We sat our class test for Software Development 1 yesterday. This was worth 10% of the module, so approximately 1·111 of my final mark. Assuming I’ve passed, I have now achieved just under 5% of my MSc.

The test was an open-book ‘write a piece of code to solve a problem’ question, to be done in 90 minutes. You can see my code here.

1. The bright blue text is the actual question. I copied it into my program to avoid needing to swap from IDE to the question document. This was partly for simple efficiency, partly for good practice and partly because Windows 7 makes swapping between apps using alt-tab annoying because it flickers up ghost images of things you might be tabbing to and displays options as mini-windows at the bottom of the screen, rather than as a row of icons in the centre of the screen.
2. I then decided my strategy – that’s the bit in teal.
3. I then wrote my pseudocode – that’s the comments in red in the main part of the program – and set about translating that into actual code. (The comments in the methods/subroutines were added in as I wrote the code.) Fortunately, this was an open-book exam and I’d already written bits to check and validate user-entry, then put it into an array, so I just needed to copy it into my program and change the variables’ names to ones more suited to this problem. Despite this short-cut, I had only half an hour left by the time I’d finished writing the data-entry code.

   It took a further 20 minutes to write the data analysis and output code. I spent about 5 minutes testing and fixing the program – It didn’t work perfectly first time.

4. I just had time to write a few comments on extra validation I’d like to include and that I’d achieved a couple of things in methods/subroutines which I’d originally thought would be in the main program. (These are in yellow).

I’m pretty confident I’ve passed – the code has structure, using methods/subroutines; it’s full of comments so you can see how it works and has ideas for improvements. OK, it solves a trivial problem but I finished and tested it in the time allowed while others didn’t and it includes a check that temperatures entered are greater than absolute zero – I don’t think anyone else will have done that. (BAH – I’ve just realised that I omitted that test from the minimum temperature data-entry method!!!)

I’d have liked to test it a bit more. Feel free to download the compiled code and let me know if you find any faults in it.

Mark to be reported as soon as I know it.

My result for yesterday’s test is 84% – here’s the detailed report.

I finally plucked up the courage to submit my answers to the online database tutorial. I’d been worrying over the final question all week – for previous questions, the system told us how well we’d scored. However, not so for this final question. It turns out the solution I worked out last week was correct, so I have 100% for this piece of work.

So I now have about 6% of an MSc

Very good to see folk in St Andrews yesterday, and wishing a speedy recovery to . Meanwhile, here is uncut footage of my cycle from Leuchars to Aikmans.

There’s probably no good reason for watching it…

Pleasing result for my first class test

28 marks out of a possible 30, so 93%. (At the end of the exam I was sure I’d passed, but had no hope of a high grade.)

This test gets me through a third of a module, and a module is a third of a trimester’s marks. Each trimester counts represents a third of an MSc (were I studying full-time), so I have achieved one twenth-seventh (3·7%) of my MSc.

Pleasing new toy

A lightweight webcam that mounts on handlebars, helmets, etc. Videoing Edinburgh potholes starts tomorrow.

jPhone went walkabout

In February, my 32GB iPhone 3GS and I parted company on a train. I’m not quite sure whether it was stolen or whether I left it on the train – I was on the way back to Edinburgh from an exhausting and emotional trip away and woke up just in time to leap out of the train at Haymarket.

When I got home I realised the iPhone was missing and tried to locate it using find-my-iPhone. There was no response – not really a surprise because the iPhone’s battery was bound to have run out by then.

I tried find-my-iPhone the next morning and it worked – the phone was located on an estate in the south of Edinburgh. I printed the result and took it to the police who advised that they couldn’t take action unless it was handed in. I then used find-my-iPhone several times to have the phone make a loud noise and display ‘please return this phone to Bruce – call him on ‘.

No-one called me, and the iPhone seemed to stay in the same place so I eventually went to the street where the iPhone was and used find-my-iPhone on Hexie to make it noisy so I could locate it. This didn’t help and I certainly wasn’t about to start knocking on doors and accusing strangers of having the phone so I remote-wiped it and gave it up as lost.

I then had a 6-month wait for my contract to end – paying for a service I couldn’t use because a replacement iPhone would have been too expensive. I did buy an ultra-cheap dumb-phone to use with the contract, which I got reduced by a small amount but I was still forced to pay for a data connection I couldn’t use and a talk allowance which was far more than I needed.

My hostess inspires me

At the beginning of September, my hostess finally succumbed to the reality distortion field need for a real smartphone and bought a refurbished 32GB iPhone 4 on contract. A few days later, when my 3GS contract ended and I was allowed, even encouraged, to upgrade, I tried to do the same. It turned out that O2 had run out of 32GB refurbished iPhones. I would have walked from O2 but they had the cheapest phone deals in the UK. I cracked and ordered a brand-new one with a sensible data and voice plan and insurance. This phone, or a replacement provided by insurance, is damn well going to make it through this contract. (You may recall that my original iPhone died in a soup-related incident.)

Also, IOS now permitted tethering, so I no longer needed a separate broadband dongle for Hexie – just as well because the dongle had recently stopped working. I’d been toying with the idea of getting a cheap, second-hand 3G or 3GS for mounting on Vilior’s handlebars for navigation and videoing my travels. So I replaced the dongle’s contract with the cheapest contract I could get for a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3GS.

Results

Both iPhones work just fine – the iPhone 4 stays snugly in a silicone-rubber protector, tucked away in a deep pocket. The 3GS goes in Vilior’s handlebar and keeps me on track and on time. The angle it needs to be at for videoing is counter-productive for navigation, so I’ve temporarily given up on using it for both and just use the 3GS for navigation. If any freelance work comes my way, one of the biggest temptations will be to get another 3GS or iPod touch for videoing. I’m looking forward to setting the videoing device to using time-lapse photography for long cycles, then getting it to upload the frames to my main mac, which can then assemble frames into a movie and maybe even upload the movies to digital evidence – watch this space.

In the meantime, here are some movies of travelling around Edinburgh in my first week at Napier and proof of the huge difference in screen-resolution between the 4 and the 3GS:
Craiglockart to Merchiston
Merchiston to Servants’ Quarters – lots of red traffic lights!
iPhone 3GS screenshot
iPhone 4 screenshot

Where to start? I know I’ve been silent since early August. So what follows is probably far too long-winded!

August

I don’t think I did anything productive in August apart from subscribe to CrashPlan, an online back-up system. (There are two back-up devices in Servants’ Quarters but I fear losing them to theft or fire, and I don’t like carrying all my data with me – this requires a physical device which might be lost or stolen.)

MSc studies

On 5th September, I matriculated into Napier University to start an MSc in Information Systems Development. The first week was full of getting-to-know-Napier activities. In one of these, aimed at mature students, my team won a poster-design competition – the prize was a 2GB memory stick. I hope that’s not my only prize during this course.

I’m officially studying part-time but I find that I need to put in almost a full working week to keep up. I’m currently studying

• A full module on software development – so far, it’s been a from-no-prior-knowledge introduction to programming in Java. It’s based on the lecturer’s ‘Java genius” teach-yourself website and the practical programming is done in the Eclipse IDE.We’ve covered variables, primitive data types, input and output (using the
  JOptionPane system), arithmetic expressions, flow of control, arrays and methods (subroutines). So far, there’s been no mention of object-orientation or any real mention of theory, which I find a little frustrating: I want to understand how and why things work. In fact, concerning the start of any Java program,
  public class MyFirstProgram {

  public static void main (String [ ] args) {

  // actual code for main program

  }
  // code for methods

  }
  the lecturer has said ‘you don’t need to know what public, class, static and args mean yet.’) I do know what a String is and have just been taught what void means, while a little reading around has informed me about the other terms. Still, we’re only 4 weeks into the course.

  The coursework so far has been to do the tutorials on javagenius – no real problem except remembering the vocabulary. For example, is it import.javax.swing; or import.swing.javax;?

  There’s a class test, which will be an open-book programming task, in two weeks’ time. Then the remaining part of the assessment for this module will be a 5-week programming assignment.

  As well as the tutorials, I’ve written a program of my own to calculate body mass indices (BMI) for an arbitrary number of people, then work out how much weight each should gain or lose. It could be much simpler (for example, using a 2-dimensional array rather than three 1-dimensional arrays) and is currently monolithic because we hadn’t been taught about methods when I wrote it. My self-imposed tasks for this week are

  1. to re-write my program using methods
  2. to add some more functionality – calculating the minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation of the BMI results
  3. to allow the user to choose whether to enter data in metric or imperial
  4. to allow the user to enter the names of each person, so that the results are given as ‘Bruce’s BMI is…’, rather than ‘Person 1’s BMI is…’.

  I’d like to be able to format the output – you don’t need to know BMIs to more than one decimal place – and to store results in a file so that a later set of results can be compared with an earlier set of results, so that each person could know how their BMI has changed. However, I’m relatively proud – I wrote my program, it wasn’t a set task and it does what I meant it to do. It has also shown me just how much planning you need to do before you write a single line of code and the addictive joy of late-night coding.

  Despite these lacunae, I’m enjoying this module – the lecturer has a great presentation style, is approachable and takes time in lectures to make sure we all understand – and I’m learning stuff – hooray!

• A half-module on computer systems. This comprises three chunks:
  1. computer architecture: innards of processors and their links to the rest of the hardware (buses and hubs); fetch-decode-execute cycle, interrupts and similar. It’s been fairly basic, again assuming zero prior knowledge, but I’ve learnt or firmed up quite a few concepts, so I’m pretty pleased. We sat the class test yesterday. I’m pretty sure I’ve passed but my exam technique and handwriting leave a lot to be desired!This chunk has been taught by another good lecturer with a slightly dryer style but he’s been very approachable and supportive and I’ve enjoyed this chunk.
  2. operating systems, namely windows and linux.
     Wot no MacOS? I wonder if we’ll be taught that every OS sucks (video). Yes, every OS sucks (canonical list).
  3. computer networking
     I’m looking forward to this. In practice, networking macs has been easy and idiot-proof from the moment I tried to do so. (This is not my experience with PCs!) However, the basis of how it all works is pretty hazy – I’ve read snippets on the OSI model and similar but I want to get to grips with it, and maybe later do a CNAA qualification.
• A half module on database systems.
  The old adage is ‘if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing’. So I’m saying nothing in public.

The rest of the course will be

• Spring 2012 – a module on either more software development or web-enabled business.
• Summer 2012 – nothing officially timetabled, so I will be looking for work experience.
• Autumn 2012 –a module on information systems engineering.
• Spring 2013 – modules on
  • web design and development
  • choice between
    • a group project
    • management of software projects.
      I’ve done some line-management and hated it – I think I’ve been quite good at managing publishing projects where I’ve been in charge and the contributors have all been external I’m not sure about working in a peer relationship with other trainees but, since that’s the way I’ll most likely work in the IT world, the group project seems the less unappealing of the two options.
• Summer 2013 – a dissertation.
  I’m nervous about this – I’ve not done any original writing for ages and my PhD thesis left a lot to be desired. I have a mentor who is studying for a PhD in information visualisation in Napier’s computing department – she’s been a great help not least in that, by promising her that I will do certain things each week, I have a great impetus to do them. Her first degree is in philosophy – she then did a computing MSc at Napier and has now started extending this work into a doctorate.

Until now, I’ve not believed the saying ‘the more you put into something, the more you get out of it’. The more I’ve put into anything at work or at home, the more frustrated I’ve been when it didn’t work or didn’t attain the standards I wanted and took up time I wanted or needed to give to something else. However, I currently believe that this saying does apply to this course and that I will be far more proud of, and will have enjoyed attaining, this qualification than my BSc and PhD.

Whether it will lead to employment in the IT world is unknown – I still have great fondness for educational publishing. However, so long as I end up doing something that is tolerably challenging, doesn’t involve commuting (except by bike within Edinburgh), doesn’t contribute to the meat and pet industries, the military, right-wing politics and capitalism, and me to make a real contribution to people’s lives and keeps a roof over my head, then I’m not that bothered. (Ideally I’d earn enough to keep my hostess too, since she’s well overdue a sabbatical.)

What else has been going on? My hostess is on tour, aiming to speak directly to all of her staff about the future of her organisation. We recently spent a long weekend in Worcester, visiting my parents. My mother is still suffering greatly from having broken her hip in March. There’s a lot of pain as the replacement joints haven’t yet bedded in and she still has great difficulty walking upstairs – driving isn’t really worth considering yet, so she’s housebound unless dad or Ian can take her. I’m going to visit again in a couple of week’s time, mostly for an IT call but also to take them an exercise bike inherited from my hostess. Each time I visit, I feel it’s not long enough and that maybe I’m not doing enough for them.

Bah – I thought I’d try to get ahead of my forthcoming studies by starting an online course in Java. The course uses the NetBeans IDE and the only mac versions available are for intel-based macs. My main mac is an 2·0GHz XServe G5 – from well before the transition to Intel.

I’ve found Eclipse and MochaCode and might try these. Also, I’m sure Leopard Client came with an installer for XCode, Apple’s own IDE. But to avoid me getting totally confused, can anyone recommend an online course for these? (Yes, I know this seems lazy – but I’m posting while waiting for onions to caramelise – and will look properly later.)

Other options seems to be

• trying the Netbeans installation and course on Hexie, who has an 1·6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 1024 * 600 pixel screen and doesn’t talk to external monitors
• waiting for the course to start and seeing what facilities I get at Napier
• bending the plastic for a new-ish Mac Pro. (This would be my preferred/fantasy option, especially if I can get one from just before Lion came out so I can have multiple boot disks:
  • Sludge Leopard – because Lion is still at ‘point-nought’
  • Lion – because that’s where MacOS is at09
  • linux
  • Windows.

I’m tickled to learn of the existence of tofu interconnects, especially as they work in 6 dimensions. Soya products transmitting information in hyperspace?

Some time after 11pm yesterday, my dad called to tell me that ambulance staff were attending my mum after an apparent stroke. I threw some clothes into a bag and looked at train and flight possibilities while Elly looked into taxis.

About an hour later, my dad texted to give an all-clear: ‘stoke symptoms now abated. Speech & movement now normal. No need for hospitalisation. Cause was a TIA – a transient episode. See GPO tomorrow.’ So the mad dash for Worcester was put on hold.

He emailed today to say ‘Mum has to visit the vampire at the surgery tomorrow for blood samples to be taken & have an ECG. As from tomorrow, she is to take aspirin to thin her blood. This is for a month to check on the effect on blood pressure. This is not madly high but needs to be kept in check.’

I suspect, admittedly on zero knowledge of her medication regime, that the pain-killers taken in connection with having broken her femur neck in March and other medication stemming from diabetes complications may be responsible – but I will look into that when I make a planned visit to Worcester on Thursday. During this trip I get to meet my brother’s new girlfriend – oo-er!

I phoned home this morning – dad sounded OK but mum sounded rather tired – hardly surprising after a scary episode. My mum is nearly 81 and my dad is 83 so I guess I’m lucky to have them both – and that mentally both are fully functional as far as I can tell.

On a slightly better note, my offer of a place at Napier was made unconditional today (they were waiting on a reference to confirm that I really am suitable for the course) so I’m a step closer to trying to get my head around Java and OSI models – and to buying a new mac with a student discount. Yeehah!

Some time after 11pm yesterday, my dad called to tell me that ambulance staff were attending my mum after an apparent stroke. I threw some clothes into a bag and looked at train and flight possibilities while Elly looked into taxis.

About an hour later, my dad texted to give an all-clear: ‘stoke symptoms now abated. Speech & movement now normal. No need for hospitalisation. Cause was a TIA – a transient episode. See GPO tomorrow.’ So the mad dash for Worcester was put on hold.