Archive for January 2006

So I am working with this whole .NET 2.0 stuff and trying to recreate my movie site in it. I run into the a problem with the DataView control because I want to manipulate some data and display different results. Well I figured out how to get it going but I feel that the way it has to be done is DUMB!

For some reason it doesn't let you use databound controls with If-Else statements, instead I have to create a method in my code behind to spit out another object. Like so:

    Public Function ShowQuality(ByVal Quality As Integer) As String
        If IsNothing(Quality) Or Quality = 0 Then
            Return "Unknown"
        Else
            Return "<img src='images/stars/" & Quality & ".gif' />"
        End If
    End Function

And in my aspx page I then say:

    <%# ShowQuality(Eval("Quality"))%>

To me this is pretty stupid! The code behind is for CODE. The aspx page is for text/HTML (ie. DISPLAY). So having a code behind page spit html is dumb. I'm sure this is one of the many things that will piss me off about 2.0 so lets keep count. There are a lot of really cool things but it will be more fun this way.

.NET 2.0 DUMB pts = 1

Last night I watched Lord of War with Nicolas Cage. I thought it was going to be more of an action movie - something along the lines of Gone in 60 Seconds, but it wasn't really. It was pretty disturbing actually. Makes you hate guns and wars. The other day I was watching the Golden Globes and I had never seen 1/5 of all the movies that were nominated so I have my mind set to see them all.

In my Internet application programming the teacher has actually been here this week so we are starting to do stuff. One of the things we are using is Visual Studio 2005/.NET 2.0 which I was able to download and install on my computer because all computer science students get free Microsoft software through the MSDNAA. I had to say that this version of VS is AWESOME! I never got into ASP.NET because VS 2003/.NET 1.x was horrible at helping you get things going but not this version. It also comes with a personal IIS, which isn't that impressive but the way they integrated it into the development envirement is great. Also included is a personal SQL Server 2005 which I haven't used yet. I installed the enterprise beta 2 version on a test server almost a year ago and it looked sweet. I think the MSDNAA downloads will have the final version of that soon. I will be upgrading my server as soon as that happens! I'm also going to try and do some smaller projects in ASP.NET 2.0. I might convert my movie site to it for starters, we'll see.

Edit: HOLY CRAP!!! For my IAP class my teacher gave us a link to "Essential ASP .NET 2.0" webcasts. 2.0 has so much out-of-the-box power! I thought the development envirement was cool but after seeing this buy build a website was amazing. I don't even think he wrote any code. I am going to watch more of these videos cya. Oh one thing that was implemented was skinning/themes which was similar to how I had set it up on this site. I think it's pretty cool how I never really read up on .NET and I came out with components similar to what was introduced with that and now how I came up with a theme system similar to what they impletemented in .NET 2.0. Anyways okay I have a lot to read about and videos to watch.

I met with an advisor today and it turns out I do not have to take any spanish classes to graduate. I also have to take Algebra over because I got a D in it my first semester at FIU. Well this means I have to take 16 credits. I just finished adding/dropping classes and this is my new schedule.

There is a lot of classes but they are all pretty easy I think. Just need to keep on top of when stuff is due. Later.

The first day of my last semester went pretty good. My spanish I class the teacher was on a plane which hadn't arrived in Miami yet so we had this other lady come in and talk, it was boring and I didn't learn what the class was really going to cover. My spanish II class the professor came in and was talking a lot of spanish and everyone looks really confused because they didn't know what he was saying... which was directed towards the people who spoke spanish because he didn't want them in the class (because it is for beginners only!). So after that he asked us questions in spanish and we had to answer. I did pretty well I guess but it took some time for me to think about he had said. This class should be pretty good. It made me think that spanish I should be a piece of cake. My last class, Computer OS, is going to be easy. That is all of my classes. The class I really wanted to take this semester was Internet Application Programming, which I did not register for but am going to sit in for the first week. I am in the computer lab right now and this guy I had a class with last semester said he is teaching the first couple of classes - it's probably going to be lame and I will end up not going after a few weeks.

Dad found some pictures from last winter break so here they are, hehe. Everyday I do something to the site since I am redesign phase and it's starting to look pretty nice I think. I have decided that I am scrapping my old image/picture gallery and will be adding a new one that integrates with the system I put in place for the journal posts. Also I came up with a pretty good idea relating to movie filing system I made. But that is only if I find myself with a lot of free time this semester.

Tonight I am going home and for a run. Comcast cut my damn cable meanwhile my bank is taking forever to clear the payment I made online for it... greeeeeeaat. Oh well I have a lot of movies to keep me busy.