NeuDev

Future Now

2009-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

My Authentication Code Collection

2008-05-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Revealed, my authentication code collection. Collecting these small (and annoyingly appropriate security images) is akin to an Easter egg or scavenger hunt-- save that you never know when one will pop-up for your use. Just when you have forgotten about auth-codes when registering for your 5th GMail account, for example, another distorted and bizarrely rendered image presents itself, the key to your online user creation. It is always exciting to find a new auth-code to add to my collection.

The included image (above) is a small portion from my collection. Each is unique in appearance, repeats not being acceptable for this collection.

Automated Tasks via...

2008-05-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

RUBY. Automated Tasks via Ruby, a new terrain that is being explored.

The QA team I am a member of has taken upon itself (ourselves) to dev scripted tools using Ruby in order to automate repetitive tasks; these tasks (such as User account creation, site login, etc) are impediments to streamlined testing during every testing cycle.

So far, we have been writing small scripts (very small scripts). These scripts are promising and exciting. To run a Ruby script from a desktop environment and then sit back and watch it move through the tedious steps for you-- well, it's magical.

Thank-you Ruby (and John and Chiky).

Boston Dynamics "Big Dog"

2008-04-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

An amazing DARPA-funded robotics project. Watch and be amazed how far AI and movement has evolved...

TaskStream - My Job is Great

2008-03-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

KITE

2008-03-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Kite is a game, or rather, a "toy". Flash-based, this game is set in a field during a storm, the object originally being to control a kite amidst scrolling clouds, each cloud struck equaling a point-range earned.

I am now considering redesigning this game to be a puzzle, dynamic in its approach. I have not yet determined what the logic of this puzzle might be.

Although "Kite" has not been built/coded yet, the overall design seems promising.

*The screenshot above is a mock-up simulation and does depict actual game play.

AI - Sterling

2008-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

I started new work on the artificial intelligence dev project. After many years and piles of scattered notebooks full of fragments of code, theory, and test plans I've began the process of compiling all of this work into one master book, pulling together all of my previous designs and actually adding new material.

Algorithms are my main focus at the moment, in this case a primary algo-- one algo to rule the rest. This algo is a holy grail and is code-named "Sterling"; It is young, undeveloped, but the goal is becoming defined slowly along with the mathematical structure(s) needed for processing. Sterling will be a component of the main engine but will also serve a greater role as a top-level control.

I am also working on an algo called "Harlequin": I will not go into the depths of Harlequin at this time as it is a unique algorithm construct that I am very protective of. It will be used for the analysis of memory\arrays, process optimization, and DB control.

Under The Volcano

2008-02-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

I went to a post-launch get-together with the company the other evening at a Manhattan bar named "Under the Volcano". I had a nice time. I sat with one of the QA team, Chiky, and with a programmer, Jesse. We talked the whole time mostly about programming, languages, needed QA tools, etc. Everyone sat in small groups over drinks just chatting, relaxed. This was fun and a different aspect of the workplace; This allowed for a sense of celebration for the hard work that was done (for the project) and it also allowed for everyone to get to know one-another a bit better outside of the office.

Testing Over-- Party Begins

2008-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well, according to the title bar, the new version testing is over for the build and a party began to celebrate this at a bar in Manhattan, tonight. The party didn't start for me, though. I went home to see Monica, instead.

The QA team\testers, programmers, all support staff, and myself were invited to an Irish pub-like bar near the office for a drink. And, I didn't go. Doesn't surprise me; I like each person I work with and sort of wanted to go but there is some (un)natural resistance within that prevents my joining-in in situations like this. I'm not exactly sure why. But, the testing is done and that's what is important.

Blog 1.2

2008-02-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I've posted-- almost a year. That's hard to believe in some ways. I will not commit to daily updates at this time as, for now, this will suffice. I've done freelance web dev, contractual web dev + graphic design, and various interviews and "tryouts" (a bizarro-world take on an extended interview of sorts) over the last year; I put much serious time into all of this and I thought it meant a lot. It means a lot as to 'experience' but now, not much more. Perspectives change.

The change as of late is with a new job: I was hired by 'TaskStream' in Manhattan as a software tester. Sweet. TaskStream develops high-end educational and assessment software for schools, the military, and other organizations. This began as a contractual job for end-cycle testing ( late February, 2008 release) That was cool but in some ways depressing; I soon came to really like this place, the work, and all the people that where there. I tested, reported bugs, and have learned so much doing it, the whole time knowing it would end soon. But it didn't.

I was recently called into the boardroom one afternoon by the QA Manager and the Lead Web Developer. I thought: "What's this about??" I soon found out. I was offered a full-time job as a web developer && a graphic designer! Very sweet. The testing cycle ends in a few days and I will begin new web dev projects with my new boss. This is all very exciting and somewhat hard to believe.

Brief Return:

2007-05-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since my last log-in and post; I have been experiencing some non-programming related turmoil and have not been incredibly active as of late.

I have recently began an online, OOP-Java class which is very interesting and a great refresher for OOP programming skills. I am also looking for new\additional coding work in NYC which is both exciting and intimidating.

No independent projects scheduled at this time.

The Wonders of Collision Detection!

2007-03-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight I finally endeavored to understand and implement "collision detection" for a video game (Flash) : it is quite easy after doing it, actually, based on the X -Y axes and purely mathematical, of course. The mystified magic of collision detection has been finally demystified for me (although, I have only worked on a basic system-- there is finer detail to be sure) I also worked on physics for the same game tonight; this may stand as even more important than collision detection if not its equal. Once again, simple mathematics made use of to create what amounts to an illusion.

It is quite exciting to attempt something and with a bit of work conclude a small project with a feeling of solid understanding.

~Magic Fountains~ (Flash)

2007-03-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Macromedia Flash ... New Job

2007-03-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

My new job is not involved with Macromedia Flash, or, at this point, even programming (I am about to begin writing ad-copy for a search-engine optimization company located in Boulder, Colorado) This is quite exciting and a dream position come true.

FLASH : I am studying Macromedia Flash (and ActionScript coding); this is very interesting, fun, and seems to be full of massive potential as a programmer\designer\artist. I have worked on a few tutorials with some interesting results.

Well, Well

2007-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

A new Job?! Yes. I have been hired at a new firm. I have not began yet and am not exactly sure of my direct assignment(s) but it sounds juicy. Much more on this to come.

New Build:

2007-02-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

AMGINE

NEWS: [Build Complete]

2007-02-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

The final build and testing is complete for "Sith Realms" now entitled "Cantina ~ Monte".

Rebuild?

2007-02-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

A rebuild? Well, sort of. I ruminated over the "Sith Realms" game for some time now and some of the contained algos. I will say I made some fine headway but it occurred to me upon waking one morning that I could still improve upon the build and this would most likely require demolition of areas of the code and a thorough rebuild (in specific areas).

This I have done, stripping areas bare of run-on code lines, extracting the useful functions and denying those which only exist for their own sake, for perpetrating the ideal of functions used "when functions can be used".

I am still working on this and it has been very fun, simple, and quite easy. This brings some well-earned joy after weeks of digging through my caves of lost code.

The Lone Developer

2007-01-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

A great Wiki article aimed at the single, one-person game developer-- tips, hints, and suggestions: Lone Developer

Return

2007-01-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

I began work once again on the game yesterday. At first I resisted deeply considering what I was doing but I continued on and, after a time, I found that I was making a good deal of progress. I primarily worked on button controls and some logic concerning the computer-player's A.I. I came to a point where I decided to save and exit the compiler, stopping at a reasonable point. I felt it would be better to rest on that night's laurels than press on, become tired (it was late), and end up with a coded train-wreck that I would have to untangle today.

This afternoon I need to look at and fix some of the variables that are throwing obvious errors (returning zero as a value) I believe I may be done with the principle build by the end of the weekend and can then schedule final testing.

Rest_Read_Rest_ [code?]

2007-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have taken a short break from work; I have been resting and reading: Plato\ Socrates, OOP, OpenGL, Basic4GL, The Bible (Psalms). Yes, resting in the form of naps-- I never take naps. For the last few months between work and personal projects I have been keeping odd and almost bizarre hours, or should I say (?) no particular hours. Hmm, my body noticed and for the last almost 2-weeks has been inducing day-naps and end-nights where I am asleep before Midnight. Odd, but I believe it is necessary for health and there is no stopping the body when it needs to reset itself properly.

I plan to finish off the "Sith Realms 21" game this week for the most part minus final testing (unit testing and benchmark testing last week brought me to a nice point allowing me to take this break). I am hoping tomorrow brings the urge and resolution for completion of this project. Hoping.

The Glory of a Proper Algo

2007-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

I cannot claim to directly know of the absolute algorithm intimately, but I do know it exists. After much work and struggle in programming as of late, I reach what I think to be the peak of a mathematical discovery, learning how it works from within, and how the results spill forth upon me as simply perfect-- then I fall down the slopes into the valley only to be forced to view the peaks once again wondering aloud if I shall ever reach the top.

It requires a forward push. It requires a faith in numbers, a spirit that reminds one of the truths when an algo produces negative results :"It is not I, fool-- my form is gracious. It is you who does not understand the depths of my language nor how to speak of my ways." So true.

But, I try to push forward, day after day, and I see the sun skirt the glacial faces as the winds break free upon the Northern realms above. I must prepare better for my ascent.

The Importance of Unit Testing

2007-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

The importance of unit testing during a program dev is beginning to ring true! Not that I really ever doubted it, I just never truly considered it. I have always "unit tested" (as we all do while producing code-- compiling, editing source, etc) but I have never until last night made it a priority. I'll admit, it is probably too late to officially begin this method for "Sith Realms 21" as this particular program is almost complete, but this very foray into proper unit testing, that is, writing actual logic tests and documenting their results helped me to solve (it seems at this point at least) some serious logic errors that prevented the clearing of an important milestone towards completion. I have adopted this technique and plan to use it from this point forward.

Testing: by Evelyn Mitchell

2007-01-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

The 17th century German philosopher and poet Novalis said, "Most marriages are divorces." Had he been a software developer, he might have said, "Most programming is maintenance." Still, with careful testing from the outset, the maintenance of existing programs can be made much easier, but only if the effort of writing and running tests is justified.

Unit testing is the process of testing code as you write it. You can also use unit testing during regression testing, in which you determine if a program is working the way it did before you modified it. Unit testing is also known as "white box" or "glass box testing," as opposed to "black box testing."

Black box testing is, roughly speaking, testing done by someone who does not have access to the program's code. In black box testing the program is viewed (you might have guessed) as a black box that takes inputs and produces outputs, but doesn't reveal its internal structure. By contrast, unit testing exercises your full knowledge of the code by testing the interfaces to other code components and to user space, as well as the implementation.

Unit testing fully tests every interesting function a program performs. You can test for unusual data, or for combinations of values that should always or must never occur. You can even use it for coverage testing, to make sure that you've exercised every path through a program.

You can write the unit tests once you understand what you want a module to do, even before you've actually written the module. Kent Beck (author of Test Infected: Programmers Love Writing Tests -- see Resources) recommends writing the tests before you write the code because they can help to clarify your understanding of what the module is supposed to do independent of how it will do it, thereby separating design testing from implementation testing. If you can't write a test for a module before you write the module, that may suggest that you do not understand the design, or that the design has an error. If you can catch a design error at this stage, you've just saved yourself some coding time.

A unit testing framework, such as PythonUnit, makes it easy to test your code after every change, no matter how trivial. I work with multiple windows open -- one for the code I'm editing, one for the testing -- and I pop back and forth as I make changes.

This makes finding errors simpler because you know that the change you just made caused your test to fail. Frequent testing can eliminate those multi-hour debugging sessions where your code gets filled with print statements while you try to find that good line gone bad.

Writing all those test cases may seem like a lot of work, but I find it to be a very effective way of learning how a new piece of code functions (or doesn't function the way I thought it did). The time I spend writing tests is time I would have spent guessing about how something works, to no good end.

The simple fact is that the earlier you find a bug and fix it, the cheaper the fix is.

Twisted Variables and Flying Roaches: The Mighty Dogfight

2007-01-08T04:31:00.000-08:00

The program I am currently working on, "Sith Realms 21", is nearing completion; at this point I am doing a lot of testing, not the proper testing one reserves for a release but a real-time testing (unit testing) that is forced. "Forced" in this case is not a burden but is not welcomed with heart-warming grace, either. I, the ever-impatient programmer\artist wants it done, complete-- a folder in my virtual portfolio to show a potential, future employee. I must always remind myself of the real purpose of this work: through mistakes and errors you will learn (hopefully), and through having to fix a misconceived design you may be developing a vaccine against future, disastrous designs. Just try to learn calmly as you stare at the compiler, and do not give up the fight of error eradication.

It is not unlike a WWI dogfight sometimes: You know that the enemy stalks the horizon. You hear the hum of his engines and the whirl of propellers. Your instinct tells you that if you come in contact with your opponent it will be a nasty fight, but you fly on. You now see their canvas wings as you draw closer-- they are not quite the enemy you feared. But, they let loose with a barrage of lead volleys that almost gaze your leather helmet and punches holes in your planes skin. You tilt and roll racing towards the Earth not in pursuit of a fiery death but only as a defensive move to regain your arial footing and produce a new, aggressive stance. Your co-pilot screams for you to blaze a trail to the heart of your enemy even if it means both your deaths. Victory is possibly only a moment away. Your tear loose with an attack of machine gun fire that strikes the enemy pilot in his hands and his head. That plane now falls free and bleeding smoke, a torn kite now fuming with sure defeat; the dead, enemy craft thrashes the ground not unlike a shattered spear and explodes in a glorious gulp. Your co-pilot yells "Aces High!" and you prepare to return to base. You have just won this round and you can rest perhaps for a moment. Your team will seek and search to recover the destroyed enemy plane to study the wreckage for secrets and technological advancement-- all you do is fall into your bunk and retire with victory for a few hours in dreams of blasts and breath-stealing bail-outs. You will awake in a sweat for another take.

Such is the days of a programmer at times. Although I am making use of lofty, dated imagery and metaphor to describe my struggles with code at times, it is how I feel it at the moment and I pray for victory and yearn to return to base, perhaps to gun another day for all the twisted variables, redundant code bunkers, and the notorious bugs who fly in bomber-formation in search of birthing a firsescape in our eyes. Aces High!