They have basically zero support for reusable components.
Right now, I'm writing an app that lets you claim phone numbers from a pool. It has an interface where you can see what numbers you already have, and a page you can go to to claim more numbers by doing a search, then clicking on a number you like to claim it.
This page is implemented by a server-side script (actually, it's a Rails controller, but that's an irrelevant detail at this level) that spits out a search form and a list of matching numbers. The form posts back to the same script; if you hit Search it re-runs the search and displays the new results; if you hit Grab it claims the selected number in your name, and replies with a redirect to the details page for that number.
But now I need to add to it so that new users, when they sign up, get to choose three numbers, which are stored slightly specially in the database, differently from numbers they subsequently claim.
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As I mentioned before, I have a cloth badge sewn onto my coat of many pockets. Now, Sarah is an avid collector of most things, including such badges; she has bags and boxes of them, generally not sewn onto anything. I don't have the urge to collect like that, but I wouldn't mind a few more to sew onto my coat.
I wouldn't want just any badges sewn on, though; I'm not even keen on picking up badges from places I visit and sewing them on to mark the event.
I think I'd probably like some nerdy ones, to be honest. A NetBSD logo or a hacker emblem would be pretty cool. But I'd really like something Lispy, so I designed the following:
Now, I've found places that will make badges for you, but the minimum orders tend to be in the realm of 100, at a cost of 85 pounds or so... and I don't know if I can sell the spares on to anybody 😉 Perhaps I need to set up a "nerdy cloth badges" business...
The SVN source is available for download, BTW. It was made on a Mac and uses an Apple font for the nice curly lambda, but I'm sure other platforms will have a good font that can be used instead.
Once upon a time, I had an idea that middleware should be really easily accessible from different protocols.
Happily, it looks like somebody has had the same idea, but actually implemented it!
I've not played with it, but it looks pretty neat.
We've had a busy weekend running the Cranham contingent at the district Centenary Camp.
One highlight for me was finding the Cubs all scrabbling about searching their pockets for small change and whispering conspiratorially. "Akela, Akela!" they said when I approached. "You've got to buy this badge we found in the camp shop! It says Akela and it has a wolf and it'd look really good on you!"
So I let them excitedly drag me to the shop tent, where they pointed out this badge and looked me expectantly. I presume (from the conversation I walked into) they'd been trying to see if they could buy it for me between themselves, but had failed to raise the pound required, so I bought it myself, much to their delight.
I've surmised that having it sewn on in time for our next meeting (Wednesday) might mean a lot to them, so I've stayed up tonight attaching it to my coat-of-many-pockets 🙂
Now, I used to be famous for wearing coats of many pockets, stuffed with first aid equipment, compass, and the like. I gave up the practice due to fears that the weight distribution wasn't doing my back any good, and moved to a belt of many pouches instead, but that finally died a death, so after a terrifying period of wandering around not equipped for an unexpected nuclear strike, my brother in law and his girlfriend bought me a new coat of many pockets for my birthday. So I'm back to wearing coats of many pockets, except this time I'm not going to load it up so far!
While sitting on a train yesterday, I typed up some thoughts...
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Computing | alaric | 
Sun 17th Jun 2007 1:22 am | 
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