Software Metric Tools (RSM Alternatives)

For the Software Engineering Tools & Metrics of Curtin University IT degree program has a assignment to find a bottle necks of a Free Open Source Java Project and submit a report with the solutions and various kind of metrics. We have been given a Image Cafe software developed by our University, in a case that we couldn't find a suitable project. ;-) Anyway most of us use the given program as our test program. We are using java -prof command and analize data to find any bottlenecks and solve them.

One of the major problems we face is, we have been instructed to use RSM (Resource Standard Software) which is a commercial tool to collect metrics.

RSM Home Page
RSM Documentation
RSM Demo

Demo is available for both *nix and Windows platforms but it has a restriction. That is it can be only used with project with maximum of 10 source files. Image Cafe has more than 10 source files. :-(
So I found some Free Open Source Java Metric Tools.
First of all I must say I still didn't try any of them, just downloaded and don't even know if they are working or usable or are they really comparable with RSM.
But I think it is good have something than nothing. ;-)

CyVis - Software Complexity Visualiser (No need for source files can work with compiled files)

NetBeans Profiler - This is special purposes it uses java -prof function and visualize data, so need to copy prof output to OpenOffice.org calc or any other spread sheet program and format them. To be used with NetBeans IDE.
I will put up some comments after using them. Good Luck! ;-)

Unity Plaza Computer Hardware Chain - Security Issues, Customer Misleading and Cheating

My U.S.Robotics 4 Port ADSL Router was broken on 07th of July. Since I had brought it about 9 months ago and I had 1 year warranty, I went to Unity Plaza, Bambalapitiya to claim my warranty. I have brought it from the shop called "IT LAND" in the ground floor, even though their are lot of shops of with different different fancy names; most of them belong to same chain. Their technical center is situated at the 2nd floor of the same building.

The guy in the technical support took the router and told me that it would take about 3 days and call them before coming again. Since it was a Saturday, I wouldn't complain on such delay.

In the Monday morning, I called the technical support and they took the job id and told me that if router is ready they will call me in the evening because they send all the job ids to check by noon. And they said that they will inform me only if router is ready. I found it very inconvenient and surprising because at the customer support they are pretending that they enter all the information into their database and looks like they have no way to simply check if a certain job is done or not. :-)

Anyway I decided to goto Unity Plaza in the Monday morning and I have to wait about 45 minutes after the technical division guy took my receipt and till he brought me a working router.
I never thought they gonna give me a new router, but that guy gave me a router and told me it is a new one. Actually I didn't believed him.

Actually It was a used router, It had one or two small scratches on the surface... and it doesn't matter to me. When I plug-it, it connected to internet, even before I had configured it. Actually their all new router had added all the required all the required information to connect to the internet and it had the it's previous users ADSL user name and password.
I guess the previous user is from Maharagama area since the user name starts with MGM.
Actually the user name is mgm2248896@sltadsl.lk. I can provide the password also but I think it is unethical to do so.

They intensionally mislead me saying that it was a new router and I would rate it as cheating. And they have violated the privacy of the that previous user of the router, by giving me his ADSL user name and password.

I'm really not happy with the customer service or the equipment sold at most of the Computer shops in Unity Plaza, but I have no choice but to go their since they got the lowest price trash.

Finally I Won... Minesweerper Expert Level!

Minesweeper is my favorite game that bundle with Microsoft Windows(TM).
And finally today 07/07/07, I won an Expert Level game for the first time...
I feel I'm so lucky today. ;-)

Last Cut! Live or die?

At last Made The Correct Choice!

What a mine field!!!

Final Scoreboard!

Future Userbility Problem in Oracle Y2K Solution

Today at the Oracle Class we did about Date formats in Oracle. And the Oracle's solution for Y2K Problem is RR instead of YY.
Here what happens,

	If the specified two digit year is 0-49	If the specified two digit year is 50-99
If the two digits of current year is 0-49	The return date is in the current century.	The return date is in the century before the current one.
If the two digits of current year is 50-99	The return date is in the century before the current one.	The return date is in the current century.

Examples:

Current Year	Given Date	Interpreted (RR) - Year
1999	03-MAR-85	2085
2001	03-MAR-95	1995
2007	03-MAR-09	2009
2048	03-MAR-50	1950

The usability problem occurs when you reach the middle of the century, in the example I have noted in red. In 2048, 03-MAR-50 is interpreted by 1950. But in 2048, 03-MAR-50 will clealy mean 2050 in common use. So according to my knowledge their is a future usability problem exists in Oracles's RR date format. It's solutions for the Y2K problem.

References:
Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL (Student Guide - Volume 1) - 2001 - Oracle Corporation

Oracle is a trademark of Oracle Corporation.

zLevel.info - The Game Begins... ;-)

Yesterday I brought my first domain name www.zlevel.info, I brought it from GoDaddy!. And I'm thinking of dedicating zLevel.info for Video/Computer game lovers. At the moment zLevel.info is pointed to my Gentoo Server via zoneedit Dynamic DNS. I'm hoping to use a Drupal Site with a forum, community book and a blog.
You can see the my current drupal site from zLevel.info. Your comments and suggestions are highly appreciated.
Wish me good luck! ;-)