The SquizLogKeith Pitty takes a squiz at the world. |
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The SquizLogKeith Pitty takes a squiz at the world. |
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When Sun released the Java EE 5 spec in May this year I was encouraged by the improvements, particularly EJB 3.0 and JPA.
Now, via InfoQ, I read that IBM does not plan to support Java EE 5 in WebSphere Application Server until 2008. Ironically, the Dr Dobb's article reporting this intention is entitled "App Server Powers Race To Embed Java EE 5 Support". Because WebSphere is the market leader it is not surprising that many solution providers are delaying their plans to support Java EE 5.
Given that the Java EE 5 spec was two years in the making and it is likely that there will be a delay of at least a further two years before the market leader supports the spec, is it any wonder that there is growing interest in alternative open source solutions?
Today I needed to start learning about WebSphere Portal for work. At lunch time I agreed with my colleague that "it's not rocket science" but there's a lot of knowledge to accumulate.
"And it's all in the Info Centre!", he said. Now the WebSphere Portal Version 5.1 Information Center is not exactly bedtime reading but it's good to have as a reference. It certainly beats the supporting documentation for some other products.
But I think I'll be relying more on experimenting than reading to learn the product.
I admit it. I love flowers.
On occasions in the past this has caused me some trouble. I mean, it's not exactly a macho thing, is it? Here in Australia your average male - whoever that is - is expected to be macho and a preponderance for taking pictures of nice looking flowers is viewed as far too effeminate.
But bugger it!
Recently, whilst I was on the way back from the Southern NSW with my wife and kids, we paused for afternoon tea in Mittagong. The smell of Spring filled the air and the gardens radiated beauty.
So here's a sample photo.
"A change is as good as a holiday." It's an old cliché but one with more than a grain of truth.
In my working life I always value the opportunity to learn new technologies and put them to good use. So, having spent a good part of the last year working on a J2EE application based on Servlets, JSPs, JSTL and JDBC, I am glad to have recently been given the chance to learn something new with the Eclipse Rich Client Platform. Thanks to my colleagues David and Alan, the learning curve - whilst still significant - is proving to be shorter than it would otherwise. Having used Eclipse in various guises for several years now and been aware of its plug-in architecture, it is a treat to be involved in developing plug-ins as part of creating rich client applications.
That's all I wanted to say, really. Maybe I'll say more later when I've delved deeper.
Last Sunday was a fine day for travelling as my family drove to southern NSW to visit my parents.
And it would have been an excellent "seeing" day for batsmen. Which is just as well, because as Greg Mail and Eddie Cowan walked to the crease at Manly Oval to open the batting for Sydney University, their team required a mere 429 runs to win! Admittedly it was a flat track, as Test leg-spinner Stuart MacGill had found out the previous day when his bowling analysis was an unflattering 0/101 from 17 overs.
Mail fell early but then Cowan was joined by skipper Shane Stanton and all-rounder Ian Moran in two crucial partnerships that set up an astonishing victory.
Cowan's contribution? 253!!
I would love to have been there to witness what must have been a masterful innings from the little left-hander. Fortunately his team-mate Pete Sanders offered the following descriptions in his match report:
"Eddie’s innings does need a little mention though, I guess. Once he began unleashing a few imperious pull shots over and through mid-wicket around the 30 or 40 mark to couple his trademark drives “in the V”, people around the ground were thinking that this might be Eddie’s day. Having raced past 100 in the middle session, Eddie decided to mimic the actions of his self-confessed boyhood hero Dean Jones during his draining 210 in the famous 1986 Madras Tied Test by vomiting in the changerooms at tea. As the cool sea breeze was gently wafting across the square, everyone to a man agreed that the conditions at Manly Oval would have been very similar if not exactly the same as in Madras.And for those who think I might be making all this up, here is the official score card.
Eddie’s knock was brilliant. While everyone of course acknowledges the sheer magnitude of 253 runs, what perhaps deserves most recognition is how measured the innings was in the context of the day and the chase. Eddie looked in complete control from start to finish, and was never in doubt that we would get the runs. It was controlled yet commanding batsmanship. And of course he didn’t lose his honour in all of this, sacrificing his wicket on 253 in a Barnes-esque manner so as not to surpass the immortal Johnny Taylor."
May the 2006/07 Australian season continue to provide such wonderful cricket!