Constant Variable

Careless

2010-07-06T16:14:00.000+05:30

Staying alive was not that hard

Yet it killed, part by part

Cared less, I sat and watched

Bits and pieces fell apart

Prime Minister vs. The Peon

2010-02-17T21:13:00.003+05:30

Whoever owns the copyright gets the royalties. And that’s what the fuss is about.

Ideally, writers own the copyright of their creative work. Not in our film industry. When a writer is contracted by a film producer or a music company, he has to abandon his copyright so that the latter can make all the profits.

And Aamir Khan thinks that’s fair enough. After all, attach a star like him to a song, and the song's value goes up manifolds.

That makes me wonder, if I attach Prime minister to the right to equality, or any other fundamental right for that matter, would that beat rights of a Peon?

I don't think so, Mr. Khan!

Odd

2010-02-10T11:19:00.003+05:30

Some with you, and some without

Some with will, and when in doubt

Honest some, some roundabout

Odd ones were made of love!

How Batman Lost the Election...

2010-01-31T15:12:00.006+05:30

It was a group of fifty people. I asked them to choose from the Joker & the Scarecrow.

None of them voted for Batman.

None of them voted for Batman!!! What were they thinking? Were they out of their minds?? Had they gone crazy???

Wait a minute... was Batman even a choice?

The current version of Democracy is flawed. It can choose, but it cannot create a choice. It cannot force good people to contest. Voting is an illusion of control…

Remember, Batman wouldn’t come begging for your votes. Batman wouldn’t contest. Superheroes don’t. They just do what needs to be done.

In fact, look at me. Ok, look at yourselves if you will. We do good work. I believe that good people do a good job, no matter what job they do. Look at our IT industry. 99% of our “software engineers” had no clue, or intention, to become what they wanted to become. They joined IT because they had good marks and IT was hiring. And they are doing a good job. If it weren’t IT, they would have become doctors. Or lawyers. Or whatever… and still do a good job.

So why not politics? Why not thrust this job upon ‘us’? Why not reduce the entry criteria from being born a Rahul Gandhi, or being a big business man, or a criminal, to being naturally good and competitive?

Until then, Devegawdas will snore in public meetings. Mayawatis will build their statues. Thakreys will utter nonsense…

And Batmen will lose.

New Year Bash

2010-01-01T00:21:00.002+05:30

Of lipstick, gloss and leather bags...

Of necklines deep; those backless backs...

Of Chanel Fives on bodies mad...

Hell is good, when you go stag!

Not Quite

2009-12-16T16:23:00.001+05:30

Stretched...

The Sea:

Then fell within

Zeroth Law of Appraisal

2009-12-01T21:44:00.005+05:30

Dear Manager,

Here is a list of my achievements for this year’s appraisal:

I improved zero workflows across all customer installations (please find attached zero mails of appreciation)
I found and fixed zero critical crashers in my product. I had even received a cipher spot bonus for this fete
The patent number 000-00-0000 has been my 0th patent this year
I painstakingly replaced every NULL with a 0 across C++ projects. This has given all applications an amazing zero % performance gain
Thanks to the ramp-up guide for new joinees that I did not write, they can now be productive from day zero
Through my Six Sigma project, I have achieved "zero times right" tolerance as against “first time right”

I think I rightly deserve a Zero percent hike this year too. I am so happy… I could die a zero times!!!

Programming Interview Questions: Binary Trees

2009-12-01T12:26:00.004+05:30

If you are seriously preparing for an interview, don’t believe that (1) you can skip a problem because you have heard a similar problem, and (2) you can easily code the problem because you know its solution. Here is a list of questions ranging from low to moderate difficulty:

Create an iterator (inorder) for a binary tree
Write code WITHOUT using recursion for (1) preorder (2) inorder (3) postorder traversals
Print the given binary tree row-wise i.e. all nodes at same depth should be printed in the same row (tricky part: when to print the new line char?)
Covert a binary tree into a doubly linked list. The left link should be used as prev pointer, and right as next
Find if there exists a path from root to leaf such that sum of all nodes along the path equals a given number M
Write a function that tests whether a given tree is a BST or not
Merge two BSTs into one (do it in-place, and in linear order)
Find Least Common Ancestor (LCA) of two nodes in a BST
Covert a (connected) graph into a tree
How many structurally different trees will generate the same (given) in-order sequence. Write an algorithm to solve this problem
How many different binary trees can you generate using N different nodes? Write an algorithm to solve this problem
Serialize a binary tree. Then de-serialize the output to get back the original tree (Hint: only pre order required)
Serialize a BST. Then de-serialize the output to get back the original tree (Hint: similar to above problem, but more space efficient)
Find the Kth smallest number in a given BST
What type of trees are used in (1) Database indexes (2) Popular file systems (3) Virtual memory management, and why? (no single, definite answer)

And You Thought Indexing Makes Lookup Faster...

2009-11-27T19:18:00.002+05:30

Suppose you have a sorted array of 100 different integers. You have also created an index into this array i.e. you have another array which has 10 values, each pointing to the location of every 10th number in the original array (thus breaking the original array into buckets of size 10).

Question: To look up a number, which strategy should you choose?

Find the number in the original array using binary search
Use indexed array first to locate the bucket (using binary search). Then search the element in the bucket (using binary search)

Well, looks like the second strategy reduces the number of elements to be searched to 20 (10 in indexed array + 10 in bucket). The first strategy has 100 elements to search.

What do you think? Which will be faster?

No of lookups in (1) = Log(100)

Number of lookups in (2) = Log(10) + Log(10) = Log(10 * 10) = Log(100)

What the…? That’s same isn’t it? Indexing doesn’t help. In fact, it makes it more complex (you have to maintain two data structures). In fact, any way you break the original array, any number of indexes you create, the result will always be the same. Try it!

Moral of the story: Don’t follow advice of Database guys blindly. Indexing makes things faster for a different reason. Find that on your own.

Ugly

2009-11-17T11:56:00.001+05:30

Couldn't stand him,
The mirror:
He was so like me

Insomnia

2009-11-13T10:49:00.000+05:30

There it was,
My sleep:
On mother's lap...

Reason (Haiku)

2009-11-09T11:58:00.001+05:30

All the Whys
Answered
In her eyes

~~~~~~~~~
This is my first Haiku

In Love!

2009-11-05T10:58:00.000+05:30

Lazy, crazy, funny, mad
Goofy, grumpy, silly, sad
Sugar, honey, lemon, bad
Yet another day in love!

Who am I?

2009-11-04T12:26:00.001+05:30

One for you, and one for me
One for him, and so you see
I cannot tell
Which one is me?

The one alone and in the crowd
Dumbstruck, yet crying loud
The one with wings,
Not flying free
I cannot tell
Which one is me?

Guess sands of time will tell it all
Dunes that rise, from dunes that fall
Long born
But yet to be
I cannot tell
Which one is me?

My Friend Pinki

2009-10-29T18:04:00.001+05:30

He wears this shirt
His 'classy' shirt
His shirt is color Pink

His face is Pink
His ways are Pink
I'm sure his shirt does stink!

~~~~~~~~~~
Dedicated to one who knows :-D

Fractals: Ferns in Python

2009-10-26T15:40:00.007+05:30

This is how you create a simple Fern using fractals. The following program uses Python (with Imaging Library to view output).


#Copyright: Rahul Dhaundiyal
#(Best when copied) (he he)

from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
from math import *

size = 500, 420
im = Image.new("RGBA", size, "blue")
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(im)

def GetRad(theta):
  return (pi / 180) * theta

def Vector(x, y, r, theta):
  x2, y2 = x + r * cos(GetRad(theta)), y + r * sin(GetRad(theta))
  draw.line((x, y, x2, y2), "white")
  return x2, y2

def Fract(x, y, angle, r, grow, depth, stepTheta, bends = 4):
  if depth > 0:
      angle2, r2 = angle, r * grow
      for i in range(bends):
          x, y = Vector(x, y, r, angle2)
          angle2 = angle + stepTheta * (i + 1)
          Fract(x, y, angle2, r2, grow, depth - 1, stepTheta, bends)
          Fract(x, y, angle2, r2, grow, depth - 1, stepTheta * -1, bends)

#Examples (see images)
#A Young Fern
Fract(size[0] / 2 - 90, size[1] - 10, -90, 60, .5, 4, 15)

#A fully grown Fern
Fract(size[0] / 2 - 90, size[1] - 10, -90, 60, .5, 5, 15)

#Wheat/Maize grains
Fract(size[0] / 2 + 30, size[1] - 20, -90, 40, .5, 4, 5, 5)
Fract(size[0] / 2 - 130, size[1] - 20, -90, 30, .5, 4, 5, 5)

#Peacock Feathers
Fract(size[0] / 2, size[1] - 40, -90, 50, .5, 5, 15)
Fract(size[0] / 2, size[1] - 40, -90, 50, .5, 5, -15)

The Song

2009-10-23T15:14:00.001+05:30

I am meant to be a song,

In tune, be sung along...

Come down with the rain,

Then grow up in a grain,

To life, I belong!

I am meant to be a song...

Be passed in a smile,

Stay smug, for a while,

Happy is my song!

In tune, be sung along...

To be or not to be,

In what is meant to be,

I do not belong!

I am, just a song...

Why products fail or worsen in time?

2009-10-13T11:59:00.004+05:30

The single biggest reason behind failure of products is the Product Management.

The first release of a product is mostly engineering driven. The interesting use of the technology creates a wow effect, and makes it popular. If the product also makes business sense, money flows in. That’s when some smart guy sitting higher up in the management chain decides to rope in a few MBAs to take over.

Unfortunately, these IIM guys are professionals. While failure is quite acceptable in an engineering task, it is not so in business where $$s are at stake. So the management mantra becomes:

“Everything that I do should be quantitatively justifiable in case of failure. Ideas are not justifiable. Vision is also not justifiable. Instinct is always unjustified (cut these bloody guts!). In other words, there should be no open trails that lead to my ass. Saving it is my sacred duty.”

It’s not that hard then to determine the algo for product definition:

Look at the areas in which the product made huge profits last year. Grow the product along these areas. Safest bet!
Look at the areas around which competitor made huge profits last year. Grow the product along these areas. Engineering can be blamed for failure. Safe bet!
(This is optional step as this requires some work) Eavesdrop on customer forums and see what they want. Then make a presentation listing top five wants, quoting researched data. Pick top three (be absolutely blind, don’t trust the instinct). Safe enough!
I have no gut feelings (ha ha), but someone from engineering team had some interesting ideas. Don’t even think about them! Wait for several customer emails that sound similar. Then proceed as in step 3.

Well, what’s the point in hiring people who can do the obvious: collect data, and draw inferences from a graph? We don’t need them. In fact, hire an engineering trainee to do a better job. What we need are leaders who are passionate, not professional. Unfortunately, IIMs don’t have a Passion-101.

Nobel Obama

2009-10-10T15:56:00.005+05:30

Barack truly deserves the Oscar!

Hic...

When I first heard his speech, I told Mary - woman, mark my words... hic... this is the man! In one year he will get the Booker. And see... hic... where he is!!!

Genius! Bloody rocket scientist!! And handsome too... hic... Which other Mr. Universe looks better? Schwarzenegger... bloody state governor... hic...

Barack, my boy, Happy Birthday!

Nobel? What Nobel? What for? Hic…

Stupid Pigeon, Encaged!

2009-10-07T12:04:00.001+05:30

Gave me such a stupid look;

Blinked once, then dived to fly

I pulled me up from the chair to watch,

It left me for that empty sky

Then pushed me back in chair again

There's work to tend, I wonder why...

Ghosts of a Dog's Past

2009-09-24T11:40:00.001+05:30

Filthy bones and dogs do cling

I moved on, but not the stink

Now you got my ass, that makes you king

When you go down, I too shall sing...

The Very Popular Blog

2009-09-08T15:17:00.002+05:30

Looks like an interesting idea...

The Very Popular Blog

Ok. Fine. That's me again. The first customer of faked popularity.

Ha ha

Life These Days...

2009-08-31T13:12:00.002+05:30

Hate this smile,

That I wear too often...

And the 'Life's good',

While the smell is rotten

Guess my lonely fun,

Is to see them bleed...

And the pains I fake,

As I cut you deep

This life's a bitch!

Never fails to screw...

And its kinda sad,

When I fuck it too

Carefree!

2009-08-18T18:43:00.001+05:30

This spring is fun,

This spring is green...

This spring is as,

I have never seen!

This spring let's love,

With promises none...

And when its over,

Let's not return!

Same Old Story

2009-08-18T18:41:00.001+05:30

'Truth be told'

And so they sold

Then pounds of gold

Killed one untold

Knowing Me

2009-07-22T12:50:00.000+05:30

I like mornings

Sunshine

And drops of dew

Flowers

Specially, the Sun Flower

And roses too

I love to smell the rain

You

And your hair

To be left alone

In dreams

And then find you there

And all this to write a fucking cute poem

A Dog Named Dumbo (a.k.a. My Girlfriend's Diary)

2009-07-01T11:05:00.002+05:30

He makes my bed, and boils the egg,

And even shines my shoe!

If he learns to love my Dumbo now,

I'll have my love so true!!!

Not God Enough

2009-06-24T11:47:00.001+05:30

Life was small, my plans were big

They didn't fit so I had to rig

And though that made a Don from Dick;

When winters came, I still fell sick

It's Hard to Choose

2009-06-23T13:18:00.000+05:30

The one I loved,

Or the one who loved,

Or the one who'll never know

The one in dream...

The one who's mean...

The one, who'll never show

It's hard to choose,

To win than lose,

To hold and not let go

But as time goes by,

I wonder why...

Only sands are left to flow

Thank you, TV

2009-06-14T18:21:00.001+05:30

2 a.m., boring movie

Same old songs, the show’s not funny.

Drowsy brain is not so dead,

Life goes on with channels many...

Effectively Appraising Employees: Tracking Performance

2009-05-12T12:44:00.003+05:30

Are you a manager? Do you find it hard to keep track of your employees’ performance? Do you have the right ‘metrics’ to evaluate them??

If the answer to the first question is yes, then get lost you son of a bitch.

Anyway, before you discover *the* ultimate art of performance tracking, you must ask yourself: Do you love your planet? Do you have it in you to champion the cause of Going Green?

Going Green is the way to go. Believe me… it is better than organizing mails, playing online Flash games, or being a natural asshole. It *earns* you respect!

So here is how you can kill two birds with one stone.

Gift all your employees a sapling each, and ask them to proudly show it off atop their desk (They will like it as much as they like to show off their ID cards, hanging down their necks).

With Sun out of reach, the only source of light for the tiny saplings would be the tube-light on the ceiling, directly above the employee’s desk. If the employee stays late in office (the traditional indication of hard work and dedication), his tube-light would be switched on for a longer duration. And what do plants do in light? They grow. They photosynthesize! Photosynthesis!! That’s our key metrics!!!

Think about it… with one glance across the floor, you would know who the real performer is. Taller plants will speak for themselves.

And this doesn’t end here. What do plants give out? *Oxygen*. Yes. A healthy plant will give out more oxygen, which will keep the employee alert. Without him knowing, he would be getting better by the day. It’s like… whatever they call opposite of a vicious cycle. Employee-plant, plant-employee… you know.

What if the plant bears a fruit or flower out of this relationship? You got it. On-the-spot bonus!

And what if the plant dies? Hmm… You know what to do to such employees, don’t you ;)

Next time: How to Find a Job.

You've Changed!

2009-04-13T16:58:00.000+05:30

Love has lost, to lust because,

I’m no longer, the man I was.

With what is left, you’ve gotten bored...

So dear, when you leave, please close the door!

Miss You Too

2009-04-01T16:49:00.003+05:30

Bells of joy, I could not ring

Your love so true, I could not cling

Dreams away, I hear you sing

Life was good, but death has wings

Game of Life

2009-03-25T23:43:00.001+05:30

Somewhere in the Heavens high,

Bored to death; Almighty sighed...

Took a pick; then screwed his life,

"Feeling better", the sadist cried!

Child and The Doll

2009-03-10T12:31:00.002+05:30

He bent back, and broke it all...

Unmoved; the bloody doll.

So he bent back, and broke it all...

Fell apart, the bloody doll.

Spending Rs. 70

2009-03-04T17:27:00.003+05:30

There are needs, and there are wants.

Let’s say you have Rs. 100 to spend, and spend you must. The basic needs are fixed and sum up to Rs. 30.

So how do you spend your remaining 70 Rupees?

I do a really bad job. I am mostly unsure of what I want, so I end up spending most of my 70 bucks on my needs instead. I need a car. I make it a BIG car. I need a house. I make it a Luxury apartment. I need a TV. I make it the biggest LCD around. Spend I must... That's the rule.

I have grown up in an environment that made me competitive. Everyone told me to be good, so that I would have everything I needed. Unfortunately, no one asked me to be good enough to get whatever I wanted. I feel less educated today.

I want to change this...

Blender's Pride

2009-02-25T19:07:00.000+05:30

To have it neat, or on the rocks...

Or make it sweet and all that hot...

Not hard to choose from love and shot;

When Johnnie Walker's all I got!

Early Bird vs I

2009-02-16T19:00:00.001+05:30

Early bird, she ate the worm

Lazy me, I woke to thorn

Hard work, is that the world?

Bloody hell, I ate the bird

Raj Thakre Against Ganesh Chaturthi!!!

2008-12-23T17:03:00.000+05:30

According to reliable sources, the Marathi manoosh Raj Thakre has denounced Ganesh Pooja, and will not be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi from this year onwards.

He is said to believe that Lord Ganesh descended from the Kailash Parvat, which makes Him a North Indian.

Where Does It Hurt?

2008-12-03T18:22:00.003+05:30

So the attack on Mumbai has left you hurt. Tell me, where does it hurt?

This death toll is not even a fraction of the number of soldiers that we constantly lose in Assam & Kashmir. How often do the media cry when 20 jawans get blown up by a landmine? Such news is a small scrolling text on CNN IBN. Aaj Tak is not even interested... the news lacks drama.

This toll is also nowhere around the number of deaths that happen everyday due to poverty, diseases and lack of amenities. I am sure the sight of a person dying of hunger and cold would be equally sad.

So unless you are a grieving member, sit back and relax. It’s just your ego that’s hurting. Bash up Pakistan, or some Muslims, in a café or on national TV. Believe me, the feeling will pass. It always does.

What’s your story??

2008-10-21T21:27:00.003+05:30

I was watching a Beowolf movie the other day. The movie ended with a narrative “… and Beowolf will continue to live in his stories”

So I asked myself: what’s my story?

Sadly, I don’t have any answer. I have no story. I live every day in a false belief that things are going to get great for me. The truth is, at best, I will live an above average life.

Then what will survive me? This blog? How many people read it anyway? My family? They will get busy in time. My friends? Colleagues? You?

So here is what I am doing. If you don’t have a great story yourself, I invite you to join me. Call me. May be, we are destined to create a story together.

Or may be, I will go back to my work tomorrow. Get lost in the crowd.

That is my story.

Yahoo! Mission Statement: Why So Serious?

2008-10-15T18:30:00.002+05:30

Recently, IIMB organized Software Czars ’08. In the final stage, teams were to present their perspectives on Internet Censorship in the Communist China.

We (Niranjan & I) strongly felt that the companies should not compromise on their moral stands, and that mission statements such as “You can make money without doing evil” or “We are committed to winning with integrity” were core to a company’s growth.

And then spoke one Mr. Avasthi (who we were told was some Product Manager at Yahoo! Bangalore)

According to him, “You should not take mission statements seriously”. He also added that mission statements were simply a PR exercise.

I asked him if he would take, what he had then said, to his customers, to which he replied “No”, but insisted that his stand was correct and that “all companies compromise” on ethics.

He was a judge. We were the runners up. (Yes this is a revenge post! Hmm… not really)

You know what Mr. Avasthi… you’ll make a good manager. Trust me, you will never make it great.

I Love You!

2008-09-12T16:48:00.003+05:30

Do I have to tell you,

That The God's true...

Do I have to tell you,

That the Sky's blue...

Do I have to tell,
Why bird's sing?
Or how's the scent,
That springs bring!

Or shall I tell,

How times leap?

How high are mountains...

The oceans, deep.

Do I have to tell you,
Or don't you know...
That you are my love,
And I love you.

Very old, this one. Wrote it in class IX, I guess. Pradeep Niranjan hates the mere mention of 'Do I have to...'

Reason For Blogging

2008-07-25T16:57:00.001+05:30

The best part about writing a blog is that the dialogue is one sided. You might raise an eyebrow; you might dislike it, or even dismiss it… but guess what, how do I care? Fuck you!

And here you are… still reading.

That’s the second best part. You read alone.

When you are alone, there are no false expectations to live up to. No false faces to wear. No shame.

So when I again ask you to fuck yourself, there’s not much scope for retribution.

Somewhat contradictory, but the third good thing about blogging is… that you are not that alone after all! There’s whole bunch of you and me! So when you speak… you get heard.

Blog. Because you deserve to be heard. Idiots around you might not understand you. But idiots somewhere else will.

I love to blog!

Dress Up!

2008-07-19T16:47:00.002+05:30

Clothes talk a lot. Denim talks louder. Skin definitely shouts. But guess what, she wanted to scream!!!

She was once smart. She once knew what she wanted.

Today, she’s over smart and knows way too much.

I love her low waist jeans. For one, I love anything that’s down to earth. And two, there’s no two. Cleavage that’s not neckline can only be gross.

Her dress is not for the occasion. Her dress is not for the place (definitely not). Her dress is not even for what she is or what she wants (most definitely not). She hasn’t even dressed to kill. I don’t know why she dressed like that. Does she?

I miss her.

(Inspired by some girls at my office, and some others at the mall)

Be a Sport!

2008-04-06T13:15:00.005+05:30

Some days back, a battle of wits ensued on our official mailing list. In what should have been a private affair, the replies were sent to all. The guys obviously thought they were entertaining the masses; unfortunately painting their modesty all over the place.

Missing the humor, I replied:
I Love you Mom!!!
No no… I am not on TV. But I have managed to be on a mailing list to which a lot of people subscribe!!

That instantaneously killed the conversation. I also received a few thank you mails.

And then it happened.

One Mr Naadan (name changed, but not so much… ha ha) replied back telling me that I had low tolerance and that I played spoilt sport.

Well Mr Naadan… I do, so **** YOU.

And I wish you could be a sport.

You will Marry a Na-mard!!!

2008-02-01T16:09:00.000+05:30

Its true brother… Just think about it! You have no choice. If you marry at all, a man or a woman, you will be marrying a namard!

Good Ol Days!

2007-01-31T20:40:00.000+05:30

[Chau, Muttal, Tigs, Guptis, Netis are college friends whose names have purposely been kept]

One day in not so distant past… B-Block 2nd floor… Winter chill… Lotsa free time…

Chau had a view that there was nothing like it. That it all began with physical attraction and ended with sex. Commitment was of hypocritical value and those with it were the ‘lustoos’ of first order.

We were discussing True Love…

Muttal, who came closest to being in love (by virtue of being committed one-way) thought otherwise. Well he had never talked, or imagined, anything lewd about his object of desire. His love was pure and unconditional. “One could not describe such emotions but only live them.” The group gave his opinions due respect… and he was asked to shut up.

Tigs was over and above such things. Love or not… just give a F***

Guptis showed his brilliant ambivalence. There has to be love in relations… lust ensures that it lasts long. Sex ensures that marriages don’t break.

Netis reminded everyone that we were to discuss True Love and not go into details of sex and lust. Whenever people digressed into lengths of depths, he pulled them out.

We all agreed that it was a great session. Tomorrow, we shall continue…

Being Real

2007-01-24T00:49:00.001+05:30

So I work in a place where majority of junta is young and belongs to the 'smarts' category. These are a bunch of people who have seen a lot in less time. Toppers... Achievers... Ten pointers... These guys are the best of their breed.

And yet, this is the same bunch of people who are alone. Very alone. These are a bunch of hollow egoistic bastards. They stick to principles, ethics and humility… as long as chances of making respect are high. Make them a part of your joke, and ‘Oh, there goes gravity’.

Well, I don’t dislike people who are bad and do bad things. Much in the same manner as I don’t mind pigs wallowing in the mud. It’s what pigs are supposed to do. What I dislike are people who are not real. I dislike pigs behind expensive suits.

Hatred continues...

News Flash

2006-12-30T11:30:00.000+05:30

There stands gaunt Mohammed
He could be anyone…
A terrorist or a saint
Much depends on news
That’ll flash on CNN

Angry with America over Hanging Saddam... not friends with Arabs either...

The Tiger’s Out To Kill

2006-12-30T11:27:00.000+05:30

The Tiger’s out to kill...
He sees a tiny stag,
Jumps, and makes a grab
The cub is small still;
The Tiger’s out to kill...

I Hate You (To Whom It May Concern…)

2006-12-30T11:25:00.000+05:30

I hate you

I know you’ve been around the world; so now l e a v e. Go to Hell. Go wherever you won’t return from…
Don’t craft your carelessness. Be a natural pig that you are. Be real for once. Show off and don’t pretend that your gazillion gadgets are a way of life.
Good that you know ten languages. “Get lost” in all of them.
Your silence is as dumb as you. No… that doesn’t mean I am asking you to speak.

To be contd as hatred grows...

Solving Sudoku in FrameMaker

2006-12-07T18:22:00.000+05:30

Some days back, we had a Sudoku solving competetion. FrameMaker guys won by quite a margin :) :) :)

Here are two files that you need to compile, preferably with VS2005 using FDK (7.2). If your dll is called FDKSudoku.dll, then the maker.ini will need an APIClient entry like...

Sudoku=standard, Sudoku Solver, \FDKSudoku.dll, all

Source code here...

Smart logger

2006-10-07T15:38:00.000+05:30

File & Console based logs are generally a visual mess. Their archiving is as good as 'saving a text file', and searching for an entry is as good as Find/Search option available in the editor used to view them. Boring.

I had seen remote loggers that dump xml int to a 'log server' which collects logs and make them presentable. Good, but I wanted to make things a bit more exciting.

It was then that I stumbled into DbgHelp.dll that ships with Windows SDK. Using the StackWalk64 API, you can easily extract the stack trace and attach it to your logs. What do you achieve? Well here is what I got...

The 'function tree' that has been generated comes absolutely free with the logs! How does that happen? Lets see...

void foo() {
UDC logger; //Instance of my logger
logger.log("Some text to be logged");
}

int main() {
foo();
return 0;
}

This generates a function tree main->foo. As soon as an instance of the class UDC (I call it Ultimate Debugging Class) is created, the constructor generates a stack trace uptill main. It then assigns a unique ID to this trace. The trace is sent only once to the server, which builds a function tree. Every log that belongs to a particular stack trace (they may come from different instances of UDC, but will share the same ID) is attached with this ID. Thus, the server knows in which branch of the tree should it place a particular log entry.

Actually, I send everything over UDP to a server that dumps logs to a database. Later, these are made 'presentable' by building a tree out of them.

--Need to update this entry