Thursday, February 19, 2009

Java and your Guitar

Have a liking for Java programming and Java programs ? Do you also play a little guitar and use a lot of TABS ? If you don't know what a TAB is, this post is not for you!

However: If you know what TABS are then you absolutely have to go look at TuxGuitar, a free Java-based guitar tab reader! Now how awesome is that ?

Remember that Java is cross-platform, so your favourite guitar tab reader can now work on Linux, Windows and yes, even Mac. No need now to use different applications on each platform, TuxGuitar will let you use your favourite tabs on all your machines. What a nifty little tool, and it's even open source so the adventurous ones amongst you can take a look at the source code.

Who said programming can't be fun ?

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Java Escape Characters

There is a short article about Java Escape Characters at the JavaK website. This short article explains some common escape characters and how they are used in Java.

Microsoft Access Alternative

I know Microsoft Access is a brilliant database tool, but how do you go about deploying your application you have built using an SQL database ? If you are looking for an excellent and FREE SQL database you can distribute with your program, why not go look at H2 Database ?

It is an excellent SQL database engine, easy to embed in your Java application and can be used for a single user or even in a Client/Server environment. So even if you create a single user application, you have the option of making it a multi-user application later while being assured that you can retrieve and reuse your existing data. As H2 is written entirely in Java, it will work on any platform that your program will work on!

Go ahead, give H2 a try, I'm sure you will not regret it!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Free Help with Java Homework Explained

Hi.

While we will never help you with your homework directly, we do take the time to explain things as we implement examples. So if you are looking for help with your Java homework, first go through the examples and see if any of the explanations do not give you ideas for solving your problem before requesting help. As with most sites, we will not help you unless you have put in a significant effort first!

When you browse the internet for homework assistance or general ideas, make sure you READ the text and do not just look at the source code! There are quite a few little nuggets hidden in the explanations that just might help you solve other problems, so read carefully!

Remember that the best way to learn programming is by doing programming. While you will get stuck at times, it will become easier to solve problems the more you spend time solving problems. Go ahead, challenge yourself to solve a particular problem and make sure you reward yourself for solving the problem as well. Take a break, take the dog for a walk or go walk around the block if you get stuck with something, sometimes the best way to solve is problem is to approach it from a different angle.

Until next time - keep attacking your problems from different angles!