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    March 24

    SQL performance: Nested select statements.

    This is a tip for restructuring nested select statements to make them run faster in SQL server. I can't vouch for this in all situations, but It shortened a long SQL query for me from 1 hour to 7 minutes.
     
    Where you have
    Select * from xyz where id in
     (
       Select * from abc where id in
       (
        select id from def
       }
     )
     
    I recommend re-writing as
     
       Select * into #abcdef from abc where id in
       (
        select id from def
       }
     
    Select * from xyz where id in
     (
       select id from #abcdef
     )
     
     
    4:32 PM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it
    March 23

    Charset reverting to Windows standard

    On Internet eplorer 6 SP1, If you perform a Response.Flush() before any content goes to the page, then the charset will revert to Windows. Regardless if the charset is set in the HTML.
     
    If you put this line in Page_load, it should fix the problem
    Response.Charset = "UTF-8";
    6:01 PM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it
    March 22

    Differences between CHOICE command in Batch files

    Batch files may be arcane, but they serve well for quick & nasty build scripts. One point to note that I fell into a trap today is the difference in the implementation of the CHOICE command (prompting the user for input) between Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP. - Alot of documentation on Batch files is quite old, and thus doesn't mark any difference
     
    Windows 9x:
    CHOICE /C:123 /N Please choose a menu option.
    IF ERRORLEVEL == 3 GOTO LIVE
    IF ERRORLEVEL == 2 GOTO BACKUP
    IF ERRORLEVEL == 1 GOTO LOCAL
    EXIT
     
    Windows 2000/XP:
    set choice=
    set /p choice=Please choose a menu option.
    if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
    if '%choice%'=='1' goto LOCAL
    if '%choice%'=='2' goto BACKUP
    if '%choice%'=='3' goto LIVE
    EXIT
     
    4:39 PM | Add a comment | Read comments (4) | Permalink | Blog it
    March 18

    Transparent Localisation

    I've just launched one website, in four different languages all in the same path, with the same files & database under IIS.
        www.sms-txt.co.uk (english)
       www.handyspruche.com (german)
       www.envoyezsms.com (french)
      www.mensajetexto.com (Spanish).
     
    How did I do it?
     

    public static string getGetSiteCulture()

    {

    string strUrl = System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Request.Url.ToString().ToLower();

    string strCulture = "en-GB";

    if (strUrl.IndexOf("mensajetexto")!=-1) {strCulture = "es-ES";}

    if (strUrl.IndexOf("handyspruche")!=-1) {strCulture = "de-DE";}

    if (strUrl.IndexOf("envoyezsms")!=-1){strCulture = "fr-FR";}

    return strCulture;

    }

     

    Then I have 4 different Resource files, strings.es-ES.resx, strings.en-GB.resx etc.

    public static string Translate(string ID)

    {

    rmTranslations.IgnoreCase =

    true;

    string strTranslation ="";

    Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture =

    new CultureInfo(getGetSiteCulture());

    Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture =

    new CultureInfo(getGetSiteCulture());

    try

    {strTranslation= rmTranslations.GetString(ID);}

    catch{

    throw new Exception(ID + " not found");

    }

    return strTranslation;

    }

     

    Then in place of static text, I put Translations.Translate("Whatever")

     
    9:59 PM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it
    March 17

    Parsing Skylights Route information

    A company which develops airline websites, known as SkyLights, has a common format for javascript which they place on their webpages to populate two dynamic drop down lists for their routes.
     
    This can be parsed out of the page, using this c# code
     

    // var aVCE = new Array('TXL','HAM','HAJ','CGN','STR', 0);

    string[] strlines = Regex.Split(tbEntry.Text,@"\n");

    string strOutput = "";

    foreach(string strLine in strlines)

    {

    string strFromIata = Regex.Match(strLine,@"a(\w{3})\s").Groups[1].Value;

    MatchCollection mcIatas = Regex.Matches(strLine,@"'\w{3}'");

    foreach(Match mIata in mcIatas)

    {

    strOutput+="'" + strFromIata + "'," + mIata.Value + "\r\n";

    }

    }

    tbEntry.Text = strOutput;

     
     
    9:57 PM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it
    March 14

    Google Toolbar buttons

    With the new version of Google toolbar, you can add your own buttons to it, with quite a simple technique.
     
    Step 1.Create an .ico file,
     
    Step 2. Base 64 encode it :
     

    FileStream fsIco = new FileStream(tbIco.Text,FileMode.Open);

    byte[] bIco = new byte[fsIco.Length];

    fsIco.Read(bIco,0,(

    int)fsIco.Length);

    this.tbOutput.Text = Convert.ToBase64String(bIco);

    fsIco.Close();

     

    Step 3: Create an XML file containing the encoded icon

     

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
    <custombuttons xmlns="http://toolbar.google.com/custombuttons/">
    <button>
    <title>CheapFlights.ie</title>
    <description>Cheap Flights from Ireland</description>
    <search>http://www.cheapflights.ie/search.aspx?txt={query}</search>
    <icon mode="base64" type="image/x-icon">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</icon>
    </button>
    </custombuttons>

     

    step 4.

    Host the xml file on line  - I called it slashdot_button.xml

    Then let people download it from

    http://toolbar.google.com/buttons/add?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheapflights.ie%2Fslashdot_button.xml

     

    9:55 AM | Add a comment | Read comments (1) | Permalink | Blog it
    March 08

    "Cannot open SQL server" bug Crystal Reports

    This one baffled me for a while. I was trying to connect to a Crystal Report from VB, with an Access database. And it was giving me a "Cannot open SQL server", even though I was not using SQL server.
     
    Under Database / Add Database, you have several options to add an access database,
    eithe ODBC, OLEDB or Database File.
     
    I found that Database File worked, the other two didn't. This could be down to the
    connection string that I used in my program though.
     
     
     
     
    10:16 PM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it
    March 04

    IT clearout

    Hi,
     
       I'm clearing out my house of some books and equipment, prob. going to list them on ebay soon. If you're interested in any of these, drop a note on the blog or by email.
     
    http://www.blackcomb.co.uk/pics/040306_0912~02.jpg Developing windows based applications in c#
     
    http://www.blackcomb.co.uk/pics/040306_0918~01.jpg Net2Plug power cable home networking kit.
    11:58 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it