Divide by Null - undefined

So this is the first real entry in awhile, it seems. I just haven't had much inspiration. Three days ago, I decided to just write down topics that I would expand later to a real entry and I came up with a few. So there's the inspiration, but I still was just too lazy to go ahead with it. So, here I am now. I'm going to somehow relate this to the computer... so let's start with...

AP Computer Science! I finally got in my results. (Oddly enough, I still don't have my AP US History results yet.) I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a 5. I'd thought that the test was far too easy, but I then thought I must have been missing something. Considering that I wasn't exactly finished with my study guide at the time of the test, I was indeed pleased. I guess my background in PHP helped, but this definitely showed be the value of OOP. Granted, it tests so little PHP that I still can't exactly make anything useful. I've made a GCF/LCM, prime number, and prime factorization program (all previously made in PHP) and a very simple RPG (just movement involved... it's more of a text-based maze). I digress, though. I'll just say that I was pleased with my score (AP scholar with distinction.. here I come?)

Next on the list... AJAX. I'd like to make something that involves it somehow. I was going to reorganize up the photo gallery on the band site and implement AJAX-style navigation, but what has kept me back was the initial reorganization. I was trying to do too much. I get too caught up with details sometimes. That's why I plan my code for modularizations for situations that would likely not come up. (Is this what happens when I don't write often? I get off-track often?)

So, in order to familiarize myself with AJAX, I'd like suggestions from my commentors (?) and visitors (I have any?). What sort of flashy thing can I add? Or any other type of application? If you don't know what AJAX is, it's basically javascript and remote calls; javascript handles client-side data and when necessary, calls a server script to collect data and use the data to modify the page without actually going to a new page. For reference, Gmail is something of a uber-AJAX application.

Aside from AJAX, what else can I add to this blog? This blog is something less of a blog than it is a neverending test of my PHP and web programming skills. I might as well just slap a "BETA" to my logo and call it Web 2.0.

One thing I did manage to get done is this random image generator I made for the VMHSGA forum. I have quite a collection of randomness there. It was partly inspired by those Danasoft images and partly inspired by my boredom.

Oh yeah. I also got a new monitor. bright LCD. It actually hurts my eyes after long periods of time becaue it's so bright. Everything else looks so yellow. I got it because the blue in my old monitor wasn't working properly. It would occasionally flicker out, but return after a tap (or more). Then, it suddenly dropped out completely and my monitor had a yellow tint. This is quite a difference.

Also, this 4-monitor display looks spiffy. It might take some getting used to, but I definitely see some advantaged.

So ends this randomness. I should have another one out tomorrow hopefully. I'll force myself to do it! (provided that I'm not lazy enough to resist)

I am happy. I have reached a new height regarding PHP. I created my own PHP class.

I looked at my RSS feed creator and i thought, "Wow... what's this?" I wondered how I could clean it up and make all of my feed writers as efficient at the same time. It then dawned on me... this would be a perfect place to implement a class.

In case you didn't know, a class in object-oriented programming (OOP) is a set of variables and functions that work together to organize the code better. Java is an example of a completely OOP language. PHP is mostly procedural, but can support objects.

PHP Object support was really poor in version 4. Even when it improved, I never found use for it. I could always do the same thing without objects, but that wasn't always the most efficient. I wanted to be more efficient now, but I didn't care for it in my earlier days. I had no clue what a-do for OOP, but as I learned Java, it all began to make sense why one would use it.

Anyway, I toiled on my little AtomFeed class. I chose Atom over RSS because it seemed better. It could change with the times, as opposed to the frozen state of atom. It also seemed more structured. But anyway, I managed to create it. It's set for PHP 4. I hope to move to PHP5 and I won't mind updating the code accordingly. One has to change with the times, after all.

Then, I updated the data transfer scripts to take the info from the database and put it into the new class. When I tested (and thoroughly debugged) it, By Jove, it worked! That made me happy.

Thus, my second titular news: feeds are updated. I abandoned RSS in favor of Atom. I now only have one main feed, removing the RSS version, and I transferred the mini-entry feed to Atom. Thus, I now have a standard way to modify my scripts.

Now back to programming. Java. My AP test is in two days. I haven't read much of the book, but I know enough PHP to know enough Java. The thing about programming is one only needs to know the basics: variables, types, comparisons, arrays, and control structures. Then learn common functions. After that, each language has its own refined points, so just learn them. Of course, this is just based on my limited knowledge of Javascript, PHP, and Java. I have dabbled in C and C++ and seen that they're quite similar. This does not apply to assembly lanuages or certain novelty languages. But yeah, I should read more on Java. I just got done with polymorphism and inheritence. I have quite a few more chapters to go, but I didn't do badly on the practice exam. Doesn't mean I can't improve, of course.

On the topic of PHP, I must remind myself to implement tag deletion on my entry edit page. This is my reminder. Oh yeah... comment fixin's. (Not a possessive 's, just to clarify)

And another topic. I noticed myself using a lot of "anyways" and random digressions. I've been Catcher in the Rye'd?