JavaScript and ActionScript

Since my uncle came this weekend, I really didn't a time to focus on coding. However, I read something interesting about JavaScript, ActionScript, Canvas and Flash.

JavaScript and ActionScript

JavaScript and ActionScript are brothers. They both come from ECMAScript. No wonder why I am so easy to understand the syntax of JavaScript. (Background: I started to learned Flash 5 years ago. Check one of my little flash example in my previous post.)
They are different with C++. As my opensource professor David said, they are functional language. Function is the basics. Therefore, you can do something impossible in C++, and they are easier. For example,

for(var i=0;i<10;i++){
  this["t"+i].i = i;
  this["t"+i] = function{
    return this.i;
  }
}

it will create ten functions inside the global scope, let's say. The name of them are t0,t1,t2 and so on until t9. and they will return 0,1,2 and so on until 9 for each. It doesn't have any meaning in the code, but if I need to do it in C++, then I need the create ten functions and store the pointer of the funtions into an array. That is the reason why I think JavaScript and ActionScript are easier than C++.

JavaScript vs ActionScript

I don't think they have anything to compare with, because JavaScript manage the element of HTML page, and ActionScript is for a better graphics and animation. Everything is so peaceful until Canvas come up.

Canvas vs Flash

Canvas, one of the new element in HTML5.
Flash, a wide using web element since 1996.
There are a lot of voice on the web talking about Canvas and Flash.
Adobe, Microsoft Spar Over Flash, Silverlight, HTML5
HTML5 and the future of Adobe Flash
Flash Player: CPU Hog or Hot Tamale? It Depends.
Lots of, Lots of articles.

My point of view

It is unfair to say which is good or not since HTML5 is still under experimental. In China, there is an old said that, "Hundred Schools of Thought". For me, the programming field is still growing, and looks healthy.

Release 0.2

Background

the release includes the work that I have done for pjs tickets #213 and #422. #422 was originally belong to #213, but first, Anna suggested me to seprate them; Second, there are realy too many differences between the 2D text and 3D text.

Things have done

2D part (#213)

• completed the funtionalities since release 0.1

• fixed a little syntax error
• requested review

3D part (#422)

• implemented the prototype (post)

Challenges

• Using & Managing git.
• WebGL is truly tough. I am still confused how to organize the code of the 3D part
• Javascript. Understaning the sytax, but maybe working more a little bit on that will be much better
• Merging code.

3D text on HTML5 continue

this is the second post of the 3D text on HTML5.

How far have I reached

What is that

As you see, it is a 3D text at the top of a square and a triangle. As the same with the last one, it refers to WebGL Lesson 5 and a textdemo from glge, and plus three lines of code from WebGL Lesson 8. The square and triangle are coming from the Lesson 2 in order to highline the 3D text.

A list of my references for 3D canvas

• WebGL Lesson series Lesson 5, Lesson 8 and Lesson 2 - actually, all the lessons that inside the WebGL are very using. They are easy understanding, great instruction and open source.
• GLGE - a javascript library using the WebGL. They have a lot of exciting demos using WebGL. It is a good place to look at.
• Mathematical Concepts of 3D - an guide of math from seneca game programming course.
• a tutorial of openGL - a tutorial of openGL. i had only read the one that I linked to, but it already brought me a lot of understanding.

Next Step

The easiest is breaking someone's code. Second is writing my own code. After that, reading others codes. The most difficult is combining other people's codes with my own code and make sure didn't break anything. Now, I am going to the last step. Pushing my code in to code of processing.js. If luckily, I will be able to release the whole text() function before weekend. Otherwise, at least, I put out a 3D text() preview.

3D text on HTML5

I have to say this is very difficult, and I am still not very sure how it works.

What I made

What is that

I combine the code from WebGL Lesson 5, the WebGL series Lesson that Soctt mentioned about, with a textdemo from glge. This example will be the prototype of my release 0.2.

The idea

The idea of how to implement 3d text is draw the text as texture, then transparent the background. Therefore, I still have a long way to good.

pjs branch update

Labeled my branch as "text", and updated it with Anna's 0.7. Also, changed the code and made it ready for release 0.2 (3d text).

I don't know if I updated my branch correctly or if I should do so, but it seem to make sense for this moment. After reading something articles about the Git, I start to have the feeling what exactly it is and realize I still need to learn more about it. Not only Git, but as well as SVN and HP. They are so powerful and also difficult for me. It just like the history happen again. Back to my first knew Flash, it took me a long long time to learn it ( bg: Actionscript is my first programming language ).

Now there are still a little confusion in my mind, but as long as I keep touching it, it will be better. Just like what happen before.

Thunderbird Lab

After I finished the Liunx Socket assignment, I finally have some time to go back and work on the Thunderbird Lab. Since a lot of classmate have blogged it, I have lot of example to refer to - Crystal, Jianming, Scott, Thanh and Harjinder, and therefore, it much easier than I thought.

Learning from Crystal, I pick up an example from the real Bugzilla to file my bug.

6 days to build Thunderbird are really a lot of time, but I learn something as well. Tracking Tinderbox, Revert code from Repository.

Whatever, it is a good experience. ( I still need to fix the code, and find someone to review, but that is the story later on.)

network reconnected and thunderbird got built

The day before yesterday, people on IRC seneca channel may wonder why I asked a question and left without a answer. The reason was I lost the Internet connection after that day afternoon. Then, it continued on and off for the next two days. Looks like someone has a big TV series to download and shot the router down. I cann't stand for that and I logined in to the router, upgraded it. Well, I shouldn't do because I didn't have the permission to do so, but now the network looks like a little bit better.

Thunderbird built

As I mentioned before(post: keep-failing-on-building-thunderbird), I kept failing on building thunderbird. However, I finally built it successfully yesterday. And now, I am working on the lab.

What is reason?

It got built is not only by luck but a lot of trying. Maybe it is good for me that I lost the network connection when I asked people because the reason is pretty obvious, and I even blog that on my last post (keep-failing-on-building-thunderbird) - My firewall detected and removed the crash testing file 485217.xsl. I noticed that almost at the thirtieth time when I build it.

How does it make the build fail?

It actually doesn't make the build fail. Although you remove that file, as long as you build the thunderbird with "ac_add_options --disable-tests", it will succeed. Then why? The truth is, it fails the command "python client.py checkout". What this command does is to update Comm.Central and pull the latest Mozilla_Central. My firewall detected and removed the crash testing file 485217.xsl when that command is pulling the Mozilla_Central. After the pull, the command will update the files. At this moment, the command detected the the crash testing file 485217.xsl is missing, then it stops. and now, the mozilla_central locally is not completed. And then, I use those source code to build the thunderbird. Failure is definite.

Conclusion

Keep the network connected, ask people, keep trying and never give up.