Monday, September 6, 2010

Another one in Stellenbosch - Umonya

It's happening again!

There's ANOTHER free Python course being held by Umonya at the University of Stellenbosch. Students will be given the opportunity to learn the Python programming language, interact with industry players and, most importantly, learn that computers are not all that scary.

Please visit Umonya for more information regarding this fantastic outreach project.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Great stuff in Cape Town

The guys at Umonya are doing fantastic things for school kids in South Africa. They offer free Python courses over selected weekends where children with no previous programming experience are taught how to program in Python.

Not only do they show these kids things they might have thought impossible before, but they also make time to have chats with the kids to open their eyes to career possibilities that many of them have never thought off.

The courses are organized by UCT students, but, in my humble opinion, reflect the same level of quality, commitment and dedication one would expect from professional trainers. These guys need your help and support, so if your company (or yourself) can be involved in any way, do step up and help cultivate the next generation of IT professionals for Africa.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Telesure Cesspool

I know this is not blog related, but really, I've had it with these guys.

RANT ON

We had an accident in April 2010, and things are STILL not sorted out by these Telesure, Auto&General, AA Insurance incompetents. Did you know Dial Direct, Budget, Auto & General and First for Woman are ALL just brands of Telesure? And if you go on a site like Hippo, you are actually getting quotes from the same company, just under different brand names.

So here's a little bit of free advice - stay away from Telesure and their brands, it's just the most pathetic service I have ever received. In fact, I'm going to write a nice long article about it and hopefully save someone all the hassle I had to go through. It takes days for them to get back to you, even though they have a so-called service charter that they clearly do not stick to.

Do proper research when you are considering your insurance provider and make sure they are underwritten by a reputable company. I made the mistake of trusting in the AA brand name, AA Insurance is useless, they are simply brokers and did not lift a finger to try to assist us.

RANT OFF

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Python in Afrika

Ja, ek't ook besluit om meer ernstig te raak oor my Python-vaardighede, so ek het 'n nuwe blog by PythonOutjie opgelaai en gaan my avonture met almal deel :)

Friday, March 5, 2010

Excellent resource for code examples

Looking for Java example code? Why not give Java2S a try? They have thousands of code listings and you will be surprised just how broad the subjects range.

Have fun and remember to keep in touch with your Java basics, that's a lesson we often forget!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Jython book and tutorial

Hi.

For those that are interested in the Jython programming language, there is a new Jython Book available. Go check it out for excellent tutorials and a general overview of the Jython Language.

For those that don't know, Jython is a Python implementation for the Java Virtual Machine. This allows Python developers to use Java libraries and Java developers to use Python code. It's a great tool!

Broadband internet access

President Zuma appears to understand that we need better (and more affordable) access to the internet in South Africa if we are to compete globally, especially with regards to education.

See this article about his speech for more information.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Nuwe Borg

Dis 'n nuwe jaar en daar is baie veranderinge wat kom.  JavaK het nog 'n borg gekry (http://www.cruiselinecrew.co.za) en ons het groot planne vir die jaar. Die blog sal meer gereeld opgedateer word en ons het verskeie nuwe artikels wat ons op http://www.javak.co.za gaan plaas. Boekmerk ons as jy Java take of huiswerk het en kom loer gerus dan en wan in om te sien wat is nuut.

NetBeans 6.8

Oor die afgelope paar weke heen het verskeie studente my gevra watter IDE (redigeer omgewing) ek gebruik vir my Java ontwikkeling. Ek gebruik al vir 'n paar jaar lank die http://netbeans.org/ omgewing om my Java projekte in te doen. Gaan loer gerus in by hulle webwerf vir meer inligting.

A new GUI tutorial for Java programmers

Hi.

I'm busy writing a free GUI primer for new Java developers. This tutorial is aimed at Java students that have not done GUI development before and takes you through all the steps required to get a basic understanding of Java GUI development.

I cover basic JFrame, JLabel, JButton and JPanel objects as well as how layout managers work with focus on border layout and flow layout.

You can download the draft at http://www.javak.co.za/tutorials/guiprimer/ in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

This is a work-in-progress and will be expanded soon. Check back here in a few weeks for more updates.