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• Arithmetic Coding Questions

  - by Xophmeister

  I have been reading up on arithmetic coding and, while I understand how it works, all the guides and instructions I've read start with something like: Set up your intervals based upon the frequency of symbols in your data; i.e., more likely symbols get proportionally larger intervals. My main query is, once I have encoded my data, presumably I also need to include this statistical model with the encoding, otherwise the compressed data can't be decoded. Is that correct? I don't see this mentioned anywhere -- the most I've seen is that you need to include the number of iterations (i.e., encoded symbols) -- but unless I'm missing something, this also seems necessary to me. If this is true, that will obviously add an overhead to the final output. At what point does this outweigh the benefits of compression (e.g., say if I'm trying to compress just a few thousand bits)? Will the choice of symbol size also make a significant difference (e.g., if I'm looking at 2-bit words, rather than full octets/whatever)?

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• Xubuntu Mail Watcher (XFCE Plugin) Won't Connect To IMAP

  - by Xophmeister

  I am trying to get the XFCE Mail Watcher panel plugin to check my IMAP mail, but it won't connect to my server. I have entered the details correctly -- they're exactly the same as those I use in Thunderbird -- but nothing! When I go to select the "New mail folders..." it returns with "Failed to get folder list". If I change my username from name@domain to name, I still get this error, but it takes a few seconds longer to appear. Nothing shows up in the log. If it makes a difference, my mail is hosted by Microsoft, in some way. Like I say, I can access it through Thurderbird using the IMAP credentials; but I have the Exchange 2010 web app, if I use webmail. Could this be the problem? (Thunderbird often complains with "Command Error. 12" with what it gets back from the server, but carries on regardless.)

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• TDD with SQL and data manipulation functions

  - by Xophmeister

  While I'm a professional programmer, I've never been formally trained in software engineering. As I'm frequently visiting here and SO, I've noticed a trend for writing unit tests whenever possible and, as my software gets more complex and sophisticated, I see automated testing as a good idea in aiding debugging. However, most of my work involves writing complex SQL and then processing the output in some way. How would you write a test to ensure your SQL was returning the correct data, for example? Then, say if the data wasn't under your control (e.g., that of a 3rd party system), how can you efficiently test your processing routines without having to hand write reams of dummy data? The best solution I can think of is making views of the data that, together, cover most cases. I can then join those views with my SQL to see if it's returning the correct records and manually process the views to see if my functions, etc. are doing what they're supposed to. Still, it seems excessive and flakey; particularly finding data to test against...

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• How to switch off? [closed]

  - by Xophmeister

  While I've programmed software for many years, I've only recently started doing so professionally and have noticed a bit of a problematic pattern. I hope this is the best place to pose such a question, as I am interested in others' experiences and solutions... Writing software is, by its nature, a cerebral exercise. When coding for my own sake, I would do so until I was satisfied; even if that meant going all night. Now I'm coding in exchange for goods and services, on projects that are inherently uninteresting to me, I want to 'switch off' when it's time to go home. Maybe you consider that to be a 'bad attitude', but I just don't feel that whatever I'm working on is worth caring about after-hours. Besides, my employer doesn't exactly have the infrastructure required to make out-of-office changes; I can't just clone a repo and even remote login is a PITA. Anyway, the problem I'm experiencing is that, while I'm not particularly overworked or stressed, if I'm faced with a problem, my brain will work on a solution. Generally, it won't give up. Hence I can't switch off and, sometimes, the problem or the solution is significant enough that it disrupts my sleep. While, paradoxically, this doesn't seem to affect my coding ability, it can have a profound impact of the rest of my life. I get increasingly low as I get tired. So far, the best solutions I've found are writing little notes on the matter (and, say, e-mailing them back to my work address) and exercise. Neither of these can switch me off entirely and, as the week progresses, exercise especially becomes untenable due to tiredness. TL;DR How can you stop from being a coding zombie?

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• Should HTTP Verbs Be Used Semantically?

  - by Xophmeister

  If I'm making a web application which integrates with a server-side backend, would it be considered best practice to use HTTP methods semantically? That is, for example, if I'm fetching data (e.g., to populate a menu, etc.), I would use GET, but to update data (e.g., save a record), I would use POST. (I realise there are other methods that may be even more appropriate, but we need to consider browser support.) I can see the benefits of this in the sense that it's effectively a RESTful API, but at a slightly increased development cost. In my previous projects, I've POST'd everything: Is it worth switching to a RESTful mindset simply for the sake of best practice?

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