Perl GD PPM

Quick note:

How to install the GD package for ActivePerl:

> ppm install http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/GD.ppd

Referenced from the thread 'GD and libgd for WIN32 Perl' on comp.lang.perl.modules

Client Side Options

There's been some blogspeak going around on Ajax. According to the adaptive path write up ajax is:

• standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS;
• dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model;
• data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT;
• asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest;
• and JavaScript binding everything together.

Personally I like this approach. I have home brewed several basic hacks at it but never got close enough to satisfy my expectations. Google on the other hand has knocked the ball out of the park. Gmail and Maps are both wonderful examples of what's possible.

Thing is this style of development is time consuming and somewhat difficult and the tool set is sort of crude to work with. However, I see the Mozzila platform as a better alternative. XUL+Javascript is quite the dyno package.

For our little software shop we are in the process of migrating our flagship product written in MS Access to a MySql backend while still using the MSAccess front end. As we begin shipping our new product we will use the revenue to develop a web based version of the application built with XUL+Javascript+Mozilla as the client and MySql + Ruby On Rails as the application and database tier. We're looking to expand to provide application hosting for our product as a service while providing a robust client. It's a bet that we as a team believe in.

The Joy of Code

Somebody's learning to love the "joy of code":

"The more I learn about code the more beautiful it becomes. Languages as diverse as our own, quirks, and tweaks like accents among us. Its individuality make learning a new rule set very attractive to me." [Diary of an Air Hostess]

Code is a beautiful thing...yes indeed.