Since I heard about first release of Mozilla browser, and the fact, that most of it was written in JavaScript and XUL, I thought about creating a web testing tool, which would use Mozilla-based browser to test web site functionality automatically.

The tool would automatically visit every link on every page and would try to click every button and so on. The tool should be configurable via some sort of script language. In the end the human user would be presented with a report.

My site exports Google Sitemap , using a module for Drupal. I find it quite amazing, that every time I add content, Google actually go and download the sitemap and then the new content! I guess it is still not very popular, so they can afford to devote quite a lot of resources for individual updates of sites with low rank.

The abundance C++ standard library implementations is quite surprising. You have at least the following:

• Apache’s STDCXX (former RougeWave)
• STLPort -I used it myself in a couple of projects, and it is bundled with Borland C++ Builder
• SGI - well, this is mainly STL
• GCC’s implementation
• Dinkumware - used in Microsoft’s Visual C++
• …and more

It is really astonishing - imagine all those people sitting and coding the standard library time after time, for years. You must be very devoted C++ programmer in order to participate in such a project.

Another, this time much more serious problem, for Dell. According to all major news sources, the computer manufacture is recalling more than 4 million laptop batteries due to safety reasons.

Personally, I never liked Dell’s laptops, always preferring IBM’s.

According to a BBC article Dell gave false information in some of its advertisements. They claim it was a genuine mistake in one of their sales brochures, but it didn’t save them from being sued. This is not surprising at all, given the number of desperate lawyers in the US.

Talking of Dell, I am quite impressed by their marketing department, at least in the UK - most of the companies I have worked for here used Dell as their main supplier of both workstations and servers. I personally assemble my own machines, but businesses, apparently, prefer ready-made solutions.

Skype has just released its API for X Windows. I suspect it is still not very stable - after all their recent beta is far from perfect, but if you are interested to try it out on Linux - give it a go.

I have just seen new Dell’s Axim PDA, version X51v-624 . I am actually quite impressed, since it has almost everyting I want from a PDA: Windows Mobile 5.0, a lot of RAM, VGA screen, powerfull CPU and long-lasting library (if you buy the double-capacity one). If it only had the smart-phone features as well, mainly GSP chip, I would probably buy it.

Well, even NY Times is shrinking in size. I hope that FT will follow the lead and eventually abandon their broadsheet style and start publishing in tabloid format. Although very against tradition, it is much more convenient to read in an overcrowded train or tube carriage.

The problem

How many times you have to include multiple JavaScript files in your HTML pages? Do you have sections like this in your code:

<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/global.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/ua.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/menus.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/ajax.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/functions.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/extra.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” scr=”/js/aux.js”></script>

This example, not untypical for many complex sites, will cause your browser to request 7 extra JavaScript files from the web server! True, if you use a modern HTTP server, for all but the first requests the response will be 304 (not modified), but making 7 TCP/IP sessions will be quite expensive for both sides (browser and the server). Even if keep-alive feature of HTTP/1.1 is used, the overhead cannot be neglected.

Quite a funny optical illusion - it looks like the little green dragon turns its head to follow you as your position moves, but it actually doesn’t! Follow the link to see the original video, demonstrating the curious effect.