Perl - How to read from a named pipe (fifo)
Here's some code from a Perl program where I open up a named pipe (a FIFO file), then read data from that file until the end of time ... or at least until someone kills this program.read more
View ArticleHow to use Struct to simplify your Ruby class definitions
Many times when I'm creating a prototype of an application with Ruby I'll create my classes using a simple Struct technique I learned from a friend. This technique of using the Struct class makes my...
View ArticleHow to sort an array of Ruby objects by multiple class fields
In a previous tutorial I wrote about how to sort an array of Ruby objects by one field in the object. In today's tutorial I'd like to demonstrate how to sort an array of Ruby objects by multiple...
View ArticleJava - How to create a Jar file in an Ant target
Here's an example of an Ant target that creates a jar file. This Ant target creates a jar file for a JavaSwing application I've created named "WikiTeX".Here's the source code for my Ant target:read more
View ArticleJava - How to open and read from a URL (with just the URL class)
On this blog I've shown several examples of how to read content from a URL using Java In this example I'd like to show how you can open a URL and read content from that URL by just using the Java URL...
View ArticleiTunes tip - How to create a playlist of your favorite iTunes songs
Problem: You want to create an iTunes playlist of all your favorite songs. You've rated all your songs using the Rating field in your main iTunes Library, but you don't know how to turn all these song...
View ArticleiPhone song rating - How to set a song rating on your iPod or iPhone
iPhone songs FAQ: Can I set or change the rating of an iTunes song on my iPhone or iPod?Wow, I'm such an iPod/iPhone/Itunes dummy, I didn't realize that I could change the rating of a song from my...
View ArticleAnt FAQ: How to determine the platform operating system in an Ant build script
ProblemYou're creating an Ant build script, and you need to determine the operating system the script is running on, so you can make conditional decisions within the build script. You typically...
View ArticleMac Finder: How to create a new folder from keyboard
It seems like every week, as I become more proficient with using Mac OS X, I learn a new keystroke or keyboard command that is helpful in making me faster. During the last week I finally learned that I...
View ArticleHow to use multiple filename search patterns with Linux find
Linux find FAQ: How do I use the Linux find command to find multiple filename extensions (patterns) with one find command? ProblemYou want to use the Unix/Linux find command to search for multiple...
View ArticleCreating Mac Finder bookmarks (Part 1)
One of the cool things about the Mac Finder is that you can create shortcuts, or bookmarks, to folders that you visit frequently. This is cool, because instead of clicking around to get to your...
View ArticleHow to bookmark a directory in the Mac Finder (Part 2)
A very important warning: When you drag your folder over to the PLACES section of the Finder, make sure your image looks like the image shown above, where the folder is clearly going to be placed...
View ArticleMeditation leads to concentration
In other blog posts I've mentioned that I think meditation can be a great tool for improving your concentration, so I thought I'd take a few moments here to explain how to meditate. It comes very...
View ArticleWhen is Dropbox syncing? The icons tell
Dropbox syncing FAQ: How do I know when Dropbox is syncing my files?On a Mac, you can tell when Dropbox is syncing your files by looking at the Dropbox icon in your Mac menu bar. When Dropbox is not...
View ArticleHow to search multiple jar files for a string or pattern
Here's a shell script that I use that search Java jar files for any type of pattern. You can use it to search for the name of a class, the name of a package, or any other string/pattern that will show...
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