QR Code Scanner Pro is one of the better QR Code readers for Blackberry. Most importantly, it handles vCards. Since we’re using a lot of QR Codes at YAPC::NA 2012, do yourself a favor and get QR Code Scanner Pro, if you’re a Blackberry user.
[From the YAPC::NA Blog.]
While I generally like Ocaml (as some of you may have guessed), there is one pet peeve of mine with the language: record fields names are module wide rather than record specific. For example:
type t = { blah : int }
The record field blah is now a module wide name so I cannot reuse it. Thus, field names that happen to be useful in two contexts are not allowed. Although, to be honest, having two record names the same is probably a sign of a refactor point.
It was exactly 1 year ago today (Nov 3, 2010) that I registered the metacpan.org domain name. Over the course of this year, the project has gone from a couple of guys writing some code to a true community effort. MetaCPAN is steadily being adopted by Perl developers around the globe and it is steadily gaining in functionality.
Together we've created a free, open, collaborative project which makes new tools available to CPAN lovers everywhere. The API has spawned some cool and very useful projects. The web site has spawned some much needed functionality in the form of diffs, syntax highlighting, author profiles etc.
DBD::Firebird 0.9 has been released with a create_database method, using the isc_dsql_execute_immediate call. This means you can use DBD::Firebird to create a database without depending on the presence of a binary on the filesystem, which was the old way of doing things. Lots easier!
Why are you using QR Codes at YAPC::NA 2012?
Because its an easy and modern way to share information. Nearly all of the attendees will have either a feature phone or a smart phone capable of reading QR codes.
Will QR codes be the only way to get info at YAPC?
No. We'll, of course, share the URLs and other info contained within them as well.
Will QR Codes be optional on my badge?
Here's how you opt out of a QR Code on your YAPC::NA 2012 badge.
Of course you might also not want to do that since YAPC is a social conference and you might actually want to make it easy to share your info with other people at the conference.
Did you know that QR Codes are evil because _____FILL_IN_THE_BLANK_REASON_____?
Welcome to 2012. The world's going to end this year anyway. Why do you care?
[From the YAPC::NA Blog.]
I'm creating a Perl Bibliography to go along with the other Bibliography booklets on O'Reilly's site. At OSCON as part of a Safari Books Online promotion, there were thin, real-paper booklets listing the books (from all publishers) in particular categories. They are also available as free downloads, like the Python Bibliography Perl didn't have one, although there was nothing nefarious about that; it just needed a champion.
If you'd like suggest a book, help with the production, and so on, let me know. This is an all-volunteer thing, even on my part. I think we can make this Creative Commons too, but my interest is specifically to put something on the O'Reilly site.
Maybe someone would like to sponsor a print run to hand out at YAPCs. :)
Frameworks are like declarative programming systems built over a language. They are not general, and they don't always tell you this, which is _clever marketing_ on their parts.
I have been burned by _clever marketing_ enough number of times so as to hate them.
Declarative systems are good, but when they are bad it's terrible. And they are not refactoring friendly, but copy paste friendly.
For me declarative programming languages/systems are hard to learn, because the "generality" is lost by the jump to declarative programming. Declarative programming languages are just one workaround piled over another, over another, over another ...... ad nauseum.
Look at the evolution of html ! It's beautiful to look at but what is underneath is terrifying. That's the same for every framework.
But why are jquery or Moose, which describe themselves are frameworks, so good to use ?
Here is my 2 cents worth.
1) They are not frameworks that dictate the program flow, but they are facad's s that _simply_ your workflow.
2) They do one thing and one thing well
3) I think the word toolkit better suit's them.
The same is equally valid for the new breed of web frameworks like Mojolicious, Symphony2, Sinatra Hope they takeover web development than what is out there.
The last day of September was also my last day at Orange, after 5 years and 9 months working there as a sysadmin/sysdev. Because I was "the Perl guy" other there, my last message couldn't be a standard "it's been a pleasure working with you blah blah". Obviously, I had to send a Perl obfuscation.
Submit a talk for YAPC::NA 2012. We’re especially interested in talks on real-world Perl apps and quintessential Perl 101 talks, but we’re open to any ideas you have.
[From the YAPC::NA Blog.]
Today, and in recent weeks, search.cpan.org has been down a couple of times, but NOT really:
Turning off my router and then turning it on again actually helps!
Does that make any sense at all???
By the way, search.cpan.org is the only site showing this strange behaviour!
As many of you have noticed and commented on, blogs.perl.org needs help and we're hoping this post might inspire some of you to volunteer time or creative suggestions.
Specifically, the blogging platform we're on has proved hard to maintain and while Dave Cross, Aaron Crane, SixApart and others have done great work on it, the tuits have run out.
You could check out the github repository, or perhaps offer help/suggestions on migrating to another blogging platform without losing information. Specific areas of attention that could use some help:
You can read through the full list of issues to get an idea of some things to take a look at.
SixApart, Dave and Aaron have done great work here and while it started out promising, it's still missing key features to make it a suitable replacement for the defunct use.perl.org.
We'll be watching responses to this, so feel free to chime in. Let's make this a blog that people can be proud of.
Allright so there is a discussion in the community about the bitrot in Perl tutorials.
All the arguments I read here on this site, I told already at YAPC::EU in Riga and many other occasions. Its good if people are aware of problems. But I did not just talk. I write also a new one. And we are currently finishing part 4.
It will be (later version) named "learning programming with Perl". Its a bit of learning the basics but also learning good style (DRY, good variable names, strict, testing all the shebang but little by little and not all from the start). It also covers more than core Perl, reading configs, cgi/ microframeworks, network, the basice in all directions.
Yeah its still just in German bu you can help if you like also to translate it. I mean i recruited some parts of the german perlmongers for that job but you know how cats are.
There are 100 rooms available for YAPC::NA 2012 wishing to stay at the conference facilities. These rooms have all the comfort of a high-end hotel, for only $89 per night for a standard room or $105 for a deluxe room.
To register visit: https://lowellirm.uwex.edu/irmnet/login.ASPX
Use the group code of: YAPC
You can check in as early as June 10. You can check out no later than June 16.
You must register for these rooms no later than May 1, 2012. My guess is that they will sell out much faster than that.
NOTE: Dorm room accommodations will be made available soon for about half this price.
PS
The guys running the 2012 Perl QA Hackathon have asked me to remind everyone that the hackathon is taking place March 30-April 1 in Paris. They're also in need of sponsors. If you can help, click the "donate" button at the top right corner of their site.
[From the YAPC::NA Blog.]
Some of you might recall that I started the process of writing a book about some of the most used Perl modules/frameworks. The book is written in PseudoPod, it is available on GitHub, and its official webpage is at http://ambs.github.com/Books/.
Unfortunately I am not having much time lately. My job is to give classes at an University, and I do not teach Perl, so most of the time I am preparing classes, and not hacking.
I do not want to have this book project stopped. So, I would like to invite anyone that would like to contribute to write a section. You can look into the GitHub repository to see the sections that I have in my mind. If you would prefer another subject, let me know and I'll tell you if I am willing to include such a section in the book. Just let me know before starting to write. There are some guidelines written in the README file, that I would like to be respected.
Don't believe what you read on the Internet.
Despite what Wikipedia says - Wikipedia's List of tools for static code analysis - Perl has plenty of tools for static code analysis.
e.g. Perl::Critic and Perl::Tidy
Let's fix this. Anyone a Wikipedia editor?
Barcelona Perl Mongers will give an Introductory class to Perl on November 5th. We are granted access to a classroom thanks to the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and decided to give our time and expertise promoting Perl. So for a small fee we feed and give a t-shirt to the attendands.
If everything goes well we consider this a preparation for hosting more events in Barcelona.
Update: The class will be in Catalan or Spanish, as each lecturer sees fit.
We'd like to thank our sponsors for stepping up to support us. We really couldn't do this without their support.
You too could sponsor YAPC.
PS
The guys running the 2012 Perl QA Hackathon have asked me to remind everyone that the hackathon is taking place March 30-April 1 in Paris. They're also in need of sponsors. If you can help, click the "donate" button at the top right corner of their site.
[From the YAPC::NA Blog.]
SQL abstraction is hard it seems. Trying to insert an empty record in SQLite should look like this:
INSERT INTO "authors" DEFAULT VALUES
In SQL::Abstract and SQL::Maker, it does not work:
INSERT INTO "authors" () VALUES () # syntax error
The only module that seems to get things right is vti's ObjectDB2, which is in a very early stage of development and not on CPAN so far.
The Google Code-in 2011 (GCI) will be starting shortly. This is the programme under which students aged between 13 and 17 years are encouraged to get involved in open source projects. The Perl Foundation would like Perl to be a part of this programme, bringing both short and long-term benefits to Perl and the students alike.
Many of you will have seen my previous post asking the Perl community for help in creating tasks for students. A few of you have subsequently added tasks to the ideas page. For this we are extremely grateful. Some of you may well be planning to add some tasks. We'll also be very grateful for these tasks.
It's almost time to submit our application. But for our application to be successful we really need to add more tasks. So I'm renewing my appeal for your help.
If you have been following the Perl blogosphere recently,
you may have noticed that it has been a bad few weeks
for Perl's use statement.
I have been
picking it apart
in this series,
and chromatic, on his blog,
recently pointed out a documentation issue.
Unlike chromatic, who focuses on user concerns,
I use Perl as a way to implement and to illustrate parsing.
Though, to be sure,
one of the points I try to make
is that the choice of parsing strategy
is ultimately very much a user concern.
I find
Perl's use statement
especially interesting because it is a good example of
a natural syntax that you would like to be easy to parse,
but which proves problematic with current parsing technology.
With a general BNF parser, like Marpa,
Perl's use statement is easy to parse.
But the use statement strains
Perl's parser LALR parse engine to the limits.
Indeed, as I will show next, even a bit beyond.
blogs.perl.org is a common blogging platform for the Perl community. Written in Perl with a graphic design donated by Six Apart, Ltd.
