After a delay of 3 months (sorry - new job, house fun etc !), Part 4 is now online - oddly the article was written and it was just a little coding required to complete.

Part Four now online. Don't forget Part One and Part Two and Part Three. Articles are aimed at programmers new to GUI work - anyone experienced in GUI programming should zoom right through them.

Getting back to some IronPython on my summer hols... more talking RSS via Speech Synthesis, a podcast orientated MP3 player and have been reading IronPython in Action.

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-08-18 20:30:39.
Categories: IronPython, Python, Software Tags : XAML WPF IronPython
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So much to blog about... so little time... one thing...

Ever since I put together Mood News, I wanted (and people suggested) having a slider to 'mix' the level of the news. Silverlight 2 (beta) inspired me to put together a new version and though a bit plain looking for a Silverlight app. Data is not updated 'live' yet but that will come soon. Definitely some scope for some swirly colour gradients.

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-05-13 21:55:04.
Categories: IronPython, Python, MoodNews Tags : BBC
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Part Three now online. A bit more to digest this time. Don't forget Part One and Part Two. Articles are aimed at programmers new to GUI work - anyone experienced in GUI programming should zoom right through them.

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-27 20:54:34.
Categories: IronPython, Python, Software Tags : XAML WPF
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Marta spotted this one...

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-27 20:45:46.
Categories: Angus, Photos Tags : Scotland Saltire
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Recently I had the idea of writing a bit more on the XAML example I put together. Initially it was going to be on the wiki, then a blog post and now it looks like it will be 5 short articles . Anyway, Part One and Part Two are available right now. Articles are aimed at programmers new to GUI work - anyone experienced in GUI programming should zoom right through them.

The style is explained in the first article (and the reasons behind it sadly still stand for too many computing texts): Many years ago I worked on some tutorials for MFC (a Microsoft C++ GUI Library). The trouble we had with most of the existing reference materials was that the examples crammed in too much at once making it difficult for beginner GUI/MFC programmers to navigate the code. These articles will follow the style we eventually settled on - simple code examples with just one or two GUI controls being displayed interacting. Have fun and I hope you learn something.

So, please enjoy and please feedback!

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-23 22:05:32.
Categories: IronPython, Python, Software Tags : XAML WPF
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1. 'World peace' hitcher is murdered
   A female Italian artist hitch-hiking to the Middle East in a wedding dress to promote world peace is murdered in Turkey....
2. OLE Automation (IDispatch) Support in IronPython
   Shri Borde explains how com interoperability works in IronPython 1 and IronPython 2:OLE Automation (IDispatch) Support in IronPython...
3. Expelled Review
   It's 11:20 PM Friday night. We have just returned from watching a special Hollywood screening of ...
4. Replace Notepad with Notepad2 [Featured Windows Download]
   Windows only: When Notepad just doesn't have the features you need to get simple text-editing done, check out the lightweight but feature-packed alternative, Notepad2. Since we ...
5. How Do You Maximize Your Lunch Hour? [Ask The Readers]
   
6. ANN: ActivePython 2.5.2.2 and 2.4.5.14 are now available
   I'm happy to announce that ActivePython 2.5.2.2 and 2.4.5.14 are now available for download from: [link] These are patch releases that update ActivePython to core Python 2.5.2 and 2.4.5. ...
8. 'Two dead' in Russian cave siege
   Two members of a doomsday sect holed up in a cave since October have died, a survivor tells Russian media....
9. Google Talk Labs Edition
   Google released a new version of their instant messenger. Called Google Talk Labs Edition, thi...
10. Flicker Free Syntax Highlighting
    Chris Redford looks at the problem of implementing flicker free syntax highlighting in a rich textbox from IronPython:Flicker Free Syntax Highlighting - a .NET Solution...
11. Urban Rhythm "Luv Will make It Right" (Strictly Rhythm Records, 1991)
    ...
12. The Bible and Modern Astronomy, Part 2
    
13. XAML GUI Events Example
    Davy Mitchell has been experimenting with Windows Presentation Foundation and XAML. He has posted an example to the IronPython Cookbook showing how to load up a User Interface definition from XML and th...
14. Grow in Small Spaces with the Wall-Hanging Plant Holder [Weekend Project]
    A wall-hanging plant holder makes growing plants in your cramped apartment a realistic endeavor, but there's a catch. As is, the plant wall reta...
15. POSSIBLE HUMAN REMAINS FOUND ON CARNOUSTIE BEACH
    THE INVESTIGATION into body parts found on Arbroath beach earlier this week moved to Carnoustie late last night....
16. tinypy.org website launched!
    
18. World to compete for Saltire Prize
    First Minister announces world's largest ever single prize for innovation in marine renewable energy....
19. Google Gears, a Software Update for the Web
    Google Gears started as an open-source plug-in that enabled web applications to work offline, but its real purpose is to speed up the addition of features to web browsers. Developers are frustrated that it takes too long to create standards and they h...
20. Psychotic: optimizing Python compiler
    

1. Now available: orkut on your mobile phone
   Posted by Hazel Mary, Software EngineerHave you ever wanted to check if your buddy responded to your scrap about this evening's plans, but not been close to a computer? Do you wish you could pass the time on your long commute home by browsing through your friends' profiles?...
2. Aborigines 'used in experiments'
   Some Aboriginal children in Australia were once used for medical experiments, an activist claims....
3. POLICE ISSUE DIESEL THIEVES WARNING
   TAYSIDE Police is warning members of the Angus business community to be aware that thieves have been targeting a number of premises recently to steal diesel from commercial ve...
4. Let's start the blog with a farewell to holidays...
   At last our blog is here!After months (maybe even years) of talking about it, our fingers have at last been pulled out of their proverbial resting places....
5. Syria on Alert 'Because Hizbullah Revenge Attack is Near' (Israel - God's Timepiece)
   Syria has raised the state of alert of its armed forces because it knows Hizbullah's revenge attack against Israel for the killing of Imad Mughniyeh is near, according to Israel's Channel 2 TV. Soon after Mughniyeh's death, Israel warned Syria that it would hold it responsible for any revenge attack...
6. Third-Party Gmail Redesign Style
   The Firefox extension Stylish allows you to easily load homemade style...
7. Monkeys on Mars?
   Russia tests animals for possible space flight...
8. The Voidspace Techie Blog: On Testing: Some Programmers Refuse to Get it
   Well I hadn't intended this to be my first blog entry after returning from RuPy and Expert Zone, in fact I should be going to bed. However, this blog entry on whether large test suites prove Python is not suitable for large projects is a subject dear to my heart. ... [912 words] ...
9. Vista SP1 Won't Install on Dual-Boot Systems: Microsoft
   APC Magazine: "Are you currently running Windows and Linux in a dual-boot setup? You're going to have major headaches with Vista SP1, Microsoft has admitted..."...
10. Terror threat to UK 'is growing'
    Home Secretary Jacqui Smith describes the terrorism threat facing the UK as "severe" and "growing"....
11. 'World peace' hitcher is murdered
    A female Italian artist hitch-hiking to the Middle East in a wedding dress to promote world peace is murdered in Turkey....
12. OLE Automation (IDispatch) Support in IronPython
    Shri Borde explains how com interoperability works in IronPython 1 and IronPython 2:OLE Automation (IDispatch) Support in IronPython...
13. Expelled Review
    It's 11:20 PM Friday night. We have just returned from watching a special Hollywood screening of ...
14. Replace Notepad with Notepad2 [Featured Windows Download]
    Windows only: When Notepad just doesn't have the features you need to get simple text-editing done, check out the lightweight but feature-packed alternative, Notepad2. Since we ...
15. How Do You Maximize Your Lunch Hour? [Ask The Readers]
    
16. ANN: ActivePython 2.5.2.2 and 2.4.5.14 are now available
    I'm happy to announce that ActivePython 2.5.2.2 and 2.4.5.14 are now available for download from: [link] These are patch releases that update ActivePython to core Python 2.5.2 and 2.4.5. ...
18. 'Two dead' in Russian cave siege
    Two members of a doomsday sect holed up in a cave since October have died, a survivor tells Russian media....
19. Google Talk Labs Edition
    Google released a new version of their instant messenger. Called Google Talk Labs Edition, thi...
20. Flicker Free Syntax Highlighting
    Chris Redford looks at the problem of implementing flicker free syntax highlighting in a rich textbox from IronPython:Flicker Free Syntax Highlighting - a .NET Solution...

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-12 16:52:34.
Categories: IronPython, Python, Software, Internet Tags : Google RayComfort
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There's been a fair bit of blogging about Twitter and people 'getting it' or not. Sure, it is a great networking site and far more fun than the likes of Bebo but that's not Twitters strength which lies in its API which makes a great platform. Any app can have email/IM/SMS notifications (public or private) with just a few lines.

Besides from getting 140 character updates, the more interesting Tweets come from news services and other Bots. BBC have a number of good channels though I tend to track keywords e.g Scotland in tweets. I have also been looking at Trac for issue tracking so have been following peoples experiences - complaints about installation and discussion of alternatives have proved invaluable and conjured up new leads. Redmine looks cool but is ROR rather than Python!

Also Twitter is probably best experienced through IM with Google Talk being my preferred client. This turns Twitter into a terminal/console for internet applications. Remember The Milk is the best example. I can add a task to my todo list by typing 'd rtm Buy some milk.' into my IM window. Neat!

Okay a few more applications are required (Google Calendar please?) but I'd advise you to sign up for Twitter. It is just getting interesting

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-09 20:38:21.
Categories: Internet, IronPython, Python, Scotland, Software Tags : Twitter
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Been playing around with IronPython and XAML lately. It is pretty cool to work with and the end results look really good. Well they look slick until you go overboard playing with gradients and drop shadows! I put together a version of the Firedrop2 gui in XAML as an example on the Ironpython cookbook.

XAML would have been at lot easier if I had downloaded and Express edition of VB2008 earlier. It includes a powerful XAML editor which works 2 ways (edit with gui or fiddle with the code.

Finally I was totally fooled by Psychotic - well done!

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-04-03 21:30:52.
Categories: IronPython, Python Tags : AprilFool Psychotic
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1. BBC apologizes for erroneous reporting on Israel
2. Solution sought over embryo vote
3. views.py for wikinear.com
4. SkySails Test Results In! 20% Fuel Savings!
5. Brown criticised over embryo bill
6. Interactive console in Pydev
7. Ubuntu 8.04 Gets Ready for Beta
8. Q&A time!
9. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING TO CARNOUSTIE
10. First church inaugurated in Qatar
11. Carnoustie bay
12. Special Post--from How to Know God Exists
13. UPDATED RELEASE: 2.0 Beta 1 (Mar 14, 2008)
14. Celebrating St Andrew's Day
15. The Tools Google Uses Internally
16. UPDATED WIKI: v2.0 Beta 1 Release Notes
17. Taking Back Astronomy: The Universe Confirms the Bible
18. Rugby: Scotland shock England
19. Blair to teach in the US on faith
20. Iran debate: Who owns the revolution?

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-03-24 18:36:03.
Categories: Internet, Python, IronPython, Christian Tags : Ubuntu Israel
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A tree fell down in our nearby park. Oddly it wasn't windy but probably the cold that brought it down, the inside of the trunk was hollow near the base. Thankfully it didn't land on anyone! Needless to say, firewood has been gathered...

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-03-24 17:15:26.
Categories: Fun, Photos, General, Scotland, Python Tags : tree Carnoustie
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Right going to burn through a few topics fast tonight since I was up at 5am...

pythonnews now has 24 followers. In case you missed it, Pythonnews tweets News about the Python Programming Language brought to you on Twitter! Another good reason to sign up to Twitter. When Twitter is used through IM in particular, it can be quite powerful as you can track keywords, access bots (rememberthemilk being an important one for me) and meet some great people. With a few more bots it could be powerful command shell.

IronPython has had another release and they have fixed a few bugs I needed out of the way. Thank guys! Only had time to run Mood News on it tonight but there are a lot of bugs fixed and a few new features.

Yes and am running on Python 2.5 now... on Ubuntu Hardy Heron. The Alpha has a Windows install so you can install to the Windows Filesystem so no repartitioning or anything nasty. C:Ubuntu indeed. Reboot and you have a full install of Ubuntu to try out. Impressive stuff and much nicer than Vista.

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-03-02 07:34:04.
Categories: Python, IronPython, Internet Tags : Twitter .Net
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A big mix as usual but a lot of Middle East Ones!

1. Wubi Arrives: a Look at Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 5
2. Saudi men arrested for 'flirting'
3. Palestinians 'may declare state'
4. Ahmadinejad Imam row grows
5. Israeli MP blames quakes on gays
6. Iranians urge Dutch to ban film
7. Iran guards predict Israel demise
8. New Material Can Selectively Capture CO2
9. Pleas for Saudi 'witch' to be saved
10. Williams in synod Sharia address
11. No more bridge tolls
12. Carey weighs into Sharia law row
13. CUBS AND BEAVERS PLANT TREES
14. Controversy Over Wikipedia's Use Of Muhammad Image
15. Bionic Arm Might Go Into Clinical Trials
16. Vista SP1 Released to Manufacturing
17. Good food 'boosts earning power'
18. Pope Denounces Some Biotech as Affront to 'Human Dignity'
19. Gunfire at Israeli embassy
20. Microsoft wants to purchase Yahoo

Posted by Davy Mitchell on 2008-02-26 22:06:07.
Categories: Internet, General, Politics, Software
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