Kev’s Blog – Page 342 – Kev's Development Toolbox

September 7, 2006

CSS: The Missing Manual – Slashdot book review

I have to admit, since I learned HTML back in 1995/1996, my layout and design skills have also been stuck in that era. I admit, I’m not a artistic, visual UI design GUI guru, I just don’t have that artistic flair, but I do from time to time have to write HTML. I’m aware the layout of HTML has moved on since heavy use of nested HTML Tables and that I should be using CSS for both visual style and layout, but I have not had the time or the need to make the jump to investigate how I do layouts with CSS.

This book however, CSS: The Missing Manual, looks like it is worth a read, and from the review on Slashdot, looks like it would fill in some blanks for me in terms of my current knowledge of CSS. This one will be on my wishlist.

September 7, 2006

String Lengths and Comparisons – SDN Tech Tips

The Sun Developer Network has a useful article on calculating String lengths and comparing Strings using a variety of different approaches: ==, equals(), compareTo() and Collators. This is a useful read if you are unfamiliar with these approaches.

September 6, 2006

Pure Java DB H2 released, as sucessor to HSQLDB

Thomas Mueller, the creator of the popular pure Java database engine HSQLDB, has released a successor to this popular database, called H2.

The new database has features comparable to MySQL and PostgreSQL, but is intended to be used in low number of concurrent connection scenarios.

September 6, 2006

Sony delays European PS3 launch until March 2007

Sony has delayed the launch of the PS3 in Europe by 4 months until March 2007, however the new console will still launch in Japan on Nov 11 and the US on Nov 17, 2006.

The most likely reason is a limitation in planned volumes of the console available for a simultaneous launch, since the planned number of units available for Japan and US has also been halved from 4 million to 2 million. Sony were originally planning 2 million available on launch day, plus a further 2 million available by year end. Sony have said that the delay will allow them to meet their planned 6 million units sold by March 2007.