Notes on Software Development, Technology and Life.

New Blog

2008-10-06T16:36:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to host my blog in my own domain for a while. Well, I recently downloaded Apache Roller, configured it under my GlassFish server and I have my new, self-hosted blog up and running.

Check it out at: http://ensode.net/roller/dheffelfinger/

David Heffelfinger Interviewed at DZone

2008-10-04T16:57:00.002-04:00

As the author of Java EE 5 Development Using GlassFish Application Server, I was interviewed a while back by Meera Subbarao of DZone.

Click on the link above to read the interview.

NetBeans Book Available for Pre-Order

2008-10-04T16:48:00.004-04:00

My new book, Java EE Development With NetBeans is now available for pre-order from Packt Publishing's web site.

It covers several aspects of Java EE development using the NetBeans IDE.

Some of the features covered include:

Visual JSF Development
JPA Entity generation from existing database tables
EJB 3 session bean development
JMS and EJB 3 Message Driven Bean development

David Heffelfinger Interviewed at Packt Publishing's Web Site

2008-10-04T16:39:00.001-04:00

A while back I was interviewed by Packt Publishing. Follow the link to read the interview.

Looking for new contracts

2008-10-04T16:12:00.003-04:00

My current contract will end in December. I am starting to look around for work. If you have a need for an experienced Java/J2EE Senior Developer/Architect, Contact Me.

My current resume can be found in my web site

Some highlights about what I can bring to the table:

I am a published author of three Java and J2EE related books:

Java EE Development With NetBeans

Java EE 5 Development Using GlassFish Application Server

JasperReports For Java Developers

I am a part time Java instructor at The Learning Tree International. I currently teach a course on Java EE 5, the successor to J2EE

I have 13 years of software design, development and architecture, 12
of which have been with Java, J2EE and related technologies.

HP F4180 Printer/Scanner/Copier Works Like a Charm in Linux

2008-03-02T12:12:00.007-05:00

I found myself needing a scanner, and, as most people that know me know, I run Linux at home, therefore I have to be a bit careful with my hardware purchases since some esoteric hardware may HP F1480 printer/scanner/copier all in one combo, which works flawlessly under Linux. I didn't really need the copier functionality, but it was a nice bonus.

Installing this printer was really a "plug and play" experience, no need to install drivers or anything, simply plug the USB cable into the computer, it was detected automatically, I can scan from The Gimp or any other device that can access a scanner, and print from any application.

Amazon Rocks

2007-06-28T22:08:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned before, I recently got myself a shiny new Blackberry Curve. I got it for what I thought was a good price, $99.99 with a two year contract with AT&T/Cingular. The same Blackberry Curve is $199.99 from AT&T's web site.

To my dismay, Amazon dropped the price of the Blackberry to $44.99 a couple of days after I ordered mine. Fortunately, I learned about Amazon's Post-Order Price Guarantee, with this guarantee, if the price of an item purchased through Amazon drops in price within 30 days of the purchase date, Amazon refunds the difference. I contacted Amazon and they agreed to refund the difference.

The story doesn't end there, a few days after the initial price drop, Amazon dropped the price of the BlackBerry curve again, this time to only $0.01 (you read that right, a penny), again with a two year contract agreement. I contacted them again and they once again agreed to refund the remaining difference.

I can't believe I got such a nice device for only one cent.

If you are in the market for a new phone, I highly recommend you get one of these, much, much, much better than the phones that can typically be obtained for free with a contract.

Transferring Files From The Blackberry to Linux

2007-06-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I just got a BlackBerry curve from Amazon. As those who know me are aware, I am an avid Linux user, therefore the CD that comes with the Blackberry is useless to me, since it includes software for Microsoft Windows.

I was wondering if there was a way to transfer pictures and other files between the Blackberry and my Fedora Linux laptop. Out of curiosity I plugged in my Blackberry to one of the laptop's USB port To my surprise, shortly after plugging it in, a window popped up in the Blackberry asking me if I wanted to turn mass storage mode on. I answered yes and, lo and behold, the Micro SD card in the Blackberry was automatically mounted by Fedora.

By having the card accessible in my laptop, I can easily copy files, for example pictures taken with the Blackberry, to my laptop and vice versa. This way I can copy music files to the Blackberry as well to listen with its built in media player. What a nice surprise this mass storage mode was.

BlackBerry Curve

2007-06-23T12:40:00.000-04:00

Three days ago I got my first Blackberry, a curve, also known as the 8300.

This is my first "fancy" phone, the ones I've had before are the ones that come free with the plan.

The reason I decided to get one is because I might be traveling more often in the near future, and BlackBerries allow you to stay connected while on the road. In addition to being a phone, a BlackBerry can be used to send and receive emails while on the phone. It also includes a browser to surf the web wirelessly.

To be able to take advantage of the email and browsing issues, a data plan is needed. Cingular/AT&T offers several data plans, and it is not entirely clear what the advantages of one plan over the other might be. For personal use, their $29.95/month plan is the best, since it offers unlimited data access. Cheaper plans limit the amount of data transfer, and more expensive plans are meant for corporate users with a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES).

The curve is the newest BlackBerry model out, the reason I chose it over other models is primarily because it features a full QWERTY keyboard, making it easier to type emails. It also didn't hurt that when I was doing my research, all reviewers in Amazon had given it 5 stars.

After a few days of having it, I can say that I like it very much. I can snap pictures with the built-in camera and immediately send them as an email attachment to family and friends. The only complaint I have is that the web browser is a bit slow, it kind of reminds me of my dialup days.

The (Not So) Secret Way to Keep Weight Off

2007-03-31T14:30:00.000-04:00

A lot of people don't know that I used to be 40 pounds heavier than I am today. It is not something I exactly advertise, but when "pushy" people offer me fatty foods, I bring it up and they usually stop insisting.

When people find out about my weight loss, invariably I get the question: How did you do it?

It really is no big secret, a healthy diet, exercise and some willpower is all it takes.

New Laptop

2007-03-11T16:02:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been working on a new project that was taxing my old laptop to the max. I spent more time waiting for the hard drive to stop spinning than doing actual work. That gave me a good reason to get myself a new laptop.

Since lack of RAM was the main reason I wasn't getting much work done, my main requirement for the new laptop was for it to have 2GB or RAM. After searching around, I decided to get the HP Pavilion dv2221us. 2GB of RAM, Dual core AMD Turion Processor, pretty good price for the specs.

Being a long time Linux user, the first thing I did when I took it out of the box was to install Linux on it, specifically Fedora Core 6. In general, installation went smoothly, but there was some work involved to get it to work at 100% capacity.

I wrote some directions on what needs to be done and posted them on my site, they can be found at http://www.ensode.net/dv2000_linux.html

Condo Sold

2007-01-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

Our Condo was sold. Settlement took place yesterday afternoon.

Thanks to everyone who made an offer.

Condo for sale

2006-09-09T18:08:00.000-04:00

Our condo is still in the market.

It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo in Fairfax, VA (close to Washington, DC). It has a fireplace, a balcony, his and hers walking closets in the master bedroom, and brand new tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. It has been freshly painted.

The community features a pool, tennis courts and an exercise equipment featuring strength training and cardio equipment including an elliptical machine, some treadmills and a rowing machine.

It is walking distance from a bus stop and close to the Vienna metro station. It is also very close to Fair Oaks Mall.

No reasonable offers will be turned down.

For more information and more pictures, see the listing here.

Received The Total Body Works 5000

2006-07-11T22:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received the Weider Total Body
Works 5000 I had ordered. I immediately took it for a spin and started doing an upper body workout. I was very surprised at the resistance it provides, it had me pushing myself hard. I can definitely feel the sore muscles from yesterday's workout.

Today I did a leg workout, unfortunately, the device is not as efficient for the legs as it is for the upper body. I guess I can't complain too much for an exercise device that is only 99 bucks. I haven't actually tried the Total Gym, however, I can't imagine it being any more effective for legs than the Total Body Works 5000.

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase, I am sure it will help me stay fit, and even improve my physical conditioning.

Weider Total Body Works 5000

2006-07-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

While waiting for the home gym I ordered, I started doing some research online about various home gyms and exercise machines. I noticed very good consumer reviews of the Weider Total Body Works 5000. A machine similar to the Total Gym (endorsed by Chuck Norris in infomercials).

A few things about this exercise machine caught my eye. First, you can fold it and put it away when not in use. This is nice since even though the new house I just moved into is bigger than the old place, I was going to sacrifice a lot of space to put a permanent home gym. Another thing that I like about this particular model is that it features resistance bands to add resistance, in addition to your own body weight. The last thing that caught my eye is the price, it is only 99.99 in most online retailers.

All reviews for the device at epinions are positive, ditto for Amazon.
Since it is less than half the price of the home gym I had ordered, and half the price of the cheapest total gym model available, I canceled my order for the home gym and ordered this exercise machine instead.

It should be arriving the week of July 10th. I used to exercise regularly before moving to the new house, but I haven't been able to hit the gym since we moved. I am really looking forward to receiving it and start using it regularly.

Ordered A Home Gym

2006-06-25T09:39:00.000-04:00

As mentioned previously, I recently moved to a new house. At my old place, there was a community gym which I would visit a few times a week. Unfortunately the new house does not have a community gym. I can feel my body slowly getting out of shape as I haven't been working out for a few weeks now, not a good feeling. Determined not to get too out of shape, I decided to get a home gym. I found one that looks promising and I ordered it, the Weider 1200. It is one of the most affordable I could find, and looks like it will be good enough for my needs. As for cardio training, I think I am getting enough by going up and down the stairs of the new house.

Amazon Selling Groceries?

2006-06-15T08:40:00.000-04:00

It's true, now you don't have to get out of the house to get groceries. Just order them through Amazon and they will be delivered right to your door.

Mostly Moved In

2006-05-29T09:07:00.000-04:00

We moved into the new house last Thursday. We have been unpacking pretty much non-stop since. We are mostly moved in, a few unpacked boxes remain.

We are also getting ready to sell the new place. The kitchen and bathroom have brand new tiles, and the place is being painted. We still need to get our last remaining belongings, give it a good cleaning and get the carpet shampooed, then it will be put in the market.

House Offer Accepted

2006-05-16T16:15:00.000-04:00

The offer we made on the house got accepted. I believe we have dotted all the "i"'s and dotted all the "t"'s. We are getting ready to move and should be doing so some time next week.

Now we need to sell our condo to help us pay for the new house. I've been told it is a a buyer's market in real estate nowadays so selling the condo might take some work. Good luck to me.

Here's to 30 years of mortgage payments!

Made An Offer On a House

2006-04-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

The Mrs. and I went to see a house last night. We liked it and made an offer on it.
We'll see if the owners accept it.

As everything in life there are trade-offs. It is a town house, therefore the back yard (if you can even call it that) is very small. On the other hand, it is a nice location, close to work and it is spacious. It has a two car garage, four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms.

With our budget, we could either get 30 year old single family home in the goonies, or a fairly new town house close to work. You know which option we took.

Ford Escape, 1,000 Miles Later

2006-02-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my Ford Escape reached 1,000 miles. I've had it for almost a month, driving 25 miles each way to work is not helping keep the mileage low. Anyway, after driving it for a while, I think I can give it a fair comparison against my Firebird Formula.

There are certainly pros to the Escape, and at least one con. On the plus side, it is of course nice to drive a car that does not break every month, it also has (a lot) more trunk space, plus it sits 5 people comfortably (now I don't have to borrow my wife's car every time I have to drive someone to the airport, which happens on a semi frequent basis since we live close to one).

The one disadvantage of the Escape is the (lack of) horsepower. The exact model I have is the XLS manual, which has a 153 hp engine, no match against the Firebird's 305 horses. Other than that, no complaints, the Firebird had been paid off for years, therefore I'm not used to making car payments, but that's not really the Escape's fault.

The Eternal Weigh Loss Battle

2006-01-21T23:38:00.000-05:00

Like a lot of people, I have a new year's resolution to lose some weigh and get in better physical condition. I've been going to the gym three or four times a week. I try to burn at least 400 calories during my cardio workout, plus I always do some weight lifting.

To help me with the weight loss, I've been having lean pockets for lunch a few times a week. In general they taste pretty good, and two of them have less than 600 calories (the exact calorie count depends on the specific variety). I've grown to like the four cheese and the meatballs and mozzarella varieties.

I've also been snacking on Nabisco's 100 calorie snacks. They come in several varieties including chocolate chip cookies, weat thins and many others.

I am hoping to lose at least 10 to 15 pounds. Wish me luck.

Thinking of buying a house

2006-01-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

We have been thinking of getting a house lately. Our two bedroom condo is starting to feel small since our family is growing (and we expect it to grow even more). Unfortunately house prices are insane in the Northern Virginia area. I have no idea how people can afford to pay the exhorbitant prices that are being asked for houses in this area, half a million for a townhouse? The real estate market is crazy around here. Perhaps I should consider a career change into real estate?

Lexar Jump Drive

2006-01-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I recently got a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com for being one of the 100 top posters on JavaLobby.

I decided to spend the certificate on a Lexar 512 MB jump drive. I didn't really need a jump drive, but I've been wanting one for a while, since I got a chance to get one for free, why not?

I've been working on a very large document using OpenOffice.org, I now have the document on the jump drive, and can work on it on any computer I might have access to. Since not everyone has OpenOffice.org installed, I also installed Portable OpenOffice on it. Portable OpenOffice has been very handy. Highly recommended even for MS Office users, since OpenOffice can read and write MS Office formats.

Car is in the shop (again)

2006-01-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I had to take my car to the shop since I was having problems with the breaks, it cost me an arm and a leg to fix it, but at least I got it back quickly.

Yesterday coming home from work it started to overheat, had to take it to the shop again. They said the fan is not working correctly and they are not sure what is wrong with it.

I love my car ('96 Pontiac Firebird Formula) but it looks like it is starting to show its age. If it keeps giving me problems I might have to start thinking about replacing it.

New Blog at JRoller

2005-09-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

I created a new blog at JRoller. I will be mainly posting on the new blog for now on.

The URL for the new blog is http://www.jroller.com/page/heffel

See you there.

David

Guide to Setting Up OpenOffice.org with Sun Java on FC4 64

2005-08-29T21:46:00.000-04:00

Ensode.net has a new article explaining how to set up OpenOffice.org with Sun's Java Runtime Environment on Fedora Core 4. The article is specific to 64 bit Fedora, but it is useful for 32 bit as well. The article can be found at http://ensode.net/openoffice_fedora64_java.html

Java Web Application Framework Articles at Ensode.net

2005-08-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ensode.net has a number of Java related articles that have become quite popular, here is a partial list:

Fedora Core 4's Native Eclipse, Is it Ready for Prime Time?

A Review of the Echo2 Framework

A Closer Look at the Echo2 Framework

A First Look at the Wicket Framework

If you are looking for information about these frameworks these articles are a good starting point.

EchoPointNG Overview at Ensode.net

2005-08-27T11:49:00.000-04:00

There is a new article at Ensode.net providing an overview of the EchoPointNG component library for the Echo2 web application framework

Trails

2005-07-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I was reading an article on Trails on java.net. Trails is a Java project inspired by Ruby on Rails. I was amazed on how easily Trails allows the developer to develop (simple) web based applications. The developer only has to code the object model using simple POJOs and some Java 5 annotations. Trails takes care of generating everything else (web pages, database schema, etc).

RAD That Ain't Bad: Domain-Driven Development with Trails by Chris Nelson -- Ruby on Rails has stoked much envy in Java programmers weary of convoluted web application frameworks. The idea behind the Trails project is to bring Rails' domain-driven development concepts to Java. In this introduction, Chris Nelson shows how easy it is to get started.

Notes on Software Development, Technology and Life.: Laptop Sent For Repairs

2005-06-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

Notes on Software Development, Technology and Life.: Laptop Sent For Repairs

I got the laptop back, took them almost a month to return it. Fortunately Averatec repaired it for free. Apparently the motherboard was damaged when I accidentally dropped it. They replaced the motherboard and the laptop is back in business.

Hibernate Synchronizer and Eclipse 3.1

2005-06-21T17:13:00.000-04:00

Update, the latest Hibernate Synchronizer code on CVS fixes the problem. If you are having problems using Hibernate Synchronzier with Eclipse 3.1, get the latest code from CVS, build, deploy and the problem should go away.

I recently downloaded Eclipse 3.1 RC2. When I installed the Hibernate Synchronizer plugin, I was dissapointed to see that it doesn't work with Eclipse 3.1. When going to the properties page, an error message pops up, and Eclipse never shows the page. Looking at the error log, I noticed a ClassCastException.

I got the code from SourceForge CVS, noticed what was going on, and made a simple change to fix it. I would like to contribute my changes back to Hibernate Synchronizer. I emailed Joe Hudson, Hibernate Synchronizer's author, sending him a patch to incorporate my changes, but I haven't heard back from him.

Article Published in Eclipse Developer's Journal

2005-06-17T07:32:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that my previous blog entry got published in Eclipse Developer's journal:

Setting a Project Based on an Existing ANT Build File
— Two of the cool features in Eclipse 3.1, the ability to set a project based on an existing ANT build file and the ability to export a project settings to an ANT build file, attracted David Heffelfinger. But when he couldn't find any supporting information on the Eclipse web site he experimented for himself. Here he shares the results. http://eclipse.sys-con.com/read/99729.htm

Eclipse 3.1 ANT Build File Import/Export

2005-06-15T09:08:00.000-04:00

What's New in Eclipse 3.1
— Since Eclipse's first release in 2001, it has become a popular environment for Java development. In the period between March 10 and May 11, 2005, users downloaded over 17,000 copies of one of the production SDK releases and over 3,500 copies of one of the stable (milestone) SDK builds on average every day. A vibrant eco-system of developers, plug-in providers, authors, and bloggers has grown up around it. Eclipse has also gained the backing of the key Java vendors including BEA, Borland, IBM, SAP, and Sybase. Developers like Eclipse because it provides a great platform for building Java applications, and companies like it because it unifies their software tools under one open source umbrella.

I was reading this article on JDJ about new features in Eclipse 3.1. One feature mentioned that caught my eye was the ability to set a project based on an existing ANT build file, and the ability to export a project settings to an ANT build file. Unfortunately the article didn't explain how to do this import/export. I searched Eclipse's help, to no avail. After some messing around with eclipse I found out how to do it.

To export your project settings to an ANT build file:

Right click on any file in your project and click on "export" (thanks to Scott Stanchfield for clarifying that any file in the project will do).
On the window that pops up, select "Ant Buildfiles" and click on "next".
Select the appropriate project to use to generate the ANT buildfile.
Click "finish".

You should now have two new build files on your project, "build.xml" and build-user.xml.

Any custom targets you create should go on build-user.xml, since build.xml will be overwritten every time a build file is generated.

To create a project from an existing ANT buildfile:

Click on File->New->Project
Select "Java Project from existing Ant Buildfile" and click "next".
Enter a project name, and select the build file to use to create the project.
Select the javac declaration to be used to define the project.
Click "finish".

I hope these instructions are helpful to others out there.

NFJS Software Symposium Overview

2005-05-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the last day of the Northern Virginia Software Symposium. In general the sessions were interesting, sometimes there were more than one that I wanted to attend at the same time.

One thing that I thought was curious is that some of the speakers were pushing Ruby as opposed to Java for software development. This is supposed to be a Java conference, therefore I thought that was odd.

No Fluff Just Stuff Software Symposium Update

2005-05-18T10:13:00.000-04:00

Today I recieved an email from the folks of the Northern Virginia Software Symposium with the final session schedule. Looks like David Geary won't be there. I was looking forward to some of his presentations, especially the one about JavaServer Faces tricks.

Looks like Kito Mann, author of JavaServer Faces in Action, will be doing some of the presentations that Geary was going to give (Intro to JSF and Shale).

I noticed a new session on integrating J2EE and Hibernate transaction management, I plan to attend that one.

Only two days until the symposium starts, I'm looking forward to it.

While waiting for my laptop to come back from the shop

2005-05-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

My laptop is on the way to California to be repaired (boy, do I miss it!). While waiting, I've been looking at the current laptop offerings in the major computer chains online. While searching, I bumped into this baby in the CompUSA web site. Athlon 64 3500+, a gig of RAM, 100 gigs of hard drive. So what if I miss a mortgage payment? :) A guy can dream, can't him?

Laptop Sent For Repairs

2005-05-11T10:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday when coming home from work I accidentally dropped my laptop, an Averatec 3250H1. It hit the pavement from about 2 feet. After that the laptop would turn on but would not boot. I called Averatec support and they had me send it to them for repairs. Unfortunately it looks like I won't have it back before the Northern Virginia Software Symposium.

Free Tools to make your J2EE Development Easier

2005-05-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

I've been writing Java and J2EE code for the past 9 years. Over the years I have found a number of free tools to make my life easier. Here is a list of my favorite time saving tools, feel free to add your own.

Eclipse - The best Java IDE (I know, Eclipse is more than an IDE, but it is widely used as one.).
XDoclet - Automatically generates Home and Remote interfaces, as well as deployment descriptors for EJBs (can also be used to generate deployment descriptors for Hibernate, JDO, Tapestry and many others).
Web Tools Project - An Eclipse plugin to facilitate J2EE development, I'm especially fond of the JSP editor.
Hibernate - Object Relational Mapping tool.

Hibernate

2005-05-06T14:44:00.000-04:00

I've been playing around with Hibernate lately. Hibernate is an object-relational mapping tool, the developer creates an xml mapping file that maps Java code to database tables, then the Hibernate API can be used to access and modify database data through the Java value objects.

I also found an Eclipse plugin to aid in the generation of the mapping file and Java code. The plugin allows the generation of the hibernate mapping file from a database table, and the generation of Java code (value objects and Data Access Objects) from the mapping file. The plugin is called Hibernate Synchronizer. The only downside I found about it is that it generates Hibernate 2 artifacts. Hopefully it will catch up soon.

No Fluff, Just Stuff Software Symposium

2005-05-06T14:20:00.000-04:00

I'll be attending the No Fluff, Just Stuff software symposium in Northern Virginia in a couple of weeks. Lots of good sessions running in parallel. I'll make sure to blog about my experience.