How to enable Search Widget/Gadget

If the the Search widget or gadget of your Blogger blog is not working but the embedded search box on the Navigation bar at the top is working, the cause could be the setting of robots.txt.

1. View the robots.txt at http://YOURBLOGURL.blogspot.com/robots.txt. If Disallow property is set to /search, search is ignored.
2. Go to Blogger Dashboard > Select Blog > Select Settings tab > Search Preferences
3. Enable Custom robots.txt
4. Copy the content of current robots.txt but set the Disallow property to blank.
5. Save changes

Time

EST (Eastern Standard Time) - time in US

DST (Daylight Saving Time) - 12 hr difference b/w NJ & PH
Standard Time - 13 hr difference b/w NJ & PH (4am NJ = 5PM PH)

GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) - global standard time

• US NJ/NY - GMT-5
• PH - GMT+8

Outline: The 16 Days of Competencies

POST: http://zengerfolkman.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-16-days-of-competencies-1-displays-high-integrity-and-honesty/

POSTED BY: zengerfolkman, September 21, 2011

#1 DISPLAYS HIGH INTEGRITY AND HONESTY

• Avoid saying one thing and doing another (i.e., walk the talk)
• Follow through on promises and commitments
• Model the core values
• Lead by example

Are you able to communicate bad news to your boss? Do you confront difficult problems directly and promptly? Are you assertive enough to stand up for what you believe, even if it is not the popular position?

#2 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

• Stay up to date in the field
• Demonstrate technical, functional, and job-specific knowledge required for assignments
• Be sought out for opinions, advice, and counsel
• Make a significant contribution toward achieving team goals through knowledge and skills

Do you stay up to date by reading professional journals and books? Do you participate in trade association meetings? Do you help to integrate the different technologies that affect your group —determining how they fit together and how they contribute to the efforts of the organization?

#3 SOLVES PROBLEMS AND ANALYZES ISSUES

• Systematically evaluate information by using a variety of proven methods and techniques
• Encourage alternative approaches and new ideas
• See patterns and trends in complex data and use the patterns to outline a path forward
• Clarify complex data or situations so that others can comprehend, respond, and contribute

Do you ask your team members for help in solving problems? Do you consider the viewpoints of various interested parties? When problems arise, do you make a list of possible causes, prioritizing them in the order of probability that they actually contribute to the problem? Do you determine what information needs to be collected to resolve the problem?

#4 INNOVATES

• Consistently generate creative, resourceful solutions to problems
• Constructively challenge the usual approach to doing things, and find new and better ways to do the job
• Create a culture of innovation and learning that drives individual development
• Build on other people’s suggestions and ideas. (Doing so often leads to new approaches and improvements)

Do you champion ingenuity at all levels? Do you work to improve new ideas rather than discouraging them? Do you generate creative solutions by bringing together the most talented people? Do you integrate ideas and input from different sources to find innovative solutions?

#5 PRACTICES SELF-DEVELOPMENT

• Make constructive efforts to change and improve based on feedback from others
• Learn from both success and failure
• Model self-development and embrace its value

Do you take ownership of your own development? Do you seek feedback from others to improve and develop? Do you look for ways to build challenge into current assignments?

#6 DRIVES FOR RESULTS

• Do everything possible to meet goals or deadlines
• Consistently meet or exceed commitments
• Aggressively pursue all assignments and projects until completion

Do you follow up regularly on progress and reinforce any movement in the right direction? Are you willing to volunteer for a difficult task or assignment that requires you to stretch your current capability?

#7 ESTABLISH STRETCH GOALS

• Build Commitment with all employees on team goals and objectives
• Promote a spirit of continuous improvement
• Maintain High Standards of performance

Do you focus on why you can achieve goals rather than on why they can’t be achieved? Are you willing to discuss your priorities and your commitment to your work with others?

#8 TAKES INITIATIVE

• Volunteer for Challenging assignments
• Go above and beyond what needs to be done without being told
• Have the confidence to initiate action independently

Do you approach your work as if your responsibilities extend beyond your immediate job descriptions?  Are you willing to commit extra time and effort when the situation calls for it? Do you constantly ask, “Is there a better way to do this”?

#9 COMMUNICATES POWERFULLY AND PROLIFICALLY

• Communicate clearly and concisely
• Give clear, understandable instructions to employees and others
• Skillfully communicate new insights

When you are preparing to speak to people, do you think about their backgrounds and needs, and about where they stand on the issue you will be discussing? Do you sketch out an outline that presents your case in a logical way?

#10 INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES OTHERS TO HIGH PERFORMANCE

• Have a personal style that helps to positively motivate others.
• Energize people to go the extra mile.
• Skillfully persuade others toward commitment to ideas or action.

Do you employ different motivational strategies to influence the behavior of others?  Do you express confidence in the individual’s ability to reach goals? Do you demonstrate enthusiasm to your group by talking about why your goals are important and encouraging others to set challenging goals?

#11 BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS

• Deal effectively with people in order to get work accomplished
• By trusted by work group members
• Be approachable and friendly

Do you pleasantly greet people when you meet them in the hall? Do you demonstrate an interest in people and their work? Are you able to handle difficult situations constructively and tactfully?

#12 DEVELOPS OTHERS

• Act as a coach or mentor to facilitate learning from experience
• Give honest and candid feedback
• Find stretch assignments for individuals which require them to achieve significant but realistic goals
• Willingly share his/her time to help others develop.

Do you foster a learning environment that encourages others to learn from their experience? Do you act as a coach or mentor to facilitate learning from experience? Are you willing to make the tough decisions necessary to ensure the current and future success of your employees?

#13 COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK

• Promote a spirit of cooperation with other members of the work group
• Champion an environment that supports effective teamwork
• Have the trust and respect of the team

Have you developed cooperative working relationships with others in the company? Do you take into account how individual’s actions affect the team? Do you remove barriers to positive team performance?

#14 DEVELOPS STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

• Know how work relates to the organization’s business strategy
• Balance the short-term and long-term needs of the organization
• Demonstrate forward thinking about tomorrow’s issues

Do you ensure that work group goals are aligned with the organization’s strategic goals and vision? Do you clarify vision, mission, values, and long-term goals for others? Do you propose initiatives that become part of the organization’s strategic plan?

#15 CHAMPIONS CHANGE

• Act as a change agent—strongly support the continual need to change
• Become a champion for projects or programs, presenting them so that others support them.
• Be an effective marketer for work group projects, programs, or products.

Do you encourage people to let go of old ways so new ways can begin? Are you one to help teams and work groups translate new change goals into practical implementation steps? Can you champion organizational change initiatives in a way that helps people understand, appreciate, and support them?

#16 CONNECTS THE GROUP TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

• Know how to deliver products or services that delight customers by meeting and exceeding their expectations
• Use knowledge and feedback from an external perspective to improve products or services

Do you view your work in the context (through the eyes) of the external customer? Are you willing to help people understand how meeting customer needs is central to the mission and goals of the organization?

How to create Sublabels / Hierarchical Labels in Blogspot

I always wanted my label section to look like the archive section where labels can have hierarchy and the number of posts is displayed beside each label. I learned how to create the hierarchical tree from this blog but the nodes have to be added one by one and the number of posts per label are not displayed so I tweaked it a little to suit my needs. Here are the steps:

1. Add the Labels gadget if is not yet added
   From your dashboard, click Layout -> Add a Gadget and select Labels
2. Add an HTML gadget. This is where you will create your hierarchical labels.
   From your dashboard, click Layout -> Add a Gadget and select HTML/Javascript
3. Ensure that the Labels gadget comes first before the HTML gadget in your layout.
   From your dashboard, click Layout and arrange your gadgets by dragging them to the desired location so that the Labels gadget is on top or comes first before the HTML gadget
4. Update the Template
   
   1. Add the dtree javascript.
      From your dashboard, click Template -> Edit HTML -> Proceed and check Expand Widget Templates. Copy and paste this code

      <link href='https://sites.google.com/site/efekefek/file-js/dtree.css' rel='StyleSheet' type='text/css'/>
      <script src='https://sites.google.com/site/efekefek/file-js/createdtree.js' type='text/javascript'/>

      after this tag
      

      <b:skin><![CDATA[/*

   2. Remove the Label widget content
      Find the Label widget code. It looks like this

      <b:widget id='Label1' locked='false' title='Labels' type='Label'>
      <b:includable id='main'>
          
       ...  
      
      </b:includable>
      </b:widget>

      Replace the code inside <b:includable id='main'> and </b:includable> with this code

      <script type='text/javascript'>
        var labelCountMap = {};
        <b:loop values='data:labels' var='label'>
           labelCountMap ["<data:label.name/>"] = "<data:label.count/>";
         </b:loop>
      </script>

   3. Save template
5. Prepare the code of the Hierarchical Labels
   Copy the code below and replace the data with your own Labels. The data is in format
   

   parentLabel: { subLabels }

   The subLabels are comma separated. If the parentLabel doesn't have subLabels, replace it with {}.
   

   <div class="dtree">
   <p><a href="javascript: d.openAll();">open all</a> | <a href="javascript: d.closeAll();">close all</a></p>
   <script type="text/javascript">
   <!--
   function isEmpty(obj) {
       for(var prop in obj) {
           if(obj.hasOwnProperty(prop))
               return false;
       }
       return true;
   }
   
   function addMap(d, startingNode, parentNode, map) {
    for (var key in map) {
     if (isEmpty(map[key])) {
      d.add(startingNode++,parentNode,key+' ('+labelCountMap[key]+')','/search/label/'+key);
     } else {
      d.add(startingNode++,parentNode,key+' ('+labelCountMap[key]+')','/search/label/'+key);
      startingNode = addMap(d, startingNode, startingNode-1, map[key]);
     }
     
    }
    return startingNode; 
   }
   
   var data = {
    'Label 1' : {
     'Label 1.1' : {},
     'Label 1.2' : {
      'Label 1.2.1' : {}
     }, 
     'Label 1.3' : {}
    }, 
    'Label 2' : {
     'Label 2.1' : {}, 
     'Label 2.2' : {}
    }, 
    'Label 3' : {}, 
    'Label 4' : {}};
   
   d = new dTree('d');
   d.config.useLines = true;
   d.config.useIcons = false;
   d.config.inOrder = true;
   
   d.add(0,-1,'');   
   addMap(d, 1, 0, data);
   
   document.write(d);
   //-->
   </script>
   </div>

6. Paste the code in the HTML widget
   From your dashboard, click Layout and Edit the HTML widget. Paste the code inside Content and Save

Web Application Basics

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer (or Transport) Protocol), is a connectionless protocol for communicating clients/browsers and web servers

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol, allows communication between your application software. It is responsible for breaking data down into IP packets before they are sent, and for assembling the packets when they arrive.
-connection oriented
-used to make connections and exchange information to one another
IP - Internet Protocol, is responsible for sending the packets to the correct destination
- connectionless

URL -Uniform Resource Locator, is a full specification of a resource. It includes the protocol, host machine name (domain name or IP address), optional protocol number and resource location.
Three ranges of port numbers:

1. well-known ports - from 0 through 1023
   20 & 21: File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
   22: Secure Shell (SSH)
   23: Telnet remote login service
   25: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
   53: Domain Name System (DNS) service
   80: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) used in the World Wide Web
   110: Post Office Protocol (POP3)
   119: Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
   143: Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
   161: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
   194: Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
   443: HTTP Secure (HTTPS)
   465: SMTP Secure (SMTPS)
2. the registered ports - from 1024 through 49151
   - they can be registered to specific protocols by software corporations/companies or users
   - assigned by or registered to Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) (or by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) before March 21, 2001[1])
3. dynamic or private ports - from 49152 through 65535
   - available for use by any application or just about anybody

HTML - is the principal language b/w the client and server that expresses content of webpages.

• DOM - is an interface to the browser and HTML/XML documents.


• DHTML
  Dynamic HTML is a term used to describe the combination of HTML, style sheets, and scripts that allow dynamic pages.


• Javascript - is the most common scripting language for browsers.


• Inversion of Control and Dependency Injection

Martin Fowler, who first coined Dependency Injection, considers it the same to Inversion of Control. He used Dependency Injection since he finds Inversion of Control too generic. However, other sources claim that Dependency Injection is just a form of Inversion of Control. With all the articles and blogs written about them, it is very easy to get confused. So I'll try to summarize their description here according to my own understanding and hopefully, it will be simple and easy to understand.

Inversion of Control is a general principle in which the flow of control is inverted, unlike the traditional sequential flow. It follows the "Hollywood principle" - "don't call us, we'll call you". Your objects don't call services directly. Instead, your objects expect to be called. It is the framework that manages the objects and services, and is aware of what to instantiate and invoke.

The main idea of Inversion of Control is to have none of your classes know or care how they get the objects they depend on.

Dependency Injection is a way of implementing Inversion of Control in which an external mechanism is supplied in order for your objects not to call services (other objects) directly and therefore not depend on them. The external mechanism is the one responsible in injecting the concrete implementation that your objects needed.


• Loose coupling - describes a relationship of two entities/objects where they can interact, but have very little knowledge of each other.

To r: inline css vs external css

What is robustness?

Disadvan of frames

Website-static

Webapp-dynamic

Get vs post- when to use get?

Session - uses cookies

Enabling technoligies:

Compiled modules-java servlets

Interpreted scripts-jsp

Other Pointers

• Weblogic Erroneous Handlers Error - this is caused by the jrockit version of jdk. To get the correct error message, use the Java jdk first. Source: http://ricksolutions.blogspot.hk/2009/03/fixing-erroneous-handlers-error.html
• checking tables on db2
select * from sysibm.systables where dbname='NACS01DB' and name like 'PC%'
• command for unzipping war files
jar xvf xxx.war
• Extracting the Contents a JAR File
  The basic command to use for extracting the contents of a JAR file is:
  

  jar xf jar-file [archived-file(s)] 

  Let's look at the options and arguments in this command:
  
  • The x option indicates that you want to extract files from the JAR archive.
  • The f options indicates that the JAR file from which files are to be extracted is specified on the command line, rather than through stdin.
  • The jar-file argument is the filename (or path and filename) of the JAR file from which to extract files.
  • archived-file(s) is an optional argument consisting of a space-delimited list of the files to be extracted from the archive. If this argument is not present, the Jar tool will extract all the files in the archive.
• character encoding - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/Unicode.html
• DB2 Timestamp to java.util.Date or java.sql.Timestamp
  
  • DB2 format = yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.ZZZZZZ where Z = seconds since previos midnight (00000 - 86400), http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v9r7/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.db2.luw.sql.ref.doc%2Fdoc%2Fr0007107.html
  • java.sql.Timestamp = yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.fffffffff where f = nanoseconds
  The ZZZZZZ part of DB2 timestamp is insignificant because it is just the total seconds since previos midnight.
  To convert to java.util.Date, use
  

  new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss").parse(dateStr)

  To convert to java.sql.Timestamp, use
  

  resultSet.getTimestamp([column name or column index])

• 
  

Ref:
http://technobuz.com/2011/04/run-commands-for-microsoft-applications/