Jira Firefox Extension

My office uses Jira as bug tracking tool. Quick search option in Jira is really useful to peak into the bug details when you know the bug ID. In my perspective, the deterrent to this feature is, one has start the browser, navigate to the jira site and then do a quick search.

To simplify, I developed a small firefox extension through which you can enter the bug ID and it directly takes you to the bug page.

In the course of this, I got a few good links to firefox plugin development.

Firefox Extension Devlopment
XUL Controls - MDC



If you are interested in the extension, pls leave a comment.
Note: This extension is not generic enough to support all Jira deployments.

Connecting multiple monitors to laptop

It is widely acclaimed that having multiple monitors increases the productivity. One gets wider viewing area and having different applications opened in the monitors helps you to concentrate and work better. I had been toying with this idea for a while and seem to reap some benefits.

Hardware setup
Dell D630 laptop
Dell Docking station (model: PR01x)
Two 19' Dell monitors

Software setup
Win XP
Multimon

Connection
Use the usual VGI video cable to connect first monitor.
Use the DVI cable to connect the second monitor.
The docking station should have support for DVI port.

Configuration
Now, you need to configure your OS to use two monitors.

With Win XP, Go to Display Properties and attach the second monitor.
Identify and check both the monitors
One can swap the monitor position on the Display properties window to suit your monitor placement
Install MultiMon (freeware) to get the Taskbar on the second monitor

Other Resources

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307873
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/northrup_multimon.mspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-monitor

Downloading videos from internet

A novel plugin with Firefox enables you to download the online videos from the video portals like Google Video, MySpace, YouTube, etc. The step by step procedure can be found in the following post.

http://www.gilsmethod.com/htdownloadvideosfromtheinternet

Original post:
http://www.dvdhelp.us/php/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=120&t=3910

Excerpt from the post:

1. Download & install Firefox (You need firefox for the extension to work)

2. Download & install the Video Downloader extension for Firefox (The video downloader extension allows you to save videos from popular websites like Myspace, YouTube, Google, and others.)

3. Download & install Media Coder (This encoder converts the video you download into .avi files which allow you to view and store them at your won discretion)

4. Find the video you wish to save. Once you are on the page click the Video Downloader Button in the bottom right part of your Firefox Browser window.

5. A window will pop-up. Click the button that says Download Link

6. When prompted select Save to Disk and then click OK

>>>>>Please note that if the file you download does not have the extension .flv, then rename the file and end the name with .flv <<<<<

7. Start up MediaCoder

8. Click on the I agree radio button and on the Skip Setup Wizard button, then close the window that appears after that.

9. Drag and drop the .flv files you downloaded into the large white area in Media Coder

10. Click on the Video tab in the lower left-hand section on the window and select XviD in the Format drop-down menu.

11. Click the large Start buttonon the top toolbar window to start transcoding your video.

12. When completed a window will propmt you saying that transcoding is completed, go your file's original location and an .AVI file shoudl be there with the same file name. Now you can play it with Windows Media or your favorite media player.

Sony Ericsson K550i themes

I was looking for some alternative themes for SE K550i. The default themes that comes with the phone pre-installed is pretty basic. SE site wont allow you to download the themes into you computer and then transfer it to your phone (for free stuff).

The alternative is ESATO. You get nice themes over here.

Sony Ericsson K550i - Network icons

Just pondering over the 'G' and 'E' icons displayed near the network tower indicator on the top left corner of the phone screen. Lately found that it represents the network capability of your mobile service provider.

For more information refer the network tutorial on the Learning Center in SE site.

Legend:

Things to consider while writing public APIs

When you expose public class/APIs, there are certain things that you need to consider

1. Arguments/Parameters
Carefully consider the arguments that gets passed into the API.

2. Method Name
Choose an apt meaningful name for the public methods or classes. Avoid ambiguity.

3. Exceptions
Throw only non-runtime exceptions, so that clients can handle them. Do try to handle all the exceptions in the method. If you have logging framework, log the exceptions and rethrow them.

4. Backward Compatibility
Once the APIs get released and you need to support them for an extended period of time. So if you modifying existing public APIs take care of backward compatibility, such that you wont break client code.

5. Intented use
The public APIs should do only what it is intended to do

6. Java docs
Provide clear crisp java docs. The best example is the one that comes with JDKs.

7. Trace / Log / Debug
Provide support for tracing/logging. Both serves different purposes. Trace is used to find the control flow inside the public APIs. Logging is used to log any error messages and exceptions.

8. Error statements
In case of wrong parameters getting passed, log descriptive error messages. The error message should typically say what went wrong and what is the corrective action.

Find java class files in JAR

Typically in a development environment of a big J2EE product, you often cross the step of including the right jars in your library path to get your product compile/run/debug. With lot of jars lying in you lib folder, you face the daunting task of including the needed few.

OR

In case if you want to find from which jar a particular class gets picked up, you face the same daunting task of opening the various jars and looking out for a particular class file packaged inside it.

To get rid of this one, I came up with a java program that takes a path and class name and spits out the jars which contains the class. The usage of FindClass is simple

java FindClass C:\j2ee\product\lib MyClass

FindClass iterates through the folder (and subsequent subfolders) to get the list of available jars and list out the jars, which contains the specified class.

I used JarFile and JarEntry to read a jar file. Rest is all simple File operations.
If you love to use this util class, drop a comment.

How to connect cellphone using IrDA port

This post is based on the experience of transferring content between your cellphone and laptop using IrDA port.

Is this the latest standard?
Using IrDA port to transfer content between your cellphone and laptop is really old way. The latest way to communicate is to use bluetooth.

Then why?
But at some juncture IrDA comes in really handy. Say when your laptop doesn't have a built-in bluetooth adapter and you doesn't have an external one too. And more you are lazy to use the wired approach of connecting using USB cable.

How to?
Laptop: Dell Latitude D600
OS: Win XP
Cellphone: Sony Ericsson K700i


Firstly the Dell D600 had built-in IrDA adapter. One needs to enable them.

1. Go to BIOS setup. (Press F2 when the laptop boots up to enter the BIOS setup)
2. Press Alt+P to go the various pages in the setup program
3. Find the IrDA section in the Commuincation Ports page (I guess so)
4. If it is disabled, then enable and set to a particular COM port. I used COM2 as COM1 is used in my laptop.
5. Save and Exit the setup and boot the laptop.

Enable IrDA in your phone and place in the line-of-sight with IrDA port

Win XP had default drivers and it was able to recognize the device. From then on, it is a single click to transfer data from laptop to the cellphone and vice versa.

How to connect you laptop video output to a TV

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato

No, I didn't invent anything over here. While in the process of setting up a home entertainment system, I preferred not to buy anything in haste. In India, the home entertainment portfolio is under major revamp now. LCD's and Plasma's are entering the home entertainment market in a big way. The prices of the TV's and home theater systems are crashing down.

In the meantime, to enable me watch my favorite movies, I was in need of a stop-gap solution. I thought of using my laptop as a DVD player and connecting its video-o/p to the TV. The following are the steps to connect Dell Latitude D600 laptop to Sony 29" CRT TV.

What you need?
1. Dell S-Video to Composite TV out adapter. (You get this adapter normally with the laptop)

2. Composite video cable (You can purchase one from your local electronics store)

How to connect?
1. Connect the S-Video to Composite TV out adapter in your laptop S-video output.
2. Connect one end of you composite video cable to the S-Video to Composite TV out adapter
3. Connect the other end of your composite video cable to your TV video input
4. Switch the TV to appropriate Video mode
5. Boot your laptop
6. Go to Control Panel > Display > Setting tab (Win XP OS)
7. Right click 2nd display and attach it.
8. Set the resolution and color properties. (Generally the TV supports 800x600 resolution. Sony 29" TV supported 1280x780 resolution with 32 bit Color)
9. You will see the extended desktop.
The TV screen behaves like a extended monitor. Drag the applications you want to run into the TV screen.

This way you can run movies from your laptop on to your TV screen. In order to get your audio output into your TV, you need to take the audio out from the headphone-jack in your laptop to your TV audio input.

P.S: It is imperative that you get a properly insulated composite video capable. Otherwise when you connect the power chord to your laptop, you shall get electrical noises in your video signal

Links:
Dell Documentation
HP India site documentation
S-Video site