Mr. Softwarepants

I'm somewhat less enthusiastic about web development on OS X than I was a few years ago. Specifically, OS X 10.4.3 ships with Apache 1.3 and Python 2.3.5. It would be helpful to have Apache 2.0.recent and Python 2.4.recent. It's possible to upgrade both of these, but if I remember correctly having multiple versions of Python installed on OS X is a general pain in the ass when it comes to compiling extensions.

Update: Compiled and installed Python 2.4.2 from source. Mercilessly repointed the /usr/bin/python symlink to /usr/bin/local/python.

The built-in method String.Join() let's you join an array of strings with a delimiter. Except that it only lets you join an array of strings. string[]. This is an example of inhumane API design, as it requires gross incantations to get an ArrayList of strings joined.

Here's my method to join together an ICollection of any type of object, which are rendered to strings via ToString().

public static string Concat(ICollection items, string delimiter)
{
  bool first = true;

  StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
  foreach(object item in items)
  {
    if (item == null)
      continue;

    if (!first)
    {
      sb.Append(delimiter);
    }
    else
    {
      first = false;
    }
    sb.Append(item);
  }
  return sb.ToString();
}

Stick this static method wherever you keep your other string utility functions.

So here I was in minor need of a vector drawing program, and Microsoft is giving away previews of Expression for free.

Transparent Dock has been updated for OS X 10.4.3, so it's goodbye to the Finder icon again.

Amanda and I are totally getting married!

The plan is to get married here, in Chapel Hill, NC, sometime in October 2006. Obviously there's lots more to figure out. Sweetie has the FAQ, such as it is so far.

It would seem I'm in charge of "doing the website" (though given my track record on getting web projects done in a timely manner...), so stay tuned!