Google Desktop

Agree, it is a nifty tool which does a remarkable job of finding lost information and comes for free. But, like any other software crafted by humans, it also suffers from imperfections.

I had problems getting it to work for me. A while ago, I had tried its beta avatar but, it did not install on my box. Reason: it refused to cohabit with an antivirus that was running on my box and got into DLL conflicts with it. After this, I had shelved the idea and nearly forgotten about it.

Yesterday, at the behest of a colleague, again I decided to look at this tool. Downloaded latest Google Desktop 2 (GD2) from Google's website and double-clicked on its setup exe. To my surprise, the 'wizard' did not seek any installation directory after showing up wonted license and copyright dialogs. It is my box and I would like to have a say over where I put what. Wizard presumably thought I am a dork and automatically decided a 'path' for me. This was not the only thing. Midway, wizard balked and threw up a message like "Could not create/open database" with some arbitrary error code in it. Checked out GD2 Help Center and did exactly what it said. Uninstalled and reinstalled several times ...no different results.

GD2 recommends 4GB of free space to park its indexes and I had atleast 6GB of real estate on all partitions. Clearly there was something wrong or untested and undocumented. I nearly broke my head...:-) and then realised that I do lots of avi/mpeg stuffs on my PC. What, if the discs are hugely fragmented? Ran the defragmenter on all partitions and returned to the installation... lo, it went through without any fuss this time. I had a sense of both, jubilation and anger. Angry, because I expected to see this documented but was happy that I 'discovered' it myslef!

GD2 is going on 'happliy ever after'.

Post lunch chat

BJ: howdy
BH: good, u?
BJ: good
BJ: I have a wonderful weekend planned for you...wanna hear? ;;)
BH: ??
BJ: why don't u accompany us coming weeknd to G'pule? Shirin would love to see the ocean and the matter that occupies more than 3/4 of the globe...and u get a chance to drive to the country and a much needed vacation...sounds good? :D
BH: u guyes are going in bus
BH: i will be bored to drive alone
BJ: no...i am driving and planning my own acco/food etc...MTDC resort...probably i mite just join the fun there...:)
BJ: they are returning next day...i plan to spend the nite on saturday there itself and return on sunday :)
BH: ok.
BH: sounds great
BH: so u need a company car or company passenger?
BJ: nah..:-/
BJ: I'm driving my wgnR
BH: ok
BJ: u can drive ur matiz
BH: i then have to buy a car seat
BJ: hmm...good idea...u can actually buy 1 u need it for 2-3 yrs least to think
BH: ok, i will ask jaya and then confirm
BH: when are u doing the booking
BJ: don't 'ask' X-(
BJ: u have to 'sell' the idea :P
BJ: wednesday...Poushali can do the MTDC booking
BH: ok, i will sell, but it requires approval.. otherwise she would not let it happen
BJ: ok...the plan is :
BH: what is the journey plan?
BJ: 1. Book Konkani House at MTDC 700-800/- per day per family for twa nites (Friday and Sat)
BJ: 2. Leave on Friday morning arnd 6AM...reach there arnd lunch
BJ: 3. spend friday nite and saturday nite on the beach
BJ: 4. return on Sunday morning ...start after BF
BH: ok
BJ: On friday night and saturday morning...in between I will join the EIPL gang for Boyish fun :P
BJ: ok...check and update
BH: ok.. i will update tonite or tom morning
BH: is home loan @ 7.75% fixed rate from SBI sounds good
BH: is it good enough to swith from HDFC to SBI, (I already have hdfc approval and paid them 5k as processing fee)
BJ: may be...
BJ: i don't know how difficult it would be to deal with SBI...I have a S/B account with them at NCL branch and its a nightmare dealing with them...i just use it as a conduit for trfring money to my father :)
BH: this is some corporate deal with TIPL
BJ: i wud go for HDFC than SBI...if the diff in money is not by 50k at the end of loan tenure
BH: and they say that they would surve me in office
BJ: think of your years when u r not at TIPL :)
BH: :)
BJ: ur housing loan will follow u for 15yrs...?
BH: i may soon be out of TIPL
BJ: got a place to go? ;)
BH: a virtual resignation is already been sent
BH: :)
BJ: Ahh...now whats this VR?
BJ: and whats ur backup plan?
BH: its a threat, unless they do something about harassment in parking, i will resign
BH: i followd up with a reminder
BH: they said they will take it once my boss return from vacation (today)
BH: backup plan is to find a job in 1 month
BJ: hey negotiate a damage claim of 10k...and replace wheels :)
BJ: in US...technically u cud have got a claim under similar circumstances :)
BH: lets see what my boss has to says
BH: they ignored my first mail ( no reply)
BJ: u shud see at "what ur boss has to Offer" :D
BH: i sent a reminder saying that if this mail is ignored, i assume my service is no longer needed
BJ: ah great :-h
BJ: i meant =D>
BH: i can get a job in 1 month, i believe a better pay too.. 7 years exp in c++ does have some demand in market
BJ: oh sure...u do have a chance...let me know if u wanna try VSIL?
BJ: or EIPL :P
BH: it depends on my meeting with boss
BH: it will happen sometime this week
BH: he has not show up till now..suppose to join office today
BJ: in EIPL...they will hire u for c++ and most probably make u work on .NET :(
BJ: ok
BH: :))
BJ: b.t.w. i gladly continuing...since they are funding my .NET learning :)
BH: here too they hired me for c++, i have additional work in perl, unix shell script and core java
BH: c+= is only 10% of the job
BJ: yeah...thats the world...pick squares and fill them in circles :(
BJ: and that 10% may be just abt grep *** and replace with && :D
BH: :)    

Leaving Java, Taking on .NET

Like a bolt from the blue, my employer announced their plan to shelve Java and migrate to .NET. I am a true blue Java aficionado who believed that, he was hired as an expert to help create and foster a Java team. Now, this sudden shift in plan, left a Hobson's choice before me. Either I 'deign' and retrain myself to do .NET or I move on and take up another opportunity around Java. Looking at following reasons, I picked up former option.

• It was an unnerving thought to step out again and hunt for a competitive employment within such a short span of time. I was barely about two months old into this new job!


• What the heck! I told myself, ".NET is not much different than J2EE in spirit and application". I do not look at it condescendingly, simply because it was pioneered and, being propelled by M$ in a bid to counter growing popularity of Java and pull in some mindshare towards windows as a service oriented platform for next generation Enterprise Applications.
  I saw an opportunity to learn and know more about this new technology. This would certainly complement my knowledge of Enterprise Applications. After all, I want to be a part of a team, that would define and create next generation of Enterprise Architectures some day. Knowledge of all such competing technologies would only take this pursuit several steps closer to that ultimate goal.


• Through all these years in IT I have realized that, as you grow up in the career, programming languages and platforms do not matter much, really. The fundamental problems of computer science like memory management, scheduling, process execution, I/O and so on remain same. Only ways to abstract, encapsulate and solve them through algorithms and data structures change. Any IT professional worth his salt, should spot and value these patterns, irrespective of Java or .NET.
  


• I could not overlook the fact, that, my employer is going to fund for my .NET knowledge acquisition :-)
  

So, here I am! Learning .NET and looking at C# from a Java Developer's Perspective and reading C# for Java developers.

From the first look, C# naming conventions appeared little weird. EverythingStartsWithCapital, be it a TypeName or a MethodName(), confusing you to think whether you are looking at a Class or an Operation. However, I am training my eyes to look at many more of them, with ease.

Cheers,

Diwali celebrations in the office

Our floor all decked for Diwali.