Week 06, 2001 ,Svenson

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We were in for yet another warm and wet day. No, not tropical, just too warm (9C in the mornin) for a Belgian winter. And the wetness isn't like a tropical rainstorm but more like a nagging drizzle.
Current temp is 18.7C in and 8.7C out.

I did the testing of the adaptations of the invoicing. The change was to the main part of the actual invoicing program which means some deep and tedious testing is needed. We cannot have the invoicing going wrong.
Together with testing the invoicing I tested the OrderLine Error log cleaning. The clearing happens after shipping a complete order, just like invoicing which happens after shipping. I picked out one problem here. Again testing for *On while it should have been *Off.

Because I have meddled a bit with XML Sandri assumes I am an XML expert. So he has me assisting him in finding out the workings of an interface to the XML parser that IBM developed for the AS/400. The problem with that parser is that is written in C (or C++) and interfacing that with our classical RPG isn't simple. Things like pointers and sub procedures and function calls are rather new. Well they aren't exactly new but they are seldom used, you don't rewrite a program just to use a new language feature, especially not when it make the coding more complex.
After a few hours work with the debugger we worked out how one of the examples worked so now Sandri builds some functions into his own programs for trying out the stuff.

And I pick up a problem in Progress. In TeleSales it is possible to make two orders at the same time by starting the order entry function twice. This is not normally done of course, this is call centre software, to work on two orders at a time you would be talking to two customers at the same time. Which would be confusing. And indeed the computer gets confused. All the item numbers and description on the first opened order become replaced by a single value until the second order is closed. The problem is limited to a single screen browser, asking the details of one of the lines presents the correct line details, including the original item.
I guess Ronny would solve this in five minutes. I struggle for hours without even getting close to understanding what is actually happening.

 

At home my cleanup operation continues.
I actually found my Genius Tarckball back, under some stacks of paper. I used that for years, preferring it over a mouse fur normal navigation and selection. It is a bit less convenient for drag and dropping and all but useless for graphics, painting and drawing are wrist and elbow actions. But for simple point and click work I still prefer a good, large track ball.
I also found my old set of calligraphy pens but I am afraid I lost that skill. Damn keyboards don't write like delicate pens ye know <g>

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Why, in the US, do they use sterile needles for people on death-row?

 

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Never Give Up.

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Grey and to warm. Wet also of course but much less so, with soft rain (or was that heavy drizzle?) both in the morning and evening but dry in between. Hey we even got to see a glimpse of that big spotlight out there (mainly as reflection in my screen :~| .
Current temp is 18.8C in and 8.4C out.

Do I have to tell anyone I need more hours per day?
Got it to busy yesterday for daynoting. And I didn't even get much of anything done. And today was more of the same.
There is a discussion going on, one level up (architects and managers) about the 'availability to promise' function. ATP is the function where a sales person can check the level of the stock to see if an order can be allocated. If there isn't enough stock the order can still be made but shipping will probably be delayed. While OLI managed all the logistics and warehouses ATP was no problem, you just called an OLI program which returned the needed data.
Now however OCE is restructuring its warehouse policy in Europe and the warehouse maintenance is done with SAP. So for ATP we must check in OLI and, depending in the returned warehouse, check in SAP as well. All the what and when and where checking is now under discussion.
Of course there is no decent documentation so someone (only one guess allowed) has to come up with a clear picture of the current, actual situation.

I called Ronny again (didn't have time yesterday even for that). His knee is improving but he is getting bored with inactivity. If things keep going as they are he may be back some time next week.
I had been looking into the problem with TeleSales that I mentioned on Monday and he confirmed that I was indeed looking at the right part of the program. I also checked where I had to look for the ATP function in TeleSales so maybe I can have a peek at that tomorrow.

And then Koen did notice he had a problem with the price list program. He did build a function to print out (virtually) a price list. He did not include any coding for conditions, his list just shows the 'catalogue prices' not the actual prices a customer will have to pay. Special actions, blanket reductions, extra fees, etc. were all ignored. Of course that is the most tricky part of the calculation program.
The easiest solution (and there is a deadline approaching fast so that is what will happen) is to call the actual calculation program with a dummy order and pick up the prices from that. The best solution is to adapt (read throw it all out and start from scratch) the calculation routine, making a price server from it. I would love to do that but of course I would need time for it.
Rewriting it would also fit in better with the modular approach we have for the validations in TeleSales. It would probably suit the Italians as well.

 

Oh, I did prepare some daynote parts at work but, as I explained to Dan Bowman I forgot to pass it over. Maybe I will warm it up again for tomorrow.

I have been struggling with my Linux installation. Well, not with the installation itself. but now that I want to actually use the box I am hitting walls every where.
A first problem is probably hardware. I got Oswal (win98) and Aria (Cladera Linux) on the same screen via a KVM. whenever I switch from Aria to Oswal and back (after more than 10 minutes) Aria just refuses to recognise the mouse. And I haven't found out (yet) how to manage KDE with only the keyboard so I do a hard reset... don't tell, I know I shouldn't but ..
Next, I have got eDesktop with KDE running and I had placed an icon for the floppy disk on my desktop. Did that with the KDE set-up wizard. But I cannot get at the floppy. Double clicking the icon gives a "could not read file : /auto/floppy. File doesn't exist or access denied". or, "Could not mount. Error log: mount: can't find /proc/9506/fd in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab" . Neither message helps me any further.
(Exactly the same problem occurs with the CD drive. Of course.)
I am not giving up yet (I am a bit of a frog) but it is eating time and effort.

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Why is it that ones nose 'runs' and ones feet 'smell' ?

 

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A bit overcast with some drizzly drops of rain in the morning. Most of the say however is sunny (brightly so) and windy. With two short but intense showers while driving home in the evening.
Current temp is 19.6C in (remember I have no heating on this attic) and 7.1C out.

I completed the documentation for the OLI sourceing and the OLI availability check as it is being used from OMSI-3. Looks good and now I more or less understand it.
So I start sniffing out how things are handled in the Progress side of TeleSales.

Halfway trough I join in the discussion between Theo and Koen about the price list he is making. The calculation routine will be rewritten (by me?) but because this will take to much time Koen has to use the calculation routine as it stands now. Not difficult but rather more work than he planned for. The solution is temporal of course.
And alternative temporal solution would have me adapting the calculation but that would mean checking and possible adaptation work for the opco's. So we don't do that. Now.

We found a problem with prs14638. This should be the same as prs14639 but pertaining to v8. Of course it wasn't, one of the objects (XML_ file) wasn't included in it. Which of course caused problems in Italy. Luckily they have both v8 and v9 so they could copy the file over.
Apart from this they were missing a complete prs containg the files for executing the Catalog update. Usually we send files and programs in the same prs but this time we send the files long before the programs were ready. And then Theo forgot to mention the older prs in the program documentation.

 

There is something not entirely right with my mail. I did send a bunch of stuff to myself (from work to home) and some things didn't arrive. On top of that, about half the times I did check my mail the Mailbank server didn't respond.
Now, if I am missing mail from myself I may just as well miss out some mail from other people. So if you did send something and didn't get a reply please send again ( to jan_at_swijsen-dot-com).

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It is not what you give but that you give that matters.

 

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We get our customary morning drizzle. Once that is cleared we enjoy (behind the screen with the blinds closed) a bright and sunny day. Which closes down for the night with a short burst of rain. All that clear weather does imply that its is cooler again.
Current temp is 17.7C in and -2C out.

I have been checking the Progress programs and trying to document what they do. Progress is an event driven language which requires a completely different approach to what I am used to on the AS/400. And the syntax looks a bit like a cross between COBOL (which I know superficially) and Visual Basic (which I don't know at all).
I manage to complete the investigation and I think I know a good method to incorporate the required alterations for the availability check.

And Sandri called on me for some help with his XML parser project. This time I haven't got a clue about the solution he is looking for. The parser (in C++) uses a stream file as input. We are using RPG and a special wrapper to call the parser but RPG doesn't know stream files. In an earlier test we passed a (pointer to the) filename (from the IFS side of the AS/400) to the parser. Now Sandri wants to run the parser on some local internal datastructure of the AS/400 program. Of course internal data isn't a stream. I am not sure if what he wants is possible.

 

Any tool can be used for good or bad. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/16694.html .

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The dot.com death rate has proven that there is a difference between the InterNet is not a SafetyNet.

 

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Nicely cold in the morning (about -4C) with clear skies. Yep, no rain today, only sun. O course once the sun went down the clouds come in for a refreshing bout of falling moister.
Current temp 14.8C in and 3.1C out.

Shopping. Standard stuff, wine, food, the works ye know. Nothing that moves electrons around though.
(I know things like chocolate contains electrons and when you move it around the ele... . But you know what I mean )

The rest of the day is also spend on standard Saturday stuff. Resting.

I did get a nice mail ( comming from intro@mygeek.com ) :

You are receiving this e-mail because you opted-into receive special offers from an online purchase you have made in the last 6 months. Your e-mail address was acquired from marketsharerecovery.com, who identified you as an interested, opt-in consumer.
To unsubscribe, please click here.

Oh, btw, I haven't purchased anything on the web yet.
Maybe we should send people who do this type of thing on a free sledge tour to the Northpole (I hear the ice is melting there)
Or to some place in North Carolina

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Why is lemonade full of artificial stuff while there is real lemon in soap?

 

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The heat is back on (7C in the morning) as are the clouds. I does stay dry however. Better than grey and wet but only by so much.
Current temp is 18.3C in and 9.6C out.

Running of course (well actually on course of course, I am not an off road runner). A bit warm and my running condition isn't all to well, taking over an hour for about 15km.

In the afternoon I spent some time acquiring scratches and punctures while pruning the fire thorn brush. I have now done about a quarter of it so in five or six weekend time it'll be finished. If I don't scratch my self to death first.

To stay in kitchen form I make apple-fritter. Of course I make too much of it and then I eat to much of it.

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