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As the world climate talks entered their critical final week, developing nations walked out of the meeting and a dispute between the U.S. and China bubbled over.

Developing nations brought the meeting to a halt Monday protesting the adequacy of financial assistance being proposed by developed countries to pay for greenhouse gas reductions in poor nations and over proposed levels of GHG reductions.

The U.S. has proposed reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.  China has proposed reducing its growth in GHG emissions by 40-45 percent.   

But the N.Y. Times is reporting that there’s a stalemate in Copenhagen on the critical issue of verification.   At this point, the Chinese are refusing to sign a deal that would allow other countries to monitor their emissions.

They have made clear that they do not expect money from the industrial powers to help make the shift to a more energy-efficient economy. But they will not accept any outside monitors to ensure that they are indeed making the changes that they have promised to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants emitted per unit of economic output.

He Yafei, the Chinese vice foreign minister, said China’s laws would guarantee compliance. “This is a matter of principle,” even if it scuttles the talks, he said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Any deal without on the ground verification would be a tough sell in Congress, where many members are already calling for tariffs on goods made in countries without limits on carbon emissions.   Congress Daily reported that Top U.S. climate negotatiator Todd Stern said the talks have a long way to go.

“The core issues remaining for the U.S. negotiators include having major developing nations like China ‘indicate their resolve’ to implement emission reduction goals as well as to have the parties ensure that implementation of those actions have ‘adequate transparency,’ Stern said.”

President Obama is scheduled to attend the meeting on Thursday with other leaders as the talks enter their final stages.

Java virtual machine:
Main purpose : To run the compiled Java code across different network with out any modification.

Jvm doesn’t know abt Java language, it accepts only particular format (.class).A class file contains Java virtual machine instructions (bytecode) and a symbol table  as well as ancillary information.

How JVM Works :
- Class will be loaded using classLoader(it will find the binary representation of classes)..
- Loading involves :

• Find the binary format of the class.Typically .class format

• ClassLoader will load the class.

• If any error occurs during this process then the following subclasses of LinkageError will be thrown.

- ClassFormatError – If compiled class is malformed.
- UnsupportedClassVersionError – Unsupported format.
- ClassCircularityError  – It would be its own superclass.
-NoClassDefFoundError – No definition for a requested class.

- Once it is loaded ,it shld be initialized before invoking the main method . So it must always be linked before it is initialized.
- Linking involves verification, preparation and resolution.

• Verification -> Checks loaded class is well formed and with proper symbol table and checks whether the code obeys the semantic requirements of JVM.Ensures that binary representation of a class is structurally correct and checks it has valid operation code.
• Preparation ->Allocation of static storage and any data structure that are used internally by the virtual machine(such as method tables).Assign default values to static field.

IllegalAccessError – If we try to access any private method/field

Instantiator – If we try to instantiate an abstract class.

NoSuchFieldError – When we try to invoke a field which is not present in the class.

• Resolution -Checks symbolic reference of other class &interfaces, by loading  the other classes and checking there references are correct.

-Initialization ->Consist of execution of any class & static variable initializers of the class ,in textual order. Before its getting initialized,its super class shld be initialized. In this case Object class will be initialized.Initialization may thus cause loading,linking and initialization errors..

Main Source : I read about JVM from here

As our news cycle accelerates to warp speed with the rise of Twitter and other always-on social networking devices, there is considerable hand-wringing among the responsible journalist and academic communities.

Is our rush-to-publish mentality spreading rumor and falsehood and eroding our core values?

I’d say maybe not, or the more classic academic “it depends.”  I’m in agreement with Jake Sherlock, assistant professor at the University of Missouri and Columbia Missourian editor, in a thoughtful post he wrote about immediacy and accuracy, here.

Jake writes about a sports reporter who found out what bowl game Mizzou would be playing in via the Twitter account of one of the top players three hours before it was officially announced by the university. There was spirited debate in the newsroom as to whether that information should be published or even retweeted until it was confirmed elsewhere.

I agree with Jake that there’s nothing wrong with retweeting this information and telling readers what you know, how you know it, and that you are currently seeking confirmation. When you have confirmation or lack thereof, change the story immediately.

As I tell my students nearly every day, getting it right is the MOST important thing we do. In fact, that’s a reoccurring quiz question  throughout the semester – I want that phrase emblazoned on their brains.  In my view, getting it right should always trump getting it first, but I’m not so sure in the digital age those two things are mutually exclusive.

Really, it comes down to transparency, and letting readers judge for themselves the evidence of truth and falsehood. It strikes me as just a hair patronizing or dismissive of our readers’ intelligence to assume that they can’t handle being part of the sometimes messy news process.  For example, there was some consternation when it turned out that most major news organizations were wrong and the Fort Hood shooter was still alive. I’m not sure I was harmed by the fact that these news organizations cited a presumably reliable source in reporting that he was dead, and then later widely corrected themselves. It’s not ideal, but now we aren’t doing all of our work behind closed doors, hiding in the shadows anymore. Verification is a public project, and often it’s all the better for it because it gives others more and faster ways to correct us.

Now, obviously, there are some stories, particularly those that might damage someone’s reputation, in which it makes sense to not publish until every last detail has been nailed down. However, even in those cases, if every other media outlet is running with the rumors, it actually might make more ethical and journalistic sense to let the readers know that the claims they may have heard elsewhere are unverified but that you are working on the story. That tells them a lot about your process and your concern for the truth and also makes it clear what is rumor and what is not in a world where that’s getting harder to differentiate. This isn’t a new idea or unique to me; it’s one of the things Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel discuss in the book Elements of Journalism.

Finally, being part of the news and verification process is exciting. It gives you a feeling of ownership in what is produced,and maybe it could help us to build engagement with our communities. Maybe it’s just because I’m a former journalist, but I find myself glued to Twitter when there is breaking news because it reminds me a little bit of that buzz you get working in the newsroom when something big goes down – people are asking questions, trying to determine what is known, sharing tidbits, etc. Nobody pretends to have all the answers but everybody is trying to nail them down.

Those interested in following the U.S. happenings in Copenhagen can go to the State Department website.   The State Department is in charge of climate change negotiations and has created a website to chronicle all of the  programs and activities taking place at the U.S. exhibit at the meeting.

For example, Wednesday’s program will include NASA’s Extreme Ice Survey from 1-2 p.m.

Through the arresting visual evidence of the Extreme Ice Survey, Director James Balog will unveil rapidly changing landscapes in Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland that only a handful of intrepid adventurers have ever seen in person. His presentations are colored by his experiences shooting for some of the world’s most recognized publications, as well as his personal work on pioneering wildlife and nature photography projects. The time-lapse photography work of James and his team was featured in a NOVA/PBS documentary on March, 24, 2009. The result is a gripping program that stimulates the artistic sensibilities, spurs the exploratory yearnings and touches our sense of humanity.

National Public Radio reported Tuesday on what an international climate change agreement might look like.   It would involve agreed upon emissions reductions and billions of dollars in public and private support for developing nations to adapt to a low-carbon economy.   One of the most controversial provisions–as we learned on the Managers to Washington trip in our State Department briefing on climate change negotiations — is verification.

How will we know who’s living up to their promises?

Edited news highlights from Day 2 can be found on YouTube.

Root page: Service Functions – XML (QTP, VBScript)

Parent page: XSL introduction and references

Sample task

Verify “transactions” xml file consisting of 10-1000 records.
Only “debit” or “credit” record names are valid. Any other entries must be located and reported.
Additionally, identify and report all debit records with debit amount greater than 50.00

Sample XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<transactions>
<debit> <amount>10.0</amount></debit>
<credit> <amount>55.0</amount> </credit>
<debit> <amount>120.0</amount> </debit>
<debit> <amount>25.0</amount> </debit>
<credit> <amount>5.0</amount> </credit>
<credil> <amount>15.0</amount> </credil>
<credit> <amount>15.0</amount> </credit>
<debit> <amount>60.0</amount> </debit>
<debit> <amount>50.05</amount> </debit>
<debit> <amount>75.0</amount> </debit>
</transactions>

As you can see, going even through just 10 records might take a significant time and become really boring task.
Now let’s apply XSL transformation instructions.

Sample XSL

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<head> <title>Transactions</title> </head>
<body bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
<h3 align="center">Transactions</h3>
<TABLE BORDER="1" width="500" align="center">
<TR> <TH>Transaction Type</TH> <TH>Transaction Amount</TH> </TR>
<xsl:for-each select="transactions/*">

<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test = " local-name() = 'debit' ">
<TR>
<TD> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()" /> </TD>

<TD>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test = " ./amount/text() > 50.00">
<span> <font color = "red"> <xsl:value-of select="./amount/text()" /> </font> </span>
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:value-of select="./amount/text()" />
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</TD>

</TR>
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test = " local-name() = 'credit' ">
<TR>
<TD> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()" /> </TD>
<TD> <xsl:value-of select="./amount/text()" /> </TD>
</TR>
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<TR bgcolor="yellow">
<TD> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()" /> </TD>
<TD>?</TD>
</TR>
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>

</xsl:for-each>

</TABLE>
<BR />
</body>

</html>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Now you need to go back to your XML file and add the following line as first in the file:

<?xml-stylesheet type=”text/xsl” href=”transform.xsl”?>

Where “transform.xsl” is a name of the sample XSL script presented above, and assuming you saved it on the same folder. If you stored it somewhere else you may use any (full or relative) path notation.

Relative path notation is useful when you have hierarchical structure of data folders. Full path notation is useful if your XML files could be stored anywhere on the computer.

Finally, double-click on your XML file, and IE (if set as a default viewer for XML files) will display all the records in a table.

Validation becomes a matter of seconds!

While I was enjoying reading the series of articles and discussions around the subject, some points of concern questions were crystallizing in my mind, and now I feel ready to join the discussion by asking them.

Part I – Overview

What’s it about?

In the nutshell (in my humble opinion), a dire need in terms separation was inspired by highly analytical nature of authors on the one side, and a serious misunderstanding of the subject (Software Testing) by business (and I mean Sr. Management and all kinds of recruiters here) on the other side.

Long time ago

Historically testing derived from debugging. Since programs that times didn’t have much of “User Interface”, testing was closely involving looking at the source code and tracing it. Once program functionalities were wrapped around with user interface, functional testing (“Black Box”) arose. With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven, and code testing (“White Box”) separated from debugging. In the mean time, functional testing was growing mature on its own, no longer requiring programming knowledge and skills, but indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing.

Added 11/25/2009

“With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven”

Coding, i.e. creation of program code, could be done in a variety of ways, utilizing different logic and following different patterns.

Programming language (compiler or interpreter) looks after syntax but not the logic. Some logics may seem to be working but not for the all user scenarios. Some other logics work perfectly but they are hardly maintainable or they may impact other areas, security, for example.

 
Creation of code that is defect-prone, hardly maintainable, or may impose other issues is a bad coding practice.
Following coding standards and using right programming patterns is good coding practice.

Please refer to “Making Wrong Code Look Wrong” article by Joel Spolsky for detailed examples. 

Added 11/25/2009

“indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing”

Functionality-oriented testing is not a new definition or type of testing but is about verification and validation testing types, like User Acceptance Testing and Business Acceptance Testing processes used in Waterfall software development model.

On the other hand, User Story Testing in Agile methodology, is also a process of verification of implemented functionalities, allowing to confirm that it works as expected.

Defect-oriented testing is an exploratory process targeting any unwanted (defective, inconsistent, unsafe, etc.) functionalities, side effects, any other behavior of an application. That involves “improper” interaction with the application-under-test (Negative Testing, Stress Testing, etc.), or putting the application-under-test into “improper” conditions (Disk Failure, Low Memory, Network Timeout, etc.), or “hacking” the application (Security Testing, DB Attacks, etc.).
“Improper” is quoted because it’s not a regular interaction way or environment state but most likely may accidentally happen or be created on purpose with harmful intensions and thus have to be tried.

New branches on a tree

Certain types of tests were impossible to conduct purely manually  sapiently, and they were called “non-functional” (load/performance testing, security testing, etc.). However, those tests are generally conducted NOT on development team’s side.
Certain testing activities (i.e. GUI and non-GUI interaction, data entry, verification, reporting, etc.) became possible to conduct with help of other programs, and this is how computer-aided testing appeared. In turn, it could be separated to manual sapient testing with help of a tool, and automatic test case execution by a tool.
Certain managers found out that when requirements are clearly documented, and the all possible “needed” test cases are created, test execution tasks do not require much of tough testing skills. Testing becomes simple data entry task which can be done by virtually anyone.

Automation of “Black Box” testing activities

Creation of automatically executable test cases requires programming skills; the more comprehensive tests are, the more powerful test automation framework should be, and the more skilled and experienced developer is required to create the framework. Note that it is still about testing activities automation with test results as an output, and the final judgment is still on human. Anyway, here’s how we got automated testers (obviously, oxymoron, but look how many positions are named so), and automation developers (ironically, hands-on testing skills very often are not considered mandatory, while they should be critical in automation skillset).

Automation of “White Box” testing activities

Apart from code reviews conducted by a human being, isolated pieces of code (functions, procedures) could be verified by calling and executing them. The core idea here that for a call with particular arguments a function is expected to return specified value. If the value is wrong then the test is failed. This is how automatic unit testing appeared. Once test rules were created (either manually by programmer or by using code-generator), tests could be run by a person without programming skills. Note that even if “right” result was returned by a function-under-test, it does not 100% guarantee that the functionality is always correct, or even the function will work the same way in production environment.

“Data entry testing”

Degradation of testing to data entry opens wide saving opportunities for business. Surprisingly, some managers also find it beneficial because they get more [junior] people to manage. All kinds of outsourcing perfectly fit here too, from summer students to off-shore companies. However, down this road company will face two types of critical issues. First of all, “data entry testing” is purely verification-oriented; except of trivial ones, defects won’t be revealed. Second, as automatic test execution requires final human judgment, “data entry testers” are incapable of qualified analysis and investigation of defects they may encounter. Outsourced teams require heavy coaching and support. As a result, either somebody has to do re-testing, or software product’s quality degrades. 

Why separate?

From a hiring perspective, job requirements for QA/testing positions are total mess. Irrelevant subjects are often thrown in, and mandatory skills are overlooked. Separation and, more importantly, clear description of the each role in testing world might help in getting higher quality candidates. That in turn will benefit teams with higher quality resources, and companies – with higher quality of testing.
Clear distinction will benefit professionals too. At the end, 10 years of “data entry testing” are not nearly equal to 1 year of sapient testing, and such experiences must be treated differently. 

Conclusion

I strongly support the initiative of distinction and clarification. However, looking on how it evolves so far I see that it becomes unclear itself. Certain subjects and concepts that are distinct by nature are now mixed up.

I hope my questions will be considered by authors. (I don’t put any obligation to reply, of course). 

Part II – Questions

1. Code Testing vs. Product Testing – why mixing up?

Any program code becomes a software product after the build. Before that happens, code modules and atomic functions also can be (and should be) tested. This phase of testing does not substitute Functional Testing in any manner. Code testing is not meant to be only function checks. Primarily, it is code review, which is purely sapient activity.
The original article, however, fully disregards the sapient part of code testing, and also sets code testing as opposite to functional testing. Why?

Added 11/25/2009

Testing vs. Checking, “Testing Is Not Quality Assurance, But Checking Might Be”

“Checking, when done by a programmer, is mostly a quality assurance practice. When an programmer writes code, he checks his work. He might do this by running it directly and observing the results, or observing the behaviour of the code under the debugger, but often he writes a set of routines that exercise the code and perform some assertions on it. We call these unit “tests”, but they’re really checks, since the idea is to confirm existing knowledge. In this context, finding new information would be considered a surprise, and typically an unpleasant one. A failing check prompts the programmer to change the code to make it work the way he expects. That’s the quality assurance angle: a programmer helps to assure the quality of his work by checking it.”

The whole chapter and the quoted block put label “checking” on programmer’s part of testing – the code testing. Since “checking” is posed as non-sapient, and code testing is checking only, does it mean programmers don’t do any sapient testing as opposite to software testers?

In fact, when a programmer writes code, he reviews every created block. Before code is checked-in to the code base it has to be reviewed.

In the article I see “compliant” examples were elaborated (e.g. Automated Unit Testing) but “non-compliant” (what about Pair Programming ?)  were omitted.

2. Why checking is a confirmation?

As per suggested definition, checking is rule-based, while the rule itself is comparison-based. It is also assumed that the comparison rule returns either “TRUE” or “FALSE”. But that’s not the end! Any verification (or checking) also needs to be validated. Validation is a context-specific rule, outside-of-the-box rule, which is applied with sapience.
Example: “Check if the door is open”. Both TRUE and FALSE could be VALID, depending on the context. Without validation, checking results are useless.

3. Why testing must be done only through exploration and investigation?

Any sapient investigation, broken down to atomic steps, involves obtaining actual results, defining or retrieving expected results, defining or retrieving a comparison rule, applying the rule, and finally validating the check performed, based on the context.

5. Testing programs do not create new rules. Testers do. Why didn’t you clearly state that? 

Added 11/25/2009

Regular computer programs may strictly follow the predefined rules, may come up with one of the predefined rules, even may build-up a new statement from the predefined blocks, but they do not learn and do not create.

The whole idea of “Testing vs. Checking” is in “Testing is a sapient activity”. Large part of the article is dedicated to proving of that with examples and logical chains. Did it have to be so complicated?  

Testing programs do not create new checking rules. Testers do.

What could be more sapient than the act of creation of something new?  

6. What is the value of testing if it doesn’t help improving the quality?

Added 11/25/2009

  

If a tester finds a lot of defects and throws reports via email or into ticketing system is it the end of tester’s job? Developers may reject them [defect reports]; sales people may urge with the release; PM may not realize severity of issues…

  

Bug fixing improves the quality. Bug finding without hunting them down until they’re fixed has zero business value. That’s useless (no profit, no saving and minus tester’s paycheck) gathering of information.

 

Testers should not and don’t have to be able forcing bug fixing through management or business power. They have other means to do it. Communication, first of all.

 

Not having power is not an excuse. It’s just stepping back from quality.

I don’t know what business would hire people interested in “gathering of information” only, and careless about product’s quality.

 

The obvious benefits of doing work for a client are the income and building your client list.  You can add to your portfolio too.  There is the added benefit of potential ongoing work such as maintenance and for update or makeover work in the future.  A more subtle benefit is the opportunity to learn and develop skills, techniques, and approaches that you can use in the future with other clients.  An even more subtle benefit is improving your design and business processes.

To capitalize on these benefits you have to conduct a post project review after every project.  I have discussed these types of reviews in previous posts, but from the perspective of the client’s feedback.  Now it is time for your internal review.  If you are working as a individual, this process is one of reflection and self-critique.  If you have other staff working on the project, they should participate in the process.

I tend to approach these project reviews systematically by reviewing the project in steps.  The review should be done very soon after the project is complete.  However, the client review should be completed before your internal review so you have that feedback available.

The first step is to compile all of the project artifacts.  This includes notes, drawings, analysis, plans, etc.  These are reviewed for possible inclusion in your portfolio.  Since everything is gathered, it is a good time to write up a project overview to use for future marketing or reference needs.  Were any new skills, techniques, or approaches used in the project?  Is there anything new that can be added to your list of services or expertise?  All pertinent business and marketed materials should be updated as necessary.  Add the client to your client list.  Will the client make a good reference?  If so, add them to the reference list or flag their contact record to indicate this.

The next step is to consider the project delivery.  There are many questions to ask.  Did you follow a project plan?  Did the plan work?  Were there any issues or problems that come up?  Was the scope of the project what was originally envisioned?  Were the materials estimates correct?  Was the client profile on target?  Was the site analysis correct?  Was the work effort estimate correct?  If any of these apply, how were the problems handled?  In hindsight, was that the best way to handle the problem?  What could you have done differently?  If any problems, issues, estimation errors, or anything else did come up, why did it come up?  What was wrong with the original plan, scope, estimate, etc.?  The objective is to find out what caused any problems or issues and why.  Then you need to decide what you are going to do to prevent the problem from happening again or if it does happen how you might handle it differently.

Next go through all of the things that were right.  If the scope, estimates, schedule, and so forth were right ask yourself why.  Did you follow your regular process?  Did you make any adjustments or allow for any contingencies that influenced the positive outcome.  The objective is to reinforce the things that were done right.  You may want to also consider the possibility of improvements in the process.  Even if everything went according to plan, is there anything that could have been done better.

These steps of analyzing anything that did not go right and all the things that did is a “lessons learned” process.  It helps you avoid repeating mistakes in the future and reinforces the things you are doing right.

The last part of the project review is to review the client feedback.  You should be able to take any positive and negative feedback from the client and compare it to your own internal review.  Things the client may have been unhappy about may be things that you have already determined were an issue.  Again, look at how you are going to change your process to avoid this problem or issue.  Positive client feedback should be acknowledged also.  What was it that created the positive feedback?  Were there one or more specific things?  How can you capitalize on those things to satisfy future clients?

The scope of the post project review will obviously vary from an individual designer to a large design/build firm.  The number of people involved in the review being an obvious difference.  In the case of large firms, lessons learned should be shared across all crews or teams so that the entire company staff benefits.  Any new capabilities or skills should also be shared so that everyone is aware of them.

The purpose of the post project review is to update your marketing and sales materials and improve your project delivery processes.  It is not an exercise in finding or placing blame.  Regardless of how poorly a project might have gone, the review process should be treated as a positive exercise because you will benefit from it.

I have discussed the differences between validation and verification in previous posts.  A portion of the post project review should deal with the validation issue.  Did you meet the clients needs and requirements?  The majority of the focus should be on verification.  Did you do the right thing, the right way?  If not, what are you going to do going forward to correct that issue?

I’ve looked at some of the info in the CRU data dump and have concluded that the situation is much worse that I have previously envisioned..

All results, each and every number, to be used to set public policy must be Independently Reviewed and Verified. This is the world-wide operating standard for all other decisions, without exception, that have a potential to effect the health and safety of the public.

The climate change community remains the sole exception to this standard. The very organizations that continue to insist that it be exempt from this requirement have now been shown to have fatally flawed the very system that they propose be used.

Maybe we’ll see a Carbon Regulatory Agency developed and implemented by some progressive governments.

On the Value of Records: “

The American writer, Bell Hooks, in her latest book, Belonging: A Culture of Place (New York: Routledge, 2009), gives us this interesting perspective on the value of the record: ‘In the past I have often scoffed at those folks who cannot go anywhere without a camera, a recording device, video, without some instrument to document for the future. Now that I have witnessed the deep pain and grief that can be caused by loss of memory, through illness, dementia and Alzheimer’s . . ., I can acknowledge the value of documentation for a future time. I know firsthand what a blessing it is to have a record – a way to remember that goes beyond the mind.’ ” (pp. 185-186). [from the blog, Reading Archives, by Richard J. Cox]

My Take:

You asked why 24 blogs regarding my family’s Hong Kong Tour? It cost me a lot of savings-and I need to extend its benefits by recording the memories and observation I had for future posterity and use.

But before that i have to mention that I almost got delayed and fleece by fixers outside the DFA. They will try to divert your attention before the gate of DFA. They might try to help put your picture into your passport a[pplication and then lead you to another building (not DFA) and then told you that you need extra time and money to have your passport completed. I did not show my anger but I returned to the real gate of DFA and from there line up at the verification. Can the DFA officials have an cleansweep operation of this swindlers and hoodlums just outside their gates? Are they inutile or in cahoots with these people? This is our country and yet we are being fleeced by our "enterprising" kababayans. Hoy Mahiya naman kayo-may mas mabuti pang trabaho kaysa magloko ng kapwa. (Please be ashamed of what you are doing -there is a better way to earn a living instead of taking advantage of your fellowmen)

Inside-you would have to queu for the verification of records and documents -which took up 1-2 hours. Then you can enter the DFA building for your passport to be assesed-then you need to queu again in order to pay the assesed value and to be interviewed by the DFA personnel and have your name entered into their  computer. I entered DFA by 9AM and left by 2PM. I ate my morning merienda, lunch and afternoon merienda by 2PM+. I paid 150.00 for the passport delivery-and got my passport at my house after 7 working days.

Here are some pictures of the location:

Verification inside the basketball court

DFA Basketball court

Some pictures of the requirements and steps for obtaining your passport (new and renewal):

Instructions

Passport Requirements

Procedure-Step-by-step

By the way-did I mentioned that I shouted to the guards inside the payment and encoding area because they do not how to process the lines-who to get first and who will be last. After I shouted-they corrected the sitiation. They do this everyday and yet  they have not done -more than basic improvements-for the sake of our kababayan-Sino ba DFA Secretary? Dapat siguro magresign na at better administrator who will treat our kababayan better and with more dignity.

219343     การทวนสอบและทดสอบซอฟต์แวร์     Software Validation and Verification

หลักการและเทคนิคเบื้องต้นเพื่อความมั่นใจในคุณภาพของผลิตภัณฑ์ซอฟต์แวร์การทดสอบอย่างเป็นระบบของระบบซอฟต์แวร์ การคาดคะเนและการวิเคราะห์ความเชื่อถือได้ของซอฟต์แวร์

(Principles and elementary techniques to ensure the quality of software product; systematic testing of software systems; prediction and analysis of software reliability.)

(219343 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

If you’re unfamiliar with MD5 checksums (or MD5sums for short), they are simply a string of numbers (“hashes“) generated when each file is scanned, to be used to later verify the integrity of the data. You may have noted when downloading Linux .iso images or similar that there either was a text file with it – usually with the same suffix as the main file, but with perhaps an .md5sums extension – or the actual hash below the download link.

Also, you probably know you can check your Ubuntu CD for defects while at the boot menu, but since that just looks to an md5sum.txt file (most common name on Linux live CDs), you can also do so in Ubuntu via the terminal. So, for example, if you’ve burned a copy of the latest Ubuntu (or other Linux distro) live CD for a friend, you can simply open a terminal and check it without having to reboot.

But the most important use of the md5sum command is to create data verification for folders on your drive, as well as data CDs and DVDs, and even video DVDs. If you just wanted to periodically make sure no files are corrupt in a given folder (or whole drive if you want), this is the way to go. If you have a whole bunch of things in a folder you want to burn to a data disc, then the checksum file you create will let you check the disc for defects.

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So when you want to create the checksums, open a terminal in that folder and enter the following:

find -type f -exec md5sum “{}” \; > md5sum.txt

Note that this will also create a hash for the file itself, ie:  md5sum.txt, which will produce an error when checked, since it was generated while the file was still being created:

md5sum: WARNING: 1 of 103 computed checksums did NOT match

When you scroll up the terminal to see the cause of the error, you’ll find:

./md5sum.txt: FAILED

You will need to manually edit out the line for md5sum.txt, and if the file is really large, just hit Ctrl+F and search for md5, and it will take you to the line you need to delete.

Once that’s done, you can verify the folder/drive any time you wish. With discs, it isn’t limited to data, or rather since the .vob files etc of a DVD are data, you can generate the md5sum.txt in the parent folder of the title (ie: the one VIDEO_TS resides in) and check movies as well as data backups.

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To check a folder, open a terminal there and enter:

md5sum -c md5sum.txt

To check a disc that has that file, including the likes of the Ubuntu CD, you’ll need the terminal pointing at the disc. But rather than open a folder window and choose Open in Terminal from the context menu, you can do that via any open terminal and incorporate the checking command above with:

cd /media/cdrom0 && md5sum -c md5sum.txt

Occasionally systems don’t have cdrom0 as the device name for the disc drive, so when you open a terminal there the other way, make note of the device name and alter the last command accordingly.

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When the check is over, if there are any errors, it will tell you how many failed the test out of how many listed. In the following example, you are actually presented with two errors at the end, the first complaining of a missing file, the other reporting one that seems to be corrupt:

md5sum: WARNING: 1 of 102 listed files could not be read
md5sum: WARNING: 1 of 101 computed checksums did NOT match

You can then scroll up the terminal if need be and find those that didn’t pass:

md5sum: ./Wallpaper01.jpg: No such file or directory
./Wallpaper01.jpg: FAILED open or read
./Wallpaper002.jpg.jpg: FAILED

In this example, “Wallpaper01.jpg“ is seen as “missing”, because it was in fact renamed to “Wallpaper001.jpg“ (to keep in line with the 3-digit numbering of the rest of the files) after the checksum was created (so “Wallpaper001.jpg“ is totally ignored, since there was no hash created for it, and “Wallpaper01.jpg“ is seen as missing, since there is no longer a file of that name). “Wallpaper002.jpg“ is probably corrupt, though not all files that do not pass the test fail to open (but, generally, the case is that the file is corrupt, and the larger the file, the  more chance there is of that).

Otherwise, if all you see is the command prompt with the last file above it with an OK next to it, then all is fine:

./Wallpaper100.jpg: OK

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To make all this easier, make command aliases, like make5 (to generate an md5sum.txt file), 5 (to check a folder) and cd5 (to check a disc that can be verified). This will save you memorising and typing long commands, or even copying and pasting from a text file of commands you’ve probably got (if you’re clever).

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To check a disc image or other file you’re downloading that has a checksum listed, you can generate a checksum, and simply compare the output with what is listed on the website:

md5sum name_of_the_image.iso

Obviously, you’ll need to replace the name in the example with the actual name of the file, but to save typing it if it is long, you can just enter md5sum (followed by a space), drag the downloaded file to the terminal and drop it there, then hit Enter (though you can, of course, just copy the file’s name as well). Then, as I said, simply compare the numbers in the terminal and website.

Now, if you’re downloading a bunch of stuff, all with checksums supplied, you can create your own master checksum file, which will check them all in one go when you’re ready. Syntax is very important, so the lines should look like this:

8790491bfa9d00f283ed9dd2d77b3906 *ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso
3faa345d298deec3854e0e02410973dc *ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso
dc51c1d7e3e173dcab4e0b9ad2be2bbf *ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso

In this example, Ubuntu CDs are used, but they can be anything, as long as you lay it out like that. You can name the file what you want, but if you want to stick with tradition, and to make it easier to check  (via the command above, or its alias 5), name it md5sum.txt. And you can use this before you get all the files, as when you run the check, it will just tell you 2 out 0f 3 couldn’t be found (and you’ll see the one you did download listed, hopefully with an OK next to it).

If you name the checksum file something different, or in the case of the Ubuntu discs downloaded a master checksum file for all images, and it has a name like Ubuntu 9.10.MD5Sum (though that’s the name I actually gave it), it doesn’t matter. You can just enter md5sum -c (followed by a space), then either type the name of the file, or drag the file to the terminal. Note you can also do this with the alias 5 – it will complain it didn’t find md5sum.txt, but then go on to verify the files recorded in Ubuntu 9.10.MD5Sum (or whatever your file is called). Of course, you could just rename the checksum file to md5sum.txt, but as you can see, you don’t really need to.

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When you’re going to backup a folder to DVD, always run a check on it first. That way, if you’ve done something like renamed a bunch of files after the md5sum.txt file was created, you’ll know before burning a disc that will always come up with those “errors”. You can then either generate new checksums, or open md5sum.txt and replace the old names with the new ones (renaming files does not alter their checksum hashes, so you do not need to generate new ones for them).

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So, hopefully that’s all you need to get you going in setting up some data verification, which comes in handy when wanting to make sure all the data on a DVD is valid before passing it on, or deleting the copies off your hard drive if archiving. And now that you know what those hashes or .md5 files are on websites, make sure you grab them, so you can verify the integrity of your downloads. And if you set up those aliases, all of this becomes even simpler, as those names are short and easy to remember.

An update from the main himself in the #fw channel tonight, regarding the new “Lite Touch” firmware, suggests that all is going well:

<+c4eva> work is continuing, there is light at the end of the tunnel

I will keep this blog updated with information about the new firmware as it is made public.

Regards

graph.

By Jonathan Fildes
Technology reporter, BBC News

Modern Warfare 2 on shop shelves
The ban may have been timed for the release of Modern Warfare 2

Thousands of Xbox 360 owners who have been cut off from Microsoft’s Xbox Live service will have to buy a new console if they want to play online again.

Microsoft told BBC News that banned machines will be permanently barred and “unable to connect to Xbox Live”.

A message displayed on affected consoles said there was “no recourse for terms of use violations”.

Microsoft has barred as many as 1m gamers from Xbox live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.

“Users of banned Xbox consoles can recover their profile to another, unmodified Xbox 360 console to resume their Live service,” the firm told BBC News.

“The banned console will be unable to connect to Xbox Live.”

However, modified consoles will still work offline.

‘No recourse’

Microsoft said barring gamers was part of an ongoing drive to curb piracy.

But a statement from them suggests this latest wave was timed to prevent people from playing pirated versions of the widely-anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

We believe that even one modified console on the system is one too many
Microsoft

“We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the Xbox Live terms of use, purchased a retail copy of Modern Warfare 2 and played the game on an unmodified Xbox 360, no action will be taken,” the firm said.

Microsoft said that it had banned a “small percentage” of the 20 million Xbox Live users worldwide.

Many gamers modify their consoles by installing new chips or software that allows them to run unofficial – but not always illegal – programs and games.

Close-up of Xbox 360 Elite, Microsoft

Xbox gamer on being cut off
Read more of your reactions

Some BBC News website readers claimed that they had “modded” their consoles to allow them to make back-ups of games that they had already bought.

“Discs are very fragile things and some users like to have their games backed up,” said Donald Glass of Aberdeen.

“After all you will have paid £40 for a new disc. It is my opinion that once you buy a disc you should be allowed to do whatever you want with the media as long as you do not break copyright laws.”

Microsoft has not said how it was able to determine which gamers to disconnect.

“We do not reveal specifics, but can say that all consoles have been verified to have violated the terms of use,” the firm said in a statement.

It said that gamers who had been barred were using their modified consoles to “play illegally pirated games”.

“We believe that even one modified console on the system is one too many”.

Industry figures suggest that piracy may cost the video game industry as much as £750m a year.

Reports have speculated that new “mods” could soon be on the market that allow gamers to get round the blocks.

If you read my first post, you probably know about the new “Lite Touch” firmware that is in development. The firmware that promises “No more bans!”. I have just a quick update from c4eva, which I think was provoked by the controversy in the #fw channel yesterday about the credibility of the firmware in question. Here is a quote:

<+c4eva> ixtreme LT is real, no ETA, for EVERY drive.

Also, according to Xbox-Scene, the three test boxes c4eva was running are still OK.

So yeah, a quick update, I’ll keep you posted

Regards

graph

The following predictions were made on January 21, 2009. We need your help to prove or disprove the accuracy of these predictions before they can be entered into record.

Before July, 2009:

• The Toronto Island ferry will have raised its fare.
• Laurel will be more flexible.
• The per-diem rate for shelters will be changed.
• Hunting for your own food will be marketed as eco-tourism
• Laurel’s car still won’t work.
• At least 10 more people will be murdered by handguns in Toronto

Thank you for your assistance.