Perfect numbers

I've never heard of perfect numbers. I read a couple pages on the internet and found this page to be the most help.

http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~novelway/MEW2/lesson1.html

I'm having some wierd troubles with IIS (or explorer, or visualstudio.net) and its making this chapter harder and slower than it should be. So, I've still got 20 pages left and haven't covered loops.

Sept 23

How is it possible that this class doesn't list VB as a pre-requisite.

changing default drive in a web project

One of the side effects of my partition obsession was the rearranging of drive letter assignments. So, my memory stick was recognized on a different drive that when I created the VisualStudio.net project.
What I learned:
-In IIS all of the objects/containers and everything contained in them must have their path changed accordingly.

-This will result in the new path showing up as the location of the project in the VisualStudio.net start page.

-The project will not be found.

-Reviewing the steps I took to set up the web server and the project, reminded me that I had to go into Tool/Options and choose projects and solutions to set the project path.

-Once I corrected that path, the project was found and opened.

Is anyone having USB eject problem?

My work with VisualStudio.net is all on my memory stick. When I'm done with a session, I exit out of IIS and VisualStudio.net using the menu - not the close window "X". But, when I try to eject my USB stick it tells me the device cannot be stopped right now.....

I have to either force it by right clicking and ejecting it in explorer (which gives me a "changes may not be saved" warning and asks if I want to continue), or shut the system down altogether.

I tried searching for the problem but didn't find anything. I'm struggling with the right phrase to search on.

its become an obsession

So, I discovered that some of my Sony software was not installed during my last visit to the tech bench. And, of course, I had do D-drive partition. So I took it in today to have the partition made and the software re-recovered. I asked for a 100gig C-drive and 60 gig D-drive.I'm getting anal about this, I know. But it has become a mission to find someone who can do what I want the way I want it. Anyway, they made the partition but the recovery kept handing. I settled and decided I could deal with the software from home recovery over the phone with Sony. When I got it home an check it, I have a 60 gig C-drive and a 100 gig D-drive. With the software that is installed - which is nearly none there is only 40 gigs left on the C-drive. They're not going to be happy to see me tomorrow.

Why "cookies"

we talked a little about cookies today. This article:
http://mnmn.essortment.com/internetcookies_mil.htm

Titled What is an Internet Cookie? Says that it was coined by Lou Montulli, the original writer of cookies. Its actually a term that's been around in computer science for a long time meaning "an opaque piece of data held by an intermediary".
Interesting article.

This one sounds like its an urban legend and suggests that the "Cookie Program" was the first virus:
http://www.multicians.org/cookie.html

This areticle explains the specifications of cookies. I didn't even realize they had specs.
http://sislands.com/coin70/week7/cookies.htm#where

IIS - is it installed or not??

I need IIS installed to properly run visualStudio.net. I need SP-Pro to have IIS available as an option. I need visualStudio.net for the class I'm taking. Its 9P Sat night.

I finally get my XP_pro system up and running. Remembering the instructions that warn if IIS is not installed when visualStudio.net get installed, you will have to reinstall visualStudio.net after you install IIS.

So, I go to add/remove Windows components and look down the list. Some items are checked, some are not. Are the checked items already installed? Don't know. If I want to install something, do I uncheck everthing but the component I want installed? The directions don't say. The list includes Internet Explorer and it is checked; Accessories and Utilies is also checked and also installed. I know it is installed so I deduce that the checked items must be installed. IIS is checked.

I proceed with the install of visualStudio.net. It took 2 hours just for the 2 program CD, another hour for the library and other miscellanous items. After visualStudio.net I install Norton personal firewall and antivirus. This is as far as I got. Its now 2:15AM. I go to bed.

Sunday night, I sit down to start the first chapter requiring IIS. It won't launch. Maybe the shortcut's bad. I launch from the program location - nothing. Now, I know very little about the intricacies of XP-pro. And considering the last 2 weeks I'm gun shy and afraid of being without my system again. So, I don't want to assume anything at this point. I google "IIS install" and got my answer from this site:

http://www.webwizguide.com/asp/tutorials/installing_iis_winXP_pro.asp

IIS is NOT installed and I have to start again. oh, man the last two weeks have been a month long.

So, what does exactly mean?

Finally, finally, I have a computer again. Not exactly what I asked for but close enough to get some work done.

I have gotten it back 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Each time I took it to get worked on I left the same instructions:
"I want it to look EXACTLY like it did when I bought it, but with XP-Pro installed."

This was important because its a Sony Vaio. It has a dynamite Sony suite of software and is partitioned (Not sure if its physically or virtually) so that it has a "D" drive. This drive is the default for much of the video features of the unit.

The first time I got it back it had XP-pro installed. No Sony software. Not their fault, my restore DVD that I paid to have created was wrong. It was supposed to be a DVD and a CD. The CD being the bootable that gets the user to the recover wizard. Still, it took 3 days to determine this. So, what exactly does "exactly" mean?

I order and receive restore disks from Sony.

The second time I got it back it was resotred to factory but was running on XP-Home. They couldn't get the upgrade to XP-Pro to work. Huh, maybe that's why I took them a knowledge base article from Sony's website describing how to accomplish this. Maybe, since the first sentence was "XP-Pro MUST have SP1 installed in order for software recovery to work" I suggested they take a look at the XP-Pro that was on there from pick-up #1, make sure it had SP1 installed and procede from that point with the recovery. Of course, I'm no technician and they are. So, They chose to re-format, restore to factory then upgrade. The XP-pro disk didn't have SP1 installed - can't do it that way. Since they didn't read the instructions I left, I got it back factory restored. Another 2 days. Yet another definition of "exactly but with XP-Pro".

The third time I got it back it took 2 days. I mention this because when I took it in, I said, this is what I need done (see instruction above), this is how to do it (point out knowledge base instructions) and I need it back today. I was assured - repeatedly and rather smugly I might add - that this would not be a problem. For this, I agreed to pay a premium. Well, it took 2 days because day one the instructions didn't get read, XP-Pro didn't get checked for SP1, SP1 didn't get installed, the software recovery failed. Day two, they read the instructions, actually follwed the instructions, ran into one hitch but figured it out and restored the software. I set it up at home, it has no "D" drive ("oh, did you want that?" they asked) and some of the software didn't restore because..... You guessed it, there's no "D" drive.

So, what exactly does EXACTLY mean? I didn't realize the word was so ambiguous.

A possible good resource

I spent much of today loading my company website:
http://www.phoenixfaucets.com if anyone's interested

and checking all the links to make sure nothing was broken or displaying poorly. There are several tweaks on my list but this will have to do for now.

I have been bothered by the fact that links from thumbnails to larger photos open in a full page. So, I went looking for the way to create a popup window with size constraints. I found what looks to be a very promising site. Pretty detailed information, easy to follow, cover a lot of topics:

http://www.irt.org/index.htm

the site includes various combinations articles, faq's code and tutorials on a litany of topics from ASP and Cold fusion to VBScript and XML, and a lot - alphabetically speaking - in between.

So, I found a great tutorial on javascript popup windows. Unfortunately, I'm bullheaded and couldn't manage to follow directions for abut 2 hours. Here's how the code and accompanying HTML look:
script:
function newWindow(){ window.open("newContent", "hiRes", "height=350,width=300") }
end script
html from the FAQ page:

Aerator

My problem was that I couldn't (and still can't) understand why nothing goes in the newWindow() and the variables are written outside of them. I kept trying to put the variables inside the parenthesis to no avail. I finally just wrote it exactly like the example (the problem was the example didn't include an anchor tag & that was throwing my way off). And it works just fine on the 2 pages I used it (the FAQ's and Spec/Instruction pages). Well, I usually try very hard to understand a solution when I've learned one. But, when it becomes obvious that understanding isn't going to happen I remember my credo - "Whatever works".

a bracket?

So, after all that, it was a misplaced bracket! Not a missed bracket mind you - it was misplaced. So, when I looked for the umpteenth time at my naming conventions, my quotes, my use of capitalization, my open/close parenthesis, my open/close brackets everything was accounted for. sure was a lot of wasted time. And, if not for a classmate I'd probably still be looking for it.

I also discovered that I validated the select box totally wrong. I just used the same syntax as a text box and used the value of the first selection which read "Make a selection" but whose value was "none". So my if statement checked to see if the value was none. Not the way its supposed tob e done but try as he might my instructor couldn't find a browser it wouldn't work on. So I was allowed to leae it that way. (I think so he could try harder to find a browser that would break it). We didn't try it on old old browsers.

pin light

I got the select validation working again. In my edit/re-edit/re-edit efforts with the radio button I removed the first half of the final if statement testing the value of my valid variable. So, NOW I guess I can go make dinner.

radio button validation

Here's the site that made the most sense to me.
http://www.felgall.com/javatip2.htm
The code was free but not really explained.
This code was too complicated (from a forum site):
http://forums.aspfree.com/showthread.php?t=26946

in the end, page 198 of the book had the clearest explaination but in the end clarity didn't matter anyway. Mud is mud I guess. :)

I'm sure that I'll get it with the lecture.

Week 3 - validation

I've been working most of the day (May I point out a beautiful labor day ) inside at my computer writing (or attempting to write validation.

We have to validate 3 lousey pieces of information on a form. One dropdown, 2 radio buttons (that's what's on my form anyway). I got the drop down to validate and send a message. Pretty much no problem. I have spent 3 or 4 hours on the radio button. Result? As of right now, my code has nothing but the drop down validation statement and subsequent alert box and its not working either.

I determined that radio buttons are obviously validated differently than text or selection areas. So, I went searching. I found a couple of promising sites but didn't understand the syntax. And, I could see that I had to use a variable for the button and use a loop to check the status of all the choices in the group. I figured there must be an easier way since I hadn't covered anything nearly so complicated in the book or lectures. But, every site I found gave pretty much the same syntax.

Brilliant idea! Read the book. I'm only a little more than half way through chapter 3 so I thought rather than look foolish this must be something I should have read already. The problem is examined early in chapter 4. Then, using the book's syntax as a template I re-wrote the button validation. ERROR! The debugger info just says syntax error and a line number. I don't see anything wrong.

So I figure, well at least I have a piece working. I take out the whole button validation section leaving just the select box and alert message. When I hit the validate button, nothing happens and I get no errors.

I'm going to take care of dinner. Another thing I don't do well, but Jack (the husband) is used to it and its ok if I screw it up.

I'll save it for later

I found a great javascript effects site. Code is free provided you leave the credit intact. Licenses are available for commercial sites. The site is called Dynamic Web Coding.

I was looking for wipe transitions for a slideshow. They have code for that and more. Things like rotating images, a color picker to change the background, text, link etc colors of a page (good for people with color limitations), a couple calculators, etc.

Unfortunately I don't understand the code or how to use it. But, I'm sharing the link and bookmarking it in the hopes that by the end of this class or the next, it'll be ike reading English ;)

Here's the link to the homepage and the zip file of transitions I downloaded:
http://www.dyn-web.com/
the zip file is on the left side of this page (examples zipped):
http://www.dyn-web.com/dhtml/wipes/tutorial/about-wipes3.html