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Why Team Foundation Server is useless for Java
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Loading ...In the company I’m currently working for we are using the Team Foundation Server as a version control system. No for developers of C# or any other Microsoft related programming language this is probably fine. However being a Java developer TFS is less then perfect. In fact it is a near nightmare.
We are using various IDE’s for editing our Java projects, meanly because different developers like different IDE’s. Personally I’m using Netbeans, which has perfect Subversion, Git, CVS and Perforce support. Some other developers use IntelliJ from Netbrains. Which is sorta expensive and the version we are using has no support for TFS at all.
So when I want to edit a simple file I first locate it in my IDE, which takes me about 5 seconds. Then I need to look up its location on disk, followed by opening the completely useless Team Exporer. Then I again need to look up the file in TE, followed by a check-out. The whole process to the point that the file is checked out and ready to go takes probably about 1 minute, each and every time.
On an average day I probably waste up to an hour checking out files, and commiting them back into the version control system.
To ease the burden a bit I’ve tried the SvnBridge tool to link my IDE’s Subversion system with TFS, but this tool has many flaws. Just a few of which are:
- No longer appears to be developed
- A merge in TE causes all updates to fail, you need to do a clean checkout again
- Random update failures due to commits of other developers
So for now I’m stuck. Really, really, really stuck.
Working on a new layout
It’s been some time since my last post here, and there are several very good reasons for that. I’m currently rather busy trying to rebuild the skin for this blog, as well as several other development projects I’ve got going on right now. One might say I’m taking on more work then I can handle, but I love to be busy I guess. So what am I working on, and what can you be expecting in the time to come here:
- Redesigning this blog, to bring it up to speed with the latest possibilities from WordPress
- Building of the UML Design tool that I started on some months ago
- Defining the specs of a neural algorithm to build a user centric database (more on this to come in the future here)
- Continued development on the Synchronizer tool, hoping to release version 3.0 soon
And that’s just the work that I do in my rare spare time next to a full-time job.
Erasing partition stupidity
Sometimes I just have the worst luck possible. Yesterday was one of those days. I recently had some issues with my HHD in my work laptop. So I thought why not install Ubuntu on a spare partition I never use.
So far for the good idea, but when Ubuntu asked me what partition to delete I wasn’t sure which was the spare one and which one contained all the source code of all applications and websites I developed. And you probably guessed it, I erased the wrong one.
Gone is a couple of days of work. Serves me right for not checking it in every day 
Looking for a new HTPC setup
I love my HTPC, which I build over 5 years ago. Much to my surprise it is still very capable of playing full HD and to some extend even 3D movies. But alas it is time to start thinking about a new smaller setup. Right now I have the Antec Fusion case with a mATX board in it. Which served well over the years.
Unfortunately the design of the mATX in combination with my ATX does not allow me to use the SATA ports properly (they are sorta sticking out to the side and into the case). So the hunt is on again for a new HTPC setup. Well not everything has to be brand new, I have a working digital tuner card as well as a relatively new graphics card for hardware acceleration. So this was my current setup, which I loved:
- Antec Fusion V2 case
- Gigabyte MA69GM-S2H motherboard, a bit old but working (could use replacing maybe?)
- AMD Athlon XP2 6000+
- Asus EAH5750 Formula
- 6 GB Dual channel DDR3 memory
- Harmony Remote
- SATA 160 GB Samsung HD
- FloppyDTV digital tuner card
- LG Blu-Ray player
So I’m not looking for anything fancy any more. I will be moving at least the FloppyDTV an LG Blu-ray player over to the new case. And preferably the graphics card unless I can find an onboard one with equal performance and HD decoding skills. So what are my new requirements:
- The case has to be smaller then my current one (I like the Fusion but it is to big for my likings)
- The system has to be as quite as possible (so minimal fans or big fans moving at low speed)
- It has to have an IR port to receive the Harmony signal
I’m sorta already stuck, and I’m only looking for a new case so far. Am I the only one looking for a small case for a HTPC that is at least a bit stylish, that does not need to have a display.
Complicated password policy failure
In most bigger companies, and for some commercial websites, you have to create what they like to call a strong password. Normally this will mean your password has to be at least 5 characters long and contain at least one number. Nothing wrong with that, and I can usually make a password that I can remember.
However lately I believe companies are pushing us to reach new levels of our brain or something. I’ve been seeing more policies where you have to have numbers, letters, special characters and capitalized letters in it. Oh and to top it of it can’t be a password you had in the past, or a incremental version of that (eg: test1 to test10).
Now lets examine how usefull such a policy is. I used to have pretty strong passwords, hard to guess and difficult to crack. Now that my passwords have to be so complicated I’m resorting to putting post-its on my screen with the passwords again. Very insecure and very easy to hack.
