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How to generate image_src for Facebook links in Wordpress theme
Feb 18th
Sharing your article for free advertisement on Facebook is a fact. While using different Social Networks sharing tools I had a problem when sharing my articles on Facebook: sometimes the image that I intended to use to represent the article wouldn’t show in the list of the images who can be chosen. Why is that?
It bothered me some while I got the some free time to actually look into this, between exams, work and master research. After some wandering on the internet, I found here the correct directions. What I learnt: Always search for the API!
In order to make sure that the preview is always correctly populated, you should add the tags shown below to the <head> element in your HTML code. If you don’t tag your page, Facebook Share will grab the title of your page as specified in the <title> tag, and will create a summary description from the first text that appears in the body of your page. A list of thumbnails will all be selected from available images on your page.
You can control the exact title, description, and thumbnail that Facebook Share uses by adding the following meta tags to the <head> element in your page:
<meta name="title" content="title" /> <meta name="description" content="description " /> <link rel="image_src" href="thumbnail_image" / >
Alensa Online
Feb 11th
Position: Team Leader and Lead Developer in Alensa Online – Software Development department
I was part of Alensa team between January 2007 and August 2008. Only the opportunity to study Media Informatics Master, held by RWTH Aachen University, could gave me enough reasons to leave Alensa Online that I enjoyed so much for almost two years.
I was in charge with our brand new solution for an online Healthcare project – Alensa Online. The Alensa Online Shopping site (www.alensa.ro) consists of an internet healthcare platform in Europe that would simplify research and self education related to health issues, and provides the customers with an interface allowing them to easily get their health questions answered by professionals. It was first developed by a third party company, then I took over the responsibility of developing and maintaining the solution.
My responsibilities were quite complex because I was the first hired person, very similar with Softwise company. This reminded me about the joy and responsibility that comes with this. Another nice surprise was to find in person of Mr. Alex Savic, the CEO of the company, a friend with whom I shared both technical discussions and personal development ones, he was one the most supportive about my decision to study in RWTH Aachen.
Shortly, at Alensa Online I were in charge with:
- Architecting and developing the web based solution using Microsoft ASP.NET / C# and SQL 2005 Server technologies;
- Performing server administration, configuration and maintenance for the Windows 2003 server, for IIS 6 and for SQL 2005 database server;
- Executing architectural modifications in order to make the website user friendly;
- Identifying, designing and developing solutions;
- Periodically testing the site functionalities and thus creating a real test environment, test cases and bug fixes;
- Performing code review, corrections and code optimization;
- Analyzing hardware/software requirements and proposing hardware/software improvements and suggestions (for example, choosing an appropriate hosting partner);
- Implementing real time traffic analysis tool to help the management department;
- Conducting internal training for his colleagues. Read the rest of this entry »
Add SyntaxHighlight to Windows Live Writer in Preview mode
Feb 7th
Windows Live Writer (shorter: WLW) is one of the most popular blog authoring tool that I also happen to like and use. And I say this because of its features – I especially enjoy the Preview tab. But what it really lacks is previewing the ENTIRE page – it will get only the html and some css. So no Syntax Highlighting of my code? Let me tell you how I solved this issue.
As a blog writer I searched for something that could allow me to write the articles offline and then upload them in Wordpress. I also tried Wordpress built-in editor, but the editing box is so small that I couldn’t use it too much.
The most important feature for me is that it retrieves the blog theme and has a preview function that provide you the same look on editor window. So you will be able to write a post with a preview. But when having a more complex theme, using JQuery or Prototype, you will discover that you don’t get any more the same look and feel as in the blog. This is partially ok for editing, but sometimes it is really bad – especially if you’re a programmer and add a lot of code in your page. On blogs there is a solution to show the code with syntax color, but in the Windows Live Writer I couldn’t find one suitable plug-in that does this.
Adding events to LINQtoCSV library
Feb 6th
The User Experience that a library provides must be at least equal with is quality and speed. And frankly, CSVtoLINQ rocks on latest two, as I presented in previous articles Import CSV file and query it with LINQ and continuing in LINQ wonder world, but lacks a little on the User Experience(in our case Developer Experience) by not having some events of starting, progress and ending of the parsing.
Especially important, while parsing huge files, is a confirmation for the user that something happens and (ideally) the point in which the processing is. That is why, thanks to Matt Perdeck for sharing the entire source of the library, I was able to improve it by adding events.
So, let’s see some code!
Modifications into LINQtoCSV library – CSVContext.cs
Important: All modifications will be made in the CsvContext class from LINQtoCSV namespace – the CSVContext.cs file.
First we’ll add the ReadStarted event to the library – it will fire when the reading of the CSV file has started.
// defining the delegate
public delegate void ReadStartedHandler(object sender, EventArgs e);
// here we define the event
public event ReadStartedHandler ReadStarted;
// the call of the event processing
protected virtual void OnReadStarted() {
if (ReadStarted != null) {
// we use empty eventargs because nothing is needed on readstarted event, just the confirmation of parsing started
ReadStarted(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
}
LINQ wonder world
Feb 5th
I am sure that, if you are a developer, at some point in your career heard about and asked yourself: what is LINQ? If not, there’s no problem, you’ll find out now : LINQ comes from language-integrated query and it is a collection of extensions to the .NET Framework that encompass language-integrated query, set, and transform operations. It helps developers by extending both C# and Visual Basic, adding native querying capabilities to these languages. It also comes with class libraries to get the full advantage out of these capabilities.
As we discussed in my previous article, Import CSV file and query it with LINQ, we are able to load and parse the file into a IQuerable collection, thus giving us the oportunity to do more and more SQL- like operations on it.
The C# 3.0 specification defines a so-called Query Expression Pattern along with translation rules from a LINQ expression to an expression in a subset of C# 3.0 without LINQ expressions. The translation thus defined is actually un-typed, which, in addition to lambda expressions being interpretable as either delegates or expression trees, allows for a great degree of flexibility for libraries wishing to expose parts of their interface as LINQ expression clauses. For example, LINQ to objects works on IEnumerable<T>s and with delegates, whereas LINQ to SQL makes use of the expression trees.
Import CSV file and query it with LINQ
Feb 4th
Assume that you have an plain text, old Comma Separated Values file filled with your precious export from a legacy system. How can you process it easily now? The first answer that comes to mind is to parse it and load it into a datatable and later process it by using DataTable.Select() method. But this approach has some limitations – like splitting data into several tables and then join them.
One would imagine that parsing CSV files is a straightforward and boring task, given that it is quite a while since CSV is around. Some of them are correct – in the sense that many implementations merely use some splitting method like String.Split(). Some don’t even offer the specification of the values splitting character – so your file wouldn’t be parsed correctly if instead of , you have ; as separator – yet another thing to modify if you’re lucky enough to have the sources. Others will not handle properly field values with commas because the simple split method of the String class. But there are better implementations that take care about escaped quotes, trimming spaces before and after fields and other small and useful details, but very few that I found did it all as I liked it – and at least as importantly, in a fast and efficient manner.
Ubisoft
Jan 26th
Position: Senior Developer
Ubisoft is a leading international developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. Between June 2006 and February 2007, I participated in a in-house project. It mainly customizes the data workflow through PeopleSoft implementation in manufacture. The goal of the project was to improve the workflow of the production process by combining the needs of different regional subsidiaries into larger orders which can reside in a much lower price per unit.
My responsibilities included working with:
- Application Engines;
- Crystal Reporting System;
- database objects: fields, tables, views, work derived records, queries etc.;
- creating pages with Peoplesoft framework, tables with more than two levels and transactional operations;
- import / export of files: CSV, Crystal reports;
- unitary and primary testing;
- migration from / to development database.
- migration from / to testing database.
Some examples my tasks:
- Crystal reports generation through jobs sent to clients mail;
- excel csv files export / import regarding partners order data, also the logic needed to be approved by the headquarters;
- create editable pages for data in multilevel tables.
The job also required to be a fluent French speaker since the communication with the consultants and the team leaders was conducted in this language and just occasionally in English.
Novensys Corporation
Jan 22nd
Position: Microsoft Business Solution Software Engineer
I was part of Novensys team from November 2005 till June 2006.
When I started working with them, the first challenge appeared: being the first company that implemented Navision in Romania, they were exigent from the employment process. They also offered specialization classes in Microsoft Navision product, so I and the rest of the team were trained by with a Microsoft Navision specialist for two weeks. Then two exams established my Certification as Microsoft Navision developer with very high scores (96 points out of 100, for the first examination, and 100 points, at the second exam).
After earning my certification as Navision developer, I was part of a team working for one of our most important clients. My main responsibilities included Navision solution development and customization.
Responsibilities:
- implementation of documented updates,
- new screens design,
- new reports development using custom Navision Reporting,
- primary testing functionalities,
- Native Navision database design, tables and records updates, data verification
- user preferences maintenance in the application,
- communication with the consultants.
Tools used:
- Microsoft Navision IDE
https://mcp.microsoft.com/authenticate/validatemcp.aspx
Transcript ID: 770644 Access Code: radupoenaru
The two certifications that I earned during the time in which I was part of the Novensys team motivated me to achieve the recognition of my SQL skills also, becoming Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist in SQL 2005
Predator
Jan 20th
Predator is a project engineered by me and later on in team in Softwise Development company to be a interface between Yahoo Groups site and the home user, giving to every one of these groups the ability to do almost anything that they can do directly at Yahoo. And this by using the Windows capabilities (multi select, multithreading download etc). You’ll be able to download any file format (images, movies, archives, documents).
It allows to user to download files from the photo area, file area and the message area all in one click! View these photo’s with own slide show system and you will also have the opportunity to just pick the ones that you want and throw out the rest!
Another feature is that you can change account information, the ability to leave a group or groups, start a new group, edit your user, profile, change your email settings, read and reply to posted messages, chat, add to or view bookmarks.
Mergus Product Manager
Jan 16th
Uses: Borland Delphi 7 VCL, Microsoft Access Database, User Accessibility
This application was developed by me for Softwise Development to accomplish the needs of a client in administering its furniture chain of shops.
So, as Project manager, I have designed a solution, keeping in mind the possible evolution of this enterprise. I was using a system of managing clients and suppliers, the available furniture, the accounting in/out documents. This application was designed to be simple, to be used efficiently, fast and reliable by people who didn’t had any programmatically skills, in a fast and reliable application.
