Praval Tirubeni's Blog

Hello 2010: 3 months late

shauntir — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:04:56 +0000

Well, happy new year to all! I hope everyone had a great 2009.

It’s already March now! I cannot believe how fast time seems to be going. It just goes to show how busy the year has been so far.

What’s new? Well I’ve finally started training and exercising well: pushing myself a lot more and strict on not missing sessions. Work has been very busy but there are some excellent opportunities arising. Hint: I finally get to go full circle in BI: ETL, reports, dashboards, and automation.

I also really want to further my studies but haven’t registered yet. Maybe second semester or 2011. Just have to get some time to talk to some of the lecturers.

2010 is still young. We still have to witness the soccer world cup here in SA. Traffic is already pretty bad so it’s gonna be interesting when millions more arrive.

So let’s hope that the new decade is as good (and better) than the previous…

Seasons Greetings 2009

shauntir — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:29:38 +0000

I wish all my readers, family, and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’m sure the new decade will have many opportunities that will make life fun and full of joy!

The next blog post will be in 2010 and I hope to bring you much more interesting and informative content in the new year and decade.

Cheers!

Protected: How To Get User Credentials In C#

shauntir — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:51 +0000

This post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading.

A Few BI Resources & Links

shauntir — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:04:53 +0000

Since I am striving to be a BI professional, it is about time that I actually blogged something about BI. Over the past few months I have managed to collect a few links to some very valuable resources related to Business Intelligence. Here are some that I hope will provide some value to you:

Business Intelligence for Business People is a good blog that has content related to what’s currently happening in the BI industry. This is an excellent place to keep up-to-date. The slogan from the site: “On marketplace success, innovation, and business intelligence.”.
Dashboards, Reporting & Business Intelligence is a much more technical site with lots of practical examples and code. There also is an awesome set of resources linked on the right-hand site of the website related to Oracle, BI, and ERP.
Let’s Learn Business Intelligence is also a technical site that has some very unique and useful tutorials. I have found the Business Objects part of the site very helpful.

So that’s it for now. Be on the lookout for many more future posts relating to BI

My first C# ASP.Net project

shauntir — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:10:34 +0000

Well I’m no C# fundi, or .Net expert, but sometimes you may need to use these technologies which can be quite fun. I recently had to help one of my work colleague out with creating a simple website that should have dynamic link navigation, and a simple way of changing the flash file based on the clicked url.

I have played with C# before in my spare time and created a simple desktop app to store documents. Unfortunately, I did not get to fully complete the app.

Now back to the current project. Here is the asp part of the code:

<%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="Default.aspx.cs" Inherits="SomeWebsite._Default" %>

Pretty simple layout and navigation. Since we’re using the ASP.Net menu component, it allows us the option to dynamically get the urls from an xml file or sitemap. This makes it very easy for us to create a dynamic url structure.

And here is the C# code that is behind the asp code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;

namespace SomeWebsite
{
    public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page
    {
        protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

        }

        protected void Navigation_MenuItemClick(object sender, MenuEventArgs e)
        {
            //Use a dictionary to map my url text and swf file name. Dictionaries are awesome!
            Dictionary urlMap = new Dictionary();

            //The swf embed string that will be returned.
            string swfResponse = "";

            //The swf embed heredoc string template.
            string embedString = @"
                                         
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                         
                                   ";

            //Set up all of the url text values and flash file names respectively.
            urlMap.Add("URL1", "swfFile1");
            urlMap.Add("URL2", "swfFile2");

            //Generate the embed flash string based on the link clicked and then add it to the html.
            string replaceVal;
            if (urlMap.TryGetValue(Navigation.SelectedItem.Text, out replaceVal))
            {
                swfResponse = embedString.Replace("find_and_replace_me", replaceVal);
                id_flash_embed.InnerHtml = swfResponse;
            }
            else 
            {
                id_flash_embed.InnerHtml = "Sorry, the link you clicked has no data associated with it.";
            }
            
        }
    }
}

As you may notice, I have used a dictionary here; dictionaries are awesome! It cuts down the code quite a bit since there is no need to use if..else statements to test the url and get the correct flash file.

So that was my first ASP.Net app that I did all by myself. It was not all that difficult and only took me about 2 hours in total with refactoring included. If C# was truly cross-platform (mono is not close enough to MS’s implementation), I would really dedicate a fair amount of time to learn it. If you’re developing on an MS platform only, then .Net is the way to go.

Deleting Rows In PostgreSQL Based On A Duplicate Column Values

shauntir — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:44:15 +0000

Back at my previous company we usually had the task of deleting rows that had duplicate values in a specific column. This column would usually be the email field. As simple as this sounds, it’s not that easy to do in PostgreSQL.

My friend was talking about this after I had left and I thought I’d write a little SQL query to help solve the problem. It took me around an hour to do but it was worth the time and effort. It’s not the most efficient query and there may be other ways of doing it but this does what you need in SQL only.

DELETE FROM st_emails where id NOT IN --Any ids not in the list returned below are duplicates and therefore will be deleted
 (
 --Find all unique rows
  SELECT
   id
  FROM
   st_emails
  WHERE
   --Determine the smallest ids for rows with duplicate emails
   id IN(
     select id
     from st_emails
     where id in (select min(id) from st_emails group by email having (count(*) > 1) )
      )
   --Determine all emails that are unique
   OR email IN (select email from st_emails group by email having (count(*) = 1))
 )

The query basically deletes rows where the row id is not in a list of unique rows.

The unique rows are determined by finding the unique emails and then finding the smallest row id where the email is duplicated (this will ensure that all duplicates, except a single unique row is deleted – kinda like your limit clause).

If you want the newest email duplicate entry not to be deleted then just replace “min” with “max”.

Firefox Web Developer Add-on

shauntir — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:37:57 +0000

My friend, Muhammed Abad, sent me an awesome link to a funky little add-on for Firefox last week. It’s called Web Developer (how appropriate) and it seems to have some amazing functions.

I haven’t had the time to play with it yet, but from the toolbar I can see there is:

Disabling of cookies, Java, Javascript, proxy, cache and much more;
Viewing, disabiling, and editing CSS;
Form Auto-completion, clearing, and method conversions;
Manipulation of images and displaying information;
Displaying information on various HTML elements;
Outlining various HTML elements;
Window reszing and zooming;
Validation tools, inspectors, and consoles;
Source viewer.

Now that is a lot of stuff to make web development easier and debugging for IE… a little less strainful

The Unofficial Django Mascot

shauntir — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:34:41 +0000

I gotta tell you, this framewrok and it’s community just keeps on amazing me. Apart from being one of the most elegant web frameworks out there, Django also has a pretty magical community!

So what am I talking about? Well I came accross the unofficial mascot for the Django framework and it’s something not very conventional. Rather, it’s…different?

I like this one but there is also a green version for all the die hard fans. Find out what more good things this pony which is actually a unicorn brings.

Our Trip To Howick Falls

shauntir — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:24:29 +0000

Earlier this year our family took a drive through the Midlands Meander and then to Howick. Such beautiful scenery:

Pretty spectacular hey! It was a cold but fantastic day

Some Linux Shell Commands

shauntir — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:57:01 +0000

I was going through some of my files and folders on my PC a few moments ago when I came accross a text file named “linux command.txt”. It has a very extensive list of *nix shell commands that I thought I’d share.

Here’s the contents of the file:

sudo     run command as sudo more access

sudo ps aux | grep -ri "script/server 8040"  	 list proccesses for specific port

cd	 change dir

ls -la	 directory structure

alias    Create an alias
apropos  Search Help manual pages (man -k)
awk      Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index
break    Exit from a loop
builtin  Run a shell builtin
bzip2    Compress or decompress named file(s)

cal      Display a calendar
case     Conditionally perform a command
cat      Display the contents of a file
cd       Change Directory
cfdisk   Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp    Change group ownership
chmod    Change access permissions
chown    Change file owner and group
chroot   Run a command with a different root directory
cksum    Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear    Clear terminal screen
cmp      Compare two files
comm     Compare two sorted files line by line
command  Run a command - ignoring shell functions
continue Resume the next iteration of a loop
cp       Copy one or more files to another location
cron     Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab  Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit   Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut      Divide a file into several parts

date     Display or change the date & time
dc       Desk Calculator
dd       Data Dump - Convert and copy a file
ddrescue Data recovery tool
declare  Declare variables and give them attributes
df       Display free disk space
diff     Display the differences between two files
diff3    Show differences among three files
dig      DNS lookup
dir      Briefly list directory contents
dircolors Colour setup for `ls'
dirname  Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs     Display list of remembered directories
du       Estimate file space usage

echo     Display message on screen
egrep    Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression
eject    Eject removable media
enable   Enable and disable builtin shell commands
env      Environment variables
ethtool  Ethernet card settings
eval     Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec     Execute a command
exit     Exit the shell
expand   Convert tabs to spaces
export   Set an environment variable
expr     Evaluate expressions

false    Do nothing, unsuccessfully
fdformat Low-level format a floppy disk
fdisk    Partition table manipulator for Linux
fgrep    Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
file     Determine file type
find     Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt      Reformat paragraph text
fold     Wrap text to fit a specified width.
for      Expand words, and execute commands
format   Format disks or tapes
free     Display memory usage
fsck     File system consistency check and repair
ftp      File Transfer Protocol
function Define Function Macros

gawk     Find and Replace text within file(s)
getopts  Parse positional parameters
grep     Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups   Print group names a user is in
gzip     Compress or decompress named file(s)

hash     Remember the full pathname of a name argument
head     Output the first part of file(s)
history  Command History
hostname Print or set system name

id       Print user and group id's
if       Conditionally perform a command
ifconfig Configure a network interface
import   Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
install  Copy files and set attributes

join     Join lines on a common field

kill     Stop a process from running

less     Display output one screen at a time
let      Perform arithmetic on shell variables
ln       Make links between files
local    Create variables
locate   Find files
logname  Print current login name
logout   Exit a login shell
look     Display lines beginning with a given string
lpc      Line printer control program
lpr      Off line print
lprint   Print a file
lprintd  Abort a print job
lprintq  List the print queue
lprm     Remove jobs from the print queue
ls       List information about file(s)
lsof     List open files

make     Recompile a group of programs
man      Help manual
mkdir    Create new folder(s)
mkfifo   Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mkisofs  Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem
mknod    Make block or character special files
more     Display output one screen at a time
mount    Mount a file system
mtools   Manipulate MS-DOS files
mv       Move or rename files or directories

netstat  Networking information
nice     Set the priority of a command or job
nl       Number lines and write files
nohup    Run a command immune to hangups
nslookup Query Internet name servers interactively

passwd   Modify a user password
paste    Merge lines of files
pathchk  Check file name portability
ping     Test a network connection
popd     Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr       Prepare files for printing
printcap Printer capability database
printenv Print environment variables
printf   Format and print data
ps       Process status
pushd    Save and then change the current directory
pwd      Print Working Directory

quota    Display disk usage and limits
quotacheck Scan a file system for disk usage
quotactl Set disk quotas

ram      ram disk device
rcp      Copy files between two machines.
read     read a line from standard input
readonly Mark variables/functions as readonly
remsync  Synchronize remote files via email
return   Exit a shell function
rm       Remove files
rmdir    Remove folder(s)
rsync    Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

screen   Terminal window manager
scp      Secure copy (remote file copy)
sdiff    Merge two files interactively
sed      Stream Editor
select   Accept keyboard input
seq      Print numeric sequences
set      Manipulate shell variables and functions
sftp     Secure File Transfer Program
shift    Shift positional parameters
shopt    Shell Options
shutdown Shutdown or restart linux
sleep    Delay for a specified time
sort     Sort text files
source   Run commands from a file `.'
split    Split a file into fixed-size pieces
ssh      Secure Shell client (remote login program)
strace   Trace system calls and signals
su       Substitute user identity
sum      Print a checksum for a file
symlink  Make a new name for a file
sync     Synchronize data on disk with memory

tail     Output the last part of files
tar      Tape ARchiver
tee      Redirect output to multiple files
test     Evaluate a conditional expression
time     Measure Program running time
times    User and system times
touch    Change file timestamps
top      List processes running on the system
traceroute Trace Route to Host
trap     Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr       Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true     Do nothing, successfully
tsort    Topological sort
tty      Print filename of terminal on stdin
type     Describe a command

ulimit   Limit user resources
umask    Users file creation mask
umount   Unmount a device
unalias  Remove an alias
uname    Print system information
unexpand Convert spaces to tabs
uniq     Uniquify files
units    Convert units from one scale to another
unset    Remove variable or function names
unshar   Unpack shell archive scripts
until    Execute commands (until error)
useradd  Create new user account
usermod  Modify user account
users    List users currently logged in
uuencode Encode a binary file 
uudecode Decode a file created by uuencode

v        Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vdir     Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vi       Text Editor

watch    Execute/display a program periodically
wc       Print byte, word, and line counts
whereis  Report all known instances of a command    
which    Locate a program file in the user's path. 
while    Execute commands
who      Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami   Print the current user id and name (`id -un')
Wget     Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP

xargs    Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)
yes      Print a string until interrupted

.        Run a command script in the current shell
###      Comment / Remark