StreamJockey

iPhone SDK Beta 8 Released

iPhone SDK and Xcode 3.1 Developer Tools for Mac OS X v10.5.3

Beta release 8 is compatible with the final iPhone OS 2.0 release and must be used to
build and sign any iPhone OS application to be submitted to the App Store. As a
reminder, you must be a member of the iPhone Developer Program to submit apps.

See http://developer.apple.com/iphone/index.action for further details

WCF Client Proxy to Use List instead of Array

If you want your client to make use of the .NET List type instead of the default Array use the /ct flag as shown below:

C:\MTI\Symphony\FrontEnd\Symphony.WindowsClient>svcutil http://localhost:9000/ /r:C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.dll /ct:System.Collections.Generic.List`1
Microsoft (R) Service Model Metadata Tool
[Microsoft (R) Windows (R) Communication Foundation, Version 3.0.4506.648]
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Attempting to download metadata from 'http://localhost:9000/' using WS-Metadata Exchange or DISCO.
Generating files...
C:\MTI\Symphony\FrontEnd\Symphony.WindowsClient\MailService.cs
C:\MTI\Symphony\FrontEnd\Symphony.WindowsClient\output.config

C:\MTI\Symphony\FrontEnd\Symphony.WindowsClient>

Using an enum type with WCF services

An example data contract and service contract/interface that makes use of the enum type.

using System;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

namespace RocxSoft.DataContracts
{
    /// <summary>
    /// RefundStatus Data Contract
    /// </summary>
    [DataContract(Name = "RefundStatus", Namespace = "http://rocxsoft.datacontracts/2008/06")]
    public enum RefundStatus
    {
        [EnumMember()]
        FileInvalid = 0,
        [EnumMember()]
        FileRegistered = 1,
        [EnumMember()]
        FilePending = 2
    }
}

using System;
using System.ServiceModel;
using RocxSoft.DataContracts;

namespace RocxSoft.ServiceContracts
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Refund Service Contract
    /// </summary>
    [ServiceContract(Namespace = "http://rocxsoft.servicecontracts/2008/06")]
    [ServiceKnownType(typeof(RefundStatus)]
    public interface IRefund
    {
        [OperationContract(Name = "Status")]
        RefundStatus Status(Guid refundId);
        ...
    }
}

Make a Virtual Machine (VM) from a Physical Machine

One of the great tools from VM software companies allows you to make a VM from a physical machine. This has saved me many times. One memorable occasion came when I had a system with a failing hard disk. Not only was the hard disk failing - there was no way I could get the software installed and configured again! This was because many of the installation media were no longer around or available and the configuration settings were not all documented.

To the rescue came VMWare Converter and Parallels Transporter Both of these products are stand-alone applications that create a VM for their respective VM software. I created a VM successfully using each product.

Now once you have created a VM and you first start that VM several steps may occur. New hardware will most likely be detected, since the VM will not always have the exact virtual hardware that existed on the physical system. But there is almost always an equivalent - for example the graphics or network card may be different but a suitable virtual driver will be presented. This step usually requires a reboot.

Next, depending upon the OS, you may have your OS present an activation window. In my case I was creating a VM from a physical Windows 2003 Standard Server. I then entered my activation code that was originally used to activate that software. (And the physical server would be wiped-clean and scavenged for parts once the VM was up OK.)

Click the link to purchase a downloadable copy of Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac or Parallels Desktop for Mac Premium Edition

If you were to copy the VM to another computer and attempt to start it up there, you would be presented with a dialog to select whether you moved or copied the VM. If you select move the VM will keep all of its settings - such as computer name, MAC, and it would usually not require an OS reactivation and other software should be OK too. If you select copy your VM would end up with a new MAC, you should change the computer name, and you may have to reactivate the OS and possibly other software.

RubyInline <= 3.6.4 Compiler Error on Leopard

RubyInline versions prior to 3.6.5 may result in a CompilerError on OS X Leopard if Ruby was not compiled with the -undefined suppress flag. This flag will allow Ruby to ignore missing symbols.

You can fix this in RubyInline-3.6.X/lib/inline.rb by changing the line:

flags = @flags.join(' ')
to:

flags = @flags.join(' ') + ' -lruby'

RubyInline 3.6.5 fixes this problem but 3.6.5 does not work with the scRUBYt 3.4

To uninstall a particular version of RubyInline:

gem uninstall -v 3.6.5 RunyInLine

Output showing compiler error mentioned above:

Undefined symbols for architecture i386:
"_rb_str_new2", referenced from:
_NODE_nd_file in cc4thOac.o
...

ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture ppc
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
lipo: can't open input file: /var/folders/qb/qbAksYYGHlSshDFKGXGsik+++TI/-Tmp-//ccwaOwu2.out (No such file or directory)
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/RubyInline-3.6.3/lib/inline.rb:391:in `build': error executing cc -arch ppc -arch i386 -pipe -bundle -fno-common -arch ppc -arch i386 -Os -pipe -fno-common -I /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/universal-darwin9.0 -I /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/include -o "/Users/mthibault/.ruby_inline/Inline_ParseTree_2c97.bundle" "/Users/mthibault/.ruby_inline/Inline_ParseTree_2c97.c" : 256 (CompilationError)
...