches to the next smart tag and displays its menu or message.
CTRL+F10 maximizes or restores the selected workbook window.
F11 Creates a chart of the data in the current range.
SHIFT+F11 inserts a new worksheet.
ALT+F11 opens the Visual Basic Editor, in which you can create a macro by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
ALT+SHIFT+F11 opens the Microsoft Script Editor, where you can add text, edit HTML tags, and modify any script code.
F12 Displays the Save As dialog box.

- Other useful shortcut keys -

ARROW KEYS Move one cell up, down, left, or right in a worksheet.
CTRL+ARROW KEY moves to the edge of the current data region (data region: A range of cells that contains data and that is bounded by empty cells or datasheet borders.) in a worksheet.
SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells by one cell.
CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells to the last nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell.
LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW selects the menu to the left or right when a menu is visible. When a submenu is open, these arrow keys switch between the main menu and the submenu.
DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW selects the next or previous command when a menu or submenu is open.
In a dialog box, arrow keys move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group of options.
ALT+DOWN ARROW opens a selected drop-down list.
BACKSPACE Deletes one character to the left in the Formula Bar.
Also clears the content of the active cell.
DELETE Removes the cell contents (data and formulas) from selected cells without affecting cell formats or comments.
In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the right of the insertion point.
END Moves to the cell in the lower-right corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is turned on.
Also selects the last command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
CTRL+END moves to the last cell on a worksheet, in the lowest used row of the rightmost used column.
CTRL+SHIFT+END extends the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
ENTER Completes a cell entry from the cell or the Formula Bar, and selects the cell below (by default).
In a data form, it moves to the first field in the next record.
Opens a selected menu (press F10 to activate the menu bar) or performs the action for a selected command.
In a dialog box, it performs the action for the default command button in the dialog box (the button with the bold outline, often the OK button).
ALT+ENTER starts a new line in the same cell.
CTRL+ENTER fills the selected cell range with the current entry.
SHIFT+ENTER completes a cell entry and selects the cell above.

ESC Cancels an entry in the cell or Formula Bar.
It also closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window.
HOME Moves to the beginning of a row in a worksheet.
Moves to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is turned on.
Selects the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
CTRL+HOME moves to the beginning of a worksheet.
CTRL+SHIFT+HOME extends the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
PAGE DOWN Moves one screen down in a worksheet.
ALT+PAGE DOWN moves one screen to the right in a worksheet.
CTRL+PAGE DOWN moves to the next sheet in a workbook.
CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN selects the current and next sheet in a workbook.
PAGE UP Moves one screen up in a worksheet.
ALT+PAGE UP moves one screen to the left in a worksheet.
CTRL+PAGE UP moves to the previous sheet in a workbook.
CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE UP selects the current and previous sheet in a workbook.
SPACEBAR In a dialog box, performs the action for the selected button, or selects or clears a check box.
CTRL+SPACEBAR selects an entire column in a worksheet.
SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects an entire row in a worksheet.
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the entire worksheet.

If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR a second time selects the entire worksheet.
When an object is selected, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects all objects on a worksheet.
ALT+SPACEBAR displays the Control menu for the Excel window.
TAB Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet.
Moves between unlocked cells in a protected worksheet.
Moves to the next option or option group in a dialog box.
SHIFT+TAB moves to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box.
CTRL+TAB switches to the next tab in dialog box.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB switches to the previous tab in a dialog box.

Stardust

Oooo….

Trailer here!

It’s looking very good. But maybe a bit too Pirates, and not enough Fantasy.

And only 3 more months to go to 10th August.

Sweet.

PostgreSQL 8.2.4 and its silly ODBC error

Potentially getting a cheap-ass client. Thus boss wanted me to investigate some open source alternatives.

Especially looking at open source database servers.

Been using Microsoft SQL Server 2000 for most stuff. But this software costs thousands of RM, just for 5 licenses. And if the data needs to be accessed company wide, the licenses could cost around 20k.

For cheap small projects, many uses Microsoft Access. Very much cheaper. And will work fine, for a short while. When enough data accumulates, performance becomes ass.

Thus investigating the two open source alternatives: MySQL and PostgreSQL.

MySQL is more popular. And there are a lot of people working on this project, and plenty of documentation. It’s favoured by most websites. Performance is great when you’re doing mostly retrievals from the database.

When you need transactional support, and frequently updating the database, then PostgreSQL should be more suitable. PostgreSQL also supports functions, or stored procedures. MySQL from version 5.0 onwards also has stored procedures, but I’ve heard of performance problems with using them.

So, I got started with PostgreSQL.

Documentation is a little sparse. And not many tutorials for beginners like me out there. But after a couple of days, I managed to hammer things out. Got things working. Rewrote some of my code to use PostgreSQL. Everything going well, except one lousy hitch…

Numeric datatypes.

I’ve written a simple expense account program. Using the database to store monthly expense items and such. Everything works, except the “Amount” column. There’s a decimal number data in the database. When I query the database from the command prompt, I get the correct data out. But when my program queries the database, it gets “0″.

Date, item details etc comes out right. The amount column gives me “0″ for everything.

Googling only got me some faint scent of other people having similar problems. Eventually, I concluded that there was something wrong with the ODBC driver.

The problem is only with the numeric datatype. And I need to use that datatype to give me the two decimal places. Can’t use a float, cos theorectically, funny things happen to the precision of floats when you perform arithmetics on it.

In the end, I downloaded the latest version of Postgre ODBC from here. This installs into C:\Program Files\psqlODBC802\bin. First stopping the PostgreSQL Service, I then copied the following files : pgenlist.dll, pgenlista.dll, psqlodbc30a.dll, psqlodbc35w.dll into C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.2\bin. Then restarting the PostgreSQL Service.

And the error is gone! Everything now works.

When I downloaded the latest build of PostgreSQL 8.2.4, the pgODBC files bundled with it was only ver 8.2.3.

There was only an 11 days’ difference between 8.2.3 and 8.2.4. But it made all the difference.