Let’s first look at what is generally believed as Encapsulation? Ask your teacher, “What is Encapsulation?” You teacher would promptly say “Hiding data“. Try googling, you find just 10% of the sites will be giving you right information about Encapsulation where most of them tends to miss out the important glitch. When one of my friends was speaking about Encapsulation, he was right in quoting the proper definition i.e. “Hiding Information”, but his understanding was not correct. If you are one of them who doesn’t understand about Encapsulation, then this article is for you.

So, what exactly the encapsulation means bro? Ok. Let we have some coffee, and we continue discuss about Encapsulation.

Cool, the coffee vending machine has given tasty brewed coffees. Nice coffee! Back to our discussion, here is a simple question I’d like to ask you. Why don’t you give a thought on how did this coffee vending machine worked?

You dropped in the coin, and the coffee came out of the machine in a beautiful coffee cup. So, why didn’t you see how the where the coffee beans, how it is prepared? You really don’t know (unless you are the one who designed the machine ) how things are made inside the machine, but finally you get a coffee!! Yeah don’t you see a sense of Encapsulation? So, here what is actually hidden? The Coffee beans? No, the way how the coffee prepared is hidden.

So, Encapsulation is hiding of process; hence you hide the data. Not the vice versa.

From the definition, Encapsulation is “Information Hiding”, the information is how something is happening inside an object? It’s just a mere data hiding concept (though it includes data hiding).

So, when you model this coffee vending machine, you don’t want to show out the way how a coffee is made. Isn’t it? So, you don’t want to show where the coffee beans, milk and the sugar are. Right?

So, in the CofeeVendingMachine class, prepareCoffee() is hidden and getCoffee() is made public, so that you will be able to send a request to the machine.

Since you have hidden the process, you don’t have any need to show how the coffee & milk are mixed and how it’s been brewed. If you need a stylish design, even you can show that.

The Coffee Vending Machine encapsulates the internal process and the ingredients (data) used in the process.

Object Oriented Languages provides encapsulation via modifiers such as “private”, “protected”. Sometimes, volatile and transient also acts as encapsulating modifiers, but they are language specifics.

Encapsulation doesn’t stop just with OOP languages. The concept extends itself to the latest technology such as Webservices, Service Oriented Architecture. If you closely watch, any real world object has encapsulation in it, which the Object Oriented Programming tries to model.

Big Code – Good Code

Big Code, a Good Code? Sounds awkward? A Good code I mean here is a code which runs quicker than other solutions for the same problem.

if T(Sol1) < T(Sol2) Then, Solution 1 is a Good code., Where T is Time function , measures Time Taken

( though there are various other constraints involved, for time being let not discuss them )

Hardcore programmers are always tries to write short programs. They couple few lines of code into one and show that they have done a great coding.  But, things are not always the way it looks. Short is sweet, but not always !

Look into this code, 3 solutions for one simple problem.

Problem: Find the greatest of two numbers a, b

Million Dollar Question

Which code runs faster? If you have chosen the A’s code as faster. You have correctly made a wrong decision.

The fastest program is the B’s program. So, 3 lines of code, still fastest code? Ok.

In the A’s code,  consider if a < b, two operations should be performed.

• Compare ‘a’ , ‘b’
• Branch to Else if ‘a’ < ‘b’
• Return the expression ‘b’

But in B’s solution, we have already assigned a value to ‘x’. Only job is to compare and Assign. So the second operation is saved.

In such a small code, you won’t find a big difference. But think of a macro system with MLOC ( Million Lines of Code ).

I will explain you by solving a bit complex problem, come on join me.

Problem: Given number ‘N’ , split into ‘k’ integers, such that N = k1 + k2 + k3 +…kn and k1 * k2 * k3 is maximum.

You can try various solutions. One simple solution is

Great code, you would be proud to write one line solution of such great problem. But wait, is your code is faster to run for N > 10^10, K > 10^5?

Consider the optimize solution

More optimised

The last code works much faster than any other. Try looping it for million times with various values of ‘N & k ‘. and measure the time it takes to complete the million time execution.

How to write a speedy code?

So, this is yet another million dollar question. Take a look at the above three solutions. You will find a resemblance.

Solution – 1 is a generalized form of other two. Solution – 3 is more detailed form of Solution – 1.

So, what is been detailed in the Solution 3. If you look at more closely, you will find that Solution-3 has checks for ‘Boundary Conditions’.

Boundary Conditions are very important scenarios in any Logical System. You prove that system works perfect for boundary conditions, you prove the system to work for any values between it. Similar to Mathematical Induction. So, this applies for programming too.

If you are able to identify the boundary conditions, and make the appropriate formula for those conditions, then you will skip unnecessary computations.

We will look what have save the computational cycles.

Lets assume, the Input are N=10, K = 2

Using Solution-1:

residue = 0, mid = 5

maxProduct = Math.pow(5+1,0) * Math.pow( 5 ,(2-0) ) = 25

Operations performed:

Note: costs are just for calculation, not exact one

• Math.pow
• Addition – (5+1)
• Math.pow
• Subtraction – ( 2-0 )
• Multiplication

lets assume the cost for each operation is

Using Solution-3:

The code will branch out to the 1st if condition ( residue == 0 )

maxProduct = Math.pow( 5, 2) = 25

Operations performed

So, you have saved more than 55% of the computational cycles by covering up the boundary conditions.

So, Why you need a Speedy code?

Everyone in life loves speed. Speed bike, Speed cars ( that’s why you would love F1 ), A speedy 2 GB – Core 2 Duo Powered Machine.

Because Speed makes you feel Good !! So does a Speedy Code will be a Good code.

But, to achieve something you have to compromise with other factors, like I mentioned earlier.

If you need a 2 GB – Core 2 Duo Powered Machine, you should not consider the Money factor.

Similarly while you code, there are lot of other factors like

• Memory Management
• Security
• Transaction Isolations etc.,

This is just a introduction, will start covering up other topics soon.

The process of converting a document is as simple as the above picture. Just open up the Google Docs, upload the document / text file and save as PDF format and it’s done. You get a PDF document on the fly.Let us see how do we convert a document into PDF.

1. Open up Google docs and Click ‘Upload’

2. Now you will be asked to upload the document which you want to convert either from your local system or from any website.

And just name the file accordingly. And click ‘Upload File’

Now your document would have been uploaded and will be seen in the Google Docs Document Editor.

3. Now select File -> Download As -> PDF

4. Selecting this option will ask you for some print configurations

Configure your options and click ‘Ok’ and that’s Done. You will get your PDF files ready in seconds for download.

Here is the pretty PDF document ready for you!

Mozilla Songbird

Songbird a Music Mashups

Songbird is a desktop media player mashed-up with the Web. It provides a feature to browser any music, video site, and drag drop any kind of song or video file. So it saves the time of downloading the file through a download manager, and importing the files to a playlist.

Cool Features

• Sync with iPod
• Browse any sites inside Songbird
• Add any music or video into Songbird while your browse in the Songbird Browser. So you don’t need to download separately and then import into the player.
• You don’t require any special codecs to play the files. All you need is plugins which you will get in the plugin repository.

Like Mozilla Firefox, Songbird is also released as a OpenSource and evolving as a music platform, where in you can build lots of plugins for playing anykind of media, visualizations etc.Songbird provides a public playground for Web media mash-ups by providing developers with both desktop and Web APIs, developer resources and fostering Open Web media standards, to wit, an Open Media Web.

You can find a handful of add-ons for songbird in the Songbird Nest.

I wonder why Google hasn’t updated it’s Security Certificate?

This even occurs with IE 7+. If you have tried it!

Firefox 3 stopping Google Adsense

click on the image for maximizing

click on the image for maximizing

Internet Explorer 7 stopping Google Adsense

click on the image for maximizing

You have a great blog, cool design and good layout. Have you ever worried how does your blog look like in Cross Operating system and Cross browsers? Here’s a great service for you. Browsershots provides a cool service which makes you to see how your blog looks in various browsers and different operating systems like ( Linux, Mac, Win ) etc. In total you can view your sites in 63 browsers ( just counted ) and 4 major operating systems.

Once if you have submitted your requests, all the screenshots will be captured and will be made ready. And all those screenshots will be available for a period of 30 minutes from the time when the screenshot is available for you and you can still extend the time limit if you want.

Also they it will list you how long will it take to process each of your request in the given browser and operating systems.

Sample screenshot in Safari ( click for bigger size ).

Courtesy: mil8

Continue reading my first part of the post, in this post I will be exploring the new generation of communication experience. The poster is the collage of the twitter users and followers.

Keep yourself updated – The Twitter Magic

Next came the Twitter, Pownce kind of services which made the information live to the users. You get the information on your desktop or mobile whenever they are generated. Do you know, In MacWorld Expo while Steve Jobs delivering his Keynote the Twitter has crashed! This is the influence of Twitter.

About above stuffs are termed as TumbleLogs. TumbleLogs? Yeah small brother of Weblog or Blog!!! Even I’ve my tumble log in Tumblr to record small information, events, photos instantly.

But Twitter goes one step a head and make you the information available right from it’s generation.

Twitter pushing you the information to your desktop ( through GTalk )

Pownce is another push message service, which offers more than Twitter and slowly grabbing the market share of Twitter.

‘Face’Book is Index of your Friend’s Mind

If you are a facebook or orkut user , you could very well see the updates on your home page of the profile. Those updates are about your friends and contacts , those who have changed, modified, added something in their profile.

Facebook makes things very open, it will update you each and every activity of what your contacts / friends does. Facebook updating your friends activities on your home page.

Orkut keeping you posted on your friends update.

Now, you would feel and even nod with me that this Era is making you Lazy , more, more and more..but powerful..more, more and more

But of course this is one of the major advantage of this Era, where information chases us.

Though Orkut and Facebook are connecting people, LinkedIn and Plaxo are helping you to keep updated with your friends, contacts, your business network and server you more. There was post from Amit on how to manage various social profile through one service – 8hands.

Courtesy: pandemia

Lazy & Powerful. One who is lazy can’t be powerful. But Web 2.0 makes you lazy and yet makes your more powerful. This is what I could term this Era. Sounds crazy? Yeah, the time and effort put by you on searching an information is considerably reduced, and things comes searching you to your desktop, mobile, and what ever gadgets you own. You get your product details on your mobile, email, desktop chat client and everywhere you go. This is the time where you don’t searching the information, but make the information search for you.

Yeah, Internet with the help of Web 2.0 have re-modelled itself to the information pushers.

From Telephone to Mobile SMS, it was the same feeling when one had it on their hand. “Wow, I could get information or get connected to my friend instantly!!!”

It’s the same Wow, that you will utter in this Web 2.0 world too. The era of Pull technology is now getting obsolete. The domination of Yahoo and Microsoft’s search engine domination came to end and new breed of technology motive came into existence termed ‘Google’, which started improving the web a better place and very very competitive place. Welcome to the world of ‘Push Technology‘.

When the version of Web ticked to 2.0, things started changing.

Clock ticked from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0

Blogs are the first move towards the Lazy Era. TypePad, Moveable Type, Blogger, WordPress are predominant blog platform that helped a social move in the blogosphere and started the collaboration between people around the world. Then came the RSS feed technique, which came with every blog and made the connectivity and information sharing more easier. Then RSS feed model got stabilized, standardized and inherited ( XML features ) got unimaginable famous due to it’s flexible of usage and support.

Then, came the Readers for RSS kind of feeds ( Kind of? Yeah there are Atom feeds too ). The famous Desktop Feed Readers like FeedDemon, OmeaReader was rocking and still rocking. Recently move to make FeedDemon as feed is a welcome.

Then with the developments in Web 2.0, Online Feed Readers started mushrooming. Bloglines, Google Reader are the few which can be named as best of the online readers. I’ve both Bloglines and Google Reader accounts and I feel Google Reader is far more simple and flexible.

The RSS feeds were generally generated once in a day or whenever a new blog entries are made. Unless you track a live blogger you won’t get the information instantly.

Bloglines

Google Reader

Though not sophisticated as Desktop Readers, they inherited the advantages of the Internet and Web 2.0.

Continue Reading Part 2..

Google Calendar lets you to create events future or past and make the event to be reminded at a given interval. Google Calendar communicates the event through various means of communication. i.e through Email, through SMS and even Popup Message in the system if your event is a short period.

Also color coded label for each category of event makes my job easier to identify the events and items.

Also you can change the view of your calendar as Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Agenda format to view and organize the items. Also it lists down the events of Next 7 Days.

Google Calendar allows you to publish your calendar and you can mark which group of items can be published. So this helps to keep others updated of my schedule and common friends birth day.

Google Calendar has become my integral part of my life as it used as my Micro Journal, which records my personal and life’s event and cheries my life when I look back at it!!!

For serious Mac Lovers, Developers of MacBook Air and Steve Jobs. Hey sorry dudes, I don’t mark any harm on writing this post on the Apple’s new MacBook Air.If any one of you people supposed to see it, just take it sportive

The Innovation – Thinnovation

Courtesy: Apple

Ok, let me come to the post. Hope many would have seen / heard / known about the MacWorld Expo’s new products. Unlike last year Apple didn’t fail to create hype in their products. Last year it was iPhone and this year “MacBook Air”. For those who wonder yet another MacBook? It’s not just “MacBook” it’s “MacBook Air”. What’s so special about it? It’s the world’s thinnest notebook.

Courtesy: MichealStockMore’s Video at YouTube

You sound Wow!!! Yeah, it’s cool, it’s sexy and what not. Apple rocks really.

And you know something, before the SteveJobs explore the MacBook Air in MacWorld, Wired Magazine had revealed it’s assumption about the new notebook ( which was about 95% correct). ThinkMac Website which did same kind of activity for last year’s MacWorld ( revealing iPhone before the Expo ) had been shutdown few months back. That’s Different story.

Now you will love the MacBook Air for all the reason of it’s slim ( ok..ok..ultra slim ) look. But..But…there are reasons why you won’t love MacBook Air.

Limited Memory space

Yeah you have only two options on selecting your Hard disk drive and No option on your RAM memory. You can’t get 160GB or 250 GB HDD, just you have to pack things with the 80GB HDD shipped. You have plenty of RAM , 2 GB of memory , but still you have no option of upgrading it.

Only one USB

You have only one USB port and I’m sure you can’t be with it.

No CD-DVD Drive

Damn sure that this will make you upset a lot. It’s a move or a kind of trick to leave you without CDROM / DVD Drive. So either you have to make use of the iTunes store to rent movies, or get another PC/Mac/MacBook which has CDROM with Wireless, so that you can transfer the data. But the main idea is to force you to use the iTunes.

Sealed Battery – Means no battery replacement

Apple guarantee good battery life and 5 hours of working battery. But there are chances of defective pieces, in such cases you have to completely change your MacBook Air.

No Ethernet, No FireWire, No Microphone

You don’t have either of these. No Ethernet, will make you out of connectivity if you don’t have a Wireless Modem or Router. Apple forces you to make use of Wireless. They guess probably you might get one AirPort device. And finally it cost high $1799, you could get either MacBook Pro or a iMac or some other well configured Notebook / PC for this price. So, don’t bury your money with the MacBook Air.

Remember All that glitters are not Gold