Easy guide on how to setup a C++ project from existing source

I am not a fan of C and C++, mainly because i could never quite work with pointers easily. Therefore I always try to use C# or Java instead in applications I write. But I just got a tough assignment on data mining and because the only example project that I could find which fits my requirements was in C++ I had to try and remember what I learnt in level 2 and setup a C++ project with the example source code.

My preferred IDE is Eclipse (mainly for Java) but when I tried configuring Eclipse for C++ I found the process to be extremely tedious. I just wanted to test the example C++ code so I didn't want to waste time configuring Eclipse just to do that. So instead I downloaded Visual Studio C++ and I had the example C++ code running within minutes.

Here's the step by step guide for setting up a C++ project.

1. Download and install Visual Studio C++ if you don't have it already. (you can get the Express Edition on a 30day free trial from here http://www.microsoft.com/Express/VC/ )

2. Run the IDE and go to File -> New -> Project from Existing code.

3. You will get the following screens. Simply follow the instructions given under each screen image.

this is the first screen you get. select the folder that contains the C++ source code as the 'Project File Location'. Give a name to the project and click next.

In this screen make sure you set the correct 'Project Type' (eg: Windows Application or Console Application). Click next.

When you get this screen just keep on clicking on next to setup the project with the default configurations. Finish when its done.

And thats it!:)

Hide messy looking desktop icons with one click!

Just gave my pc desktop a facelift:D Was looking for a way to hide my messy desktop icons so that my seasonal wallpaper will show nice and clear and stumbled across this article.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/create-a-shortcut-or-hotkey-to-turn-the-desktop-icons-on-or-off/

It gives a link to a program you can add to your quick launch bar to show/hide desktop icons with just one mouse click (similar to show/hide desktop )

Here's a before and after view of my desktop:)

Before



After



In case you like my wallpaper you can get it here!:)
http://www.themillionphotohomepage.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/happy_snowman_1280-x-1024.jpg

Dialog Buddy Tracker

Just found out about the dialog buddy tracker. Since I'm a fan of Google Latitude and wished i had an iPhone on which i can use it i thought dialog's new service might be worth checking out. As always I googled it first but since there were no useful posts on it thought i will try it out myself and see. Now im putting up a post about it as a guide for anyone interested in checking it out themselves.

- First activate the service by SMSing the word REG to 779

- U will then receive an SMS with instructions on how to use the service ( in fact through-out the use of the service you will receive many SMS from dialog with lots of instructions - i found this a tad bit annoying)

- To track a buddy u must first add him/her to ur buddy list. SMS the words ADD [friend's number] [friend's nickname] [a group name] to 779 ( don't forget to remove the [] marks)

- Now your friend would receive an SMS asking him/her to accept your request. Once he/she accepts you will get an SMS confirming this.

- Now you can find out your friends' location whenever you want by SMSing the words TRACK [friend's number] to 779 or SMSing the words TRACK [friend's nickname] to 779

- Soon you will receive an SMS with your friend’s location. At the same time your friend will receive an SMS notifying about the tracking and giving them the option to stop this person from tracking him/her.

The service also includes functions to find friends in the vicinity and to send secret messages(?) I didn't check those functions out yet.

Overall I think dialog's buddy tracking service is smethng new and interesting but it has some flaws..

1. It’s difficult to use. You have to send many SMSs with correct format in order to receive the service properly.

2. Dialog floods you with sometimes unnecessary SMSs when u use this service ( which is not harmful but can be pretty annoying)

3. Privacy issues are controlled well but it doesn't allow friends to mislead each other by pretending to be somewhere else. Its great to be honest with your friends but sometimes you don't want them to know where you are ALL THE TIME.

I think dialog should modify this service by giving user's the option to set their location in addition to allowing dialog to detect it automatically ( just like in iGoogle).

Finally i think it's cool that dialog will take the effort to provide new and interesting applications to users even if they are probably only doing it to make more money:D

If you have comments about this please post them here:)

Setup Vista and Ubuntu Dual Boot on Lenovo notebook

Yesterday I setup ubuntu on my lenovo y330 notebook which originally had windows vista installed. I had to try different setup methods before finally getting the ubuntu installation to work, but the method i used in the end was the simplest and it worked superbly!

First step - backup your current system. I already had windows vista installed on my laptop and wanted to make sure that if the ubuntu installation process messed up my system somehow i could easily return it to previous state. Luckily lenovo notebooks generally come with a 'One Key Recovery' system that you can easily use for this purpose. I used the 'One Key Recovery' software to make an ISO image of my current system and write it to a dvd ( i needed 2 dvds for this). Now i had nothing to fear!:D

Next ubuntu installation

method 1 - tried to install from CD. Didn't work:( The machine booted from the CD woth no problems but when i selected the option 'install' from the menu nothing happend! none of the menu options worked. Thought perhaps the CD i used was faulty so downloaded ubuntu ISO image from www.ubuntu.com and wrote to another CD. Had same problem with CD no. 2 so gave up on this method!

method 2 - tried to install using wubi installer for windows ( www.wubi-installer.org). downloaded the installer and ran it. installer ran with no problems. i could select the partition on which i wanted to install with ease. next the installer started downloading the ubuntu iso image, the program showed 3 hrs 17min to download! this frustrated me becoz i had already downloaded the ISO image to write the ubuntu CDs! luckily on the wubi installer page i found an option for install with previously downloaded ISO image. this lead to method 3!:D

method 3 - copied wubi installer .exe file and the ubuntu ISO image i had downloaded to a folder on my hard drive and ran the installer from there. first the installer kept asking for ubuntu cd, but after cancelling this message (which annoyingly popped up several times!!) it finally started installing from the ISO image in the folder. From then on it was smooth sailing!:)

Now im running a windows dual boot system on my laptop with Windows Vista and Ubuntu 9.04. I'm using ubuntu more frequently than vista because i love the way the OS works!,