text stringlengths 454 608k | url stringlengths 17 896 | dump stringclasses 91 values | source stringclasses 1 value | word_count int64 101 114k | flesch_reading_ease float64 50 104 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flask Tutorial: Simple User Registration and Login
Flask is my favorite Python web framework. It’s minimal, it’s fast, and most of all: it’s fun. I love almost everything about Flask development, with one exception: user management.
User management in Flask, just like in many other web frameworks, is difficult. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve created user databases, set up groups and roles, integrated social login providers, handled password reset workflows, configured multi-factor authentication workflows, etc. Even awesome libraries like Flask-Login and Flask-Security can be difficult to setup and maintain over long periods of time as your requirements change.
In this short tutorial, I’ll show you what I think is one of the best and simplest ways to manage users for your Flask web applications: OpenID Connect. If you haven’t heard of it, OpenID Connect is an open protocol that makes managing user authentication and authorization simple.
Follow along below and you’ll learn how to:
- Create a simple Flask website
- Use OpenID Connect for user authentication and authorization
- Use Okta as your authorization server to store and manage your user accounts in a simple, straightforward way
If you’d like to skip the tutorial and just check out the fully built project, you can go view it on GitHub.
Initialize Authentication for Your Flask in order to initialize your Flask app is install all of the required dependencies. If you don’t have Python installed on your computer already, please go install it now.
NOTE: I also strongly recommend you get familiar with pipenv when you get some time. It’s a great tool that makes managing Python dependencies very simple.
Now install the dependencies required for this application.
pip install Flask>=1.0.0 pip install flask-oidc>=1.4.0 pip install okta==0.0.4
Initialize Your Flask App
Now that the dependencies are installed, let’s start by creating a simple Flask app. We’ll build on this simple “hello, world!” app until we’ve got all our functionality included.
Create an
app.py file and enter the following code:
from flask import Flask app = Flask(__name__) @app.route('/') def index(): return 'hello, world!'
Open the terminal and run the following code to start up your new Flask app.
FLASK_APP=app.py flask run
Once your Flask app is running, go an Index and Dashboard View in Flask
The next step to building a simple Flask app is creating a homepage and dashboard page. The homepage is what will be shown to the user when they visit the
/ URL, and the dashboard page (
/dashboard) will be shown to the user once they’ve logged into their account.
When I’m building web apps, I like to define my templates and views first so I can get the hard part out of the way (design isn’t my strong suit).
To get started, open up you
app.py file from before and modify it to look like the following:
from flask import Flask, render_template app = Flask(__name__) @app.route("/") def index(): return render_template("index.html") @app.route("/dashboard") def dashboard(): return render_template("dashboard.html")
You’ll notice that you now have two view functions defined:
index (which renders the homepage) and
dashboard (which renders the dashboard page). Both of the view functions are calling the
render_template Flask function, which is responsible for displaying an HTML page to the user.
Now, you obviously haven’t created those HTML templates yet, so let’s do that next!
Templates in Flask are built using the Jinja2 templating language. If you’re familiar with HTML, it should look natural.
Let’s start by creating the template files we’ll need.
mkdir templates touch templates/{layout.html,index.html,dashboard.html}
All templates in Flask should live inside the
templates folder.
Next, open up the
templates/layout.html file and enter the following code.
<>Simple Flask App | {% block title %}{% endblock %}</title> </head> <body> <div class="d-flex flex-column flex-md-row align-items-center p-3 px-md-4 mb-3 bg-white border-bottom box-shadow"> <h5 class="my-0 mr-md-auto font-weight-normal">Simple Flask App<>
This
layout.html file is our base template. It’s basically a building block that all the other templates will inherit from. By defining our common, shared HTML in this file, we can avoid writing redundant HTML everywhere else. Yey!
Now, this file contains all the basic stuff you might expect:
- A simple, Bootstrap-based layout
- A nav bar (that contains some special Jinja2 logic)
- A special Jinja2 body
- A footer
Let’s take a look at one interesting part of the template.
{% if not g.user %} <a class="p-2 text-dark" href="/login">Log In / Register</a> {% else %} <a class="p-2 text-dark" href="/dashboard">Dashboard</a> <a class="p-2 text-dark" href="/logout">Logout</a> {% endif %}
Anything in a Jinja2 tag (the
{% ... %} stuff) will be compiled by Flask before being shown to the user. In the example above, we’re basically telling Flask that if the object
g.user exists, we should render a dashboard and logout link in the navbar, but if no
g.user object exists, we should show a login button instead.
We’re doing this because eventually we’re going to have the user’s account accessible via the
g.user object and we want the navbar to be smart in regards to what the user sees.
The next interesting part of the template is the body tag:
<div class="container"> {% block body %}{% endblock %} </div>
The
block Jinja2 tag allows us to inject content from a child template into this parent template. This is what lets us build complex HTML pages without writing redundant code.
Now that the layout is defined, let’s create the homepage. Open the
templates/index.html file and insert the following code.
{% extends "layout.html" %} {% block title %}Home{% endblock %} {% block body %} <h1 class="text-center">Simple Flask App</h1> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 offset-sm-3"> <div class="jumbotron"> Welcome to this simple Flask example app. It shows you how to easily enable users to register, login, and logout of a Flask web app using <a href="">Okta</a>. </div> </div> </div> {% endblock %}
The
{% extends "layout.html" %} tag is what tells the template engine that this template depends on the
layout.html template to work.
Everything inside the
block tags is then injected back into the parent template from before. By combining these two things together, you’re now able to have a fully rendered homepage!
Next, go ahead and place the following code into the
templates/dashboard.html file.
{% extends "layout.html" %} {% block title %}Dashboard{% endblock %} {% block body %} <h1 class="text-center">Dashboard</h1> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-8 offset-sm-2"> <p>Welcome to the dashboard, {{ g.user.profile.firstName }}!</p> <p>Your user information has been pulled from the <code>g.user</code> object, which makes accessing your user information simple. Your first name, for example, is available via the <code>g.user.profile.firstName</code> property. Your user id (<code>{{ g.user.id }}</code>), is pulled from the <code>g.user.id</code> property!</p> </div> </div> {% endblock %}
This template works in the same way, except it also outputs some variables. For instance, the
{{ g.user.id }} value will output that ID value into the HTML template directly. These variables will eventually be available once we hook up the OpenID Connect library.
The last thing you need to do before testing things is add a bit of CSS to make things look nicer.
mkdir static touch static/style.css
Open
static/style.css and copy in the following CSS.
h1 { margin: 1em 0; } footer { padding-top: 2em; }
Finally, now that your templates have been created, go test them out!
Visit and you should see your beautiful new website.
Add User Registration and Login to Your Flask App
Now that the UI for the app is finished, let’s get the interesting stuff working: user registration and login. simply point to your newly created Okta resources so that the Flask library will be able to talk to it properly.
Step 2: Configure Flask-OIDC
Open up
app.py and paste in the following code.
from flask import Flask, render_template from flask_oidc import OpenIDConnect }}" oidc = OpenIDConnect(app) @app.route("/") def index(): return render_template("index.html") @app.route("/dashboard") def dashboard(): return render_template("dashboard.html")
What we’re doing here is configuring, go.
Finally, after all the configuration is finished, we initialize the Flask-OIDC extension by creating the
oidc object.
Step 3: Inject the User Into Each Request
Open up
app.py and paste in the following code.
from flask import Flask, render_template,") def dashboard(): return render_template("dashboard.html")
What we’re doing here is importing the
okta Python library, and using it to define the
okta_client object. This client object will be used to retrieve a robust User object that you can use to:
- Identify the currently logged in user
- Make changes to the user’s account
- Store and retrieve user information
Make sure you replace
{{ OKTA_ORG_URL }} and
{{ OKTA_AUTH_TOKEN }} with the values you wrote down in the first section of this tutorial. These two variables are mandatory so the
okta library can communicate with the Okta API service.
@app.before_request def before_request(): if oidc.user_loggedin: g.user = okta_client.get_user(oidc.user_getfield("sub")) else: g.user = None
The code above is where the magic happens. This function will be executed each time a user makes a request to view a page on the site before the normal view code runs. What this function does is:
- Check to see whether or not a user is logged in via OpenID Connect or not (the
oidc.user_loggedinvalue is provided by the Flask-OIDC library)
- If a user is logged in, it will grab the user’s unique user ID from the user’s session, then use that ID to fetch the user object from the Okta API
In all cases, there will be a newly created value:
g.user. In Flask, you can store request data on the
g object, which can be accessed from anywhere: view code, templates, etc. This makes it a convenient place to store something like a user object so it can easily be used later on.
Step 4: Enable User Registration, Login, and Logout
Open up
app.py and insert the following code.
from flask import Flask, render_template, g, redirect, url") @oidc.require_login def dashboard(): return render_template("dashboard.html") @app.route("/login") @oidc.require_login def login(): return redirect(url_for(".dashboard")) @app.route("/logout") def logout(): oidc.logout() return redirect(url_for(".index"))
There are only a few things different here:
- You now have a
loginview. The view will redirect the user to Okta (the OpenID Connect provider) to register or login. This is powered by the
@oidc.require_logindecorator which is provided by the Flask-OIDC library. Once the user has been logged in, they’ll be redirected to the dashboard page.
- The
logoutview is also present. This simply logs the user out using the
oidc.logout()method and then redirects the user to the homepage.
And with that, your application is now fully functional!
Test Your New Flask App
Now that your app is fully built, go test it out! Open up, create an account, log in, etc.
As you can see, building a Flask app with user registration, login, etc. doesn’t have to be hard!
If you’re interested in learning more about web authentication and security, you may also want to check out some of our other articles, or follow us on Twitter — we write a lot about interesting web development topics.
Here are two of my favorites: | https://developer.okta.com/blog/2018/07/12/flask-tutorial-simple-user-registration-and-login | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | refinedweb | 1,967 | 66.13 |
Managing Gettext Translations on Shared Hosting
If you’re working for a big company, chances there are that sooner or later your employers will start to target the global market. With this ambition will come the need to translate the company’s website into one or more languages. Even if you don’t work for a big company, you may have a new service to launch in your native language (assuming you’re not a native English speaker) to target your local market, and in English for the global one. As developers, our role isn’t to translate texts but to prepare the website to support translations. The most popular method to do that in PHP is via Gettext. It’s a great method because it allows to separate translations from the application, enabling the parallelization of the process. The problem with it, is that Apache caches the translations, so unless you can restart the engine, any update to a translation file won’t be seen. This fact is particularly annoying if you work on a shared hosting where you don’t have administrator permissions. In this article, I’ll describe this issue in detail and explain the solution I found to avoid it.
Note: If you aren’t familiar with the concepts of I18N, translations, and Gettext, I strongly encourage you to read this series before exploring this article further. It will provide you with more details than the brief overview you’ll find here, and will help you have a better comprehension of these topics.
Setting up the Environment
There a lot of ways to use translations in PHP. The simplest one I can recall is to have an associative array containing all the translated strings and then use the keys to retrieve the right. As you may guess, this solution doesn’t scale well and should be avoided unless you’re working on a very very small project (perhaps something not longer than 5 lines of code)..
Translations should be stored in a path having a fixed structure. First of all, we’ll have a root folder named to your taste (for example “languages”). Inside it, we have to create a folder for every targeted language whose name must comply to the ISO 3166 standard. So, valid names for an Italian translation can be “it_IT” (Italian of Italy), “it_CH” (Italian of Switzerland), “en_US” (English of USA), and so on. Within the folder having the language code, we must have a folder named “LC_MESSAGES” where, finally, we’ll store the translation files.
Poedit, analyzing the source of the website, extracts the strings to translate based on one or more patterns we set in the software. It saves the strings in a single file having .po (Portable Object) as its extention that this software (or one equivalent) will compile into binary .mo file. The latter is the format of interest for us and for the PHP’s
gettext() function. The .mo file is the one we must place inside the “LC_MESSAGES” directory we created earlier.
A sample code that uses
gettext() is the following (the code is commented to give you a quick grasp of what it does):
<?php // The name of the root folder containing the translation files $translationsPath = 'languages'; // The language into which to translate $language = 'it_IT'; // The name of the translation file (referred as domain in gettext) $domain = 'audero'; // Instructs which language will be used for this session putenv("LANG=" . $language); setlocale(LC_ALL, $language); // Sets the path for the current domain bindtextdomain($domain, $translationsPath); // Specifies the character encoding bind_textdomain_codeset($domain, 'UTF-8'); // Choose domain textdomain($domain); // Call the gettext() function (it has an alias called _()) echo gettext("HELLO_WORLD"); // equivalent to echo _("HELLO_WORLD"); ?>
Once you save the previous code in a page and load it in your browser, if
gettext() is able to find the translation file, you’ll see the translations you made on the screen.
So far, so good. The bad news is that once a translation is loaded, Apache caches it. Therefore, unless we can restart the engine, any update to a translation file won’t be seen. This is particularly annoying if we work on a shared hosting where we don’t have administrator permissions. How to solve this issue? Audero Shared Gettext to the rescue!
What’s Audero Shared Gettext
Audero Shared Gettext is a PHP library (actually is just a single class, but let me dream) that allows you to bypass the problem of the translations, loaded via the
gettext() function, that are cached by Apache. The library employs a simple yet effective trick so that you’ll always have the most up-to-date translation in use. Audero Shared Gettext requires PHP version 5.3 or higher because it uses namespaces, and the presence of the structure described in the previous section. It has two main methods:
updateTranslation() and
deleteOldTranslations(). The former is the core of the library and the method that implements the trick. But what is this trick? Let’s see its code, to discover more. To fully understand it, it’s worth highlighting that the constructor of the class accepts the path where the translations are stored, the language into which to translate, and the name of the translation file (domain).
/** * Create a mirror copy of the translation file * * @return string The name of the created translation file (referred as domain in gettext) * * @throws \Exception If the translation's file cannot be found */ public function updateTranslation() { if (!self::translationExists()) { throw new \Exception('The translation file cannot be found in the given path.'); } $originalTranslationPath = $this->getTranslationPath(); $lastAccess = filemtime($originalTranslationPath); $newTranslationPath = str_replace(self::FILE_EXTENSION, $lastAccess . self::FILE_EXTENSION, $originalTranslationPath); if(!file_exists($newTranslationPath)) { copy($originalTranslationPath, $newTranslationPath); } return $this->domain . $lastAccess; }
The first thing the method does is to test if the original, binary translation file exists (the .mo file). In case it doesn’t exist, the method throws an exception. Then, it calculates the complete path to the translation file based on the parameters given to the constructor, and the timestamp of the last modification of the file. After, it creates a new string concatenating the original domain to the previously calculated timestamp. Once done, and here is the trick, it creates a mirror copy of the translation file. The class is smart enough to avoid this copy if a file with such a name already exists. Fianlly, it returns the new name that we’ll employ in
bindtextdomain(),
bind_textdomain_codeset(), and
textdomain(). Doing so, Apache will see the translation as if it isn’t related to the original one, avoiding the caching problem. As I said, simple but effective!
“Great Aurelio!”, you’re thinking, “but in this way my folders will be bloated by these replications.” Right. That’s why I created
deleteOldTranslations(). It removes all the mirror copies but the last from the folder of the chosen translation.
Now that you know what Audero Shared Gettext is and what it can do for you, let’s see how to obtain it.
Installing Audero Shared Gettext
You can obtain “Audero Shared Gettext” via Composer adding the following lines to your
composer.json:
"require": { "audero/audero-shared-gettext": "1.0.*" }
And then run the
install command to resolve and download the dependencies:
php composer.phar install
Composer will install the library to your project’s
vendor/audero directory.
In case you don’t want to use Composer (you should, really) you can obtain Audero Shared Gettext via Git running the command:
git clone
The last option you have is to visit the repository and download it as an archive.
How to use Audero Shared Gettext
Assuming you obtained Audero Shared Gettext using Composer, you can rely on the its autoloader to dynamically load the class. Then, you have to create an
SharedGettext instance and call the method you need. You can use one of the previously cited methods as shown in the following example.
<?php // Include the Composer autoloader require_once 'vendor/autoload.php'; $translationsPath = 'languages'; $language = 'it_IT'; $domain = 'audero'; putenv('LC_ALL=' . $language); setlocale(LC_ALL, $language); try { $sharedGettext = new Audero\SharedGettext\SharedGettext($translationsPath, $language, $domain); // Create the mirror copy of the translation and return the new domain $newDomain = $sharedGettext->updateTranslation(); // Sets the path for the current domain bindtextdomain($newDomain, $translationsPath); // Specifies the character encoding bind_textdomain_codeset($newDomain, 'UTF-8'); // Choose domain textdomain($newDomain); } catch(\Exception $ex) { echo $ex->getMessage(); } ?>
Conclusions
This article has introduced you to Audero Shared Gettext, a simple library (emh…class) that allows you to bypass the problem of the translations, loaded via the
gettext() function, cached by Apache. Audero Shared Gettext has a wide compatibility because it requires that you have at least PHP 5.3 (released for a while now) because of its use of namespaces. Feel free to play with the demo and the files included in the repository, to submit Pull Requests and issues if you find them. I’ve released Audero Shared Gettext under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, so it’s free to use.
Have you ever encountered this issue? How did you solve it? Don’t be shy and post your solutions in the comments! | https://www.sitepoint.com/managing-gettext-translations-shared-hosting/ | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | refinedweb | 1,515 | 53.51 |
This is your resource to discuss support topics with your peers, and learn from each other.
11-23-2012 04:02 AM
I've followed the recommended use of QThread (
My app is trying to run threads, each thread runs an http request. I found I was receiving crashes after about 120 threads had been run so I created the above much simplified example to try and pinpoint my error.
I've created the below simple example that is (I think) failing to cleanly remove the old threads or worker instances, finally crashing.
My main app constructor creates a thread; this thread just contains an infinite loop chucking out a signal every 10th of a second, the slot that catches this signal in also in my main app. This bit is very simple, not the problem (I think).
Proj2::Proj2(bb::cascades::Application *app) : QObject(app) { QmlDocument *qml = QmlDocument::create("asset:///main.qml").parent(th(); }
So the slot in my main app gets called 10 times a second and contains the code:
void Proj2::myslot() {())); thrd->start(); }
And the MyWorker class is almost identical to the code in knoledge base example. When it starts, it calls process() which is just:
#include "MyWorker.h" #include <stdio.h> #include <unistd.h> MyWorker::MyWorker() { } MyWorker::~MyWorker() { } void MyWorker::process() { emit finished(); }
If I run it, after 10 seconds or so I get the error:
QEventDispatcherUNIXPrivate(): Unable to create thread pipe
Too many open files
If anyone could advice I'd really appreciate it!
11-26-2012 03:47 AM
anyone?
11-27-2012 10:15 AM
got similar issue with the example
resoved by:
1. disable
connect(worker, SIGNAL(finished()), thread, SLOT(quit()));
2. added to the worker finished() slot:
thread->quit(); thread->wait();
11-27-2012 10:27 AM
hi vladest
many thanks for your help ,really appreciate it.
Step 2 was to add
thread->quit(); thread->wait();
I didn't fully understand...right now, in my worker thread, in Process() I emit a finished signal. I don't know about the thread itself in the worker class.
Should I pass a pointer to the thread into the worker class and quite/wait in the worker class? (instead of emitting a finished signal)
Or should I emit a finished signal and in my main class catch the signal and somehow get the thread info?
Apologies for my ignorance
11-27-2012 10:30 AM
For your particular requirements, I wonder if QThreadPool might be a better fit?
11-27-2012 10:30 AM
yes, you right
finished() slot in main class, having both worker and thread pointers
11-27-2012 11:15 AM
hi vladest
nearly there
again, huge thanks.
When I connect signal and slot, can I pass the thread here?
Something like:
void Proj2::threadfinished(QThread *thread) { printf("threadfinished\n"); fflush(stdout); thread->quit(); thread->wait(); }
QThread* thrd = new QThread; MyWorker* worker = new MyWorker(); worker->moveToThread(thrd); .... connect(worker, SIGNAL(finished()), this, SLOT(threadfinished(thrd)));
It compiles fine but the slot isn't called. If I stop trying to pass the thread across, it works.
I'm unsure how to pass the thread info to the slot
thanks
11-27-2012 11:18 AM
hi
it doesnt makes sense to pass thread to the slot cause this (ie main class pointer) _already_ has the thread pointer | https://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Native-Development/QThreads-not-closing-correctly/m-p/2006163 | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | refinedweb | 556 | 62.38 |
In response to my recent post,
What
is a Source Control Binding?, reader Keith Hill writes,
"A bit OT but do you know why VS.NET SCCI can't handle renaming
projects once they are checked into a SCM system (ClearCase) is what I am
using)? (...) It sure would be nice if the VS.NET SCCI could just handle this
for me."
Indeed, it would
be nice if SCCI supported automatic renames. And just to be clear; renames are
just one of a set of similar operations, which I’ll refer to as namespace changes in this post.
Namespace changes include RENAMES, MOVES, and DELETES.
So why aren't
namespace changes that we make to our projects and files in Visual Studio .NET
pushed to the source control database and committed automatically?
Short answer: the source control plug-in
providers (Rational, SourceGear, Microsoft, Perforce, PVCS, etc) have not taken
the time to provide this functionality and/or have not demanded that this
functionality be facilitated by the addition of MSSCCI functions. Of course,
namespace tracking of the sort that ensures that your file renames in VS.NET are
pushed to the database version of that file is completely doable, even today.
However, the projected cost of doing it right--of implementing an elegant
namespace change-aware source control system for integration with Visual Studio
.NET and other development environments (Dreamweaver jumps to mind)--appears to
have deterred even the most deep-pocketed source control vendors. The architecture isn’t exactly mind
bending. The do-it-right
approach involves some or all of the following elements. Namespace changes must
be:
a) Performed in a Transactional way (SCCI commits all namespace
changes at one time; on check in, for instance);
b) Reversible (for example, on loss of network connectivity or
in response to an Undo Checkout operation);
c) Tracked by the source control system using GUIDs that link a
working copy of a file to its master copy in the database or;
d) [Optionally] broadcast or propagated to all users' working
copies of that project (msg, 'Hey, UserA just renamed a file you have checked
out. What do you want to do?').
A truly
transactional source control solution would be ideal. The ability to reverse, or
roll back a namespace change (which would be close to ideal) would require the
provider to either cache a complete copy of a solution or add some code to their
systems that would preserve the history of name changes to a file until the
parent project/solution is checked in or an undo checkout is requested. Again, I
don’t think that any of the providers do this currently. MSSCCI uses actual file
names to uniquely identify all source-controlled files rather than separate
GUIDs. Changings this could allow a file that is renamed in one place (on the
client) to be mapped to a file with another name (the as yet un-renamed file in
the scc database). Finally, none of the SCC providers provide namespace change
broadcasting or notification services. Again, I reserve the right to be
mistaken.
A A halfway solution?
The Visual
Studio .NET source control integration development team has considered it. However, in lieu of a well-designed
namespace change-aware system, the risks associated with renaming a project or
file in the database, automatically, outweigh the potential
advantages.
You might ask,
“what are these risks associated with renaming projects?" To answer that
question, consider the following hypothetical scenario:
S Simple Rename Scenario--Single User
Risk: unable to easily undo checkout
of a solution containing a renamed file.
++Assumes that client file renames are immediately committed
in the SCC database++
Bob renames a
project from Peck.csproj to Hubble.csproj. Two files are changed in Bob's
working folder: the solution file (telescope.sln) and Peck.csproj. The SCS
system detects a namespace change (the rename) and automatically commits that
one change to the database; Peck.csproj gets renamed to Hubble.csproj. The
database version of telescope.sln is not updated, and thus, differs from Bob’s
version of the solution file. Bob works on his project for a while and then
decides--for whatever reason--to undo checkout for the entire solution. The
telescope.sln file that he gets back from source control references the old
project name, ‘Peck’. The source control system cannot find a project named
'Peck' on local disk (because neither local source control integration nor the
MSSCCI provider remembers the rename to the project file, therefore none of
them can undo this change) so it assumes that
another user has added a new project to the solution. Consequently, the SCC
provider attempts to get the “new” project and all of its files. But there isn’t
a project 'Peck' in the SCC database because it has been renamed to Hubble. The
Get operation fails and Bob ends up with a solution with a missing/unloaded
project.
To fix this
issue, Bob must:
1. Check out the solution exclusively.
2. Open the database and manually rename Hubble.csproj to
Peck.csproj.
3. Manually rename Hubble.csproj.vspscc to
Peck.csproj.vspscc.
4. Get the files locally, etc and then reload the projects into
the solution.
In an
ideal world, the best way to solve this problem would be to add some
code to scci to preserve the history of name changes to a file until the
parent project/solution is checked in or until an undo checkout occurs.
Basically, if we
could remember that Peck was renamed to Hubble, after we get the old solution we
could rename Hubble back to Peck. Tracking this kind of change is non trivial
though. The SCCI code would have to remember changes like
Peck->Hubble->Orbit->Peck->(delete)Peck, or
Peck->Hubble->(delete) Hubble ->(add different) Peck,
etc.
C Complex Rename Scenario (Multi-user)
Risk: Teammate’s changes cannot be
merged into the main code line.
++Again, assumes that client file renames are immediately committed
in the SCC database++
As in the
previous scenario, Bob renames one of the projects in the telescope solution.
The database version of the project file is changed from Peck.csproj to
Hubble.csproj. While Bob is working on the (checked-out) source files, his
co-worker Mike opens the telescope solution from source control for the first
time in order to make a set of targeted bug fixes. Mike gets a version of
telescope.sln that contains a reference to ‘Peck.csproj’, but in the source
control database there is no such project. He ends up with a missing/unloaded
project and a solution that cannot be built. Mike cannot build his enlistment
and might not even be able to edit the files or to fix the bug (if the bug was
in the Peck project’s project files).
Concurrently,
John--a third team member--who had previously opened the telescope solution from
source control and has all the files locally, attempts to Get the latest version
of the solution from source control in order to incorporate any outstanding team
changes into his working copy before building and checking in. However, since
Peck.csproj has been renamed in the database, the SCC status for John's copy of
project is ‘uncontrolled’ and the file appears as a 'pending add'.
John, who has
added several files and has made major build configuration changes since
checking out the solution, decides to add Peck.csproj to and check in his
version of the solution. Consequently, Peck.csproj is added back to the SCC
database.
Now, there are 2
project files in the database, Peck.csproj and Hubble.csproj.
A few minutes
later Bob checks in his changes. The solution file now references the new
project Hubble.csproj rather than Peck.csproj. Effectively, John's major changes
(file additions/changed build configuration) are orphaned and will have to be,
when somebody realizes that they're missing, re-integrated into the main
codeline, manually and painfully.
S Summary
In the absence
of reliable mechanisms for 1) rolling back and synchronizing previously
committed namespace changes between a source control database and a local
enlistment and; 2) disseminating namespace change notifications or commits to
all project enlistees automatically, it is much safer to implicitly discourage
renaming, moving, or deleting source-controlled files and projects than to
complete such operations automatically and thereby enable serious scheduling
setbacks in mainstream collaborative development scenarios. Whew. That was a mouthful.
I can only
assume that the source control providers (VSS, ClearCase, PVCS, Vault, et al)
are as responsible for the lack of transactionality in source control
integration as SCCI in Visual Studio .NET. I speculate that the SCCI team has
entertained some requests from our VSIP partners in this area sometime in the
past and that somebody whose salary is much bigger than mine said, "Whoa. That
sounds expensive. Let's punt."
Obviously, the second roadblock (lack of ability to 'push' namespace
changes down to project enlistees) would be the sole responsibility of the
source control provider.
To rename, move, or delete a source-controlled file
or project in Visual Studio .NET 2002 or 2003
1. Inform all project enlistees that you plan to make a
namespace change to the project.
2. Ask all project enlistees to check in the solution to which
the file or project belongs.
3. Rename, move, or delete the item in Visual Studio
.NET.
4. Check in your changes.
5. Ask all project enlistees to synchronize their working
copies of the solution with the database version.
For more
information see Q305516.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U. Il
presente posting viene fornito “così come é”, senza garanzie, e non
conferisce alcun diritto. | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/korbyp/archive/2003/09/19/54155.aspx?Redirected=true&title=How%20To:%20Rename,%20Move,%20and%20Delete%20Source-Controlled%20Items%20in%20VS.NET&summary=&source=Microsoft&armin=armin | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | refinedweb | 1,607 | 63.39 |
A map is an associative container, containing key-value pairs.
#include <string> #include <map> std::map<std::string, size_t> fruits_count;
In the above example,
std::string is the key type, and
size_t is a value.
The key acts as an index in the map. Each key must be unique, and must be ordered.
If you need mutliple elements with the same key, consider using
multimap (explained below)
If your value type does not specify any ordering, or you want to override the default ordering, you may provide one:
#include <string> #include <map> #include <cstring> struct StrLess { bool operator()(const std::string& a, const std::string& b) { return strncmp(a.c_str(), b.c_str(), 8)<0; //compare only up to 8 first characters } } std::map<std::string, size_t, StrLess> fruits_count2;
If
StrLess comparator returns
false for two keys, they are considered the same even if their actual contents differ.
Multimap allows multiple key-value pairs with the same key to be stored in the map. Otherwise, its interface and creation is very similar to the regular map.
#include <string> #include <map> std::multimap<std::string, size_t> fruits_count; std::multimap<std::string, size_t, StrLess> fruits_count2;
A hash map stores key-value pairs similar to a regular map. It does not order the elements with respect to the key though. Instead, a hash value for the key is used to quickly access the needed key-value pairs.
#include <string> #include <unordered_map> std::unordered_map<std::string, size_t> fruits_count;
Unordered maps are usually faster, but the elements are not stored in any predictable order. For example, iterating over all elements in an
unordered_map gives the elements in a seemingly random order. | https://riptutorial.com/cplusplus/example/11738/types-of-maps | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | refinedweb | 275 | 52.09 |
”
Add back support for Edge
Please add the option to install Microsoft Edge on the server.163 votes
AGPM
Continue support and updates for Advanced Group Policy Management. Our company uses AGPM extensively and would like to see future enhancements and support continued. If there is a replacement Microsoft product, it doesn't seem to be found.136 votes
X.109 votes
Add Snip & Sketch to Win Server
Please add the "Snip & Sketch" feature of Windows 10 to Windows Server 2019. We'd love to have this basic feature for our users working with Citrix on Windows Server.102 votes
Add basic Linux management to Windows Admin Center
Windows Admin Center is fantastic but we all manage a mix of Linux and Windows Servers. Add the ability to add Linux Servers, SSH over the browser, and a few basic items would be phenomenal (process list, disk info, file explorer)69 votes
- 68 votes
Media Streaming Service for Windows Server Essentials 2016
Need windows media streaming service back for server essentials 201645 votes
System cCnter Unified agent, as instalable Windows Server feature..
Unify All the System Center Agents (virtual machine manager, SCOM, etc) in one solution (for example: SC unified Agent) .Integrate the System Center Agent as a Windows Server Feature (like .Net, BITS and the like).39
RDP / Terminalserver: Allow Drag & Drop. Finally.
You know, Drag & Drop is a useful feature.
It's annoyoing, that RDP does not support Drag & Drop from / to the remote session.38 votes
Windows Desktop client list of connections instead of icons
In the Windows Desktop client (Remote Desktop for WVD), there appears to be a limit of 15 characters in a connection name before it gets truncated and ... is added. This causes names to be indistinguishable if they are long, and a primary descriptor is at the end. For example:
CompanyName-Department-Prod-EastUS
CompanyName-Department-Prod-WestUS
CompanyName-Department-Prod-NorEuro
CompanyName-Department-Dev-SouthEast
etc...
The only way to see the available connections is by icon. Add functionality in the Windows Desktop client for list view, and functionality to configure a default.27 votes
Uninstall button greyed out in Software Center for applications that are pushed via a "required" collection
When deploying an application through a collection in "required" state, uninstall button is greyed out. This doesn't happen if the application is installed through a collection in "available" state. We would like to have the uninstall button always accessible, no matter if the application was pushed in a required state or not. Corruption happens all the time and technicians need to be able to uninstall/reinstall all the time. Because uninstall is greyed out, they have to use the control panel instead, which defeats the purpose of using Software Center.25 votes
Add.25 votes
RSAT for Mac
I currently use a Windows 10 VM with Remote Server Administration Tools to manage our servers (about 3 years running now). Would be super sweet if you put together a version that runs natively on Mac. Super sweet.22 votes
Include a MODERN web browser e.g. LTSB Edge browser rather than outdated, unsupported IE11.
It's kind of lame to promote Win2k16 RDSH then not include a modern web browser. Make an LTSB Edge browser, it can't be THAT difficult.21 votes
import list of machines into remote desktop (windows store)
In remote desktop connection manager you were able to import a list of servers to use. I would love to see that feature added to the remote desktop store app.18 votes
ADFS - Force authentication method per relying party on IDP-side
related to ADFS 2016:
it would be great if we can force a specific authentication method at ADFS for a relying party. in general forms and certificate authtentication is possible for our users, but for specific apps only certificate should be possible for security reasons. adding certificate as MFA is not a good solution from the users point of view because they will be forced to enter first their credentials before they have to use a certificate (which is more secure than forms and because of this sufficient).16 votes
Remote Desktop Connection linux client
Microsoft could develop a linux version of the application client "Remote Desktop Connection", like a Android, iOS and macOS versions.13 votes
Bitlocker MFA unlock
This days MFA is getting more and more popular so I was wondering why not add new feature to Windows family so when server boots Bitlocker could be unlocked not by network but by MFA
What do you think would this be even possible ?13 votes
If Windows Server 2016 support "windows hello" feature?
If Windows Server 2016 TP5 support "windows hello" feature? any declare or blog?
I installed windows server 2016 (14393), and then I can't use "windows hello" in settings.
this feature worked in windows 10.13 votes
- Don't see your idea? | https://windowsserver.uservoice.com/forums/295047-general-feedback/filters/top?category_id=141015-applications-add-ons | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | refinedweb | 818 | 53.92 |
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demonkoryu replied to Tutorial Doctor's topic in Coding HorrorsIndexes, indices, who cares? Both plural forms are valid.
demonkoryu commented on Squared'D's article in General and Gameplay ProgrammingIt is UCS-2, not USC-2.
demonkoryu replied to Dwarf King's topic in GDNet LoungeI.
demonkoryu replied to Koobazaur's topic in Game Design and TheoryThe.
demonkoryu replied to ISDCaptain01's topic in For BeginnersAlthough the attached picture does probably not use more than 256 shades of red, so with a proper palette, it would be equal to the 24 bit image. ;)
demonkoryu commented on frob's article in General and Gameplay ProgrammingIn 2006, Intel released the "Core" microarchitecture. For branding purposes, it was called "Core 2" (because everyone knows two is better than one). That's not right. The The "Core Solo" and "Core Duo" followed the Pentium M and were succeeded by the "Core 2 Duo".
demonkoryu replied to Zukias's topic in For BeginnersUML.
demonkoryu replied to Servant of the Lord's topic in GDNet Comments, Suggestions, and IdeasI wonder what the problem is? I for one like looking at (half)-naked women.
demonkoryu replied to radioteeth's topic in GDNet LoungeThe pedantic attitude taken with beginners mistakes here is actually a gift, a personal gift from the heart of the coder who criticizes. He wants the beginner to have his foundation right, so as to spare him suffering and misfortune later. So, whenever you next see someone go "D*** noob, your f****** program only works because debug mode initializes your variables", just think this:
demonkoryu replied to Woland's topic in Game Design and TheoryI think games that don't have godmode readily available (i.e. require some kind of trainer or cheat code) are the best compromise for the largest part of the gaming population, fun-wise, because with god-mode available, there is no challenge. There's constantly a rational voice in your head that tells you to just skip that hard part of the game so you can get on, instantly eliminating sense of accomplishment and motivation if you decide to use it. It's just a distraction, really, not much better than a WIN button. The people who want god-mode can find a cheat or trainer easily enough if they want. The rest of us probably doesn't even want to be aware of the possibility to chicken out so readily.
demonkoryu replied to TropicMonkey's topic in For BeginnersYou can embed a JRE in your program distribution, that way, end-users won't need to have Java installed.
demonkoryu replied to superman3275's topic in For BeginnersIn my opinion, there's no clear-cut way to decide when one is qualified to write a tutorial, but. whoever does should be expert enough to know and tell about simplifying shortcuts like system("pause"). On the other side, it's sometimes pretty hard to write a concise tutorial for beginners without using shortcuts, swamping the newbie with endless details about why not to use "using namespace std" and to use "std::cin.get()" instead of "system("pause")". The key here is to know what you're writing about, who you're talking to and to keep it to the point.
demonkoryu replied to Savalric's topic in GDNet LoungeForget about your GPU(s). To restate what has been already said above, you need enough RAM and a fast hard disk (preferably SSD) so that you can compile/build and switch between IDE and game without having to wait for swap, and 4+ CPU cores to have your game, your IDE and your build tools smoothly running in parallel. For GPU, a mid-spec GPU is enough, since it already covers most high-end features (except that it is a little slower) and keeps you attentive to your target audience's hardware. If you're going to work on media such as 3D graphics, movies and so on, you'd profit from beefy GPU; although since you'll be programming, that's a moot point.
demonkoryu replied to Plethora's topic in For BeginnersAnother option is the Drupal CMS. It's easy enough to get going quickly. It can also be expanded later into any imaginable type of website (not only blog/community style like Wordpress).
demonkoryu replied to MrJoshL's topic in General and Gameplay ProgrammingLook into memory mapped files. | https://www.gamedev.net/profile/57025-demonkoryu/?tab=issues | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | refinedweb | 745 | 59.74 |
The next step after Flat Clustering is Hierarchical Clustering, which is where we allow the machine to determined the most applicable unumber of clusters according to the provided data.
It is posited that humans are the only species capable of hierarchical thinking to any large degree, and it is only the mammalian brain that exhibits it at all, since some chimps have been able to learn things like sign language.
What actually is hierarchical thinking?
Hierarchical thinking is shown when you can take a structure with many elements, arrange those elements into a pattern, give that pattern a symbol, and then use that symbol as an element in another structure with many elements, repeating this process many times for many layers of "complexity."
One of the easiest examples of hierarchical thinking is written language. First you have lines, then you take those lines and put them together to make shapes, called letters. Next you arrange those letters into patterns and call them words with unique names and meanings for each word. Then we take these words to form patterns of meaning called sentences. Then we put those together to express entire ideas, concepts, and general knowledge.
With this, humans the only species on this planet capable of actually "compounding" their knowledge, building on top of pre-existing knowledge, continually adding layers of complexity, yet easily understanding it because we've employed hierarchical thinking.
This is a fascinating concept to me. For example, consider that:
A little over 300 years ago, we were burning people at the stake and engaging in other torturous acts against them on the grounds that they were witches.
150 years ago, (this tutorial is written in 2015) the United States abolished slavery with the 13th ammendment. While some people still lag behind, we are in general agreement, that all humans are created equal.
Biologically, nothing significant separates us from our cousines of the 1800s and late 1600s. We are the very same people. Consider for a moment how easily you could have been a slave owner, or enslaved (something still occurring today). Or how you could have condemned a witch, or been the witch yourself (something still occurring today).
The only thing separating us now from those times is this degree of hierarchical learning. Time has aided us in our hierarchical learning linearly, though the age of the internet has sped this process of significantly. Looking at the societies still enslaving people, barring those trafficking purely for the money, or the societies who are still burning witches (or similar acts), we can obviously see they are disconnected, quite literally, from the rest of world knowledge.
There are plenty of examples of how knowledge stacks on top of knowledge, and they all point to our "increased" intelligence of today compared to 1,000 years ago as being non-biological.
I've long tried to point out how incredibly basic and simple programming is. You can break down every single program into simple patterns of if statements, while loops, for loops, some functions, maybe some objects if OOP is used, maybe a few other things, but it all breaks down into incredibly basic elements.
There's really nothing complex about programming, nor is there about anything at all. Everything breaks down into simple elements, which are put together into a structure. That structure, again, comprised of simple elements, then becomes an element, still simple, that gets put together into another structure. Humans get it. Dogs don't.
...and, not too surprisingly, computers get it too. Unlike our current knowledge-base mostly leading up to this point, which grew linearly, computers are now allowing us to grow this knowledge-base exponentially.
Now this is just a tiny sliver of hierarchical learning, but it's quite awesome how quickly you can do such a thing.
We're going to employ Python and the Scikit-learn (sklearn) module to do this.Don't have Python or Sklearn?
Python is a programming language, and the language this entire website covers tutorials on. If you need Python, click on the link to python.org and download the latest version of Python.
Scikit-learn (sklearn) is a popular machine learning module for the Python programming language.
The Scikit-learn module depends on Matplotlib, SciPy, and NumPy as well. You can use pip to install all of these, once you have Python.Don't know what pip is or how to install modules?
Pip is probably the easiest way to install packages Once you install Python, you should be able to open your command prompt, like cmd.exe on windows, or bash on linux, and type:
pip install scikit-learn
Having trouble still? No problem, there's a tutorial for that: pip install Python modules tutorial.
If you're still having trouble, feel free to contact us, using the contact in the footer of this website.
There are many methodologies for hierarchical clustering. Since we're using Scikit-learn here, we are using Ward's Method, which works by measuring degrees of minimum variance to create clusters.
The specific algorithm that we're going to use here is Mean Shift.
Let's hop into our example, shall we?
First, let's do the imports:
import numpy as np from sklearn.cluster import MeanShift from sklearn.datasets.samples_generator import make_blobs import matplotlib.pyplot as plt from matplotlib import style style.use("ggplot")
NumPy for the swift number crunching, then, from the clustering algorithms of scikit-learn, we import MeanShift.
We're going to be using the sample generator built into sklearn to create a dataset for us here, called make_blobs.
Finally, Matplotlib for the graphing aspects.
centers = [[1,1],[5,5],[3,10]] X, _ = make_blobs(n_samples = 500, centers = centers, cluster_std = 1)
Above, we're making our example data set. We've decided to make a dataset that originates from three center-points. One at 1,1, another at 5,5 and the other at 3,10. From here, we generate the sample, unpacking to X and y. X is the dataset, and y is the label of each data point according to the sample generation.
This part might confuse some people. We're unpacking to y because we have to, since the make_blobs returns a label, but we do not actually use y, other than to possibly test the accuracy of the algorithm. Remember, unsupervised learning does not actually train against data and labels, it derives structure and labels on its own, it's not derivative.
What we have now is an example data set, with 500 randomized samples around the center points with a standard deviation of 1 for now.
This has nothing to do with machine learning yet, we're just creating a data set. At this point, it would help to visualize the data set, so let's do:
plt.scatter(X[:,0],X[:,1]) plt.show()
Your example should look similar. Here, we can already identify ourselves the major clusters. There are some points in between the clusters that we might not know exactly where they go, but we can see the clusters.
What we want is the machine to do the same thing. We want the machine to see this data set, without knowing how many clusters there ought to be, and identify the same three clusters we can see are obviously clusters.
For this, we're going to use MeanShift
ms = MeanShift() ms.fit(X) labels = ms.labels_ cluster_centers = ms.cluster_centers_
First we initialize MeanShift, then we fit according to the dataset, "X."
Next we populate labels and cluster_centers with the machine-chosen labels and cluster centers. Keep in mind here, the labels are the ones the machine has chosen, these are not the same labels as the unpacked-to "y" variable above.
We could compare the two for an accuracy measurement, but this may or may not be very useful in the end, given the way we're synthetically generating data. If we were to set our standard deviation to, say, 10, there would be signficant overlap. Even if the data originally came from from one cluster, it might actually be a better fit into another. This isn't really a fault of the machine learning algorithm in any way. The data is actually a better fit elsewhere and you were too wild with the standard deviation in the generation.
Instead, it might be a bit better of an accuracy measurement to compare the cluster_centers with the actual cluster centers you started with (centers = [[1,1],[5,5],[3,10]]) to create the random data. We'll see how accurate this is, though it should be a given that: The more samples you have, and the less standard deviation, the more accurate your predicted cluster centers should be compared to the actual ones used to generate the randomized data. If this is not the case, then the machine learning algorithm might be problematic.
We can see the cluster centers and grab the total number of clusters by doing the following:
print(cluster_centers) n_clusters_ = len(np.unique(labels)) print("Number of estimated clusters:", n_clusters_)
Next, since we're intending to graph the results, we want to have a nice list of colors to choose from:
colors = 10*['r.','g.','b.','c.','k.','y.','m.']
This is just a simple list of red, green, blue, cyan, black, yellow, and magenta multiplied by ten. We should be confident that we're only going to need three colors, but, with hierarchical clustering, we are allowing the machine to choose, we'd like to have plenty of options. This allows for 70 clusters, so that should be good enough.
Now for the plotting code. This code is purely for graphing only, and has nothing to do with machine learning other than helping us petty humans to see what is happening:
for i in range(len(X)): plt.plot(X[i][0], X[i][1], colors[labels[i]], markersize = 10) plt.scatter(cluster_centers[:,0],cluster_centers[:,1], marker="x",color='k', s=150, linewidths = 5, zorder=10) plt.show()
Above, first we're iterating through all of the sample data points, plotting their coordinates, and coloring by their label # as an index value in our color list.
After the for loop, we are calling plt.scatter to scatter plot the cluster centers.
Finally, we show it. You should see something similar to:
Thus, we can see our machine did it! Very exciting times. We should next peak at the cluster_centers:
[[ 0.86629751 1.03005482] [ 4.9038423 5.16998291] [ 3.0363859 9.9793174 ]]
Your centers will be slightly different, and the centers will be different every time you run it, since there is a degree of randomness with our sample generation. Regardless, the cluster_centers are darn close to the original values that we created. Very impressive.
From here, try adding more clusters, try increasing the standard deviation. Without getting too absurd, try to give the machine a decent challenge.
Now, let's do a bonus round! How about 3 dimensions? If you want to learn more about 3D plotting, see the 3D plotting with Matplotlib Tutorial.
import numpy as np from sklearn.cluster import MeanShift# as ms = 500, centers = centers, cluster_std = 1.5) ms = MeanShift() ms.fit(X) labels = ms.labels_ cluster_centers = ms.cluster_centers_ print(cluster_centers) n_clusters_ = len(np.unique(labels)) print("Number of estimated clusters:", n_clusters_) colors = 10*['r','g','b','c','k','y','m'] print(colors) print(labels)()
You may regret doing 500 samples on a 3D plot depending on your processing abilities, but feel free to try it. Now the output should be something like:
Machine-Chosen Clusters:
[[ 1.11615056 1.10163911 1.06359602] [ 4.84704737 5.19257102 4.83831019] [ 2.89080753 9.95938337 9.95381081]]
Actual Centers Used:
[[ 1.0 1.0 1.0] [ 5.0 5.0 5.0] [ 3.0 10.0 10.0]]
That's quite accurate. Just like before, you might be thinking "well I could have easily figured this one out." Sure, that's true. 2D and 3D is easy. Try 15D, or 15,000D, don't forget to use PCA.
That's all for now on this topic. For other tutorials, head to the | https://pythonprogramming.net/hierarchical-clustering-machine-learning-python-scikit-learn/ | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | refinedweb | 2,028 | 64.71 |
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?. Think about it, if you add up all the time and mental gymnastics expended by contributors through their incredible curiosity and inspired lateral thinking FOR FREE mind you, you will be blown away by the thousands of hours of work dedicated to helping all of us to reach tonal nirvana.
HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 3. THICKER SOUNDS WITH EQ ______________________________________________________ 45 GLOBAL EQ ______________________________________________________________________________ 45 BOSS GT-8 TIPS #&!@)#* FIZZ!____________________________________________________________ 51 ANTI FIZZ EQ FOR PREAMPS ______________________________________________________________ 51 ANTI HIGH GAIN FIZZ_____________________________________________________________________ 51 FIZZ . HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 4 of 96 5 of 96 ..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE HOLD DELAY _____________________________________________________________________________ 63 REVERSE DELAY _________________________________________________________________________ 64 MODULATED DELAY______________________________________________________________________ 64 FUNKY DELAY EFFECT ___________________________________________________________________ 65 TAP TEMPO BY FOOT _____________________________________________________________________ 65 HARMONISER ____________________________________________________________________________ 66 HUMANIZER + EXP PEDAL ________________________________________________________________ 67 DEFRETTER ______________________________________________________________________________ 67 LIMITER VS.
IN DETAIL ____________________________________________________ 83 OVERVIEW _______________________________________________________________________________ 83 CTL PEDAL _______________________________________________________________________________ 83 INTERNAL PEDAL_________________________________________________________________________ 83 WAVE PEDAL _____________________________________________________________________________ 83 INPUT LEVEL _____________________________________________________________________________ 84 MIDI CONTROL CHANGE__________________________________________________________________ 84 ASSIGNS NAVIGATION ____________________________________________________________________ 84 CTL/EXP ASSIGNS_________________________________________________________________________ 85 ASSIGN ON/OFF . INTERNAL & WAVE PEDALS ___________________________________ 78 INTERNAL AND WAVE PEDALS ____________________________________________________________ 78 THE INTERNAL PEDAL ____________________________________________________________________ 78 DYNAMIC ASSIGNS _______________________________________________________________________ 82 DYNAMIC GAIN ___________________________________________________________________________ 82 ASSIGNS .BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE FS-5U _____________________________________________________________________________________ 77 ASSIGNS .
Method 2: Straight into a guitar amps FX Return jack(s) This method should be used when your guitar amp has an FX Loop and you want to achieve the most accurate. You have now a nice round roll off in the high frequencies. (not to be used without trick 2): 2. Boss also recommends setting your amp to a clean channel and setting the Bass=0 Middle=10 and Treble=0. Plug the GT-8 left(mono) output. Play your patches and listen. choose between JC120/ small amp/combo amp/ stack amp OR between JC120 return / combo return/ stack return (or even “Line/PA” without any cab sim).BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE FOR STARTERS SOME GOOD BASIC INITIAL SETTINGS 1) Set the output/select to line/phones. Plug the guitar into the GT-8 input. Use the FX return of your amps but change the output option: trusting your ears. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 7 of 96 . Enable the “hi cut filter” of the EQ. If the tone changes. then this will be the only way to set it up. turn the mid knob of your amp. Method 1: Straight into a guitar amp This method is the most simple to achieve.BASS. set your level with the little black knob near the guitar input of your GT. Boost the “high” range of +/. If your guitar amp doesn’t have an FX Loop. Plug the GT-8 output jack(s) into the amps FX Return jack(s). unaltered sound of the GT-8.50% starting point HOOKING IT ALL UP First lets talk about all of the different types of hook-ups that the GT-8 can be used with.MID. TREBLE. setting it on 6 kHz for example. don’t use the -original for the speaker sim. The first “package” is to use if the EQ of your amp is after its loop (it’s easy to know: plug the GT in the loop. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. the EQ of the amp is “post loop”). The second bunch of output options (JC120 return to Line/PA) is to try if the EQ of your amp is DISABLED when you use its loop.10 db to compensate the loss created by the hi cut filter. 2/12 4/12 8/12 PATCH LEVEL . it sounds lifeless IMO use anything else i.e. which looks like the natural response of a tube preamp. It’s the only mode that uses the mic & speaker sims 2) Set you global EQ to lo +5 mid +5 & high +5 this will give it life 3) When you are using high gain patches.50% EVERYTHING! GT-8 EQ . into the amps main guitar input. 1. of course) between these two devices. Maybe you’ll have to set it full up (and maybe not). Then. Don’t plug the preamps of the GT-8 in the FX return of your amp without adding an EQ (the onboard EQ of the GT.START AT 50% THEN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY OUTPUT LEVEL(black knob on back of GT-8) . Plug the Guitar into the GT-8 input.>100 ALWAYS! AMP EQ .
the only one with cab sims. then you also have a power amp as long as you have everything going straight into the FX Return jacks. This activates the speaker/cab simulations. even with all the controls at noon). combo power amp. however the speakers usually consist of only one speaker per channel. stack amp. so that it can reproduce ALL frequencies. When you are deciding on the right output select to use. The preamp input is the main guitar input and its output is the FX send on the back of the amp. The power amps input is the FX Return jack(s) on the back of the amp. If you want a power amps speakers to sound a little more natural. use rather one of the options mentioned in (2) or (3): they scoop the midrange as the EQ of your amp would do (yep. that does not mean that you will get a full frequency response. b) If the EQ of your amp is disabled when you use the GT (which means that you hear no change when you turn the knobs of your amp). A power amp has no EQ or tone changing features because that is the job of a preamp. Most speaker cabinet assemblies that are made for full frequency power amps often times use more than just one speaker. then you might choose to select Line/Phones. combo amp. These speakers are usually only capable of reproducing a certain range of frequencies. to give the more natural sound of a guitar amps speaker(s). If a power amp had any tonal changing features then it couldn’t be honestly called a power amp. That’s just something to keep in mind. This gives the common warm guitar sound that we are all used to hearing. The other main advantage is that you can wrap your FX “around” your amps preamp. The reason that this method works. This will result in a high frequency roll off. stack power amp. and if you already own a guitar amp with an FX Loop. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 8 of 96 . There's just a couple of "basic" advices that I would give: a) if the EQ of your amp is after the GT8 and stays usable. use rather one of the options mentioned in (1). and its output jack(s) are the speaker jacks/wires. There's three kinds of output options in the GT8: 1) those with a "flatter" response: JC120. is because an FX Loop on an amp gives the user the ability to separate the power amp from the pre amp. But most of all use your ears and listen to what sounds best. but also your amps preamp as well. here are a thing to remember. just as if you were using stomp boxes. These are just starter guidelines. The top of the high frequency range is usually rolled off. A power amp section of a standard guitar amp will give a full frequency response. This means that you can use the GT-8 preamps and distortions as normally possible. so the power amp sound is not accurately reproduced. The main reason to use a power amp is to get a very accurate sound reproduction being received from any inputs. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. A power amps only job is to take a given signal and amplify it so that it can power speakers. Some regular guitar amps might have a better high end frequency response and might benefit from using the Line/Phones as well.. and this is how we separate them. or any combination of these. Output Select Options Most common guitar amps have speakers that only reproduce a certain range of frequencies. The speakers that are used have a huge impact on the way it will sound. then into your amp. Most power amps have full range frequency response. then into the delay and then the reverb. 2) those with a "midscooped" response: JC120 power amp.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Method 3: Four Cable Method This method can be used when you have a decent guitar amplifier and you want to be able to add your amps preamp in the GT-8 FX chain. This means that all frequencies are treated with equal volume. For example you can set the FX chain to the following…WAH-LOOP-Delay-Reverb…and you will basically achieve the same setup as having your guitar plugged into a WAH pedal. Keep in mind that even if you are using the power amp from a regular guitar amp. small amp. No one sounds "better" than the others: it totally depends on the amp used. like a standard guitar amp. There are amps that are specifically manufactured as power amps. 3) Line/phones (and PA's). the overall tone of this option is close to those mentioned above in (2). Method 4: Straight into a power amp First of all lets explain what can be considered as a “power amp”. Both the preamp and power amp have an input and an output. When you disable these cab sims.
FYI. d) If you enable the cab sim and play through a guitar amp (including an Atomic amp like mine). just think to add an amount of high frequencies(no.5 kHz). You would just need a 2nd cable 1/4 to XLR to the mixer for stereo as long as its a stereo PA. Both clean and distortion patches are fuller and richer sounding. No wonder all the boss/Roland demo’s are done in stereo as well. delay. it's not a mistake). If you haven’t tried the GT8 in stereo do yourself a favour and try it if you have the extra amp you need to give it a go.plenty of opportunity to pick up some noise. And keep in mind that the range labelled "high" is not the same in the onboard EQ (where it controls the 10khz area) than in the "Global" EQ (where the "high" control is centred on 4. don’t worry. Notes about the 4 cable method and FX Loops: In order for the 4 cable method to work properly. You can cure it by blending an amount of "direct" sound to your cab sim.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE c) If you choose an option without cab sim. And it's the solution that I apply with my Atomic (while I use "Small amp" + EQ with an "high cut" filter through my Marshall). Hooking up to a PA for Live Use . you will need to have a serial FX loop. You want 100% of the preamp signal going out to the GT-8. The dual L/R seems to really give the biggest benefit from using the GT8 in stereo. etc. The right DI would allow you to send a balanced mic-level signal. other modellers. 2. the sound might be too dark. if you’re playing live thru a large pa then the effects will sound fine. etc. The stereo sound is incredible 3.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 9 of 96 .and your sound-guy would probably be happier too. They simply don’t read that section of there manual or don’t even have a manual. Then set the CTL pedal to master bpm tap tempo. If it has a level adjustment knob then this can be used to make the parallel FX loop behave exactly as a serial loop. If the board is further away than I can reach with my unbalanced line (I carry a 4 meter line) I'll run the GT-8 into my DI and a balanced line from the DI to the board.". no matter what combination of preamps or FX you use. in this case. the overall frequency response is rather close to the result obtained through a Line 6 Vetta. not a parallel FX loop. and the other to crotchet bpm (white note with just a stem). If you use an "high cut" filter. you can't avoid that.. Having any FX Loop knobs or switches set inappropriately will most likely cause confusion. which is slightly delayed due to processing.. This will prevent any direct signal from mixing with the GT-8 processed signal. It is quite common to DI gear from the stage to the desk. and set one time to dotted quaver bpm (white note with a stem+tail and a dot after it).. but everything sounds better to me including the effects like chorus. reproduce this decay. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. use an EQ post preamp with an high cut filter: it's necessary because of the unusual design followed by Boss . If you have a amp footswitch box. You can't really get two extremely different sounds from the GT-8. it's not the case in the GT8. People say 'don't use stereo FX because people on the left hand side of the stage will hear something totally different to people on the right hand side' That's not extremely useful advice because: 1.Stereo or Mono? Lately I’ve been playing with the GT8 in stereo and I must say that it greatly enhances the overall sound of it. If the stage is small and the board is on-stage and close to my side of the stage. I'll run an unbalanced line from the GT-8 to the board. Stereo FX are sweet on the GT-8. otherwise I wouldn’t worry. the crowd will always hear your guitar at the end of the day. a "real" preamp or amp features a high frequency roll off. for example. then make sure to read all of your amps documentation about the Loop settings and switch behaviour. If you happen to have a parallel FX loop. I've been there in the best of gigs and all you hear is whatever is closest to you. in order to keep a robust tone despite of the high end roll off. 10m is a long way to send an unbalanced line-level signal. at least all the ones I have seen. This is the only way I will gig with it from now on. and causing a out of phase signal. I think this is the main cause of people getting confused with there amp behaving funny.typically. The people that won't benefit are the ones that go right down the front of stage. Example: Set the delay to Dual L/R. Could you recommend specifically one of the particular filters/frequency settings. including the previous GT mfx's. my Marshall is happy with an high cut around 6khz). The gt8 doesn’t need a DI and as far as stereo it does sound good but isn’t a requirement.
When I tried all the various settings. Also.com. So. If you have an FX Level knob then it is a Parallel Loop and you want to set it to full on (100% up) to avoid any phasing problems. You want the whole signal coming thru the GT8. including a couple of 20 foot XLR cables.so if I used a little amp the “small amp” setting made it sound even smaller. Delay. AVOID to use a parallel loop. Compression. Reverb etc. try it “live”. THE FOUR CABLE METHOD . A/B your amps preamp with one of the GT8’s (Loop OFF) to get the two to be matched. Due to the small latency of the GT8’s processing you will get an out of phase sound (*much the same as described in the GT8 Preamp Dual Mono mode section. same principal). it is merely a guide on how to get a good basic fundamental tone. This is where you would use a GT8 preamp in place of your amps preamp. This method ‘isolates’ your amps Preamp section to either be used or bypassed depending on wether the GT8’s FX loop is ON/OFF. FX’S LOOPS HAVE VARIOUS OUTPUT LEVELS: -20db. But it is a key to obtain a good tone from the onboard preamps of the GT. I found that they made whatever I was using. but maybe I can make a revision of this in the near future. Again. the guitarist is on these two channels. but hopefully it will help anyone whom is new to the GT8 world and is struggling a bit... then gets routed to your Amps Preamp then back into the GT8 for effects that belong after distortion such as Chorus. I’m sure I left a bunch of things out. can utilize you amps preamp tone and switch OFF you amps preamp tone and ON a GT8 Preamp. -10db. Depending on the brand and model used. There is a way to loop in the GT8 so that you maintain your FX chain order. The Line/headphone choice seems to have a greater frequency response. zero db if not +4db… the two first values imply a “guitar level” preamp. (good info there). The tone controls of your amp get bypassed too so it is a fairly transparent sound.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE If the board is off-stage there will always be a snake carrying balanced lines with XLR connectors on stage. I don’t know what else I could cover in this ‘brief’ explanation. A parallel loop mixes the fx with the crude sound of your amp: it creates an awful “comb filter” FX with the GT (I mean: a very short delay between “wet” and “dry” tone). with the GT direct in the loop return: do your bass / mid / treble controls modify the tones from the GT? If it’s the case. and the sound I set-up in the headphones. you love the distortion out of it but you want to also utilize the GT8’s preamp tones at times as well. When bypassed you amps volume control (on most amps) is also bypassed so the levels become important to watch. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . Level matching is vital here. If I used a stack. maybe you’ll have to control the master level with the volume pedal of the GT… THE TONE STACK OF YOUR AMP CAN BE ACTIVE OR NOT WHEN YOU PLUG AN EXTERNAL DEVICE. The basic idea is this: Guitar->GT8 Input-->GT8 FX SEND-->Amps Main Input-->Amps FX Send-->GT8 FX Return--> Main GT8 OUT to Amps FX Return. If the PA isn't stereo it makes more sense to simply run a mono signal from the GT-8. Check it by plugging your axe in the GT and the GT output in the loop return of your amp: if the first riff played destroys your ears. OD/Dist(stomperz) etc. There have been a few comments about using the Line/headphone output. The other beauty behind the 4CM is when the loop is off the GT8 has a direct shot to your Power Amp section of your amp.IN DEPTH Let’s say you have an amp you love. If your “tone stack” is disabled (no action from your pots). the stack setting made the sound more “boomy”. For that you must use a DI box between the GT-8 and the snake... is pretty much the same as what comes out of the amplifier on stage . A parallel loop allows you to mix in varying amounts from the FX Loop.this is a great bonus ! THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TO START WITH 4CM: • Amps can have PARALLEL and SERIES FX loops. I carry an ART dPDB stereo DI (about US$50) in my gig bag along with a small assortment of cables. sound “even more so” . If it’s the only solution available on your amp. it is not gospel nor complete. One less thing to remember ("Oh yah.. choose one of these output options: JC 120/ small amp/ combo amp / stack amp.but there is a huge resource on the net for that as well. Depending on this Page 10 of 96 • • • BOSS GT-8 TIPS. The idea is this: Guitar goes into the GT8 and through effects that belong before preamp distortion such as Wah. if your not sure about FX placement do a search for it or go to Amptone. set its “mix” pot full up… and pray to avoid the “comb filtering” syndrome. THE MASTER VOLUME OF YOUR AMP CAN BE DISABLED WHEN YOU PLUG AN EXTERNAL PREAMP in it.") means one less thing to forget and screw up. choose JC return or combo return / stack return / line-pa… The output option won’t modify the tone of your loop. this is generally what I do and it works for me. The two last values are those of a “line level” preamp. There are a lot of how’s and why’s left out along with effect placement. If you have a Series/Parallel Loop or both or just Series it is important that you choose Series..
Start with the little black knob near the guitar input of the GT around noon (and BEWARE: the master volume of your amp could be disabled now as explained above. GT send to amp guitar input.. If the loop of your amp is a “guitar level” one. Input level matching: plug ONLY your guitar in the GT then the GT send in your amp main (guitar) input. while the ground is unsoldered. GT output to amp loop return. If you don’t know what kind of loop you have. try “high cut” = 6khz and high range = +9db. Set the “send” level of the GT loop around 100/200. use two “symmetrical cables” with one wire for the hot point. Plug and unplug the “GT output to amp return” cable while you play: the volume must be the same with and without. play and listen: the volume must be the same when your axe is plugged DIRECTLY in your amp and when you play it through the GT “send”. use the volume pedal on the GT)… If you have a “line level” loop in your amp.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE parameter. one other wire for the ground. If you want to experiment with something between line/phones and combo return. You can also “do it yourself” with four Neutrik plugs and 6 meters of “three wires” high quality cable… WARNING with the “amp control” plug on the GT. Planet Waves cables with a “double shielding” are designed like that. now: Connections: • • • • Guitar to GT input.! Set the loop on NORMAL mode. set the “return” level of the GT loop on 100/200. Modify the “send” volume to obtain an even level if necessary. use line/phones. WITH THE COMBO RETURN THE SPEAKER SIMS ARE OFF so you get more high frequency content.. but turn up the 'direct level' in the speaker sim settings. which creates a ground loop: for this plug. Output level matching: plug the two other cables in the loop of your amp. When are the “loop return” and “little black knob” levels well matched? When you obtain the SAME overall volume from your amp alone. and an overall shielding. set the loop return of the GT on 24/200 ONLY and the little black knob FULL UP (!). • Steps to go with the 8. If the sound is weak and distant with the GT loop on. you can expect a silent operation. So. adding 1db in the high range. rise the “return” level and / or the black knob until you reach the proper level (same level with the 4CM and with only the two first cables). from your amp through 4CM. if you’re annoyed by a mid scoop of 1 db: here. for example). • • • • • • • • BOSS GT-8 TIPS. your volume settings on the GT will be drastically different. Leave the “patch level” (the pot near your LCD screen) around 100/200. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 11 of 96 . Now. choose yourself your “notch” mid frequency). Use NO fx. Amp loop send to GT return. soldered to the ground on one side of the cable only. You can add 1db in the bass range with the “global EQ” to compensate it (and 1db in the mid range too. and from an onboard GT8 preamp (all settings at noon) through the loop return of your amp… Fine tuning: the loop of the GT slightly modifies the tone of your amp. try a cable in which the hot point (tip of the jack plug) is soldered alone.
the return level of the loop set on 14 gives you -18 db. like with a single coil. near the jack plugs.. I traditionally imagine it like a clock: MIN level = 7 o’clock. It’s the little black knob. It’s just a matter of dialling it in!!!! Tone doesn’t get any sweeter than a GT-8 coupled with tube amp and a guitar with a little sustain capability! With a -10db signal in the main “input”. the input signal is boosted of 12 or 13db if the input level of the loop is full up. the return level of the loop set on 20 gives -12 db (it’s the setting which permits me to match the line level preamp of my Marshall with the on board ones: with the O L full up. Ramping the amp up and backing down on the output level of the GT-8 cleans things up. Too much output from the GT-8 and things sound a bit harsh. 1 hour = 1 degree. you’ll have to offset with the return level by rising it around 122). the input level equals the output level (and you obtain “unity gain”) if… . As you see it upside down when you lean forwards.the P L is full up (200) and the O L knob around 11 o’clock. With my rig.6 or -8db. the input signal is boosted of 6 or 7 db with the input level of the loop around 150. • the O L full up gives you the input +10 or +12 db. but I never read it in the documentation set and discovered it by accident. In this case… • With a load of -10db. sustain breaks up. • the P L is around 26 or 28 and the O L full up (5 o’clock).BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Level Matching / Unity Gain Some explanations now about the terms used below: PL = patch level. Trust me. If you plug in the main input and choose the “effect send” as an output… You see what amount the GT8’s loop sends to your external pedal or to your amp. • • Now. • the “sweet spot” of “unity gain” is somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30 o’clock (as usual with a log pot. the case of the effect return: The return level of the loop = the level of the input signal if this return level has a value of 100 (if you set the effect send on 78.. It may have been a “given”. on a scale of 10. • the P L is around 172 or 174 and the O L at noon. there is definitely a “sweet spot” with amp level and GT-8 output level. Hopefully it will help others who might not be able to achieve the desired sounds. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 12 of 96 .. the effect send REACTS LIKE A PREAMP: you can think it’s a pity… or find it useful to match your different guitars: I choose the second solution). • the P L is around 100 and the O L around 2 o’clock . and later play that same patch back through the amp and actually get the amp to produce that exact sound when the “sweet spot” is found by setting the amp level and then adjusting the GT-8 output level until the sound warms up. I’m now able to utilize the headphones to fine tune patches getting them to sound exactly like I desire. I have the same volume with the amp alone and with its preamp through the loop). and the sound is just not good. I’ve really been able to produce the types of sounds I want once I discovered how important the GT-8 output is in relation to the amp level. • the P L is around 54 or 56 and the O L is around 3 o’clock. Depending on the desired output level. Half level = noon (12 o’clock). the knob is near the big black dial wheel OL = output level. on the rear panel of the GT8. you could think that I’m wrong if you experiment with an axe whose output level is not of -10db If the P L stays on “100”. • the O L around 3 o’clock gives the input +7 or +8 db. the return level of the loop set on 50 gives -6db. the input level must be lower: around 78 with my strat… In other words. MAX level = 5 o’clock. there’s a definite “sweet spot”. now. if I’m right). • the O L at noon gives you the input signal diminished of . and depending on the input level. the input signal = the output signal if the input level of the loop is of 100 (but with a weaker signal. it’s in there. • I repeat that these results change with a lower input signal: so. etc Internal Patch Levelling BOSS GT-8 TIPS.
I set my Master Patch level to 100.. If it matches my required output then I’m set. monitors. BOSS GT-8 TIPS... OD. Compression/Limiter. You wouldn’t want to have the Preamp and the OD so hot that they clip on their own and bring it down with the EQ. I first level the pre-amp section to equal my pre-determined output level. but I check the meter every time I add something. I check the meter and make sure I’m not too hot and I use my ears. There are certain numbers that I like to stick around for individual effects one that I will mention is OD/DIST level. this is just what works for me. After that it was FUN to play with all the options the little beastie can give you.For the most part I use the Preamps for distortion sounds and the OD/Dist for added coloration or a solo boost. and have no unwanted feedback or squealing. Compressor... when setting the effect level. Also.to me it just sounds more natural). The GT-8 allows you to check the output meter of each effect as well. If it matches my required output then I’m set.e.Clean.almost always at 50 (I believe that is unity). Once you get the hang of adjusting the EQ and mic position on the speaker sims as well as the stompbox' EQ you will have no need for any external EQing device (which is what the sonic maximizer basically is). This approach works and I highly recommend it. (where Input =Output). but because everybody's 'supporting cast' (i.. I find AB’ing the effect with the pre-amp on is much easier. If you keep everything as even as possible it cuts way down on aliasing and produces a more musical more realistic sound. or an amp) is different. but I am a believer in getting the tone as close to what I want without a lot of EQing. This approach works and I highly recommend it.... This technique helps tremendously in eliminating fizziness. OD/Dist. I never boost the EQ level and try to never boost any frequency more than +6 or cut more than -6. cleaner.. I find that not only does it give me a better tone overall it also gives me a consistent approach when I create my patches. (not to say this is the only way. Preamps and all the EQ’s. when setting the effect level. I used the SMALL COMBO setting from the output choices. They are cumulative. If your getting those squeals then your running the signal too hot! I’ve been there and it’s not pretty. Then I add whatever else I may want.Don’t forget the Resonators 1 & 2 . Rock and Lead. the stock settings aren't necessarily the most ideal ones even if it's supposed to be settings that correspond to the original amp cab. I especially watch out for the effects that can Boost my signal i.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE I refer to ‘Level Matching’ I mean more than just from patch to patch. I'm guessing most people set the preamp modes and then leave the speaker sims on 'original'. Placing EQ both before and after distortion can be used well.. I set it up initially to be just a set of stomps and hooked it straight into the front of the amps (I use stereo).... clipping etc.e. This way you know that your getting the optimal signal through each stage of the tone processing.to match my required output level. As it is important to have a consistent level while switching patches I firmly believe that as far as tone goes it is far more important to have a single patch levelled within itself. (On my set-up its at the U Meter: Output) I Then go through each effect that has a direct effect on the patch level. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 13 of 96 . etc.big-time chunk! They also include Low & Hi EQ. I find AB’ing the effect with the pre-amp on is much easier. clipping etc.and I always place EQ after distortion. Once this is completed I then turn on all the effects for that patch and check the output meter.e. However.. This technique helps tremendously in eliminating fizziness.. EQ. Level matching I level match every effect in each patch on my GT-8. turned off the pre-amps and I was up and running in 2 / 3 hours with my basic patches:. so one level affects the next and so on.. something else I've found that helps your sound greatly is to adjust the speaker sims. what they play/listen to the GT8 though whether it being headphones.. Once this is completed I then turn on all the effects for that patch and check the output meter.. you can play louder.i. I use the pre-amps on loads of patches nowadays but I use them as boosters / overdrives etc not for modelling.. There is generally a lot of fine tuning and flipping back and forth but it’s worth it in the long run.
you hear a few things that were pretty good.. Input Level Value Here is what I did..your becoming frustrated and second guessing your purchase. If you clipping there your fucked to begin with. I’m not going to go into detail here. The thing is.... you immediately start twisting knobs and things get either worse or if your lucky a little better... At a ‘stock’ Input Level value of 0dB I am clipping before I even start to send the signal thru any effect. take some time with it. I was hoping that this setting would be the equivalent of turning off the mic sim.. (but it makes sense) The Input Level adjustment will not affect the Input Meter. just a few things to keep in mind. NOW WHAT? You just bought yourself a new GT8 and your are wondering how to get good tone out of it. Levels It is vital to set your levels. It seems too overwhelming.. but your a little unsatisfied on your purchase. You’re wondering what to do. A careful setting is the key with the GT-8..My ‘matched’ value is -3 {that’s negative 3}. I started fooling with the mic sims and I finally read the manual.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE CREATING SOUNDS I'VE TRIED ALL OF THE PATCHES. So.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 14 of 96 . And unluckily.played around and got my HIGHEST peak.. since you are using a mic with a flat frequency response. informed methods of tweaking.. this article will help you out. if you keep your RMS readings below 70%. But. There is a huge difference in the sound when you flip from off axis to on axis and move the mic around. but the sound still isn’t very lively. I suppose if you had a real weak guitar signal that you might want to boost it via the INPUT LEVEL adjustment to get a good strong signal through the effects.. whose tone network seems to work more like in a “real” amp.talk about shooting yourself in the foot.but still not as good as you hoped. this isn’t the case. Things are still sounding good. but instead I was just putting the mic off axis. Be patient. I+II and II) but I don’t think that EVERY preamp in the GT reacts like that: see the “high gain” Marshall variation... then all will improve. I aim for the same level through to the Output.... You will notice that the OUTPUT METER changes with the INPUT LEVEL adjustment. The tweakability is a blessing and a curse.. I had a chance to play some more tonight. I got tired of trying to guess where the 70% mark was on the meter. The Input Level adjustment is pre-effect but post guitar input. In other words. Most often. Doh!!! I thought that I had been turning the mic sims off. Level Meters Never go above the 11th segment because that is equivalent of 100% output and very near clipping... I switched the mic to “Flat” and that seemed to give me a sound more reminiscent of what I could get on the GT-8... then your peaks are likely to be less than 100%. Hopefully. educated.(ALL effects OFF) I went to the Level Meters and with a Patch Level at 100 (which is what I always use) I metered the Input level. the rules are not the same when you use this high gain JCM800ish preamp and the Plexi variations.then I went to the OUTPUT LEVEL METER and made it match.. This IS kind of a crucial initial set-up step. is that it’s a bit misleading. explain some basics on tone shaping and how to get you started on your way to happy. designed to cover the “hot rodded” and modded Plexi (brown sounding etc. The Input meter is the Guitars Input before it hits anything. I suppose. If your like me you spend the first hour or two rifling through the stock patches jamming out to the few that you like. one thing is for sure: If you trust your ears and keep on tweaking.. The levels that he sets are going to be way different than someone else’s levels.. Is there any way just to disable this? BOSS GT-8 TIPS. But most of the patches you’ve gone through you don’t like or would never use. to max out everything is the best way to obtain a very crappy tone. About the tone settings and their value: I had noticed that 50/100 = full up setting on a “real” amp with some preamp models: it’s very obvious with the Plexi (I. I turned up the volume on my stereo a bit to see if that would make life any easier. Things just don’t sound completely up to par.. I tried turning the levels down a bit from 70% of full scale peak to about 56%.. get it right and you won’t have to do it again.. ? With respect to the meter.. Unfortunately. the “sweet spot” of the good sound is in every case very hard to find.. why do they allow us to go above clipping? It doesn’t make sense if it results in junk.).. so I counted and found that it is the block just under the second “u” in the display “Meter: Output”...
The more input volume you use the more gain (distortion) you will get within a patch... it might be a good idea to recheck the OUTPUT LEVEL Meter to make sure you’re not clipping. the mic sims are faithful: their frequency response on my screen is close to what you see on the data sheets provided by Shure. the freq response of the Marshall on the GT-8 shows a little peak around 5khz which cannot be linked with the speakers specs. Personally I use LINEOUT/PA always no matter what I hook into. By removing or minimising the settings of the Noise Suppressor you will yield truer sound and more sustain. They give a bit of the “analogue” feeling that we’re searching. The first thing that I noticed was that the noise gate was at the beginning of the chain.. I set my input level to 2db+. I haven’t the same feeling about the mic sims. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 15 of 96 . Boss was probably the first to provide a mic sim. They are experimented in this department. now on to the good stuff: When approaching the GT8 it is best to separate everything in your head first. Your looking at a small black floor processor.. This really livened up the sound. Ok.. etc. AKG. it will save time and some confusion in the long run. with every amp. I levelled my input/output and it came up to 11-12. in every position (on/ off axis..or fairly close.. I think past the surface.. When writing a patch try to keep the levels of different effects close. Try for balance. The sound was still a bit on the sterile side. Same thing with the other options.. OD/50.so that your not cranking say the preamp and bringing the level back down with a large negative value on the EQ. Choosing an Output Select This is a very important piece of the puzzle. Nevertheless.e. Learn how to work with it. from centre to 7 cm). whose virtual cab is an impossible flat speaker: with it.. of course: with the “off axis” settings. by the way: the high cut filters also seem to me rather important. I’ve found some very pleasant tones. Also. It is my notion that it doesn’t really matter what you choose. Works well and gave me a more natural sounding attack than having it at the beginning of the chain. Some lack lows.. my best advice would be to first go thru them and see what one sounds best to your ears and rig.. and a huge row of stomp boxes. they are just Eq’d differently. (and I never go direct to PA).. The Master Patch Level is best off at 100. effect and output meters. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.it is what sounded the best to me and my rig(s). The black knob I’ve found for most applications is good around 2/3 the way up. That’s why the tone could be awful (think about the Vox models on the ‘6). since to me this seems a little more logical than having it at the end of the chain. but it can be correlated to the freq enhanced by the Shure. some lack highs etc. I picture a whole room of amps. it can be made up with tone and EQ settings. and stick with it. There are a lot of feelings as to which one is ‘the right one’ and which one to use. When I sit down and look of it. mics. Pre/50. Setting the input volume will have a direct impact on your gain controls. I precise that to make my measurements. Boss has done a good job with the gate allowing you to place it anywhere in the chain but allowing you to trigger it from another location. cabinets. Oh. I believe that using this approach works 99% of the time and makes the GT-8 much easier to use. last but not least. I create all my patches this way and I have fewer problems with unwanted noise and aliasing. I also moved the DGT (output simulator) to just after the preamp.. you see very well what each mic sim does.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE FX Chain I next started playing with the effects chain. For example. you want to keep a directly plugged in guitar to amp level thru the gt8. I set mine to after the preamp. but that may be fixable with some delay and reverb.so if you adjust it. Basically.. I started playing with the pitch shifter and its delay feature. break it all down in your minds eye. This was really starting to sound good. I level matched all of my patches to this number and they sound really good. in their VG88. I’ve found that the ½ mark of any gain type volume levels is a good place to start.. I set the thing to a slight detune (+8 and -6) and the delays at about 2msec and 6msec. It’s easier to grasp this way. Whatever the case is. I match my levels by ear and by utilizing the input. Also. I believe that you can get good tone out of any of them. the most important even being there. I’ve used the “full range” amp.. I use EVERY mic sim. Playing was effortless. On my clean patches I don’t have to use the NS as often as I did before. but triggered at the input. I’m pretty sure that the GT-8 included a mic sim: it was a Shure SM57 on axis. Patch level 100 etc. Keeping it this way and at this level will minimize noise and the use of the Noise Suppressor. keep in mind that the Input Presence Level adjustment will affect your overall signal level too. I now have a ‘feel’ for it and can tweak patches faster because I have a better understanding of it’s characteristics. i... it is easy to loose sight of the intention of this beast.
I then usually go back to the 50 point then dial something in adding or taking away what I need to. Remember different amps have varying amounts of gain. Also. It can also be done via the EQ as well. Medium & High).but some of these tricks may make it so you don’t have to. Hit the WRITE button. 2. I asked him several questions about the functionality/complexity of the GT8 (because we all know that it can be a royal pain to work with sometimes). Mic Selection The mic selections that are available can really fine tune your sound.. There is a balance between the cab/mic sim and tone controls. Simply turn the main selector dial (the big dial) to go from one to the next. We will bring the bass back up post distortion via the Tone Modify and EQ. To get to them. and I went through all the Output Selects and most of them sounded like the tones had a blanket on the amp. You will see “EZ CLEAN 1” on the display. Driving distortion with a lot of bass information will yield a more fuzzy sound and less note/string articulation. 3.. I generally get an idea of what sound I’m after too so I’m not just shooting in the dark. Generally. place the EQ after it in the FX chain and fine tune with that. I will leave a bit of high end out as well to avoid any fizz. Most people who think COSM is sterile usually ignore the cabinet simulator and just leave it to its default which often times yields a bad sound. you could read your Manual : Select a patch address that you don’t mind overwriting. If the TM isn’t just quite getting it there. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 16 of 96 .. Moving the mic out is a good way to reduce high end ‘fizz’ or that ‘bees in a jar’ sound. There are about 5 or so of each major genre.. I'm going in on the input of my amp. Here is the tricky part. This is the first basic template. cream and high end I want. 1. so there is no golden rule as to where it should be set. Once I find the gain I like I go back to the tone knobs. You really need to go back and forth between the cab/mic sims and the tone knobs while dialling in the sound. Moving it closer will add more definition to a too ‘boomy’ or bassy ‘fuzz’ sound.. Once you get a fairly good sound coming out of the preamp it’s time to polish it up. I turned down the treble on the global EQ to -10 It finally sounds real and alive. You can use whatever one sounds best and you can use then a few ways. There are a decent number of templates that you can start with for building a new patch.. CREATE YOUR OWN SOUNDS SUPER QUICK I recently had a chance to visit with one of the guys at a Roland booth at the Arlington. TX Guitar Show. Then I go back to the tone controls and gain.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Now that your sitting in this room what would you do first? I would first find an amp that I like. First Level of Quick Starts: EZ Tones See page 24 of the User Manual. My new favourite thing to do this is the Tone Modify effect.and works quite nicely as well..and compare the two. The cab and mic sims are crucial to dialling in a good tone. He eagerly walked me through several very cool. I’ll try to achieve the desired amount of gain with all settings and see what one I like best. I always start with everything off and then turn on a preamp. As a rule of thumb I always leave quite a bit of bass out of the preamp stage. as this is where it would naturally belong. Add a boost with more gain for leads. If I want to use to FX’s from FX1 & 2 then I’ll use the EQ.. So. Use it as a primary gain source for clean patches. I also use both the TM and the EQ together to really fine tune. semi-hidden features that should make building custom patches a lot quicker and easier! Of course you can go deep edit if you want to .. This entails the gain knob and the gain setting (Low. and get the sound as close as possible to where I like it. Then by accident I left it on the Output Select JC120 return. to add a different character to the preamp tone by using light gain. Then before I go too crazy I move to the Cab & Mic Sim section and use that to find the fatness.. Cabinet selection The bigger the cab you choose the more low end and less high end you will get & vice-versa. then I put it all ‘dimed’ (@100).. Another thing I like about the TM is the fact that it is a quick way to tweak sound for use on different rigs. and not all muffled. Experiment.. It has been my experience to use them for a little coloration to moderate gain as I personally I like the preamp distortions better. After I decide what amp to go with I usually do two things. Then hit “>” 3 times.. Very cool. Place it before the Preamp in the FX chain. I set up the gain structure first. Put all the tone settings at 50 and listen to the sound. OD/Dist Now that you’ve got your basic tone set you can add some more gain via the OD/Dist’s. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. I place it directly after the preamp in the FX chain. Mic placement will either take away high end (further away) or bring out the highs better (closer).. I am personally partial to the resonator(s). Here is where you can bring up bass and treble to get a nice tight low end and smooth highs.
it works good. so I’ll flip through all of the amps until I get something that sounds like what I want it to. what I did not realize was that this little feature is available on ever single FX in the GT8. Once you have your basic patch done.. In just a few minutes. be sure to create a chain properly by placing the effects in the correct order in which they should be in.. rather than going through the steps of determining what amp I would like to use. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 17 of 96 .. Use the Quick Settings to setup several of the most common configurations for every available FX and just about everything else in this beast. working tone that uses typical effects setups that you hear on your favourite recordings.. Here's a few things you might want to look into when tweaking the GT-8: Effects chain Having your effects in the right order can truly effect the sound. as it is now.. You can also save your own Quick Settings. and even Preamps. Hey! Let’s instantly tweak with the EQ Quick Settings (yeah. This calls up the Quick Settings menu. Maybe your patch is not bright enough.. Quick Settings menu.E delays. and many others. I skimmed it and forgot about it because it just didn’t seem immediately useful at the time.). The EZ Tones are similar to the 200 Factory patches. You can do this Quick Setting for almost everything. but have fewer bells and whistles turned on (some EZ Tones include FX. I. COMP. and the WAH. Now you can fine tune the patch further if you want.. I don’t know if I have any rules of thumb with respect to patches. Hit the EQ button..... Flangers. It couldn’t be much easier to use either: Hit the button for the FX you wish to tweak (including the EQ. Turn it a few more clicks till you get to JC Chorus. but helpful to get going in a direction. There are lots of posts on chain effects and the order in which some people have used them to achieve a desired effect. Turn the main selector dial clockwise one click and you’ll see MONO CHORUS.. Bingo. I like it! Lush. cool huh). To save the tweaks... Not magic.so you don’t know where your at. I tried working with several tonight and some are pretty good. some don’t). Global setting tend to have a lot to do with this problem. Delay or one of the other FX in the chain. and the EQ. EQ settings EQ settings on all the effects that you use either together or as one can be a pain in the ass. I suppose that I tend to focus more on trying to get an amp tone that sounds “good” rather than like a specific kind of amp.. Then hit the “<” button 1 time. you’re done. You can tell what type of preamp or OD your on if you cheat.but for just basic setting up OD/Pre. 2x2 Choruses.. you can hit the WRITE button again to write it to your current patch address.. That’s it. and then trying to get the most authentic tone from that amps model. mmm..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Once you find an EZ Tone that’s close to what you’re looking for. Get a good clean sound that you are happy with by adjusting the global settings. There’s a cool and quick way to dial in many of the most common settings in a heartbeat. Now get Tweaking I’m sure this could be extrapolated ad nauseum to illustrate all the different ways to do rapid tone building (RTB!). Phasers. Chorus.. They are intentionally there to help users with a “quick start”.and use my ears to determine the proper effects and tone settings. Again. OD/Stomps. but you don’t know the exact one. you can dial in a perfectly good. and the COMP.. unlike a real amp where it’s just somewhere between the numbers( hope that made sense).. Turn the main selector dial (just like before) 5 clicks and you should see BRIGHT TONE on the read out.. try it. I never paid much attention here because I thought these were where I should store my own quickie presets . It would’ve been great to see more on this in the User Manual to begin with.. Compressors (very cool). but this should be enough to get you going... Now I know a much simpler way to get started with patches.... hit the WRITE button twice. Second Level of Quick Starts: Quick Settings See page 24 in your User Manual (again). Boy could I have saved a lot of tweak hours if I’d just paid more attention..... After that. you might want to tweak the Chorus.. I've read on some posts here that it's a good start by shutting down all the effects and run straight through your GT-8 with no effects what so ever.. Then hit the “<” button 1 time.. EQ's and distortions effects. Just because you can [tweak/deep edit] doesn’t mean you have to (or should).. Let’s do Chorus for example. and so do you. It helps if you know your way around the dials too. It is easy to fall into a numbers thing since it’s all digital. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. One of my favourite things to do is to take a piece of paper and hide the display..
Step 5 Now turn on the stomp box.. we’ll beef them up later.. EQ the amp model you want to use until you arrive at a balanced sound that is approximate to what you want.. but don’t be discouraged. Sprinkle some ambience reverb at about 20% and sounds heavenly on a fat strat. I never have access to it unless I’m gigging.. Step two Turn on cabinet and mic sims. sometimes I turn the direct up to 100 and sometimes I leave it at 0.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Tweaking the EQ within the effect also help colour the tone in which you are trying to create. They are a good starting point for getting basic tones. you’ll want to revise the amp EQ as well to accommodate this shift. I don’t use gain settings higher than 50 with a stomp box (without the box I’ll go up to 100 with heavy noise gating). HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 18 of 96 . I hope it works for you. reverb.. the mic setting. everything). sometimes it sounds a little ‘boxy’ at first. mics. Step Three Eq and comp. even on high gain amp mods. Use one of the rectifier sims. HEAVY SOUND TWEAKS I never use the original cab. I like the resonators and the fat mods the most.. I say this for a few reasons.The 8x12 cab is probably your best starting point. Where the good ‘solid’ tweaks come in is in the Mic placement and Mic choice. The head.. or 5150 lead for some good lead tones. my stack is always loaded in the band truck. SIMPLE STEPS TO CREATING A GOOD SOUND Step One Don’t start making the sound using the amp. The GT-8 is one of those devices that’s probably a little more complex than it should be (at least for how they market it). its pretty simple. and some don’t. you complained about too much low end so at this point you may cut some (or all) of the bass out of your sound. My favourite lead sound on the GT-8 would be a straight T-Amp Lead with the EZ EQ setting on BRIGHT TONE (should be the fifth one). stompbox. I’ve found that this fizz is often in the upper Mids of the EQ section. they can add dimensions to your sound that might be lacking. comp. fx1 & 2. Example: Just a distortion sound you are trying to create. Step 4 (Optional) Another good thing to do is bring in the tone modifiers. Some have effects.. this feature can give u an effect similar to a sparkle drive. they make it seem like you can just plug in and go on the fly. try some of the EZ EQ settings. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. the raw amp models sound pretty thin. OR I take issue with the first part of this. Also. you may want to try using the presence mod to brighten up your sound. and the EQ setting on those will also effect the sound you are trying to produce.. also. use headphones. the speaker cab. Next you will want to engage the EQ function to bring in the fullness you’re looking for..especially compared to the original if you were to A/B the 2. delay. The tube screamer modelled on the GT-8 is supposed to be the TS808 by Ibanez. so what I do I turn them all the way down and use the “q” selector to find where the fizz is hiding. but it takes hours of tweakage just to get close to a good sound. You won’t find out the whole patch is worthless thru the amp and have to start from scratch.. ALWAY develop patches with the gear you intend to use them with unless there’s a very compelling reason not to. I actually have made a custom cab that I use in almost all my patches.. at this point you sound should become a little fuller. Turn off all the effects (eq. This is basically the method I’ve settled into with making sounds on a GT-8.. Careful with the gain too. I use a moderate setting for the low Mids to serve as my main mid range control. a frequent complaint people have about amp models is the “fizz”.. cabinets... Firstly it kills a lot of fizz and brings up the low end . You’ll always get closer and need less tweaking. I’ve been using those and with some very minor tweaking you can get pretty close to what you want. I usually never ever turn the gain above 30 and I park the level at 50. but here is the thing. there are so many variables and parameters on this unit that it can be difficult to assess what exactly is wrong with a particular sound. you shouldn’t need to bump it past 50%. like. LEAD SOUND A good place to start with getting a good lead tone out of the GT-8 is with the EZ Tones on page 24 of the manual..
distortion. It is my finding that once you go over 125 Hz up to around 200 Hz that area there is where you get the “speaker Fart” sound. Don’t forget the Resonators 1 & 2 . actually modifies the sound of the GT-8 to an extent that it sounds “warmer. (I know. It is my experience with multi-effects processor that adding more effects always digitise the sound.. and sounds the most transparent to my ears. try lowering/raising certain levels of effects in order to reduce the undesirable sound qualities you are attaining. BEEFING UP YOUR TONE One of the differences that you are noticing between the sound from your ubermetal pedal and the GT-8 is the analogue vs digital argument. A couple of helpful directions: 1) Try setting your [OUTPUT SELECT] mode to Line/Phones. it kills sustain and tone as well. i. etc. bass. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. alternatively. can be solved by just tampering with the OUTPUT LEVELS of each section in your effects chain. 5) DO NOT USE the noise suppressor on the GT-8.very undesirable. and this is a much more time-consuming process . because it is interesting to note that sometimes. my advice to you would be to turn it off altogether. I’m not sure how you’re going about creating your sounds with the GT-8. At least until you get some better technique you hack. If you are still refining your technique. Normally.. So it’s pretty much a situation of tweak and play. Then I tried working with only one effect at a time. NOTE: I suggest lowering levels as well as decreasing certain levels.big-time chunk! They also include Low & Hi EQ.” if that is a term you can use to describe a processor sound. and in the case of the noise suppressor. I know this doesn’t seem logical if you’re using an amplifier (“Why colour the sound of my real speakers with another speaker simulation?”) However. whereas normal logic dictates the fizz should reduce when you lower the level..but the results are worth it.e. when you raise the level of say. it sometimes drastically reduces the fizzy quality. which is actually intended for use in a PA system/headphones kind of setting..to get that good ‘chugga chugga’ palm mute glory is: keep a fair amount of bass out of the Preamp part. It allows you to tweak the EQ levels further so that you could mimic. it is actually quite easy to get that raging low end with sustain from it. I’m still in the process of going through the preamps. and I’ll probably end up using the additional effects minimally . preamps.). 2) Your problems with fizzle and sizzle. Then use the EQ post Preamp in the FX chain. and a lot of other users here at GTCentral.it may seem low but I think it’s low enough not to fart the sound out and still add that chunk. as well as the contour or presence. Mids and treble. if you are having a little static hiss.e. mess with different output settings. By this I mean. the preamp section. you may want to try adding just one effect at a time. Depending on how much the high end is there. and you ARE going to have to put in a lot of hard work to emulate the sound of an analogue processor. Or. However...) then you should really consider the why up between distortion and clarity. to my relatively newbie perspective on the GT-8.. Or.. I use the mic placement to tweak the highs.. but if you’re trying to add everything at once (i. as I. and everything I came up with was crap. many often dial in too much for their playing ability. Boost usually around 4k with a Q of 1 a few dB. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 19 of 96 . in order to narrow down the crunchy/beefy tone you are looking for. use it at low levels to ameliorate the problem. 4) The Global EQ is another means of tweaking your guitar sound. what you have to understand is. theoretically. the Line/Phones mode. and then tweaking it to your liking before moving on.at least for my basic sounds. so you might want to fool around with these tools to attain your sound. then use the EQ at 63 Hz with a Q of 4 and boost it up until you have enough low end thump. I was trying to add all the effects I wanted at one time. that while the GT-8 processor is a “digital multi-effects unit”. I’m dialling in some really nice chunky/crunchy sounds with the preamps alone. the Global EQ is intended for being able to use a certain patch with another guitar which it was not programmed on. EQ. When I first started programming my GT-8. have noted.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE What I usually do is pick the 421 mic and place it anywhere between centre and 5cm out (the 421 just seems to have a cleaner high end.. Another ‘trick’ that I also have been using for ‘heavy’ low end. under the FX-1 subhead. DO’S & DON’TS FOR THAT METAL TONE I’ve found that although distortion is what a lot of guitarists want in their tone. there is also a sub-equalizer. It would also help if you specifically toggle the preamp section’s equalizer. we will always be refining our technique. For some reason the 63 Hz ‘trick’ seems to work real well. 3) Other than the normal EQ on the GT-8. say a Les Paul with a Fender guitar. However.
bass. especially if the preamp “level” is set higher on the one that “doesn’t have the solo boost on. Clean Twin with or without the T-Scream is also great..: Ever heard Hatebreed?) And probably more than once. distorted palm mute sound. then press > until you get to the solo level adjustment. which is somewhat essential for metal guitar. say 140%+ ? Press the preamp button. Then add the solo boost to channel B and presto you should see a noticeable difference in volume with the solo boost set at say 50-60% level. It needs tweaking to personal preference.e. For example you might have the treble. it boosts (/increases) both volume (=preamp master level) and mid range freq to help you to 'cut it in the mix'.. Put it in front of a Marshall sim get ready to wail away. but it functions as a great booster that fills out the preamp’s tone nicely. or for an audience. rectifier mdrn 2 . When using the solo button for getting louder to do solo’s I usually set the level of it at 50-55% and that gives a very noticeable boost for me on clean or higher gain patches. the big. Gain 10-20. What ever else you desire you have to do with assigns. middle 0-10 and so on. If you want the only difference in channel A and B to be the solo boost then copy channel A to channel B. drum level.. If this is something you want in your sound too. Your mid knob IS your friend. Too much presence when playing live! Ok. those Mids are squelched out even more and the lows and highs are boosted greatly. (Hopefully someone else can help in how to tackle this!) A quick tip: Do NOT lower your Mids for your metal tones.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE *On more of a personal note: I always used to want a big. then dial your gain down around 3 and play your favourite riff. But completely unwanted in higher doses. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Presence is form of high-Mids. Don’t go any further.with preamp d-l/r ms higain40 and smooth drive40 Tube Screamer as a booster: Drive 0-50. Use it wisely. FAVOURITE DISTORTIONS What’s your favourite GT-8 distortion setting? T-scream with the Drive around 10-20 and the Level around 50-60. that is rapidly ruining my hearing!? Watch your presence when you turn it up for practices/shows. If your settings are different for channels A & B then that might be why you aren’t seeing that big of a difference when you hit the solo button. because this is going to start ruining your riffs. tone 50. bright crunching metal sound is cool. So how do you increase the SOLO button level to go louder. While it may sound peachy keen at a low volume.. hooks & solos. bottom 10-40. do a sound check at all times. MS HiGain with T-Scream is great too. first make sure you are on channel A then push the write button one time and the screen will show copy channel A to B and then push the write button again and they will be identical. Set EQ’s to your liking. But dude! Can’t we find an even-ground between that and the presence in your tone. Put this in front of the Clean Twin sim and it’ll warm up the sound nicely. As a rule of thumb. Turbo o/d 25. Metal Stack as a preamp: Gain Switch High. I checked my unit and seem to have the solo level most often set to 60. say. SOLO BUTTON & SOUND ADVICE What the solo Button does is twofold. You can control the volume but that's it. but when you start playing at. just to get that big palm mute. this will make a big difference in how loud one is over the other. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 20 of 96 . or mid’s set higher on one channel without the solo button. while slowly dialling in more distortion until you just get that big.. level 3060. I had victimised my tone by having too much gain. leads. crushing palm mute sound (i.
Since you can have up to 8 ASSIGNMENTS. so it's impact can be a little lost. set the SOURCE as CTL SWITCH (or EXP SW. Best to use EQ to add some mid-range boost to both amps. Otherwise you limit your ability to use assigns for other functions because you can have a max of 8 for a patch. Or works from my monitor but not FOH. Solo A&B on/off. with the amount of boost quickly adjustable in a global way. Then we set up our ASSIGNMENTS. SOLO BUTTON BOOST AMOUNT I'm wondering if anyone has figured out a good formula for setting the volume difference between their rhythm and solo patch sounds. and High Cut are the same values. because I find that the difference that works at home doesn't necessarily work with a band. we activate ASSIGN 1. actually my off isn't flat EQ. set RANGE HI to 127. I go the low-tech non-programmable solution: run a Boss GE-7 after my preamp and step on it for all solos (as well as selecting the patch I want). That leaves 6 values that need to change. It's right after hold delay and before patch num inc. We will set it so that having the switch OFF will give us the EQ values that correspond to Mid Boost and having the switch ON will correspond to the Fat Lead. it's just in different forms. Hi-Mid Q. set MODE to TOGGLE.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE I love the solo option but in dual L/R mode. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. set TARGET to EQ: LOW EQ.. What do you guys do (in terms of volume and EQ) when designing a rhythm patch and then a solo sound to match it? I don't like to pre-program a volume difference for that purpose. whichever you want to use).. I keep the EQ on all the time. Etc. This was kind of an extreme example. It will be the same except that the TARGET will be LOW-MID FREQ.3kHz Hi-Mid Q: 1 Hi-Mid EQ: +4dB High EQ: 0dB High Cut: Flat Level: -4dB If you look closer you see that Low Cut. then we have the flexibility to change between the 2 EQ’s. I usually don't make that many assigns to alter the EQ. Then every patch has solo capability. Keep going until you are done. Low-Mid Q. So. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 21 of 96 . Hi-EQ. your 'off' position is flat EQ? What are the parameters for your 'on' position? No. It's there in the ctrl pedal choices. Say you want the Mid Boost and Fat Lead on the same patch. CTL 1. CTL 2. Let's use a couple of the Quick EQ settings as an example. the Min will be 1kHz and the Max will be 800Hz.. Generally I'll use it to boost the mid EQ (low and high) and the overall level. Given that I only run in mono. I believe there's an option in the GT-8 where you can turn both solo functions for preamps A and B. can you tell us which EQ frequencies you 'boost' using the footswitch? Presumably. Or works with a low volume band but not a high volume band. set Min to -4dB. set Max to 0dB. the solo button only works on whichever channel is currently selected. Then you set ASSIGN 2. What this will do is when the switch is off (at its MIN/LOW position) the LOW EQ will be -4dB and when the switch is on (at it's MAX/HI position) the LOW EQ will be 0dB. set RANGE LO to 0. This works a treat. Out of curiosity.
Just enough to cut through everyone else's loudness! You don't need to be loud but you do need to "cut" through. you just cannot hear the level differences with required precision by using headphones or using bedroom levels. It is good to have a foot volume pedal around for small changes to overall level while playing 6. SOLO ON ALL THE TIME? The GT-8 so far is a great little unit. Unfortunately there is no easy route. I rarely used the solo button.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 22 of 96 . But I started building new sets of patches. Keep in mind that the levels sound "TOTALLY" different when your playing in your room or basement at a level your "family" can tolerate than cranked live. but just wonder how much to increase it for a solo. step on it and there is your adjustment for whatever patch you are on.. you have go by trial and error and fine tune the patches. Generally. More than likely once you find your sweet spot you won't have to mess with it too much the rest of the gig. 2.. There are a couple of things to consider. then just to the right of your bank # 4 footswitch there is another one labelled CTL .the actual level balances may surprise you! 7. This scheme has general applicability only if you level match all your patches and effects. some songs just require different boost levels than the others. so if you can do this by using a different tone such as suggested above ( upping the treble and mid without sounding tinny) then go that route. For me setting the 'default' channel solo level to about 50(default)-65 does the trick. On 99% of mine it increases your output automatically for soloing. and it still was missing that vibrancy the gt-6 had. Another option if you have another expression pedal available is to make an assignment to an expression pedal for the solo level. though. I personally like to up it about 5 -10%. while checking the meter values make sure you stay well below 95% ALSO when you have the boosts on!! Otherwise your signal might clip. otherwise you have to find the right levels patch by patch. I like the CTL option. Do not suffocate your band members with your levels. Well I kicked in the solo button. With GT-6 and GT-3 I used to use the EQ level to provide a +3db-+6db boost. you have to be heard but it is not a loudness contest 5. different effects shape the sound such way that even though technically they should be at the same level our aural interpretation does not agree. 3... If you are talking about cutting through the mix a little extra then add a little more treble & mid for some more bite during your solo's. for instance 4. Anyone know if it EQ's for more treble or just boosts volume? How "much" is kind of subjective. check the web for "Fletcher Munson Curve". 1. but I was having the hardest time to get the unit to be as transparent sounding as the gt-6. That way you can adjust your solo level on the fly. Set what you think is ok but make sure you have time to adjust and rewrite the patch on the fly when you’re cranking the volume. Remember to keep your SOLO levels under control in the digital domain. I level match my patches and all the effect are at 'equal level' unless something special is needed in the patch. You must set the levels at playing level. What seems to work? I know on the GT8 the solo function can do the same thing. I assigned it to the control pedal which I use extensively for soloing/riffing. maybe a few adjustments for different songs. For example have your control pedal turn the solo function on & have an expression pedal set with solo level set to say 10-15 for min & 50-60 for max range. and reset all my gains and there it was. record your band playing to hear how it really sounds . With GT-8 I have been using the solo function (again assigned together with some other changes for soloing sound).BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Lets say your are doing some crunchy or heavy sounding rhythm. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. to kick in a lead or solo. You need to fine tune to band dynamics. that gt-6 clarity in the gt-8. if possible. ie. Consider also ear's sensitivity. because I was thinking it was a booster for the channel. I set all my patch levels to value 100.
You want just enough to fatten the sound up but not so much that it gets in the way and destroys your clarity. I rarely ever use it and I can get a variety of lead tones I’m very happy with. That’s not even counting what other things you may be able to add using the EXP pedal and the EXP switch. but like the other member said the best way to get a lead sound is with good chops. 4 . I set up this tone on amp ‘A’. This would probably be hard to do without an FS6 for the added two sub control pedals.. Some folks add a little compressions (placed before distortion of course) to give a little more “oomph” and to increase sustain. The solo button seems to open up the clarity of the unit. it can do more harm than good. If you don’t know what it does to your sound.tube screamer and pie a big muff is what I like. I have my GT-8 set so that when I hit the patch number pedal a second time it turns on the Solo in the preamp (this particular setting is GLOBAL!).all on the same patch. Don’t use too much gain but rather just enough. I set up pedal ‘A’ on the FS6 to turn the PRE off. and a compressor helps bring up the sound and tone modify will help bring out low high or mid sounds..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE I think Roland made the gt-8 so the solo button would act like a ts-909 but what is actually happening with out having the solo button activated. I can’t believe something so simple changed the whole sound of the unit. There are plenty of threads here on how to get good distorted tones. You’ll have to fiddle with the gain settings a bit to find the sweet spot. but here’s an example: Lets say that the song starts out with a crunchy rhythm tone . and when I turn off the solo button the new created patch just flat lines. Try something different. It would of been nice if the solo button was an enhancer to the unit. For instance Dual Mono Ch A. then try it on. Try adding a little delay into the mix.. but it’s what your preference for choosing which dist you want. Clean Twin with Bright on...4 different tones (5 if you count the boosted solo) all on one patch. As for the GT-8 you have to tweak to get the sound you want but when you do it’s worth it. After the Chorus lets say I need a boost for a solo . On all my patches I leave the solo button on. or sometimes 4 tones --. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Ch B. 2x12 cab. so I hit the ‘B’ pedal on the FS6 again and I get the preamp back on and the chorus off. Then once it gets to the first verse I need a clean tone. turn the OD/DS block on (I have the ‘booster’ selected) and turn on a Phaser. As for distortion when using the GT-8 you have to compensate for loud pickups so you have to turn down or off the preamp or distortion. MULTI-TONE PATCHES I have a few songs set up to use 3. they are the place to start.. There you have it .. and makes the patches more transparent so more of your guitar signal is coming through. Then let’s say we go through the song for a while and it gets to the outro . Just try it and see what happens Not too much reverb and a little delay to taste perhaps.10 ms delay between channels. cutting lead tone. your defeating the purpose of getting the best out of the unit. so I set up Sub Control 1 (which would be pedal ‘B’ on the FS6) to turn off the Preamp and turn on the Chorus. Here are some things to consider: Make sure you don’t cut the midrange. Mids are what contribute to a fat. . If you haven’t read those already. Then let’s say that it goes into the pre-chorus and I need the crunchy tone again. the gt-8 is only working at 3/4 of its capacity.. Then the Chorus part of the song comes and I want a high gain sound so I have the CTL pedal on the GT-8 setup to switch to preamp ‘B’ and turn on the Tone Modify and the EQ. SOLO SOUND WITH NO BUTTON Use as little noise suppressor or gate as possible. but with out it always on.there’s that transparent wah I missed. metal zone .. Those are just general guidelines and it really comes down to having a good distorted tone to begin with. Something in the 200-400 msec range and set the mix between 10-20%. maybe it mellows out a bit and I need a wet clean tone with a bit of a boost to cut through the mix . Use a patch with the wah with the solo button off. By my count I only used 8 of the possible 9 assigns (8 variable + one on the dedicated CTL pedal). Lead Stack with 8x12 cab. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 23 of 96 . OR The “Solo” button is completely unnecessary to get a good lead tone.
that’s a lot of tapping’ to get there. Using the Manual Mode opens the possibilities of even more combinations within a similar patch. If you are having a noise problem try turning your preamp gain settings down. I don’t rely on the NS to stop the noise when my guitar volume is up but instead rely on it to suppress noise when my volume is at zero. Put this before the preamp in your signal chain. What is your FX1 doing? How do you have your EQ set? How do you have your preamp set? Its usually easy just click master go to threshold turn it down all the way.. Some might argue I should just be using different patches. that’s when it’s at its loudest (and noisiest too). but the only thing missing is healthy sustain that I used to have before the GT-8. I normally use a Metal Lead amp (Medium gain switch. See if it works for you.a Voltage Controlled Amplifier. I generally only use the Comp for Clean sounds. The more NS you use on the GT-8 the more it will take away your sustain.try an OD effect (like t-screamer. gain at 107) with just Reverb and I can get by with no NS at all. 1 . Sometimes I use the Preamp in dual/mono mode. when compression is used with distortion. This might sound wacky but I’ll sometimes use a compressor in front of the preamp and a limiter after it . and you may need more or less depending on how many things you have going on in the patch. When it sees no signal. This all creates a lot of flexibility in one patch. You can do the same thing with the Expression Pedal set to be your volume pedal as well. By using manual mode to switch amp channels. or OD Warm) with low GAIN setting and HIGH output setting. it can significantly reduce sustain if the threshold is set too high and the release too short. Either one of these will help your notes sing. One good rule to go by if you feel you have to us the NS is less = more. I have the EXP SW set to change fx2 between Vibrato and the Feedbacker. I haven’t found a need to use Compression or Limiting for sustain. If that was bank 2 and we wanted to go into the next song immediately and the patches for that song were on bank 12 . I think there are 5 or six usable combinations within that one patch. Within that patch. NOISE SUPPRESSOR KILLS SUSTAIN! Can anyone here help me with getting more sustain from my GT-8. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 24 of 96 . Sometimes I use so many of the GT-8’s effect blocks that I need to make 2-4 patches for just one song. delay. Put this before the preamp in your signal chain. Don’t forget the Noise Suppressor. Usually I can keep it to 1 or 2 though.. The only time I use Compression is for clean patches to get a particular sound. but I don’t like to change banks within a song and often the 4 patches (and four voicing’s) just don’t offer enough variation when I’m in an extended jam. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. 2 . I’ve been getting a good tone. I make sure the NS cuts out any extraneous line noise but I don’t rely on it for cutting the noise that occurs when my guitar’s volume is wide open. Regarding the Noise Suppressor. that frees up my global number pedal assignment to turn on the solo mode.. to give it a bit of punch. things can get real noisy real fast. This gives me access to my channel select. Just make sure to put it after the Preamp and before Delay or Reverb.both with very conservative settings to avoid excess noise. It automatically turns it’s volume up or down based upon the input volume. I tend to rely on my volume knob to control my noise level more than the NS. It makes life much easier than when I had the GT-8 and a whole bank of patches were needed for just one song . chorus and fx2 on/off controls. 2 simple things to try.. You should set both values to zero then increase them until your natural sustain in unaffected. A Compressor is simply a VCA .compressor on a low setting maybe 2:1. same with the preamp level to 50-60%. The EXP Pedal controls both the level of the Feedbacker and the rate of the Vibrato.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Sometimes this kind of thing won’t work because of the song structure and the tones I need. which defeats the Chan A/B switching option. When I use mine if I use it at all I keep it on 1 or 2.. Try it. The setup I normally use has the CTL pedal switching into manual mode. To me it’s the main culprit that kills sustain. On the heavy lead patch I use.
my bloody valentine. The delay’s warp setting can be great.. I guarantee that. but tread carefully and keep the depth low to begin with or you’ll go psychedelic rather than valentine-esque.. With regards to the dreamy.. The Bi-Phase Phaser set to very slow is lots of fun. most shoegaze bands don’t have complicated tones. “NS Input”. atmospheric sound you'll find a couple of obvious things with regards to the gt8. Tip: start at 50 so you can hear it then adjust to taste. I would suggest only kicking it in on your Solo sounds. ride. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 25 of 96 . and reverbs in your chain. Have you tried the Step Phaser yet ? Each Phaser has a Step rate. or noise. effects. The trick with the reverb is the density and frequency cutting. using a Tube Screamer instead of the Comp may give you better sustain. Because PS1 is left channel and PS2 is right channel you can set them up to detune by quite a bit . don’t forget a compressor up front to even out your tones.. Select the “Input” setting. this will kill any CRT buzz. Now the GT-8 NS should be looking at your incoming guitar signal (unprocessed). This is normal set to Off.. In it’s extreme settings you can get the sound of a Mandolin like instrument swirling around.. The Flanger is a bit of an oddment in the GT-8.. If you reduce the wave shape on the Tremolo you get a nice gentle warble effect. slowdive. OR I’m into shoegaze. if at all. You will find that the TM. etc. but try placing it after the Preamp for less noise. You mentioned that you are using the Dual L/R Pre. just several layered guitars. It makes the sound shimmer in stereo.use one of the digital delays.use the expression pedal as a pitch bend (-1) to get the Kevin shields whammy bar effect.especially if you're one of those classic/vintage pedal tone snobs like I was: BOSS GT-8 TIPS. the feature that I was describing with the NS2 can be approximated with the GT-8. however put very little wave shape and a quick rate.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Compressing a heavy sound can actually have an adverse effect when you are playing heavy rhythm... and using this signal to gate the sound after the amp/dist sims. Go into the settings for the NS you will find something called a “Detect” parameter. Don’t forget to use the low cut on the reverb to stop the mud from setting in. “FVOutput”. to a Mono signal. No worries. it should be placed at the very end of the FX Chain. do the following (I use Mr. Very Porl Thompson. SHOEGAZE SOUNDS Remove dry signal from your reverb sounds a bit for instant Kevin Shields. Dry signal = Direct Level. indie.. As Admin mentioned. I would suggest using the Dual Mono option with the TM or Single Pre. You hit the button when you mentioned a certain band of Mr Shields’. may cause phasing. etc. and if you are using a Ch Delay time.. will sum the signal. Ride was well-known for using only a ds-1 distortion going into a Marshall amp.try this. The step stops the phasing sweep for a fraction of time and then carries on from that point again. although. The more you cut the low end = the more you take away the mud in the reverb. however the separation in stereo is too good for mere mortals. If you are using the Limiter. that you are having problems with and still leave you with plenty of sustain. A lot of people use the Comp before the Preamp..hence I now play only the gt8. tremolos. Sleepy’s editor): Set your GT-8 NS so that it is located after the distortion and amp sims in the chain. as it steals all of your playing dynamics. autolux.then put the pan effect in front of it and max out the depth. One thing I’ve used recently was a stereo pitch shift detuning matched with a pan in front of it. if used after the Pre(which is where it works best).. when properly setup. Very Lush. medicine. With Clean sounds you can really hear the stepping happening. The resonance control can be really harsh at times.. It’s settings are: “Input”. I gave up my pedals about a year ago because it took me 20 minutes to set up and now that I’m an old man at 31 I’m too impatient to deal with pedals and cables. The higher the density = the more you hear the walls. but also the Tone Modify. To recreate the NS2 loop setup using the GT-8.
3. dreamy.. You will be very tempted to continue to use your distortion pedals and wah pedal. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.maybe even your external reverb. you paid for convenience. 6.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE 1. But remember. You can get good shoegaze. 5.. 4. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 26 of 96 . YOU MUST GET GT8 EDITOR NOW!!!! ASSIGNS are the GREATEST thing the GT8 has to offer (aside from amp sims) so use them to your advantage. The reverbs suck The distortions/od's are OK at best and you can't run two in series Pitch shifting effects suck If you like your amps tone then stick with it and use the PREAMPS as a booster. not for individual quality of each effect and the only person that will hear the difference when playing live is you. 2. ethereal tones from the GT8 but it will take some work.
. If you change the channel mode to D-Mono the expression pedal becomes a ratio adjustment for how much of ChA to use with ChB. Do the exact same as above. Set the assigns to the following. you have to use the expression pedal. Do the same as the previous two examples except for the assigns.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE PREAMPS. Set the preamp mode to Dual-L/R. It takes 4 Assigns and you cant use the CTL pedal for this as far as I can tell. Set the volume of channel A to 50 and channel B to 0. Another thing that you might think is cool is if you setup the Expression pedal to fade between channels. Page 27 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. Something else that might be neat is to setup the assigns using the internal pedal to fade smoothly between them back and forth.. So many options to try this is definitely very cool! I hope that is what you wanted to know! I was interested to try the same thing with the expression pedal to fade back and forth and it works very cool. To use the internal pedal to smoothly change from ChA to ChB and back again when you press the CTR pedal is doable. Here is how to set that up.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . So here is how to set this up. CHANNELS & SPEAKER SIMS PREAMP SWITCHING You can setup a patch and specify what amp sim you want on channel A and another on channel B.
NB: the “pre” EQ works BEFORE the distortion of the amp... it also comes in handy to use separate type amps to emulate different rigs. even with all the tone network on zero. PREAMP CONFIGURATION With the GT8 you can use two preamps within in one patch in a few different ways. I sometimes will use the solo switch in the ON position because I like the tone better to begin with. While this can give you a fatter stereo effect sound it will also add a phase sound to it. You have to play around with different values to hear what one sounds best. The curve can also be changed if desired. In single mode you can set up a patch like a normal channel switching amp. You can customize this in a few different ways. When you raise the toe. it sound muddy). There is also a solo switch that will add a bit more gain and a slightly enhanced midrange for leads. Dual Stereo mode will route both preamp channels.. You can add what one is lacking with the other. Single. As the EQ is a “pre” type.. I personally. Depending on the value of the delay it will cancel out some frequencies and enhance others. This will add a bigger stereo field to your sound only if you are using a stereo setup. The Fender’s and their clones have a “pre” EQ. It can be used to blend two preamps together. one to the left and one to the right. WHICH AMPS CORRESPOND TO WHICH MODELS? Stack crunch = Marshall JTM 45 Wild crunch = Hiwatt. Another thing worth mentioning. However. It seems to reproduce the power tube distortion of a combo (if you push hard the power section and if your speaker is “normal”. Utilizing two preamps you can really dial in some great sound. I believe .. A “pre” EQ is much more difficult to set (if you crank up the bass. a new parameter opens up and it will allow for varying amounts of delay between the two preamps. It’s rather a Fender or a Fender’s variation IMO. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 28 of 96 .. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. If you set channel mode to Single then the expression pedal becomes a smooth fade in and fade out pedal. This is due to the cancellation of frequencies because the sound becomes slightly ‘out of phase’. Blues model is maybe a Fender Blues Deville .) The first Mesa model in the GT-8 is the Mark IV with its different channels and settings. the ChA will fade away and ChB will fade in smoothly. Dual Mono mode is extremely useful. You can change all of the “30”s in the assigns to a bigger/smaller value to change the amount of time it takes to fade channels in and out.. Kind of like a phaser stuck in one spot. Dual Mono & Dynamic. When you lower the toe back down ChB will fade away and ChA will fade in smoothly. for the most part. When in Dual mode. no matter the brand of your amp: the sound will be the same).. since when you set every tone control on zero.each millisecond will change these frequencies. The Edge lead is one of the sounds provided by the Hughes and Kettner Triamp. One that comes to mind would be SRV and his clean Fender tone and his overdriven Marshall tone. when combining two preamps the output level on the preamps will need to be decreased as together they yield a greater output level than when used separately. The crunch stays undefined. The A preamp is set for a cleaner sound and the B channel is set up for an overdriven/distorted sound. like to use the same preamp in this mode to keep the continuity of a single amp sound/type. Most of the Marshall have a “post” EQ. there’s no sound. An amp with “post” EQ will always produce a sound. “Power stack” could be the Marshall with active controls used by Slash or Alvin Lee (I don’t remember its name). If you set channel mode to D-Mono then you get a smooth transition from channel A to channel B on a MONO setup..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE When the toe is down ChA will be on. It’s easy to recognize such an EQ.
or none at all (when using with a guitar amp). .. This is the brightest sounding mic in the selection)..). and it was so simple it made me feel dumb. now its the Warm OD pedal with gain at about 10 a limiter and eq. It is essential to set up the sensitivity properly to get it to switch where you want it to . One cool thing I’ve managed to use this for is using two of the same preamps with different gain levels to emulate a single channel tube amp. It takes a bit of tweaking but what you get it right it does a great job.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Dynamic mode will allow you to ‘automatically’ switch between two preamps depending on guitar volume and/or picking dynamics.: On Mic (Simulates the mic pointing towards the speaker rather than across it. where my old setup used to be T-amp model and tone modify in FX1 and EQ and compression for ok tone. You’re running too much distortion or time-based effects (chorus. I've managed to find a pleasing PreAmp set up and the settings are below:Ch. flange. Tip Dual L/R with a mesa preamp on one side and a Marshall preamp on the other one panned hard left the other hard right. 2. You’re running too much bass and treble (a. I took the preamps out of the loop. The rest of the band is too freakin’ loud! I was using the preamps (mainly the T-amps) and a 4x12 cabinet emulation with a sm57 emulated mic on the BOSS GT-8 TIPS.k. Simply press the Pre-Amp button and put in the settings you require. Another obvious way to set it up would be to use a clean rhythm and a distorted lead sound.don't fix it!) Mic Type: DYN57 (Old faithful Shure SM57.).each rig will differ. Using the Value Dial this can be changed to "System" where you can set up a global PreAmp which will be used on every Patch.. If I could find one Pre-Amp setting which mimics my Marshall's clean channel I could use my existing live sounds without having to tweak them.a. These settings are saved automatically . not enough Mids).. Normally the Pre-Amp is set to "Patch" which means you can have a different Pre-Amp for every Patch. Mic Dis. 3. Mic Pos. however personally I like to use a footswitch for that.: 2cm (Simulates the tip of the mic pointing 2cm from the centre of the speaker. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 29 of 96 . . The brightest sound). GLOBAL PREAMP SETTINGS In the System menu there is an option to set the Preamp globally (so you have the same Preamp settings on every patch). and BAM! it was instant dream tone. As I already have tons of Live settings (for use with my Marshalls) I thought this might be a cool way of avoiding having to set up a load of separate patches specifically for DI-ing. dynamic and present.they become the "System" Pre-Amp settings. something every single one of the preamps is lacking IMO So.
OR I’m writing this cause I have been trying to get a decent sound out of my GT-8 for a long time. One is the direct Bassman tone in the centre.. and without speaker sims turned on. I can again do the A/B and mic the Bassman directly. So this alternative is sort of like having a basic low pass filter. Another option. I eventually got to 4Khz cut. So then I set that PRE’s controls all at 50. Give it a try. this works pretty well also. I have a Whirlwind A/B switch. and it allows for speaker sims to be on or off. I’d like to know if other people of come across this and use it or not. Line/Phones is the most versatile output setting. but for me. Called up the last FX preset “Flat” and saved the patch. all the different speaker sims. Or if this is sort of the first time anyone has suggested it as an alternative. Main problem since the start has been with the live sound through my amp. This keeps the wonderful tone of the Bassman and adds whatever effect I want . The GT-8 does colour your sound some. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. The applicable Output Select I choose is COMBO Return. and set the gain to like 70-90. but then a few months ago I ditched the preamps altogether and now just use the Warm OD instead and the JC120-return output setting and it sounds IN YOUR FACE! OR There are many variations on this use of effects but no preamps. Then I turned on the EQ. The Bassman has two channels that can be used simultaneously. and another line into the GT-8 turning all the preamps off and just using delay or reverb or other modulation. and then also go through the GT-8 into the normal channel with whatever effects I want and all the preamps off. Well today I came to the realization that playing through the speaker sims into my amp shaves off too much of the highs. for the amp I chose to use. So I can run a direct line into the Bassman from my guitar. Nothing worked. just one that I liked from playing through the DI.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE line/phones output setting. and played a bit each time. One I find VERY satisfying is: I have a Fender Bassman amp that I love the tone of. I’ve messed with all the common options like different output settings. It was a sweet spot for my amp. Then I went to the High Cut control of the EQ and went notch by notch. even with the preamps off. its way too fizzy. and the other two channels are stereo effects . Speaker sims are just custom shaped low pass filters anyway. It seems that combining the natural roll off of an amps speakers along with the GT8 speaker sim just shaves off way too much highs. including the custom ones.fills the room beautifully. global EQ and all that. and run that into my Roland KC-300. it sounds killer. so this A/B option is best of both worlds. it sounded ok. When I plug it into my M-Audio DX4 monitors. but not quite as good. I used to believe only that tubes and speakers together could provide the aforementioned feel and response. but the cut-off is adjustable.this is pretty sweet. IMO. What I did was INIT. I’ve found bliss using a solid-state power amp (Carvin HT150 in bridged mono 8 ohm mode) into a Mesa Boogie TQB 1x12” (90W Celestion). All of the GT-8 preamps sound really fantastic and believable now. For most people between 3-10% for direct is what works best. its colourless. cut the mic level to 95% from 100 and boost the direct from 0 to 5% it’ll bring out more of the high end.. So I can again use the A/B switch and have a direct line in to the bright channel. Well what I tried works really great. My amp is a Marshall MG250DFX. but still nice. If you go too high tho it will bring back the fizzy sound. if its too muffled sounding. in that ballpark. when it sounded good. so I am using a total of three tracks to record one guitar part. Please let me know if anyone else finds this useful or not. So the key seemed to find a halfway point between the two. and slapped it right after. In the mic settings. And one final option for recording.and my ultimate enjoyment playing guitar that I’ve relegated the use of speaker simulations for the benefit of recording only. Don’t get me wrong it sounds freaking sweet through a flat amp/speakers. SPEAKER SIMS I spent much time with this unit and have come to the conclusion that a real speaker cabinet is SO integral to good feel and playing response. The result is very satisfying. and then run stereo out of the GT-8 into my DAW. a patch and turned on the PRE and threw it at the beginning of the chain. FYI. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 30 of 96 .
I’ve actually mic’d amps in the real world so the mic settings in the GT-8 are familiar to me. I feel the lesser number of conversions the better because with each additional conversion.here is where I need several things . This emulates the mic having a little more room to breath. each with their own speaker. This will allow you to mix two different preamps. The mic’s position will change how close or far away your tone will sound. Once you’re familiar with mic settings. the sample becomes less like the original and latency increases. I settled on this setup after much investigation and analysis (trial and error) because the speaker sims. math takes time. always seemed to create another degree of separation between me and what I was hearing and felt when used in conjunction with a full-range speaker system. The bottom line is try using the mic settings to do the coarse tone adjustments. I do this to meet my needs above but also because the signal only needs ONE A/D conversion.. Don’t be afraid to turn the mic away from the speaker. To reduce latency even further I don’t use the 8’ external loop to insert additional signal processing. One last thing. The GT-8 delivers.quiet! and many different cab sounds and microphones. Now for recording. smooth tone. we could do some really amazing stuff “SWAPPING” PREAMP CHANNELS What’s the easiest method to ‘swapping’ the two channels? I’m not aware of any facility that will ‘swap’ the channel settings but the procedure described on page 25. Again. as you move the mic away from the centre of the speaker. That’s how it’s done in “the real world” (as opposed to the virtual digital world inside the GT-8). so to speak. If the mic faces away from the speaker (Distance = Off). Doing so would create 2 more conversion points) and also increase the latency of the signal by another millisecond or two. Copying the Preamp/Speaker Settings to Another Channel. The type of mic you use will change the sound subtlety but the mic’s distance (On = facing the speaker and Off = facing away from the speaker) and position have a huge effect on the final sound. MIC PLACEMENT I just wanted to bring up a subject that some folks may not be familiar with and that’s mic placement. In the real world. as well as others. I take the S/PDIF digital output from the 8 and feed it into my DAC / software (M-AUDIO Delta 1010LT / Live 4). I engage the speaker sims on the 8 and then find a tone. But. don’t be shy about moving the mic away from the speaker and playing around with EQ (both the amp’s tone controls and the EQ module). mic and mic placement values. This results in a slightly mellower tone. Now if we can only get Roland to add a “phase” setting to the mics. luckily. I’ve barely started to scratch the surface on this one but the possibilities are incredible. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS .. I don’t really care how good playing feels or responds when recording. you will get a much brighter “in your face” tone. you will get a more mellow. If the mic faces the speaker (Distance = On). My focus is getting a track down with minimum fuss and with decent quality and in acoustic isolation so that it can be dropped into a mix easily and is workable. EQ at this point is something I save for mixdown when it can be easily changed. As it is already about two ms of latency is created by the GT-8 itself. Hey. my software can be adjusted for overall latency by sending it’s tracks to my ear that much sooner (2 ms).BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE My guitar is an Ibanez JS1200 whose electronics’ can produce a wide array of nice tones. For my needs. To do this. I feed this into the GT8 and the 8’s Left/mono output into the Carvin amp whose 150W output is adept at motivating the 90W Celestion. The GT-8 does a great job of emulating different mics and their placement relative to the speaker. I rely less on the player / tone interaction. This has proven to an excellent application that satisfies my need for feel and response. seems like it could get you half way: Press [Channel A] or [Channel B] to select the copy source Press [Write] Press [Channel A] or [Channel B] to select the copy destination Press [Write] Page 31 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. try experimenting with the Dual Mono Preamp mode. the mic’s diaphragm isn’t getting hit has hard by the air the speaker is moving. Rolling off the highs with mic distance then boosting them with the preamp’s tone controls or the EQ module can give some cool effects. Latency will increase even more if the FX device inserted is a digital device.
and no mid EQ control. Then I noticed this unused peavey practice amp. should get something pretty amazing from it. I also find that I keep the level control (the only control) on the Harmonic Converger quite low.. in fact) and to inject a part of "direct" tone in the signal.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Copy channel A as user preset 1. if they spend the time. is flexible enough that most people. So essentially I am getting tube warmth & “sing” with very little drive from the amp. messing around with the tones. you can get the Tone. So I plug my GT8 straight in front of the amp since it has no FX loop and set the EQ to as flat as possible . 50%. then write again. Obviously an FX loop would always be better. Playing with a tube amp + HC gives you the smoothest. Or Tube? I've been experimenting playing through FX Return of my Tube Combo Amp. I use A LOT of direct tone (50%) BUT the Atomic is not a FRFR system. however switch a patch to dual L/R or even dual mono. it's the inherent limit of amp modelling. So to people like me. I decided to try playing stereo. The GT Central forums are a good place to start but do your own experimenting for sure. Then I started using the Dual modes. cleanest. I got my GT-8 used but mint from the FDP classifieds & saved $150. After you do that. Oh. it just sounded so much more real for some reason. However this clearly complements each other giving me the low and high end I needed at the same time. This is sort of a mild Marshall sound. then copy ch B as user preset 2. I like “combo return”. and bite. Playing with a tube amp will always feel more real. The GT-8. both left and right plugged into the front of the amp. press preamp. play with it & see). I was amazed by how much the sound suddenly improved. 2. I think part because the fender makes it sound much fuller and warmer while the peavey sounds very trebly. do this again for channel B. So all was good. there are still options to have a good sound. I use the amp’s master to adjust volume. so one into a nice tube amp.. with some nice delay and WOW. especially with the HC. and as we all know it can be very tricky to get a perfect tone of out of this bad boy but I was pretty satisfied with it.it doesn’t need much to be effective. then select which slot (chA goes to preset1) 3. with three different modellers through my Atomic amp. Also I had the luck that my grandad gave me a Fender Vibrochamp from 82. a crappy practice amp. then to EQ the result: a bit of mid scooping. nothing that cant be compensated by EQing anyway. and here's what I've felt is the difference: 1. For the record. but it will always only sound like a recorded guitar tone being played back. but as long as it sounds good. obviously clean. The only solution that I've found is to use a flat mic (= no mic. Add an EQ if it's still too fuzzy. obviously mono first. I do use the amp & cab modelling on the GT-8 to tweak every patch. I’ve compared the sound to listening through good headphones. who don’t have much choice in amps etc or lots of money to spend on a nice FRFR keyboard amp or a good tube amp with FX loop. IMO.. because it bypasses the pre-amps. I’ve only had my GT8 for a month or so but I’ve done a lot of tweaking and searching for a good tone. IMO. it only has one channel.) but I needed FX as well.. and another into. and playing through PA systems and headphones. 7w but hey. try this method and see if it works for you. I've struggled with this parameter recently. all tube. keep an eye out. I play mostly Strats & use tones that stay pretty clear. simply choose channel A from the quick setting User preset 2. and it is not that much of a difference. OR BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. a high cut filter if necessary. especially with an HC. If you happen to have 2 amps. I do keep the preamp gain on the amp VERY low & use a 12AT7 tube in V3 for max clean headroom. and that's it.too much gives brash hi-Mids & highs for me. so naturally I wanted to use this tube amp to its full potential. that through an FRFR will still sound slightly fuzzy. any mediocre tone was better then my old setup (first a Zoom 707II and then a peavey transtube which was actually pretty good. 10% or less would be enough. more life.. I am careful not to fall into the “more is better” trap as far as preamp & OD drive go. press write 2. well. With FRFR. FRFR OR TUBE? The common idea is to use the GT-8 into a full-range amp. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 32 of 96 .. I run mine into the front end (preamp & all) of a Reverend Kingsnake with the “schizo” switch set on UK. who cares? I know I’ll always be playing in stereo with Dual L/R from now on. and choose channel B as quick setting preset 1 = no more copying to a different patch. Moderation is the key. which gave the sound a lot more balls and punchiness. I have tried that & personally found it to be a bit cold. I think its the "moving air" thing you guys keep talking about . and tightest distortion sounds. do this by: 1. All this is just one person’s preference. The output select on the GT-8 is crucial (a button to select what “source” you are playing to. even under OD (I prefer sing to grind) & the above works well for me.
You haven’t said how you are hooked up to the gt8. try a 4x12 cab. You should only use a dist with the amp sims on low gain with a gain level of 50 or less or middle with a low gain level around 20. With my Atomic.select a cabinet. 1) Starting with a pre-set and tweaking from there using the patch building advice I've received from guys on this forum. presence. use one or the other. & speaker level. try turning it down a bit. I scoop around 800 Hz but it could be less or more.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Wonder if you guys can give me tips onto getting my FRFR setups as good as my tube amp setups? If you could that would be great.. I used flat mic with 20 direct level at the pre amp into my FX return and it sounds so real. The way I use around this is to setup a drive pedal simulation before the amp according to the style of sound I’m looking for (example: Metal Zone in front of a Rectifier for metal. 700hz for Marshall amps. the direct level adds a good chunk of low-mid into the sound. straight in or 4cm to an amp or thru an frfr system. Press the Od/dist button and press the < parameter button. bass. 2) Using a midi/USB cable and Mr Sleepy to download patches by "the Tripp" and others here and then tweaking them from there. I’ve managed to get good patches with every amp simulation using this method. My best ones I've got from either. I highly recommend getting a USB to midi cable and downloading one of the editors. I always notice some kind of signal degradation and loss of tone when you pass the gain over 50 on the preamp stage (only in distortion amps). never rising the preamp gain over 50. The Vox clean with a proco rat sounds so good! Just one last question though.. It’s then just a question of balancing gain between the pedal and the preamp.. I've only made 4 patches totally from scratch that I'm pretty happy with… GAIN & NOISE If it sounds like crap you probably have your Preamp gain too high. mid.. its makes programming so much easier. and would quench my urge to carry my amp all over the place. Reducing "gain" really helps I find so does using clean pre-amps for distorted tones. From my personal experience. and don't leave them on original . I've been doing a lot of "cheating" to get reasonably good patches. With Mr Sleepy you can load in a good patch and then see it's assigns and work out why it sounds so good. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 33 of 96 . If you are using distortions try using the quick user presets.. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. 800 Hz for Vox amps). Try Line out on the output select and get rid of the fizz with the Cab sims and mic sim. the problem is not the frequency but rather the "Q" factor. What Frequencies should I scoop to control it? Regarding the Mids to scoop.... Patch Level at 100 and the output select on LINE/PHONES.. Line out takes away a lot of the fizz. depending on the amp used (FYI: centre medium freq = more or less 500 Hz for Fender amps. I have it set to about the lowest setting because if its set too high it will take away a lot of your sustain NOT GOOD! Try for balance on the GT-8 and everything will sound much better. output knob located on the back of the GT-8 at about one o’clock. then use the dial to scroll thru the presets til you find one you like then adjust it to how you want. and OD-1 in front of a Marshall for straight rock sound). Select a Q of 1 and sweep along the mid range to find the proper frequency. If you are using your amps preamp don't use the built in sims with it. as far as the NS in the GT-8 is concerned I hardly ever use it and when I do. This has the added advantage of really helping you understand how the 8 works. You can use the mic distance to take some of the high end off too.
you will be able to clear up a lot of it with this method. If I’m using the NS on the GT-8 I have it set really low because too much will effect your sustain>not a good thing. and that’s something I learnt from starting off with a Zoom 505II processor.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Put the EQ on your GT-8 at 50% on everything then try it and add a little this or take away a little that and see how it comes out. PS: The last two paras of my post are specifically referring to amplifier scenarios. press the preamp on/off button once. and that should noticeably kill most of the hiss. but rest assured. Make sure that you have good quality cables and not cheapo ones. back off a little on your preamp and OD levels. Note: One of the discoveries that I and many others have concluded at GTCentral is the use of OUTPUT SELECT at “Line/Phones”. then press parameter ‘>’ until you reach the GAIN SW heading. and. On the higher gain patches try turning down your “AMP GAIN” to 30-50%. Here you will find that you can reduce or increase the type of gain that the preamp is generating (high. it removes a lot of the harshness of a sound as well. I would not suggest using the compressor until you actually find the problem. While reducing gain might be not be a solution to your problem. If you play with headphones. no matter how high-end your processor is. this might alleviate your situation. On the Rectifier sims amp gain between 25-40%>MAX!!!! Not the same I have discovered for the mesa boogie BG LEAD series of amp models. using the Line/Phones output mode and following the steps detailed by the guys in the forum should curb your problem. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 34 of 96 . they are just helpful steps for you to consider in creation of tone. After some experimenting I found that what was happening was that even though the level meters weren’t showing it. my suggestion would be for you to utilise the GAIN SW subsection under the preamp section. Note. The more different ways you experiment with this beast the sooner you will get the sounds you want from it. Granted. I used to think the same way. but there are other solutions than the noise suppressor.. One way around the problem is to back down on your effects levels. Another step you should take is to mess around with your effect placement in the FX chain. Sometimes using the preamps of both the GT-8 and your amp can be conflict points. I’ve noticed that raising the ‘Gain’ settings in the preamp section can actually REDUCE the apparent noise. because I don’t think there’s actually less noise. To do this. as sometimes an OD before preamp. TONE CONTROLS Why do some of the amp sims with passive EQ sound horrible when everything is on 100? the boss engineers must’ve modelled some shitty sounding amp if that’s the case.. As others have mentioned before me. just route the output cable from your GT-8 to the FX RETURN at the back of your amp and change the output select mode to COMBO RETURN. and it increased the noise (as expected). BOSS GT-8 TIPS. NEVER use the Noise Suppressor. I was getting digital clipping in certain frequencies from within the amp Sims. GT-8 output knob see page 12 in manual about 1 o’clock. For example. medium and low). if not get rid of it altogether. To reach it. the manual specifies that this is only for headphone/PA system situations. but it totally helps out from the perspective of warmth and tone. You’re always better off reducing noise this way than by using the Noise Suppressor. You can eliminate a lot of background noise simply by switching the FX positions in the chain. activate wah and get all kinds of shrieky sounds). and this would include the hiss and noise you want to eliminate. then you play that same patch in your band and it sounds like crap so make some patches for Headphones and some for playing live at gig volume levels. one by one. Headphones can sound killer . So you may want to try fiddling with your settings to see if there are ways you can increase gain AND reduce noise. which I am reluctant to use as it can both kill your tone as well add an overt “digital” character to the sound. the wah (this is a strange problem I have on one tone. and compressor can all be potential problem spots in the sound. you will most definitely catch the way in which it kills your notes before the guitar strings have even stopped vibrating. since a compressor basically tightens all the signals routed through it. you can reduce or increase the GAIN SW while simultaneously backing down or increasing the gain for the section. to isolate the effect in the chain which is causing the problem. amp level at 50-60%. since you are looking for a high gain patch. and raised Preamp A’s Gain to ‘High’. Give it a try and see what you think! IMHO. but rather the FREQUENCY of the noise is being changed to one less audible. I have a patch where I’m running two preamps in Dual Mono mode both had an initial Gain setting of ‘Middle’.less apparent noise! I use the word “apparent”. In experimenting with my GT-8. I’d keep all my tone controls low to avoid the “shitty” sounds that I would get when I would turn the controls beyond to 50 mark. But essentially. Might I also suggest the use of the EFFECTS RETURN on the back of your amplifier. I then dropped it back to ‘Middle’. but since you use headphones. I had a couple of problems with patches with noise as well. which can be adjusted using the jog dial. after preamp. I tried raising Preamp B’s Gain to ‘High’. But usually messing with the preamp and OD/DS positions can help.
Set master level to required level (keep an eye on the meter) I’m not saying that this is going to work for you. I don’t ever use the Low Gain setting on it though. This would get rid of the insects. If you bump it to 1ms or higher. but even for the super heavy stuff I'm finding a single preamp to be more natural and bigger/meaner sounding. Bring down tone controls to get the desired sound. set master volume to 50 3. The key thing is deal with one FX stage at a time and don’t trust the meters to alert you to clipping (use your ears). things just get to be too much. My method now is: 1. or all tone controls to 50 (on amps with active EQ’s).. This made me do a complete 180 with respect to how I tweak. High gain. GAIN SWITCH LEVELS I would like to expand upon the gain switch.then I switch to low gain. 2. I tend to use the Medium setting the most for all my clean & high gain patches. On a real amp you have to find a balance in volume and tone with the "gain" and "volume" knobs.. things get muddy. Like-wise. to still get an AC30 flavour. but my ears said something was wrong (sounded like insects buzzing around my head). DUAL PREAMPS – YAY OR NAY? At first I was a fan of the Dual Preamp.go with the low. but also would leave me with a dead lifeless sound. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 35 of 96 . or turn down some of the tone controls to get rid of the buzz (and risk pulling the blanket over your sound). Mid gain. I hope some of this information helps. Single preamps stay fairly distinct. To fix the problem I tried turning down the offending tone control (usually treble or presence) or tried to filter.. before I add anything else. After a lot of experimenting I finally found that I could keep my nice bright lively sound and get rid of the insects by just turning down the gain level of the amp sim. but it is not really intended to be used as a volume knob to effect the gain.but the more I really listen and tweak. There are three typical settings you will find on real amps: 1. Keep an ear out for the buzzing bees. Maybe it's over processing or some other thing. set all tone controls to max (on amps with passive EQ’s). is the gain switch. So if you are trying to get a cleaner Vox AC30 sound. low volume On the GT-8 you don't have to balance this. Add some extra Preamp gain on these amp models like around 60-80% with Preamp level around 50-60%. because there is no volume for the preamp. Usually if I am going past 80% on the gain knob. but it has been bullet proof for me. but with less bite. distant and boxy (IMHO).4 and 5 to suit different sims. There is a level. I start with the gain switch in the middle and the knobs all at 12 o'clock..it is always dual mono with the channel delay at "0". 120 on low=80 on medium=40 on high It also seems to add a slight bit of presence as you go from low to med to high. I always try to get as close to the sound I am looking for with only the preamp. However. 4. and still not getting the sound I am after. I find it better to stick with one... add a little Tube Screamer and your ready to take care of Business. depending on what setting you would like to use. but instead to be mixed with the other effects in the unit. high volume 2. then put the gain switch to high and use the gain knob to zero in on just how much you want. set gain level to 0 and bring it up until I get the required amount of distortion (may even have to change the gain switch level for the sim if necessary). I switch to high gain. 5. Some of the clean amp models sound good with the Gain Sw set on High.. You’ll probably have to play around with steps 3. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. It actually sounds BIGGER with one good preamp than two. mid volume 3. If I do dual preamp . If you hear this then you have to do something about the high end in a stage prior to the amp sim. and give you more distortion.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE The meter showed everything was fine.. Dialling them up yields the same headaches as you have when you layer on the effects. if you want that AC30 to really bite down. It's purpose is to change the flavour of the amps tone.. if I am going below 30%. I like some of the Mesa Boogie combo settings with the Gain SW set on HIGH. I found if you subtract 40 from the gain and move the gain switch up a notch its the same.. How Boss gives us the three different sounds listed above. Most but not all but especially on the higher gain patches its set on Medium 90% of the time. Low gain.
Another thing to try is keep the gain lowish and slam the front with one of the better OD models. a Variax without any change in the global settings! By the way.which amps work with it?) TIGHT (for speed metal tones? funk?)I found that the FAT and RESONATOR settings were the most useful. The use that you mention seem the goal of this software. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.very similar to the naturally compressed feel of an old Fender amp. and a boost from the tube screamer model. a low gain setting on a high gain preamp gives more definition and articulation to your sound because you get less compression or "sag". don’t really like the modern models that much) are: 1) Set the gain switch to low and increase the gain on the amp to taste..it sits right up. Conversely. or Delay. Tube Screamer. Again. it gives interesting results". gain at 60-90 max. Lots of bass during preamp processing = flab. High gain setting with a gain of 20-50 with no OD or Dist and preamp level of 50 For clean I like a clean preamp with a low gain setting with a gain of 10-20 and the preamp level at 80-90. My chain is usually Comp->OD->Preamp->EQ->Tone Mod->Delay->Reverb. For my distorted sounds I like using 1.. and vice-versa. VS the EMG circuit.. I've actually found that I like a high gain setting for my clean sounds as it makes the preamp feel "spongier" . a passive pickup filtered by the ENHANCE gives something like these sparkle tones obtained with an EMG kit. RECTIFIERS A couple things that I started doing with the recto models (vintage. I note also that through this FX.2 kHz like a high capacitance cable: want the stage tone of a 70's hero (say.. though. with a Soldano model for example. Simply. it helps me to make the clean channel of my Marshall sound a bit like the bright channel of a Plexi. say. at first glance it might seem like the two gain settings are redundant but in reality they're not.. does your Variax 300 sound like the 500 you have owned before the "twisted neck" Parker? TIGHT gradually cuts off the bass below 350 Hz or so. but if I do that’s where they are. They should have labelled this parameter "Sag" or "Amp Compression" or even "Feel" because that's what it feels like it's changing. Now. the other devices: PRESENCE adds 10 db after 2500 Hz. I note that with the 4CM. You can also use the Tone Modify to reboost the bass if you want instead of the EQ. Warm OD. but high output level Well.. you don’t want a huge amount of gain on the OD pedals. I haven't checked it but it could reproduce the FX of the global "input presence" setting: it would allow to use. 4) Use the Tone Modify Resonator after the amp models. In fact one of the best hi gain sound of the GT8. my Les Paul sounds more like a SG or other light weight mahogany Gibson.. itself with almost no drive.perhaps for a piezo acoustic with no preamp?)MILD (for overly bright single coil guitars?) ENHANCE (yuck . Jimi with his curly cables)? Want the tone of Hank Marvin with his 30 feet cable which Eq’d his guitar? Use a standard short cable and say "MILD". I don’t always use the Comp.makes everything hissy . Med gain setting with a gain of 40-50 and a tubescreamer behind it and preamp level of 50 3. it killed all dynamics. LOW GAIN VS HI GAIN I often use low gain for the hi gain models. Particularly the FAT setting as you can bring a dull tone back to life .. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 36 of 96 .. but I’ve also had good luck with the Booster. OD. Low gain setting with a gain of 40-100 and an Od or Dist behind it and preamp level of 50 2. That second gain parameter changes the way the preamp responds to playing touch. It's not to say that it works EXACTLY like that: it creates a mid scoop at an higher frequency and don't add no bass. ENHANCE mimics a bit the EGX pot of EMG. and 60’s Fuzz (if that’s what you’re going for). 3) Use custom cabs. I like the Natural OD best. better to keep that low and increase the output level of the effect. I noticed that when I used the hi gain switch with high gain models.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE When would one want to use the following TM modes: PRESENCE (too shrill in almost all cases . MILD rolls off the high after 2 or 2. 2) Drop the bass significantly on the preamp and re-boost it with the EQ post-amp. can be achieved with the gain switch on low.
4. I like the Natural OD best.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE I personally like the Rect MDN2 Preamp. Use a Tube Screamer before it if you want more Gain... and prefer to define it with the Tone Modify. I like the 5” speaker myself. too. 3. I don’t have the tone controls too far up.. they make nasty mud. 2x15 is what Dick Dale actually uses. Also. Tube Screamer. use the Tone Modify effect after the Preamp. though.. but I've also had good luck with the Booster. if not the most perplexing part of the GT-8.. I was using a 2x12 with it but I was tweaking my Rectifier patch last night and decided to start playing the speaker sims. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. I’ve never had a hollow sound with the Rectifier. as Briggs mentioned. but if I do that's where they are. They sound like crap. You can make some cool sounds out of what you might think are crazy combos. I keep the tone on all my distorted preamps pretty much flat (50-50-50-75). I use them to get an AM radio/old vinyl record kinda vibe going. As a certain French speaking individual may point out this means more low end boom gets through the bigger the size of speaker.in all honesty I’d forgotten that there were even custom spkr sims available.. Lots of bass during preamp processing = flab. Drop the bass significantly on the preamp and re-boost it with the EQ post-amp. 2.. If anything.. you don't want a huge amount of gain on the OD pedals. I’ve never needed to add the EQ module. For tight Tops and Bottoms. and high controls.. OD. You can also use the Tone Modify to reboost the bass if you want instead of the EQ. I also don’t use the stock cabs but rather a 412 then I roll off some of the bass (at 200 Hz) to shave off the mud. better to keep that low and increase the output level of the effect. Now I’m going to have to go into the custom spkr sims to see what parameters can be tweaked and their effects.awesome nastiness. and 60's Fuzz (if that's what you're going for)... use minimal EQ (usually just a little bass rolloff and a 3 db boost on the highs and pretty much stick to the SM57 mic sim set On and at Centre. I switched to the 4x12 and the rectifiers and boogies became instantly useable... Have a dabble in the Custom Speaker Sims now and again. mid. Use the Tone Modify Resonator after the amp models.. watch the low. I don't always use the Comp. RECTO PREAMPS A couple things that I started doing with the recto models (vintage. Again. I prefer the warmer overdriven tone that it provides rather than the full on distortion. Set the gain switch to low and increase the gain on the amp to taste. Use custom cabs. Warm OD. If you crank them. I’ve been using that for a while now for a recto sounds I programmed a 5” and a 15” as my two custom cabs. 8x13” this does wonders for me. Although I use the Vintage 2 Rectifier variant. CUSTOM SPEAKER SIMS My new favourite Custom Speaker Sim to use with the Rectifier preamp is an 8x14 cab. I didn’t really love any of the preset ones so I started playing around with the Custom Speaker cabs and really like an 8x14. don't really like the modern models that much) are: 1. My chain is usually Comp->OD->Preamp->EQ->Tone Mod->Delay->Reverb. I keep the Gain around 20-25. Also. once you get beyond that point of no return they get muddy real fast. They allow for tonal headroom. Another thing to try is keep the gain lowish and slam the front with one of the better OD models. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 37 of 96 . The thing to keep in mind with speaker sims is they act as broad tonal changes for your overall tone. The Rectifier “Original” speaker sims are one of. or Delay. Use the Resonator preset and tweak the lo and hi to taste.
Horses for courses I would think but maybe you should go back to basics? Cut out the maximiser and the rest of the stuff you've got in the loop / chain etc. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 38 of 96 . This means if the control is a “-50 to +50” device. It's always 'how do I sound like a tube amp' / 'why don't I sound like a tube amp' / 'the other guy in the band gets all the praise and he uses a XY blah blah etc. Use the procedure in the FAQ and your ears to determine when you start to get too much distortion. So you've got a huge amp sitting there and you can't get it to cut live? I have a VOXAC30. listen to the CD through one system. I don't use 4cm / FX return and my output setting is SMALL COMBO. basically get a CD playing through your GT-8 and an FRFR rig... the tone controls should never go beyond the 50 mark.V – KEEP IT REAL SIMPLE! No offence but sometimes I don't understand you 'digital' guys. keeping in mind that the amps/stomp boxes that it is modelling had only passive controls. ANOTHER P. I have a GT8 and I plug it directly into the VOX.O. (If you don’t have the right cables and connectors. This basically means that for the amp models. then a value of zero corresponds to the same control being maxed on the real world stomp box being modelled. then take the same CD and plug it through your GT-8/ amp rig by using a portable CD player or I-pod or whatever and the right cables and connectors.Harsh). since anything beyond that was impossible on the real amp being modelled (its controls could only cut volume in their ranges). you probably don’t want to bother going out and buying them just to do this trick).BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE TUNING YOUR GUITAR AMP WITH A CD! This one is for people who have non FRFR amps and want to minimize the coloration of your current amp for the best replication of the GT-8’s amp models. Admittedly it's not going to sound like yours should. I have no issues with my sound at all. while the distortion that you get by driving any of the effect outputs and inputs is purely digital (Bad. OUTPUT LEVELS Set the output levels and the individual effect levels so that the meter doesn’t go past 70% (the 11th segment on the meter). Just plug your guitar into the amp and get a great noise. Set the input level as high as you can get away with. your GT-8/ amp rig should be Eq’d more closely to an FRFR setup. All this to say.. It's a tube amp that can really squeal if I want it to. but it should improve your sound noticeably across the board. Once you have this setup. add the GT8 as an effects unit with as much transparency as possible (ie bypass the preamps etc for the time being) and don't set the output to LINES / PHONES. Then. This means if the control is a “0 to 100” device. then a value of zero corresponds to the same control being maxed on the real world amp being modelled.but it's a bit of a monster. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. If you have or can get two copies of a CD and play them simultaneously through your stereo and GT-8. Take a CD and put it into a standard stereo. Once you do this. This is not the be-all end-all problem solver. HEY! THE TONE CONTROLS ARE ACTIVE Treat all types of tone controls in the GT-8 as active controls. but you can fix them fairly easily by using the EQ on each individual patch to counteract the changes you made to the GLOBAL EQ. that would be ideal. Note: all your previously made patches may be ruined by this procedure. then the next and work with your GLOBAL EQ until you get them to sound as similar as possible. that the distortion you get at the input is likely analogue in nature (hopefully the input OP amp starts to clip before the ADC has hit its max level) and not as bad as digital distortion. Remember. It helps take the “cover” off the amps.
BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE TONE MODIFY . Total: 3x9 = 27 cabs available. it makes the GT-8 sound more “amp like”. I precise than you can go until +50 in the high freq with the Tone Modify and retain a musical sound with some appropriate settings in the preamp section. with some preamps. I’m happy now. NO. which would be redundant with the T-amp clean preamp. you have to add just AFTER the preamp a Tone Modify and to set it on “Resonator”. it depends on the settings: use a Resonator 2 and say that the sound has no low end ! Another KEY is the MIC SETTING: the “mid scoop” changes totally if you set any mic ON or OFF AXIS (I’ve one more time measured it yesterday. The first one add the richness of a speaker with a resonant frequency around 100 Hz (think of Electro-Voice). use the original cab. start looking at it. including the two custom cabs. The punchy characteristic of the Resonators (1. you always CAN add the colour of a Fender cab to the tone of your Marshall and vice versa. the alternative cabs have a much narrower bandwidth than the “original” speakers (see the Marshall models): the difference is the same than between a normal cab and another one PUSHED HARD. The result is a super fat sound but will cut through the mix beautifully. Great enhancements in low and high frequencies can be obtained from this effect that you just cannot get from the EQ or Sub EQ. I just recommend to set the Tone Modify like this: bass diminished (-10 or less) or high enhanced. the result stays natural (it’s not the case when you inject in your amp a cab sim with its low and high freq rolled off : this option gives a result altogether boxy. For me. 2 or 3. it appears to add “bounce” and “liveliness” to patches which were not really convincing before its use. PPS: in “Line/PA” mode. dark and harsh). Ho. which mimics the response of a Celestion G12 speaker… You have 9 cab options. 1. The placement of the effect is also crucial! The effect must be placed immediately after the Preamp to make this thing really shine. Use the Dual L/R Delay and place it directly after the Tone Modify. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 39 of 96 . you can even push all the tone controls full up. And I don’t understand why it should be a problem. since you can add the “missing” extreme frequencies with any PA system… TONE MODIFY IN STEREO? The Resonators will “sum” a Stereo L/R Preamp. For any of you Recto Fans. use the 4x12 or 8x12 variation: in this case. not to mention the original models (which you can also make richer with the Resonators: see the factory patches 362 and 36-3). the extreme low and high freq have been attenuated : to my ears. Is it to say that this cab sim is inferior to the same in the GT-8? IMO. 1) THE 8x12 CAB: YES. with more natural… I had always found the GT-8 a little too “synthetic” in this area. As the Resonator has a flat response in the extreme low and high freq. level modified to preserve the original volume. resonance higher than 70. Set both Delay Feedback to 0 Set both Delay Level to 100 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. it is much less complex that the old cab of the GT-8. watch the chain placement! If not placed immediately after the preamp. Yes. 2) The response of the Fender models… No guts? Here also. The TONE MODIFY is an effect which can make a sound “come to life” or make a good sound great. you have three resonators. Why? Because THE COMPLEXITY OF A REAL CAB HAS TO BE REPRODUCED BY THE USE OF A RESONATOR :in other words. Once again. 3).. the second one add a resonant freq around 80 or 90 Hz (like in the Fender cabs). It works best on the Single or Dual Mono although I find it a little muddy on the Dual Mono. with the 46 preamps). PS: why did Boss separate the cab sims and the Resonators? Because it allows to reproduce the character of a speaker even when don’t use the cab sim!!! If you play with a guitar amp and an output option other than “Line/PA”. if you use an alternative cab (from 1x8 to 8x12) and if you want a SUBTLE tone. If you want to hear the distorted cab of an amp totally cranked up. try the Rect MDN2 Preamp and follow it with the TM and use Resonator 1 with a boost in the low of about 15 and 25 in the high. you will no get the proper results. If you want to reproduce the sound of a Plexi whose power section is not full up.THE SECRET WEAPON WHAT IS IT? For those of you not familiar with the TONE MODIFY effect. 2 and 3) are simply brilliant. the third one has a higher resonant freq. Each peak and dip has disappeared in the audio spectrum.
Feedback at 30. Lately we’ve come across a new and very effective tone shaping effect which can significantly alter the low end character of a preamp/cabinet combination. For the sake of reference.. without any character. There’s always the suggestions for using simple EQ to bring out a better low end. Work your arpeggios and whistle “It doesn’t matter”.. and then add FX2:Tone Modify Resonator# right after it.and it sounds way huge (but I seem to be a delay junkie).. VS the EMG circuit. Settings As already stated. 20 works well. a Resonator should be placed just after the preamp but before the EQ and Noise Gate. Here are a few of my findings. VS the Resonators! (ed. Simply. I’ve done some analysis of what the Tone Modify: Resonator settings actually do to the tone of a cabinet model within the GT-8..which amps work with it?) TIGHT (for speed metal tones? funk?) MILD rolls off the high after 2 or 2.. making it feel more powerful and distinct.VS = as opposed to) Use FX1:Tone Modify FAT after the preamp.. say. A Resonance setting of 70 or more seems to give a good result (see the patch 36-3). I note that with the 4CM. Jimi with his curly cables)? Want the tone of Hank Marvin with his 30 feet cable which Eq’d his guitar? Use a standard short cable and say “MILD”. This is by itself. I haven’t checked it but it could reproduce the FX of the global “input presence” setting: it would allow to use. without the tweak TeeJay suggested. that doesn’t always “do the trick”. the FX’s mentioned above are designed to be used between the guitar and the preamp. um...however. If you still need Delay for Soloing etc. odd. To approximate the EVM12L’s: Raise the Highs to +30 and lower the Level. The GT-8’s Tone Modify: Resonator feature is a flexible. but it is. powerful way to further shape your custom tone patches. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 40 of 96 . use the Sub Delay in the FX2 bank. Not sure exactly what I’ve created here. it helps me to make the clean channel of my Marshall sound a bit like the bright channel of a Plexi.perhaps for a piezo acoustic with no preamp?) MILD (for overly bright single coil guitars?) ENHANCE (yuck .. PRESENCE (too shrill in almost all cases .2 kHz like a high capacitance cable: Want the stage tone of a 70’s hero (say.. the 4x12 without TM is what it’s supposed to be: a GENERIC cab.. able to be used after any amp! A detail forgotten: for me.. It’s not to say that it works EXACTLY like that: it creates a mid scoop at an higher frequency and don’t add no bass..... I note also that through this FX. and the other thin) and just tap on the TM that you need on the fly. <. a Variax without any change in the global settings! TIGHT gradually cuts off the bass below 350 Hz or so. Effect Level at 30. To approximate the J12Q: Raise the Bass around +25.. I don’t think the result it true stereo.. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. the possibilities are vast. ENHANCE mimics a bit the EGX pot of EMG. Now. raise the Highs around +40 to +50. To IMO.makes everything hissy ... Add some bite and big bottom all at the same time. The use that you mention seem the goal of this software. the other settings: PRESENCE adds 10 db after 2500 Hz. a passive pickup filtered by the ENHANCE gives something like these sparkle tones obtained with an EMG kit. my Les Paul sounds more like a SG or other light weight mahogany Gibson. lower the Level as above. With the ability to completely manipulate the FX Chain in the GT-8.. Tone Modify (or “TM”) is located in both the FX1 and FX2 Effect pedals/components (Resonators are only a few of the many types of TMs). in order to keep the same volume with the TM Effect on or off.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Set Direct Level to 0 Set D1 Time to 0 Set D2 Time to whatever you want. It does do something interesting to the signal. but I added stereo delay with the TM. Also try the FX1:Tone Modify with mild or Presence. Plus you could set it up for two different guitars (one dark. THE RESONATOR Over at the BossGTCentral forums we see a lot of questions about shaping preamp tones..-8….
BOSS GT-8 TIPS, HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS
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BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE…! With the Fat setting IMO, nevertheless, this with.
BOSS GT-8 TIPS, HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS
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it forces any virtual amp + cab sim to react more like the real preamp of an amp. and that's it. some compression (I keep the level to 40 or below to retain dynamics) & EQ on all patches (For low Mids & high Mids I like f=315hz & q=2 for Strats.3 kHz (5 kHz works for me) Q = 16 (you can try lowering this but higher values will be more precise) Set it to around -10 dB or whatever works for you. then you change guitars and hit CTL . I'd go with separate patches.. set either the Lo-Mid or Hi-Mid band as follows: Frequency = 5 or 6.boosting the Mids can make the sound muddy.-the GT8 has naturally much Mids (like other Boss modellers). I play SCN noiseless a lot so some of this may apply to your Lace's as well. name the patches [SG]patchname / [Strat]patchname / etc. Also I think the 1-2k range is what the human ear is tuned to most sensitively so too much in that range can start to fatigue the ear as well. That’s why Boss manuals often recommend to max out the Mids and to diminish the high/bass ranges. Instead. That also what “Armin’s DI” EQ settings do for the Vetta. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. BOOSTING MIDS With cab sims. a possible trick is to boost the Mids: it avoids to obtain twice the same scooped and strangled curve (one coming from your modeller. for example: they enhance the midrange. For output select (into a tube amp in my case) I like "combo return". EQ FOR DIFFERENT GUITARS You could assign the EQ or Sub EQ to CTL or CTL 1/2 and use the EQ to make the guitar changes.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE EQ EQ BASICS Learn some basics about EQ and you can overcome tone problems. the "booster" OD (I like "natural" on the Gt-8 even more). 2 and 3 and make it guitar specific. Moreover. I. defeating partially the cab / mic sim effects. get bank 1. it doesn’t restore the extreme low and high frequencies filtered by a cab sim. more natural. the other from your amp). Some "hall" reverb fills things out nicely.E. But. You can also cut bass on amp model and then boost it with EQ after the fact. You might try an EQ (post amp model)and notch by -4dB with a Q of 2 or 4. So. if you use less than 4 patches. STRAT SETTINGS ON THE GT-8 For Strats with the GT-6 I use the "clean twin" amp model. just make sure you do your EQ as the last stage in fine tuning your sound Boominess is caused right around the 150-180hz frequency range.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 44 of 96 . it turns on EQ and the EQ makes up for the volume. it decompresses the tone and makes it warmer. You can boost the 80-120hz (about +2dB) to add thump at the same time. with the high mid level +3db).. I have several reasons to avoid it . bass / treble deficiencies in that patch. make a standard patch for one guitar. when you want to amplify your modeller with a standard guitar amp. Using the GT-8 EQ.
IMO.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE EQ VOLUME ADDS PUNCH Has anyone noticed that changing tone and or volume with EQ in a patch has less effect on Output level than it seems to have on volume of the patch? It seems if I’m getting clipping on a patch. bass. try for balance with the GT-8. others won’t..frankly I am getting the best tones I’ve ever had in my 24 years of playing acoustic and electric guitar with the GT-8 and my FRFR amp. FULLER. If you are not afraid by strange sounds. It works wonders for getting a richer. Don’t go crazy with the knobs too much.100 ALWAYS! Like I’ve heard someone else say before. Try setting some pitch shifter without actually altering the pitch. Regarding the delays. but if you do it right they all will sound 100% better and you won’t have to do it again. I feel that if you approach it with an open mind though and actually give these things a try it will definitely help. set a dynamic mic on one side.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 45 of 96 . etc.located on the back of GT-8 looking upside down at it set to 1 or 2 o’clock.. Experiment.-5> (that’s negative 5) MID . you can use the "hold" FX. nevertheless: a "dual" sound can also be thinner. is provided in "PAN" mode. I want you guys to get it also.. otherwise you probably won’t get the sound you are after unless you get lucky. a condenser on the other. your tone can seem good or very nasal/honky with a single millisecond of difference. Use the "tap" tempo live.50% THEN adjust accordingly for each patch once you get close to the sound you want. Beware. LOW. GLOBAL EQ These are things that I learned by actually trying them and then comparing the overall sound to see what works best for me. or the same one with two different EQ's. THICKER SOUNDS WITH EQ One simple trick is to choose two different settings in the recommended dual preamp mode: select two preamp models. I learnt this from Teejay's wylde about zakk patch. Open it up and check the settings out.. I can dial down the pre-amp level and/or gain and bump up the corresponding EQ level and get more volume and “punch-through” at a lower output level (and therefore less clipping). Remember to try the EZ Tones & Quick Settings page 24 in the manual. etc. The fuller sound. The "Warp" mode is maybe more satisfying. If you use the NS set it very low or it will kill your sustain.. Use the dual l/r . I’ve only tried this on a couple of high treble patches. LINE/PHONES. Set your mode to dual L/R so that you can get that massive sound you are desperately wanting. Try using the following settings on Global EQ page 69 in the manual. I personally find the "Hold" mode rather difficult to use.. Global EQ affects all the patches after you adjust it. more full sounding tone.. These settings that I have below for the GLOBAL EQ are what works best for me.7 to 9 23_ BOSS GT-8 TIPS. a sort of sustainer which provides in fact a synthetic tone : I've a patch where my sub exp pedal activates this FX and I can add my solo parts.that makes it sound like 2 guitars with a little delay . if the frequencies cancel each other. A dual delay with two different time settings seems also something which works well. OUTPUT SELECT: LINE/PHONES. LINE/PHONES OUTPUT SELECT KNOB. Then use the Tone Modify located in the FX1 section of the GT8. and might even help out a few others on getting rid of the dreaded FIZZ!. some will. Mids. PATCH LEVEL . presence EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! GT-8 EQ KNOBS .sounds very full. Assuming that you are using LINE/PHONES as the output select and since you said that everything does not have a lot of clarity or is muddy sounding I will also assume that you need a GLOBAL EQ adjustment big-time. Same thing with the pre-delay: depending on the preamps chosen.250HZ’s HIGH .
7db 4 = 9. but it needs more tweaking. At low volumes boost them.8db 2 = 3. Parametric EQ is extremely useful for dealing with very specific frequency ranges and is used all the time in recording. Then switch it off when playing LOUD.6db 3 = 8. it should work as a ‘loudness’ button does on a stereo. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 46 of 96 . that’s pretty much what I did =P. the simplest way to deal with Fletcher Munson is to just use the Global High and Low EQ. I’m still searching for that extra crunch. BEFORE the amp or dist. Frequency (or Centre) = CENTER FREQUENCY The middle of the frequency range that is to be affected.. If playing at lower volumes then switch this EQ back on..5) in the mid range (500 to 1000 Hz) and BOOST this range of 6db or more.. cutting rather than boosting to avoid getting unwanted clipping. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. and at high volume cut them.. I have a “loudness button” EQ that can be used while building patches.I'm just giving you a hypothetical case). BIG SOUND. A low Q means that a wide band centred on your frequency is effected by a amplitude change. Example: Setting the Centre Frequency to 800Hz with a Q of 2 will affect the frequency range of 600Hz-1000Hz (1KHz). 1 = 150Hz +12.3kHz +12. The result is a bell-shaped curve with your Centre Frequency at the exact middle of the highest (boost) or lowest (cut) point in the curve. I had to lower it all the way to 1 (default was 6) to get any improvement. rather than applying the EQ to a patch that was built for low volume. depending on your tastes). I got good results by adjusting the global eq. A high Q means the band effected is smaller. FREQUENCIES AND Q To obtain a big distorted sound you can use a double EQing. (not exact . completely blew me away after a bit of tweaking.0kHz +7. I need to cut some more Mids out of the mix though to get the crunch I want.95kHz -3. The Q will affect the frequencies above and below the Centre Frequency symmetrically. Apply the EQ to a patch that is built for high volume then remove the EQ for gigging. So.6db This is useful while building patches at low volume..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE COMPENSATING FOR THE FLETCHER MUNSON EFFECT I think with the GT8.whether boosting or cutting the selected frequency range. : Yeah. WHAT THE F IS Q? The Q is the width of the area centred around the frequency you are adjusting (inversely proportional to the Q value). The more you boost the level. a high Q setting (like 16 or 32) is very NARROW and only affects a small range of frequencies.. Level = AMOUNT Adjustment to the level (volume) of dB . use another EQ with a low Q (0. That’s it.5 or 1) and SCOOP of 6db or more a mid range around 1000 Hz (could go from 800 to 1600. put an EQ with a low Q (0. Narrow Q is useful for notching (small cuts) or bumping (small boosts) to the target frequencies. and I may have found it.. Q= BANDWIDTH As Matt pointed out. the more pronounced the bell curve will be (if you have a visual interface to see it).. AFTER your amp. Once the patch is built you play it at volume without this EQ applied.
then I go back in my patch EQ and boost at 2. but shortly. q:8. this is how I cut through the mix hi : -2db hi cut @ 6000hz this is crucial for eliminating fizz when not using the cab sims.meat of the vocal 1600hz .warmth of the vocal 350hz .0. EQ AND LOOP/4CM I run in 4CM with my Marshall tube combo and obtain great results.09 ---------. +8db. Maybe you can’t use a frequency analyser as I do but you can always trust your ears. bandwidth)) / (power(2.body of the snare 1400hz .brightness on vocal 12000hz . or narrower bandwidths (octave ranges).sizzle of the cymbals 8000hz .since I cut lows @ 110hz I boost my low band by 4-5db which brings up the upper bass (110-150hz) in the guitar so it still sounds fat without muddying up the overall mix low-mid @ 630hz.36 ---------. which is why I notch there.body of the bass 500hz .2 0. that’s what I got.bottom of the guitar 250hz .18 ---------. I recommend not using the cab sims when using an actual guitar cabinet as this is somewhat redundant and leads to odd notching and boosting of frequencies which yields a very unnatural sounding guitar tone. For all those that enjoy math.72 ---------. I was getting this horrendous grainy fizz in the 5k zone.bang of the snare 400hz .ping of ride cymbal 1000hz .8 0.brightness on snare and cymbals 10000hz . It is explained at the manual. I knew it represents how larger is the area affected by the equalization. It means lower Q levels are much more effective than higher ones. bandwidth) . higher Q levels mean narrower areas. gets rid of boxy sound quality.16 EQ SUGGESTION Here’s what I use: schecter 006 elite > gt-8 > ampeg reverberocket 2x12 (poweramp) output select : combo return.4 0. after researching around.54 ---------.ring of ride cymbal/top end of bass 6000hz .snap of the kick/pick on guitar (attack) 2500hz . Well. but I didn’t know exactly how it works.presence of the vocal 4000hz .clang of the cymbals 800hz .air on cymbals I was just wondering about that ‘Q factor’ of the GT-8 parametric equalizer. I calculated all the bandwidths available with the parametric EQ of the GT-8: Bandwidth --. the relationship between the bandwidth and the Q factor is given by the formula: Q = sqrt(power(2. mid EQ @ 5000hz. 80hz . -8db (helps control harsh fizz) then in my patch eq: low cut @ 110hz (it will keep your bass player happy) low . I love parametric’s.thump of the kick 200hz . the “scooped out” tone which I think you are talking about generally comes from cutting at like 600-800hz which is usually around where your amps midrange knob operates.1 0. since I’m using the midband to cut at 5k it’s really operating like a presence control. q:1. My advice: BOSS GT-8 TIPS.5khz with the lowest Q which brings out all the Mids in my tone.5 1. -10db. opens up the sound hi-mid @ 2500hz. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 47 of 96 .meat of the guitar 1200hz .39 ---------.rumble of the bass 100hz .sizzle of the high hat 7000hz .Q 2. The trick is to find an overall response which suits to your amp.top end of the kick 9000hz .1) With this formula.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE).wires and snap of snare 3000hz .air on vocal 14000hz . First of all.clang of the high hat 600hz .
Always remember that with eq. The best thing to do is to use the EQ’s to pare back some of the higher frequency content prior to the gain stages and then EQ your distorted sound after the fact. A lot of the cause of this is going too hard with the gains in the distortion sims and the tone controls on certain amp sims. and not too hard to fix.. There’s no right or wrong way.EQing them before it hits the Preamp can help give you a better canvas for getting good tone.. the only exception is when dd has already been introduced.filtering some frequencies out might mask it to a degree. Choose the JC120 output or small amp/combo amp/stack amp output options. Use an EQ after the preamps of the GT to roll off the extreme high frequencies: I use the high cut filter around 6khz then I boost the high range (+9db with my amp) to retain a good presence.. Etc. None of this is groundbreaking stuff. your EQ is postFX loop. I must precise that my explanations about output options and EQing are not about 4CM but about the way to obtain a good tone from the preamps of the GT-8 through the loop in fact.. stack return or even Line/PA output options. just placing a single EQ after the Preamp. You see. tweak its tone pots (I mean: those of the amp). just stuff that I feel often gets overlooked. as I know the GT-8 is capable of it. Once you’ve got dd in your signal nothing will completely get rid of it. you can “fine tune” the EQing.. get very comfortable with parametric EQ’s because they can serve you very well if you know how to operate them. will affect the way the overall Amp sounds. but it will always be there). This method will allow you to tweak the sound of your actual guitar before it gets processed by your amp. If the EQ of your amp has no effect on the tone of the GT. What ends up happening is that higher harmonics keep getting added to the signal (this is what distortion is all about after all is said and done). I think a lot of guys (and gals) just turn on the EQ and expect miracles. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. then if you like. I have my sound Eq’d within an inch of it’s life on my GT-8. I cut certain Mids and then go back and boost them from a different frequency at a different q.. and it always is easier to filter out a frequency range that is there than to try to add something that isn’t there in the first place (this is mostly true. combo return. For example. EQ PLACEMENT AND DIGITAL DISTORTION I read a lot of posts of people struggling to get great tone and this surprises me greatly. but you wouldn’t guess from listening to my setup because it just sounds like a good. You can fix minor pickup issues. place a Sub EQ after the Preamp to tweak the entire sound overall.. your power tubes won’t be happy: scoop the mid-range with a low “Q” factor and you’ll hear a clearer tone.. EQ will have a different affect on your overall sound depending on where you use it. and I cut my bass at 110hz and then go back and boost my low frequencies to boost the upper bass so my guitar still sounds full without interfering too much with the bass players zone in the mix. What’s tough is the subtler varieties that may only manifest themselves in very specific higher frequency bands. Lets say you place your EQ directly after your guitar but before the Amp. Take for example the much maligned Metal Zone Sim.. This will give you extra fine tuning of the actual tone controls of the Amp.e. i. You can fine tune the sound of the distortion before it gets processed. This done. whether they be a little bassy or muddy. Similarly. As I’ve mentioned in other posts. Experiment with placement within the FX Chain. ALL is in the EQing with the GT-8 through tube amps! Reading my own post.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Try to see if the EQ of your amp is “pre” or “post” preamp: when you inject a preamp from the GT-8 in the FX return of your amp.. IMO. many of my patches are set to disable the loop and enable the onboard preamps of the GT or the contrary: and with the tricks explained in my last post. and diminish for example the frequencies which could create a “mid notching” (the speakers having often several prominent frequencies in standard guitar amps). the preamps of the GT sound as good as the real tube preamp of my Marshall! I agree with this man. choose between JC120 return. make sure you lower the overall level in the EQ module by a few db if it starts to clip. Now you end up with nasty sounding and unharmonic digital distortion when all you wanted was some nice sounding harmonic distortion. a little goes a long way. I don’t find it so clear: sorry. but just have a think about what it is about your sound that you are trying to EQ.EQ Placement. PS: if you do a lot of boosting of frequencies in EQ. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 48 of 96 . if you run through the EQ’s I have set up. The EQ is to use too if your FX’s distort. if you don’t scoop the Mids with an Harmonizer. until some calculation in the GT-8 is driven to its digital limit. In this case. If it modifies the sound from the GT-8. natural guitar tone. every speaker or cab that you run the GT-8 through is going to react slightly differently so you will have to experiment with it a LOT. So I have decided to talk a little about a commonly overlooked fundamental . It seems that some of you may be blindly trying to EQ great tone without really knowing what you are doing. Placing it after the Distortion but before the Preamp will allow you to fine tune your Distortion before it hits your Amp. and you’ll end up with a more calculated result. its tone stack is “pre” loop. blatant DD is easy to spot.
but this does impart a good feel to the patch. of course the GT-8 only has an Attack parameter. For Guitar. Definitely a good trick to keep in mind if you’re struggling with a fizzy patch. I still find that this EQ setting removes much of the highs in the sound (basically putting a second blanket on the one that is already there ). but distortion is a by-product of this. If not set properly. that part I don’t think EQing can achieve. You also stress the calculation limits of the GT-8 to a greater degree. These parameters affect how fast or slow the compression is applied to the signal. I don’t know if it has the same effect as an HC (still haven’t tried one yet). without killing the top end. I generally set a slow Attack but with a fast Release. FWIW . thereby reducing the likelihood of digital distortion. that sometimes. so if you are experiencing distortion from an unknown source.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE When you boost a range of frequencies. EQING TO MIMIC AN HARMONIC CONVERGER Here is an EQ setting which is similar to what the HC does.I was running my GT8 into the FX Loop of a Crate PowerBlock & 1x12 cabinet with Output Setting to COMBO RETURN.. digital clipping can be caused by incorrect Attack and Release values when using a Compressor. Attack affects the start of the signal and Release refers to the end of the signal.Q: 2 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Actually. Although this improves the sound significantly. so adjust them accordingly. It doesn’t change the fundamental tone of the patch. OR I read a posting about some useful EQ settings that mimic the HC in order to improve the sound and decrease "fizz". because the Comp is keeping the actual output gain under control. Now. then you boost every part of your signal that might be in that range including any noise or equipment based “artefacts”. Also built the patches at a moderate volume (you’d have to holler to talk over me). You also take some of the stress off of the calculation limits of the GT-8. This is best used as a Sub EQ in FX1. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 49 of 96 . This is a personal taste thing for me so you may want to experiment with settings that you like. you may experience what is known as ‘pumping’ which is an unnatural swelling of your signal. Unwanted distortion may result if set too low. thereby raising the likelihood of digital distortion rearing its ugly head. then you cut every part of your signal that might be in that range including any noise or equipment based “artefacts”. it will not put the “life” and tube-iness that the HC gives into your tone. Sometimes this type of distortion isn’t reflected when checking the meters. look at your Comp settings. to free your main EQ for whatever. Experiment with these controls to get the most natural response. I put the EQ immediately after the Preamp & Loop. I have stored it in my User Quick Settings (a highly underestimated feature of the GT!): Low Cut: Flat Low EQ: -2dB Low Middle: . and shaves off a lot of fizz issues. When you cut a range of frequencies. so here is an EQ setting that I frequently use. whilst we’re on the subject of digital distortion.Frequency: 250Hz . it’s come to my attention in the past and you’ve just reminded me to make mention of it. However. I also applied it to a cleaner Fender-ish patch and liked the results.
EQ: +4dB High Middle: .Q: 4 .30kHz .BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE . HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 50 of 96 .Frequency: 6.30kHz cut will remove harshness (which we do not like at all!). BOSS GT-8 TIPS.EQ: -11dB High EQ: 0dB High Cut: Flat Level: 0dB The rationale behind these settings is that boosting 250Hz will increase warmth (which we like from tubes!) and the 6.
5. These are things that I learned by actually trying them and then comparing the overall sound to see what works best for me. hi-mid = 8. The mid parameter can be used to dig the mid range around 1. Be careful with the settings.6 kHz (-10db) OR to boost the upper Mids/ high ranges: 2. What do you think of it? I’m also experimenting with the AC sims (FX2) as a tone shaper post preamp with its treble on +50 and before the EQ setting above. ANTI HIGH GAIN FIZZ Another approach to mitigate harsh fizz on high gain distortions is to use one of the EQ’s to effectively notch the 5kHz area by about -4dB to -6dB. It will get rid of the offensive fizz/buzz for the most part.5. I want you guys to get it also.50% THEN adjust accordingly for each patch once you get close to the sound you want.00 kHz (+10 db).100 ALWAYS! Like I’ve heard someone else say before. PATCH LEVEL . it can give a “boxy” tone. high-cut = 11 kHz. level = flat. It seems to enhance the “cabinet” character of speaker sims (here replaced by the “body” factor of the guitar sim).located on the back of GT8 looking upside down at it set to 1 or 2 o’clock. Works well with my mixer and AKG headphones.. on the other hand. First I just want to say that I am not the most knowledgeable person on this board and even the newb’s can surprise me from time to time with knowledge.25 or 1. 1. bass.frankly I am getting the best tones I’ve ever had in my 24 years of playing acoustic and electric guitar with the GT8 and my FRFR amp. high = flat. These settings that I have below for the GLOBAL EQ are what works best for me. Q = 16. try for balance with the GT8. LINE/PHONES OUTPUT SELECT KNOB. You want to get a great sound or tone from your GT8 and you keep getting that dreaded fizzy crapola. bass-cut = flat. mid= -18 db.. lo-mid = 6.00. presence EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! GT8 EQ KNOBS . LINE/PHONES. You can also do this with any high gain preamp. some will. must obviously be located just after the preamp. 3. I’ve played mostly with my headphones and found a post-preamp EQ setting which seems interesting to me as a “fizzwall”: bass = flat.15. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 51 of 96 . mid = -18 db. I feel that if you approach it with an open mind though and actually give these things a try it will definitely help. others won’t. it gives a surprising tone. Q = 16. Mids.5kHz area and Q (use 8 or 16 I believe). 4.00.00 kHz. Don’t go crazy with the knobs too much. Place the EQ immediately after the OD.. otherwise you probably won’t get the sound you are after unless you get lucky. more alive than just a high cut filter because more subtle (same sharp dips than in a real miked cab). of course.3 kHz. You may want to boost the high shelf by +2dB to compensate beyond the 5.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE #&!@)#* FIZZ! ANTI FIZZ EQ FOR PREAMPS These last days. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. OUTPUT SELECT: LINE/PHONES.
Play around with making your own cab sims. a notch at 5. the GT-6 and older GT models required that you set the amp tone controls like you would on the actual amp. Make adjustments after that accordingly.. It allows you to adjust the high and low characteristics of the cab. Example: To get a great clean tone with the Fender Twin on the GT-6. Fizz can also be caused by the following: Too much distortion Too much bass Too much Treble all of the above Try for balance on your patch/patches.. However. Make sure that your output level knob located on the back of the GT-8 is just past the half way mark.. IIRC.. Keep up the good work! PRESET FIZZ I’m sure a lot of you have noticed that on a lot of the factory preset patches that there seems to be too much treble or higher frequencies for that matter. mid. for example try setting the distortion/od at 50% play it a little and see if it helps or not then adjust a little more or a little less then move on to the next thing.. But when running direct through the PA. 11.yet on the GT-8. Also if you are noticing that your patches are sounding too bassy go to the global EQ and adjust the bass to about half of what it is set at and then see how it sounds to you. 50-50-50 is the sound we expect. This is mainly for the higher gain & crunch patches. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. bass. By simply turning down the presence to around 10 or even all the way to zero it can help get rid of the fizziness and help the patch sound more realistic. One thing you can try is lower the preamp level to 40 or lower just to make sure its not clipping.. and choose speaker size from 8 to 15 inches (even weird sizes like 9. It appears that Boss has decided to recalibrate their amp EQS to where 50-50-50 is the classic tone we expect. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 52 of 96 . presence etc. If you can try adjusting or making a patch at or near band/gig level because a lot of times when a patch is created it sounds great at lower volume and not so good at higher volumes..3Khz seemed to work on several patches (XTL). you would probably set the Bass-Mid-Treble to 65-60-75 (like on a real Twin) . regardless of how it may have been achieved on the real amp being modelled (the old marshalls were usually “everything on 10”!) This is giving me much food for thought concerning my initial disappointments with the GT-8 Amps. On your EQ on your amp make sure that everything is set at 50%>treble. Also if you use the 90% mic and 10% direct in the preamp section can cause some fizz. I love all the factory preset patches through my headphones..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE You point out that the Amp tone settings are usually best at 50% across the board. Note that most presets have too much gain as well.QUICK FIXES Try turning down the gain a little at a time and see if that helps. the patches that involve overdrive or distortion sound different They have what I would describe as a 'sizzle'.something in the 5Khz to 6Khz range. 13.. choose 1-8 speakers. and I believe that is true. I don't hear that on any other patches except the ones with overdrive or distortion Cut a frequency . FIZZ . and 14 inch speakers). IMO. I'm pretty well convinced that most people who write off the GT8's amp models do not even look at the speaker sims and do not even think about making their own. SPEAKER SIM FIZZ Some of the cab sims add a lot of high end boost to the output so just make sure to check your output level.. It seems like you've got a good start with playing around with them though. select open or closed back. Every sound is useable. I use that setup on most but if it gets fizzy sounding I revert to 100% mic and 0 direct Custom speaker sims.
I bet your tone will start to be more distinct and you’ll still have the effects coming through. It also depends on how many other instruments you are playing along with. The room will provide it. Rule #3: The PRE effects go before the preamp Certain types of effects work best up front in the FX chain. Either way – find a reasonable balance. you will often find you disappear completely. the better you will be able to break out of the traditional box and move into new sonic territory. PRE Noise Gate Some pickups (like traditional single coils on a Strat) are as noisy as can be.in almost every case. always refer back to Rule #1! The more you understand about an effect and how it works with your tone. A noise gate will give you much more control by squelching out noise below a certain threshold you set. effect and overall character you are looking for then use the effect that way. You can always place these in a different order to achieve a different type of effect. How much you reduce your effects really depends on the room you’re playing. less equals more I have mentioned this before in other articles. the more there are – the less effect you should use.g. and dampeners on the walls (like heavy drapes) might require bumping your effects a little more… you’ll have to do some sound checks and experiment. So the next time you are having a hard time hearing yourself in a mix or on stage: If you are using effects heavily – turn the effect level/mix down by 50%. For example. Likewise. Eric Johnson. Simply put. Lots of players have signature tones built around having specific effects in a certain order and tweaked in a particular way (e. chairs. some players generate a lot of finger-to-string noise. If it is just you. but this article should clear up any initial confusion and give you a good place to start from. Rule #2: Effect Levels . David Gilmour. 1. Rule #1: There are no rules – just good guidelines Might as well tell you right up front: All of the stuff I’m about to get into is really just basic guidelines and traditional effect placements. You don’t usually want that to get into your signal chain. If you are completely new to effects placement then I recommend you start with the following suggestions as a foundation. Why? The more effects you have swirling and echoing around in your tone. the more washed out (less distinct) you’ll be in the mix… in fact. a bassist. Here is a suggested order for PRE effects. the effects are moving your guitar tone into the frequencies of other instruments and all sorts of bad mojo happens. All of these things can cause hum/hiss/noise. There are always exceptions and alternative ways to set things up. Another problem is when playing near electronic devices like PC monitors and fluorescent lighting.I’m going to layout some general rules for each main type of effect.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE FX EFFECT CHAIN ORDER There are frequent posts related to “where do I put [InsertEffectNameHere] in my FX chain?” So in the interest of helping to answer those questions . Steve Vai. and a vocalist then you can take a lot more liberty because you are unlikely to mud out. a drummer. Don’t let these ideas and comments lock you into some box either! If you find using an effect in a different placement/order sounds better for what you are playing – always. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. but it bears repeating right here: Don’t add too much of. flat surfaces) then you aren’t going to need much reverb at all. YMMV – remember Rule #1. or too many effects to your basic tone. The only real rule is: If the effect(s) placement achieves the tone. There is no hard and fast law on these but there is a little logic behind these traditional placements. A darker room with lots of carpet. before going into your amplifier (thus “PRE” effects). and even SRV). Tone and effects boil down to personal preferences. if you are in a room that is very reflective (lots of hard. always. Be conservative and use subtle settings as noise gate effects can kill softer playing styles. Once you learn how room dynamics affect your effects and tone – you’ll be able to dial things in and tweak them accordingly. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 53 of 96 . Generally speaking.
Pitch Shifter/Whammy/Bender Here we have pretty much the same logic as the Wah. This can sound like a warbly mess. or reverb effects. Many will use an EQ right after the distortion/overdrive effect in order to shape the tone or tighten it up. some of these can be used effectively up in front of the preamp. You can put a POST EQ pretty much anywhere you want in the POST section of the FX chain. I personally favour keeping these up in the PRE section. The overdrive effect is used to push your guitar amp’s tubes (or circuitry) into a thick saturated crunch. and sometimes saturation.). This has a different sound than just scooping the Mids on the preamp itself.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE 2. POST Noise Gate As with the PRE noise gate… one in the FX Loop can help control problems that are injected by previous effects and/or the amp itself. Be careful with it because it can make your tone plunky and squished. Parallel FX Loops allow you to dial in the level of the FX Loop signal (0%-100%) that is mixed with your preamp’s signal (the FX Loop is processed along with the original preamp signal as separate signal paths). level. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Rarely (if ever) will you put a distortion/overdrive pedal in the POST section of the FX chain. be sure to run your amplifier on a reasonably clean. Use it as needed. It can really go just about anywhere in the PRE effects chain. not good (unless you are aiming for that!). A noise gate will mitigate this problem. Compressors/Limiters This type of effect typically evens out the signal coming in from the guitar. you can insert an equalizer or other tone shaping effect (like BBE Sonic Maximizer) right after the preamp. A good rule of thumb is to use as little noise gate as possible – but as much as necessary. 4. In order to use POST effects after your preamp your amplifier will need to have an Effects Loop (FX Loop). POST Equalizer/Tone Modification-Shaper As with the PRE EQ. 2. Too much noise gate will cut your signal off harshly at lower playing volumes. If you don’t have the luxury of an FX Loop on your amplifier then you can simply use the POST effects in order after the PRE effects as mentioned above. In this scenario. This is also a good spot to use the EQ for a solo boost. Wah Wah/Auto-Wah Wah’s are effective in a few different places in your FX chain. 7. It is usually used to boost sustain. Note: High Gain amps can introduce a lot of hiss/hum/noise into your signal. The distortion effect is intended to add a more intense. Overdrive/Distortion/Booster Next we have what could probably be called the most used set of effects ever. As a rule you will have the most success using them after it. Sometimes players will use an overdrive effect followed by a distortion effect (two separate pedals) in order to have a versatile set of crunches and a lead boost on demand. These effects typically work best if you use them after the main preamp section of your FX chain. You can also stick the Wah in the POST section of the FX chain. 3. Pickup simulation/Acoustic processors It makes sense that you would want any significant change to the character of your guitar pickups to happen first – before anything else happens to the tone. There are a couple of types of FX Loops: Parallel and Series. time. The effect is very dramatic that way (everything including the basic preamp tone is mutated through the Wah’s sweep). 6. Some professional players will boost the preamp Mids and then scoop them a bit after the preamp for a very modern-esque distortion tone. 5. This will give you lots of control over how the body and/or distortion of the tone sounds before it hits any modulation. The POST effects go after the preamp via an FX Loop (or post processing after recording). PRE Equalizer It is sometimes useful to adjust the EQ of your basic guitar tone before anything else by using a standard graphic or parametric EQ pedal. neutral setting for best results. Traditionally this effect goes in front of the Overdrive/Distortion effect – however some famous axe-ologists have used it after the distortion stompbox to great effect. The idea is to affect the basic guitar tone before it is fed into distortion or other devices.. Here is the suggested order for POST preamp effects (after your preamp): 1. The PRE EQ can be used as a lead boost too. Like the PRE effects.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 54 of 96 . gainy crunch to your signal before going into your amplifier.
There are tons of different types of reverb that basically simulate being in a certain type of room. You can find 50 flavours of phase. but I find them most usable here in the POST section. placing an OD after the Preamp will result in a “can of wasps” type sound. slower speeds can get all kinda psychedelic. use Reverb before your overdrive or distortion in the PRE section… yikes! One note on Delays and Reverbs in a studio/direct recording setting: These will be added after recording the track dry (without them). or fills out a soft.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE 3. usually you want them to be about 25% or less of your original signal level – and set the feedback (number of trails) so that the delay trails off smoothly and doesn’t interfere with chord progressions or melody lines. Similarly. then reverb can help spread your tones a little better. not at all natural. for a traditional type sound should be placed before the OD or Preamp. Using a lot of reverb will make your tones sound far away (sort of like talking in a big. There are sure to be exceptions to the rule – but these are just traditional examples to get you started. This gives the studio mixing gurus much more control over the final product. flange. and everything else in this category of effect. Reverbs are great for direct recording. Turns it into more of an Envelope Filter. Always remember Rule #1! The biggest favour you can do yourself with the GT-8 is learn how the FX Chain works. Suggested Suppressor 9---------Foot volume 10----------Harmonist 11-----------Short Delay 11-----------Vibrato 11-----------2x2 Chorus 11-----------Flanger 11-----------Phaser 11-----------Ring Modulator 12------------Delay 13-------------Chorus 14--------------Slicer 14--------------Tremolo/Pan 15---------------Reverb BOSS GT-8 TIPS. you want to be careful with the levels on your delays/echoes. but it drastically alters the way it sounds. Don’t use too much unless you want to play the old surf-style tunes. or adds dimension to an arpeggio/legato run. clean tone. long. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 55 of 96 . For that matter. It is the order in which effects are linked together that determines how everything sounds. You can place it after. With a fast speed (usually in milliseconds) you can get rockabilly type slapback echo. If you have an acoustically dead room. Reverb probably shouldn’t be used if you are in a room with natural reverb. As with modulation effects. Please go easy on the amount of modulation you use or else you will mud out and disappear in the mix! Of course you can use modulation effects in the PRE section of the FX chain and get some wild effects. There are no absolutes as to which effect to place before the other here – except that you keep them together. You can certainly push the limits though and go nuts here. Why not?! 5. not that you should – but you could. For really trippy effects. Using just a little can add a nice thickness to the tone. You will normally have these in some sequence and then only use one (or at the most two) effect(s) at a time in this category. LFOs. you want to make sure Reverbs and Delays are after the Noise Suppressor or their Repeats and Decays will be unnaturally cut off prematurely. Likewise. Figure out how to shift effects around (it’s not hard once you get into it) and then experiment with different FX orders and you’ll soon get the hang of it. There are many resources here if you do a search. So you can run a Chorus into a Phaser into a Flanger (not that it would sound very good)… or a Tremolo into a Rotary into a Vibrato effect… again. The world of modulation effects is vast and deep. dippin’ and wigglin’ – now is the time for one of my favourite effects… Delays! Effective use of delay really opens up a lead line. Time/Delay/Echo After all of your modulations are swirlin’. tiled room and listening at the other end). There are all kinds of ways to use time based effects. It only takes one badly placed effect to totally stuff up everything. To fend off mass amounts of flame emails – remember Rule #1 here… 4. This is just for starters. That should just about do it for basic effects and where they work best in an FX chain. Modulation/Flanger/Phaser/Rotary/Chorus/etc. The Wah. sometimes they’ll record the guitar track without modulations and add those after the fact… whatever works. Reverbs Reverb should normally go at the tail end of your FX chain.
. Some minor changes but a big difference in an otherwise well organized patch. You get way more difference in tones just after the preamp. Personally. the "Guitar simulator" or "Tone modify" FX's like the "Fat" EQing seem designed to be immediately after the guitar. Yes. I would put the Wah before the OD too. of course.Foot Volume. I usually use a high sustain with a fast attack i. I didn't test them all out but a lot of them you get more flexibility with the effect level if its just after the preamp. I found if you set fx-1 to 'tone modify' you can get an extremely wide sound array from each preamp. Another possibility is to put FX1 in the first position: most of the advanced "compressors". When I use one of the three TM "resonators"... How do you guys get the most from the compressor? I generally place my compressor right after the guitar as well before it hits the other effects. Furthermore. I put it in the beginning of the chain (FX1). When I choose another Tone Modify FX like "fat". PHASING You can simulate unidirectional phasing by assigning the Manual parameter to the Wave Pdl or trigger via the Internal Pedal.Reverb. !-) I always put the wah before the OD too.put a wah behind a delay and compress the hell out of it just to see what it sounds like . For the fx-1 I usually use it for tone modify to spice up the sound and set fx-2 to advanced compressor if I need compressor.voila. 70/10 then check and uncheck the compressor to match levels.Fx-2. "mild". I hardly ever use and pitch or synth effects without one The Saw waveform has a sharper sound and is traditionally used for synth lead sounds.. I had the OD off when I was adjusting that and just using preamp distortion. giving to each of us the freedom to write our FX's chains according to our tastes and needs. I set my sustain and attack then use level to match the level whether the compressor is on or off. "enhance" etc. but it's just me: the main quality of our GT8 is precisely its huge flexibility. every FX available in FX1 can be reproduced with FX2.. If you place certain effects in the chain wrong you can set them on 3 and still hear them too much. Only one tip from me to ADD to everything above Break your old habits .FX1. Flute sounds would probably be best with the Square. As for fx-1 and fx-2 you could place them just about anywhere in the chain depending on what effect you’re using. whereas the Square is a mellow sound. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 56 of 96 .EQ. Sometimes if you don’t execute the note cleanly or if you accidentally fret more than one note.NS.Chorus.Wah.Pre.change your FX chain .try something new on the GT-8 that you’ve never done before . But as for the tone modify it sounds way better to me right after the preamp. reduce the depth of the sweep of the wah and keep it's frequency low and it's a Didgeridoo. so this will allow the effect levels to go from none to full with a wide range.. Try these weird FX Chain settings .use dual l/r amps with pitch shift and massive delay and massive reverb then use EQ to destroy what you’ve just created and see if it sounds any good. Try it out at the start and then just after the preamp. Tracking is the ability for the GT to correctly determine the Pitch that you are playing on the guitar. it will result in the GT not knowing BOSS GT-8 TIPS. You’ll often here this type of waveform in Drum n Bass type music..e. Triggering it with the CTL Pedal (assigned to the Internal Pedal) allows you to specify a start point of your phase and you can get some very interesting results.Wah at end of chain to simulate the sweeping LFO's in dance music. The main issue with the GT Synth is Tracking and Latency.. I found this gave a very audible difference between mic and mic placement and speaker types..use by Playing the riff heel down and fading in the sound as you toe down and click off and hit the riff with full band. Digital out(assigns). I generally set it after the preamp (FX2). Reverse delay before pre-amps set to a couple of millisecs.Delay. SYNTH They track better with the compressor in front. I don't use the loop tab and I figured most use that to route their preamp into the gt8. What I came up with is this:(gt-8 master editor) OD.Comp.Loop.. Ring mod set at 96 on intelligent and slap the strings a la Bass Playing and hey presto an old fashioned telephone ring Slow auto wah after a hold delay and ring mod set to 0.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE OR I was messing around to see where certain parts of the patch should be placed in the chain to get the most variance control when making a new patch.
There are many good clean amp sims in the GT-8 that can be used with the HEAVIER distortion sims.. BOOSTER OD-1 TUBE SCREAMER DRIVE DS RAT DST+ METAL ZONE>Yeah that’s what I said!!!! LEAD LOUD SHARP CUSTOM1.. These are simply suggestions from yours truly and not to be taken as the gospel on the GT-8 distortions/od sims. That’s one way to do it. mid. Guitar Synth into humanizer. try the EZ Tones on some different amp models CLEAN/CRUNCH and in some cases with some of the higher gain models if you like. maybe I should say GRIPES!!!! A lot of us grew up with the stomp boxes from boss. you actually hear it. Turn on the auto-riff effect and assign the phrase control to the expression pedal. It takes a fair amount of processing for the GT to determine the correct pitch and to then convert it to a Synth Wave sound so there is always going to be some latency. Latency is how long after you hit your note. Banks. or even assigned to the expression pedal with the wah. then the left < parameter button it will show user settings. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.expression pedal sweeping through the vowel sound settings 4. OD/DIST It seems that one of the hotter topics around here lately has been the od/distortion sims... bass. MAD FX IDEAS 1. then the Saw. Too bad you can't pitch shift the auto-riff. etc. Expression pedal assigned to control the pitch. nor does an EQ button or too much treble. This was brought up before by one or two people here but it wasn’t in it’s own thread so here it goes.bagpipe-ish kinda sound maybe? 3.. You should be able to sustain a single note from the guitar and shift around with the expression pedal. and there are some good distortion sounds to be found there if you look.or even the internal pedal.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE which note to play and give you a warbly sound. and reading the posts on this website? Just do it. The Brass Waveform is the fastest. Feedbacker on FX1 feeding into the pitch shift on FX2. There are many other parameters in the Synth effect that contribute to how “synthetic” the sound becomes.. FIRST. Simply push the od/distortion sim button. Square and the Bow giving you the slowest attack. EXPERIMENT my fellow GT8’ers The EZ Tones is described on page 24 in your manual. ibanez.2. although different waveforms have more or less attack.. but it’s good fun for a mess around.... Too many to go into depth right now. and aver been disappointed to say the least with a lot of the distortion models in the GT-8.. presence. frequency of the ring modulator linked to input sensitivity. 2. Yes it takes time to do this. then use the Jog Wheel to scroll through them and see how they sound to your ears.3 The key here is to be open minded about these things. Guitar synth into Reso-wah into ring modulator. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 57 of 96 . I’ve heard that before. but how much time have you spent going aimlessly through all of the Patches.. a compressor doesn’t always make everything sound better. Start with the basic sound and build on it.
Set the exp Pedal to change either the humanizer or the Ring Mod to sound like Human / robotic voices.Mod/3.adjust PH to 12 stg/44/70/59/26/off/100/0 FL 40/100/75/100/0/flat/100/0 Assign 1 . Slicer and humanizer run at the same rate on auto . whilst turning on the feedbacker. but what does he use after the whammy part? Its something that slows down so he has got to be using an Expdl .. I was trying to find the sound Joe satriani uses for searching. to my ears anyways..single/1200/60/flat/46/100 Rv . Direct and Effect Level on 100. Try it now.anyway this effect is kinda cool hopefully someone will be able to find some use with it.00/8/50/100 Expdl . Step phaser is cool 6.off FX2 ... 14. parameter ) from 24 to 48.. I sure wish I understood it more. Slow gear + harmonizer 10. 11... 16. Ring mod with the freq on a WAVE = MAD 7. so that the reso wah stays toe down until I hit the control switch and then sweeps up.. COMPRESSION Compression is such a whacky thing to wrap your head around... of the phaser's sweep. Momentary turn on the FX2 for the autoriff to make the intro to Mission Impossible.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE 5. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . 19. but since I got my synth I've been using that. 18.. Reso Wah + Phaser 9. I was using the searching patch which is pretty cool in itself and have the whammy set up on it. Make the reverb get bigger ( more time and less density ) whilst reducing the distortion to sound like the guitar and therefore the listener has moved into a bigger room and someone has shut the goddamn door. I added an internal pedal control to the 'space synth' patch. Turn on the Auto-Wah to a slow sweep and the octave effect to sound like a didgeridoo. Use a CTL pedal or similar SUbctl etc to momentarily turn on the effect ( normal instead of toggle ) ZZZZZSSSHHH radio tuning problems when you need them as an effect.. Reverse delay at 120 level and 120ms and no direct at the start of a chain ??? 8. Try changing the speed of a phaser and changing the range...sweep slowly with an intelligent Ring Mod after the pre-amp.. 21... Sweep the pan in front of the harmoniser to get the hr1 in the left and sweep to the hr2 in the right. although it wasn't what I was looking for originally 13. Raygun set to stun DD .. Fade in the Harmoniser to sound like a choir.2/0/165/4.. Gives the illusion of a moving note if you make them a 5th apart.Doppler here we come. Set the frequency to 24 and set the wave ( freq. Ring Mod and wave pedal. Every book I have read says that compression should be the first effect in the chain but it seems. I was using it in one of our songs. Set the speed of the wave to slowish and the wave to sine wave. 17. 20. that it works best when placed last or just before the EQ.. use a bar and waggle some high notes to make the guitar GIGGLE at you. 15. Page 58 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Vibrato set rate = 100 depth =70 12.FL/Rate/min 80/max 1/Expdl/Normal/0-127 Assign 2 . I did.
2 simple things to try. For me. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 59 of 96 . (. Compressing a heavy sound can actually have an adverse effect when you are playing heavy rhythm. The next thing was to assign the EXP PEDAL to control the sweep and not let it drop too close to zero. using a Tube Screamer instead of the Comp may give you better sustain.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Try the ACS in FX1/FX2. that’s what a compressor does it clamps down on those loud transients. As Admin mentioned. to give it a bit of punch. if at all. but I also want it to sound like I’m digging in and to increase the sustain. to a Mono signal. A lot of people use the Comp before the Preamp. MANUAL FLANGER First off..compressor on a low setting maybe 2:1. but try placing it after the Preamp for less noise. may cause phasing. if used after the Pre(which is where it works best).try an OD effect (like t-screamer. Compressed reverb sounds weird to me so I generally put it right after the preamp and before the EQ. It is the most controllable of the two comps. Put this before the preamp in your signal chain. OR I generally only use the Comp for Clean sounds. You will find that the TM. After experimentation I've found that this is the best setting anyway. If you are using the Limiter. it should be placed at the very end of the FX Chain. it all comes down to experimentation and personal preference I’ve been leaning towards the DBX presets. See if it works for you. This is usually around the 50% mark so that the effect sweeps quite evenly. That said. except the levels of direct and effect. I like it near the end of the signal chain but I make sure it’s before the chorus or reverb effects. and if you are using a Ch Delay time. as it steals all of your playing dynamics.I want to be able to dig in without the attack becoming like an “icepick to the forehead”. 1 . I would suggest only kicking it in on your Solo sounds. Put this before the preamp in your signal chain. Press ASSIGN [VARIABLE] to set that assign to 'on' Press > to get to the ASSIGN# Target screen and then select the FL : Manual BOSS GT-8 TIPS. I began with all the settings at zero. will sum the signal. Try it. One thing to keep in mind is that an improperly set compressor can actually make the sound less punchy. The Manual setting on both the Phaser and Flanger effect set the centre point of the sweep. To me it’s the main culprit that kills sustain. After all. 2 . it’s kind of a balancing act . so let’s concentrate on the 'Manual' setting. It's a 'manual' override of the effect. I would suggest using the Dual Mono option with the TM or Single Pre. This might sound wacky but I’ll sometimes use a compressor in front of the preamp and a limiter after it . but also the Tone Modify.both with very conservative settings to avoid excess noise. let me explain why the hell anyone might want a manual flanger or phaser effect. You mentioned that you are using the Dual L/R Pre. or OD Warm) with low GAIN setting and HIGH output setting. Don’t forget the Noise Suppressor. Either one of these will help your notes sing. it can significantly reduce sustain if the threshold is set too high and the release too short. Press ASSIGN [VARIABLE] Press the > button to select the number of the assign.
Min 100. but there are a couple of other things you can do that will yield interesting results. Min FL. The Bionic Man. Effect level 100. Similar steps work for the Phaser Effect as well. Max 65. A post-distortion wah is a variable foot controlled lo-fi bandpass filter.. The super-low notes are just intermodulation created by the ring modulator MULTI WAH There’s no way to set up 2 Pedal Wahs in the GT-8. Source SUB CTL 2. hit SUB CTL 1 to bring both effects in at the same time then slowly heel down on the EXP PEDAL = Steve Austin... Place it before the Pre in the FX Chain and boost it to +20dB. Now as you sweep with EXPRESSION PEDAL you manually sweep the Flanger. Trigger Sens 50 FX1 Version 2 = set Feedbacker mode to Natural. Source Exp Pedal. 2/ Assign an EQ frequency (either Hi EQ or Lo. quite interesting. Rate 65. doesn’t matter) to the Exp Pdl. Had fun the other day on one of my noise trips setting the flanger resonance to 100. after that point you can press [EXIT] and [WRITE] twice to save the changes in the patch. Mode Normal Set Sub Ctrl 1 to switch FX1 and FX2 on (assigns 4 & 5) Assign 6 target = FX1 Select. FX1 = Flanger as above FX2 = Slicer . (rest of settings low if anything) and then assigning the manual to the Exp pedal as described in the first post by Voodoo but using the full range from 0 to 100 (I tended to use either end more then anything). HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 60 of 96 .Pattern 1.tap this on for extra bite and snarl. Source Exp Pedal. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. For extreme version of the effect try it on a Step-Rate Phaser with the step rate set to 85. Experiment with the sens setting. Set CTL to Manual so that you can use the FL above when you want to in a song. without using an external Wah. Min 1. you can hear the frequency being changed pretty clearly. You might simply try dialling in a saturated tone with preamp only . Mode Toggle Good ending for a song I think:Say you finish on an E chord. Max FB. BTW it works on the HUmanizer as well. It’s a completely different feel and tone.(IMO! ) When your heel is fully down. Assign the Freq Min to 20Hz and Max to 20kHz.and then add just a touch of one of the overdrive ODs (not one of the distortions) for thickness. You could also try to put the WAH after the AMP in the effects chain . LIGHT OD Many say the ODs do not sound as good as they have in previous units.. hit SUB CTL 2 and (if you've got one) dip your wang bar down a half step or so and listen to the pretty noises. Mode Normal. Max 100. RING MOD I used the ring mod effect and assigned the frequency to the expression pedal.. Turn the EQ Level down by about -8dB to avoid clipping and set the Q setting to around 4 or 8. 1/ trigger a T-Wah at the same time as using your Pedal Wah. Then add the FX1: Tone Modify: FAT and place it immediate in front of the OD in the FX Chain.. This worked for me by putting FX1 right before FX2. Also. FB Level = 50 Assign 2 target = FV. Direct Level 0.. Assign 3 target = SL Rate.
this will differ depending on the output of your guitars pickups. Press the right parameter button to get to the end of the assign variable menu. but Boss has programmed the GT-8 to fade from ChB to ChA on the return. But I see that Boss was just using logic and giving us the option of making it work the way we want.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE DYNAMIC FX+ We will create a Clean Patch that allows you to control the level of Delay. you’ll hear the Delay. On my first test I had no clue what was happening when I changed those settings. Now if you didn’t like that. DYNAMIC: SWITCHING SPEED If you have the GT-8 you might have formed an opinion that the dynamic switching mode was fast in changing from ChA to ChB. I have been on a search for the right settings to make this more usable. is that the channels change from ChA to ChB very fast. you could reverse the min and max settings so that the sound is dry when you roll the volume down and wet when you are at full volume. For me. When you use the AMP menu parameters by themselves you can switch from ChA to ChB instantaneously. play the lightest that you will pick. Tried different dynamic sensitivities and all of that. when the volume is rolled off. the signal will be dry. Now we’ll set up the input sensitivity. start with the setting at 100 and then turn your guitar’s volume down at the point where you want the change to occur. Actually I expected the factory settings to work that way before I even got my GT-8. Now set the Source to Input Level. So then I went into exploring the assign section where all of the advanced and totally sweet custom stuff can be done. Repeat this step for the Chorus and Reverb. our choice. but as I roll the volume up full. it’s around 75 to 80. I was sitting here at the computer running Mr Sleepy’s GT-8 editor and watching the gain readout on the GT-8 LCD screen. what happens. And I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results and I’m sure all of you GT-8 owners will be Very happy knowing this also. slowly turn the sensitivity down until your change occurs. For my test I wanted to use Single amp mode and try to get the gain level to start at 30 and when picked harder I wanted it to go higher. Of course. but was way too slow in switching back from ChB to ChA when you picked lighter on the strings. I had tried changing those before. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 61 of 96 . or if using picking. Now.So I started off with just using the parameters in the AMP menu. Reverb and Chorus based on the position of your guitar’s volume knob or the intensity in which you pick the strings. We will set the Minimum to 40 and the Max to 0. But there is a very simple workaround for this. but BOSS programmed the return from ChB to ChA as a fade from one to the other. You will arrive at the Assign Input sensitivity page. Now. Here is what I started with on Assign1. like 90. I totally agree with you I don’t like it either. Now. OK so here is what I did and what I found out. chorus and reverb. When you use the default dynamic switching mode. Make the Chorus level Minimum 100 and max 0 with the Reverb level min 20 and max and set the source for both to the Input Level. but of course. Nothing seemed to work. So. Assign1 Target:ChA Gain Min:30 Max:90 Source:Input level Mode Normal Range Lo:0 Range Hi:127 So I tried that out and still didn’t get the result I wanted. This works well for me at around 7 to 8 on the guitar knob. So I tried setting the Rangel Lo to 126 and I was a happy camper! It works exactly like I wanted it to. Source mode will be normal. but this time I was using the editor and could watch the real values on the GT-8 screen while I picked the guitar. Ever since I got my GT-8 I have been trying to figure out how the assigned parameters work when used with the dynamic switching. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. For example I had no clue what Range Lo and Range Hi would do when used with the dynamic switching. So I messed with the range values. go into the Assign variable menu and set the Delay Level from the Quick assign preset as our first Target. Well when I was sitting here using Mr Sleepy’s editor to tweak and I was able to actually watch the actual parameter values on the GT-8 LCD screen realized how it works.
start with the setting at 100 and then turn your guitar’s volume down at the point where you want the change to occur. if you wish to increase Distortion Level via your picking intensity. slowly turn the sensitivity down until your change occurs. This is a great example of how to set up the dynamic FX functions of the GT-8... This works well for me at around 7 to 8 on the guitar knob.. With the default settings in the AMP section you can palm mute and start playing again to hear that the switch is still fading back to Chador give my method a try and realize that you can palm mute and start playing again and there is no fading. Now. Just substitute the parameters for your own. For me. Here is an extract from my GT-8 DVD Tutorial that explains setting up this function. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Assign 1 drive increase 10 target input level 20 Assign 2 Drive increase 10 target input level 30 Assign 3 etc. makes the switch back seem that much faster. For example. but as I roll the volume up full. I’m sure you can still understand it just the same... Source mode will be normal. go into the Assign variable menu and set the Delay Level from the Quick assign preset as our first Target. Same thing can be done with switching the effect parameters from one value to another.. you can pick a note or chord harder and it will toggle an effect off/on and stay off/on without going back until you pick a note or chord hard again. Now. I’m very happy with this setting it works just like I had hoped. it’s around 75 to 80. What you could do to improve this is use several assigns to increase the level as you pick harder. just assign it to Input Level rather than a physical pedal. you’ll hear the Delay. Reverb and Chorus based on the position of your guitar’s volume knob or the intensity in which you pick the strings. So. I’ll probably never use the default “fade” way again. chorus and reverb. Repeat this step for the Chorus and Reverb.. but of course. Just a quick palm mute and back to playing again. I’m going to be using this for a lot of patches now. in fact I’m almost positive. Now.. Keep in mind that the switch still takes a slight second to happen.. Another thing to point out is that if you change Normal in the assign to Toggle. This works pretty well but you could take it another step: Assuming that you have the ‘drive/ volume’ level set to bump up when you pick harder you will find that this is a step change not a smooth one. Give it a try and see what you think.. This is what I saw happening on the screen of the GT-8. Now set the Source to Input Level. Press the right parameter button to get to the end of the assign variable menu. depending on if you are doing amp switching or effect setting changes. Of course.When Range Lo is set to 126. I hope that it works for you like it did for me. play the lightest that you will pick. or if using picking. this will differ depending on the output of your guitars pickups. when the volume is rolled off. Keep in mind that lower values are generally better.When Range Lo is set very low the gain level was gradually dropping back down to 30. The way it seems to work is that the difference of values between the Rangel Lo and Range Hi are directly proportional to the time it takes to “fade” between the amp channels or effect parameter values. Does this seem better/faster when the channels are switching back? Sorry for mixing up changing amp channels and switching gain levels in the article. probably. Seems odd I know but this is how it seems to work. We will set the Minimum to 40 and the Max to 0. it takes almost no time to change back. it took half the time as before to switch the gain back from 90 to 30. the signal will be dry.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Now I was wondering why the Range Lo:126 would make it work the way it does. You will arrive at the Assign Input sensitivity page. Now we’ll set up the input sensitivity. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 62 of 96 . DYNAMIC SWITCHING ON ANY FX You can Assign any parameter to picking dynamics in the ASSIGN VARIABLE menu. When I set the Range Lo to 64... No more fading back from ChB to ChA.. you could reverse the min and max settings so that the sound is dry when you roll the volume down and wet when you are at full volume. In order to get the best results you have to use the assign like I explained above and you have to scroll to the end of the assign section to adjust the sensitivity for the assign programming.. Make the Chorus level Minimum 100 and max 0 with the Reverb level min 20 and max and set the source for both to the Input Level. We will create a Clean Patch that allows you to control the level of Delay..
I prefer to use Delay more so with just a touch of Reverb to help carry the Delay. For Soloing you may use up to 15 to 20. Put the Reverb after it in the FX Chain and use a Hall with 2. Reverb can be the biggest cause sounds getting lost in the mix or not cutting through in a band situation. play a few notes and you should notice the delay in the right speaker. Now turn on your delay and select the ‘pan’ mode. let the first bottom setting and the tone on zero but rise a bit the volume. having the dry sound in the left speaker and having it delay in the right. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . If you'd like to try this technique yourself. if you want just some Room Ambience. you may like these settings: FX chain Guitar > Delay > Everything else Delay settings Type: Hold High cut: Flat Effect level: 100 Direct level: 100 The following isn't necessary. My preference for a Solo Delay is 360ms 10% repeat 25 to 40 Effect Level. adjust the drive to taste.8 seconds max. Now. simply turn the ‘tap time’ to 0 and move the dry sound into the right speaker.Range Lo: 0 Act. There’s a fine line between tasteful and muddy. depending on what you like. 2) Set it on METAL 1. low -20. If you want it the other way around. let the advanced settings on zero but diminish the drive… REVERB AND DELAY How much Reverb are we talking here? The way to use Reverb in a majority of cases is very subtle. also the pan effect takes quite a lot of volume away from the patch so you may want to turn it up a bit. STEREO DELAY TRICK If you like to use the stereo sounds then here’s a trick that may interest you. in the beginning. 3) Play. you can tweak your patches and directly hear the changes. but handy if you want to quickly stop and reset the loop: Assign 1 Target: Hold delay stop Min: Off Max: On Source: CTL PEDAL Mode: Normal Act. HOLD DELAY As you may know. You generally always want to hear your dry signal. scroll through the parameters until you come to ‘depth’ and put it to 100 go back ‘rate’ and set it about 10. The signal is now stuck in the left speaker! you can then use the ‘depth’ to change position of the sound. top 0. whether you want it hard left or leaking into the right speaker a bit. You'll also be able to hear more clearly what your recording is going to sound like. If you find the sound too weak. First you have to turn on the pan effect in the FX-2 section. cool huh. Adjust the other parameters to taste. the HOLD delay can record/loop parts of 2. Range Hi: 127 Assign 2 Target: DD: On/Off Min: On Page 63 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. go straight to the ‘tap time’ parameter and turn it to 100%. then use the > button to edit these advanced settings: bottom -30. play/sustain a note and wait for the signal to move into the left speaker (its easier to use headphones). you may only use 5 to 8 Effect Level.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE CUSTOM METAL ZONE Custom OD setting to get a Metal Zone sound: 1) Select a CUSTOM distortion. high 0. If you let it loop the part you just played. because at low sound levels you'll also hear the guitar itself. so keep your Direct level at 100. Now quickly before the signal starts moving again run the ‘rate’ down to 0.4secs and about 10 effect level.
8 seconds. Turn off the Sub Delay... You don’t even need to use a preamp or a distortion or EQ or comp because they don’t work even if they are on because you are using guitar synth. then by default the number 3 pedal is for this.8 second loop that can be multitracked or played over.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Max: Off Source: CTL PEDAL Mode: Normal If you press the CTL pedal. Range Hi: 127 To record. if you're setting up 2 different Preamp channels in a preset. chromatic turned on and a few other adjustments you can choose to your liking. This indicates that it is armed and ready to record. press the Delay Menu button and use the Value wheel to set it to Hold. make sure that the channel that's loaded when you call up the patch (e. simply press the pedal again to continue recording. and will then remain lit after it has completed it’s 2. REVERSE DELAY I can't seem to get the reverse delay to swell and have that reverse effect. I do this all the time with preset. OR Act. Press it again to start recording and you will notice that the light flashes continuously. It's like there is a little stutter or hiccup before the swelling part. Pressing it again will stop the recording. What you end up with is. Well for that moog patch. a short delay just gives a strange modulating effect that I don't think was entirely intentional. for example.g. all I did was turn on the fx-2 to guitar synth and choose saw sensitivity to 100. It will still save all the settings for FX1 even if the effect is off. Range Lo:0 Act..enable it in this order: -staggered blink=READY The GT8 has a Delay function that can give you a 2. press the "Patch number" pedal to start/stop recording. First.And with this patch you can play any chords which kinda sucks :cry: Simply put.3 that seems to work ok for me. although it seems much more ‘lush’ than it ever was on the RP-10 .However I think you can add some reverb although I don’t think that works either. If you want to reset the Record function. You may want your Effect Level and Direct Level to be about the same so there is not a huge jump between what you play and what is looped back. MODULATED DELAY A few weeks ago I finally got the GT-8 and utilized the modulated delay to get the same kind of effect.. you'll stop and reset the loop. the CTL will also activate FX1 at the same time.50 (changing this will greatly affect the character of the modulation . First of all try patch 80. you can continue to play over your loop without it recording. If you are. For example. then I would assume that you're using one of the GT8's pedals (probably the CTL pedal) to switch channels. FX1 is off when you're on Channel A. Change the Delay type to modulate and set the: delay time to 0 Feedback . When you step on the CTL pedal to switch to Channel B of the Preamp. then it's just a matter assigning (use the Assigns function) the CTL to also switch effects and/or effects settings.8 second loop. Dial in your favourite Distortion tone. You may have to modify the way you play to get the best out of this patch. Channel A) has FX1 set to the state you want for that channel (FX1 on or off). The thing to bear in mind is when you save the patch.set to taste.. maybe I just dialled in the delay to be a bit more ‘wet’ in the mix. You will notice that the Patch Pedal is now flashing twice. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 64 of 96 .. I'll have delay off for Channel A and delay on for Channel B. Set the delay type to "hold”. hold the Pedal down for 2.. I've tried everything but can't seem to get rid of it. or if you want to overdub. Higher settings will yield a more extreme sound) BOSS GT-8 TIPS. You must use a reasonably long delay time to get the effect. Anyways. here’s what I did in detail. From this point. Mess about with the direct signal versus the reverse effect..
90 (this is where I found the unity gain for this particular patch to be.flat Modulation Rate . Wanted the pitch on the subsequent notes (feedback) to constantly decrease. but am reasonably familiar on how to program it. Very Sci-Fi / Futuristic sounding. You've already chosen your delay.. but you'll get the hang of those after a while. Your may need to set it differently to achieve this) Direct Level . Hi-127 to get maximum range (300-450ms delay). but have been reading the posts for a while in my quest to understand the GT-8 better. from then on everything that you'd normally do with the tap button (which can still be used btw) can be done via the control pedal. when you set a particular delay parameter and vary the tape speed to lower pitch. i. Now when I want this effect. next press [assign variable] button if it is blinking (assign 1) then it is off press it again it becomes solid and stays lit= on ---:User Setting. Here’s how I achieved it: Used the tape delay (Might actually work with all delays). just to add textures and flavouring to the song. This technique may not be a surprise to most of you. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 65 of 96 .BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE High Cut filter . That way I have lesser pedal dancing to do and I can concentrate on my playing ! TAP TEMPO BY FOOT When you've pressed the delay button and chosen which delay that you want. You can keep pressing > Parameter button and you'll see all of the settings you just input. The possibilities that this little black box offers. rock the EXP pedal to the maximum position (Thus increasing the delay parameter in real time). next turn the Patch/value dial until it reads P12: DELAY TAP Press [write] twice to save the setting to the patch. Selected ASSIGN 1 to vary the delay parameter and connected the source to the expression pedal: Lo-0. It occurred to me while writing this post that these setting may work really well with synth type effects . like a touch WAH. I wanted an effect that does the following: 1. the tap button can be tapped in time to choose the interval of the delay/repeats or how close or how far apart they are. If anyone knows of any popular songs that have a good example of this let me know. I just switch to the patch. when I play 3 notes. Just wanted to share something I achieved using the delay effect on the 8. That's the easiest way but obviously there is much more to the assigns than that and I only showed you a shortcut thru all the parameters.. play the riff (With the EXP pedal in the lowest position). To be honest I really don’t know how a modulated delay is used traditionally.93 (I set this to match the tempo of a given song) Modulation Depth .. FUNKY DELAY EFFECT Am new on this forum. It actually sounded like the effect that I wanted to replicate. What I would really like is to use the internal pedal (linear/curve) and vary the effect in time. but when I found it when I was new to MFX it was a great discovery..15 (this can probably also be adjusted to taste. You cannot use the exp pedal as a foot volume for this patch. But the problem is that it does not reset the delay parameter to the initial value after it has finished its sweep. a nice envelope type modulation. The best way is to assign this function to the Control pedal so that you can do it with your foot. Sort of like an echoplex tape delay unit.e.. The effect that I got from this was pretty interesting.. It most likely will not work too well with leads.. I want them to be repeated and fade away after like 3 seconds or so 2.. never ceases to amaze me.0 (You can most likely add some here to lessen the effect) There you have it . Provides a delay.. this is just where I liked it ) Effect Level . maybe add some of the direct level back in.. maybe better if you lower the depth and slow the rate down some . I’m relatively new to the 8. I find that it works best with single notes that you let ring . especially if they are filled with a ton of notes.
A min B . the bass player could play the root for the chord and you could the 3rd. here’s another example of a use for a User Scale Orig -Note 1 -HR1 -Note 2.e.. If you don’t use a User Scale. This gives all the major and natural minor scales (and hence the five other ‘familiar’ modes).A min F .B dim E .. You can create all sorts of whacky Vai-esque harmonies. B dim.F . F maj or G maj).E . the User Scales allow linear harmonisation of the major scale in all keys. set your intervals and go. If the song you’re playing is in more than key.E . playing any note in C major/A minor will always create one of 4 chords (A min.+7 .C (+1 octave) D-B E-A F-G G-F A-E B-D C .. You can take it from there. your harmonies will allows be consistent.A min D . then set the Harmonists key to G..+5 . based upon the note you play and key you set. You’ll play one note and the Harmonist will pay the other 2. Whilst the User Scales allow all sorts of weird effects more conventionally. User Scales are necessary as soon as you want to create harmonies for non-diatonic scales.C .A .A min With this User Scale... setting your first interval to a 3rd.+9 . As it stands. Good point.+4 . HARMONISER User Scales allow you to specify a specific interval for each note.G maj C .which could probably be controlled with an assign. If you've made the above settings and you also have the Delay set to BPM.B .). you can specify the harmonies based upon the note you play..+7 . Heck. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 66 of 96 . you can set up your harmonies.C . not always 3rds. If you set the other harmony to a 5th. they could be used for non-linear harmonies (i.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE This feature is good for tapping your foot along with your drummer (just a few times to start) or rhythm unit to set the delay in time with them..+7 . etc) and harmonisation of the melodic and harmonic minor scales (and whole tone.+8 . Anyway. this sounds a bit odd when you hit the 4th and 5th in the scale but that’s OK because that’s how contrary motion works.E .A . What it really comes down to is understand music theory. to accommodate this.G .A .+9 .Harmony 1 C .+4 .B . The 2 harmony lines move in different directions in the same scale.D .F maj G ...C . the harmony will always be a major third or minor third. If you know the song you’re playing is in G..+8 .C (-1 octave) Admittedly.+3 .C .+3 . One interesting use would be to create a special case scale that would create a contrary motion harmony like this: Input .Hungarian gypsy minor.D .HR2 -CHORD A . For example. You’ve just given me an idea for setting pedal tones under melody lines. you'll see it flash in time with whatever you tap out now.enigmatic.that probably covers 99% of anyone’s usage.+7 .+3 . using preset scales.G maj A . using a User Scale. With User Scales.+3 .+4 . I think you’d be better off making a patch change to suit the key change. I hope this all makes sense to you know. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. 5th and 9th or the 3rd 7th and 13th. Just think of the chord you want and chose 3 notes from it. it will either be a fifth or flat fifth. to a certain degree.
I use this whenever I play Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. unless you’re Frank Zappa..the Defretter on this setting compresses the sound. Sens 100. Direct Level 0. You may want to tweak these settings a tad depending on your setup. a TS-9 esque sound with a twist. Also pay attention to the position of the Humanizer on the effects chain. Try it! BOSS GT-8 TIPS. without destroying the original tone completely. HUMANIZER + EXP PEDAL How to get the Humanizer to change gradually with the Expression Pedal:. but the results are pretty unique . This would require you to set the Vowel to a second assignment. Attack 70. The first assign Act Lo would be 0 with Act Hi to around 50 The second assign Act Lo would be about 60 with the Hi at 127. you can use the Act Range settings so that you can change through 4 vowels with 1 sweep of the pedal. Then use one of the Assignments to set Vowel 1 to the EXP Pdl. Depth 50. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 67 of 96 . but in the case of the Humanizer it may actually enhance the effect.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE But as the other poster stated. but not certainly of course. Effect Level 100. It allows you to use your favourite gain sound (mine are usually the Turbo OD and Guvnor settings) then go to a smoother sound for soloing. Resonance 100. you could probably end up using User Scales for more common non-diatonic scales like Hungarian Minor (minor scale with a sharp 7th) or Melodic Minor (minor scale with a sharp 6th and 7th). DEFRETTER Tone +50. same way with the wah pedalbefore or after distortion makes a big difference. the Humanizer turns off. and adds a touch of dirt depending on how much depth you dial in. If you wanted to get a bit tricky. Some positions work better than others. I set it to 125 only so that when I go toe down on the pedal. Exactly. you want it before the distortion. Is it possible to use the expression pedal to control the shift from ‘a” to “u”? Just use the Auto mode and set the Rate to 0. generally with a wah.
If the ratio is set to 10:1 and the spike passes the threshold by 30db the spike is lowered to 3.. and the Ratio is set to 2:1...... COMPRESSOR The Limiter is the exact opposite of a Compressor. I used it anyways and did my best. for some reason I don’t think it does. instead of ‘turning the gain down’ on them. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . When your signal drops below your set threshold. I am not a big fan of the Compressors on the GT-8.. Recently on the forum for the recorder I learned that the ‘compressor’ on it is supposed to simulate a guitar stompbox kind of compressor and that the ‘limiter’ is what you use for a rack mount compressor. there ARE different types of limiters some have the make-up gain some don’t. More specifically—a compressor (or a limiter in this case) has a threshold and a ratio. Try using any compressor with the make up gain disengaged to see what I mean. I use this approach with the gt-8 --. So in actuality it does both. No threshold or ratio.. Edit: The compressor on the GT-8 has the ‘make up gain’ automatically turned on and you can’t turn it off for simplicity’s sake. But the same principals apply to limiting as compression. A Limiter is used for stopping a signal from exceeding a certain threshold. It is still possible to clip a signal w/ compression depending on your threshold and ratio settings.. to prevent this from happening.. you signal will never go any higher than -3dB. Does that clear it up for anyone?? Compression: Take an audio signal.this is ‘hard limiting’..SO if you set the limiter to -3dB. Um.... NOW. Because the guitar can be very dynamic instrument..... this spike is reduced to 7db. Hope I’ve explained it well enough for you. With the dynamic range reduced.. in so far as a “prevention is better than the cure scenario” because overuse. the Compressor kicks in and boosts the signal. A limiter basically achieves the same effect by simply ‘shaving off’ peaks that pass a certain threshold. Whilst a Compressors job is to raise the Level of an audio signal once it drops below a certain threshold.. setting your levels right to start with is better than chucking a Limiter on to ‘squash’ your sound..... if you let a note ring out. but the compressor didn’t have any of the knobs I was used to.. Being that the term limiter confused me a bit I used the compressor . In other words. I don’t really feel that my answers are perfect but if nothing else food for thought.. Oh well. you get a lower volume signal. a compressor compresses the signal (turns down the gain) when it reaches a certain threshold..I never used it. If the ratio is set to 2:1 and the signal crosses the threshold by 14db. Like the GT-8 it has a compressor and a limiter.thus you get more sustain. When the signal surpasses the -3dB mark it will reduce the peaks by a ratio of 2:1.even though I do use the compressor. it’s still there OK. My band runs a home studio with a Korg d-1600 MK II as a recorder. Now there is also an attack time and a release time. In actuality.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE LIMITER VS. let’s say for example the compressors threshold is set to -3dB. Page 68 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. the signal will be reduced to the level that the threshold is set at --.. for example.whenever I want compression so far I have used the LM type: rack 160d. but believe me.. I don’t’ remember if the GT-8’s limiter has make-up gain. you can turn the overall gain higher than you would without the compressor.on top of which. The opposite of a compressor would be an ‘expander’. but in theory any compressor with a ratio can be set to be a limiter in this fashion by setting the ratio to infinity : 1... then there is the “make-up” gain which adds more overall RMS volume. If the ratio is set to infinity : 1 it doesn’t matter how much it passes the threshold. will ruin your playing dynamics....... IMO they lack control. but because it actually reduces the gain of louder parts and makes the overall signal more even (reduces it’s dynamic range).the release is how long it will keep compressing that signal. Yes. using what’s called ‘make up gain’. A Compressor is effectively an “auto leveller”. LIMITER: It is basically the same thing as compression except that the Ratio is really high (usually infinity:1) Which means that no matter how much you Peak your signal it will never ever go above the designated threshold. a compressor Reduces the Peak Volume and raises the RMS volume. as it drops below your threshold.. but you get a higher overall volume by using the ‘make up gain’ on the already compressed signal. levels can quickly peak and cause unwanted distortion (clipping) so a Limiter can be used at the end of the signal chain. It is important to not overdo it though..the attack time is how quick the compressor will kick in (ON) after it sees a signal past the threshold... Any signal that is louder than what the threshold is set at will be affected by the ratio. you get a more levelled signal. but there was sustain and tone controls. this has been the cause of many headaches for me. Actually I think it’s the other way around. nope. I used to agree with what godless said..
Thus compressor pedals are useful for increasing sustain....” What they are describing is a compressor as I understand it. the more the peaks will be squashed.LM (limiter) under the threshold explanation: “when the input signal level exceeds the threshold level. really. Excuse my ignorance regarding the GT-8’s Limiter. ok. I agree... BOSS GT-8 TIPS.... Now when I hit a couple of notes it sounds kind of cool. The input voltage (your guitar signal) controls the amplifier.. every company is different) .. since compression and limiting seems to be unspecific terms. and not like I hit R2D2 with a baseball bat.(just a stab).. which would be very audible.I’ll try. See page 35 of the manual --. and then under ratio: “This selects the compression ratio used with signals in excess of the threshold level....so you see with compression it is possible to still spill the water.... its gain) based upon the amplitude (level) of the input signal. Think of a glass of water.The Make-up gain deals with that little thing floating in the middle of the glass(RMS).(Depending on what the particular limiter has to offer setting wise.but it still can be classified as a limiter (as you said.is that a limiter is a Higher Ratio Compressor.. to bring this back to how you can apply it in your own personal daily life: I personally use a bit of compression at the beginning of my FX chain. Because the RMS (make-up gain) is set to make the overall signal louder...... it also puts a little wall up by reducing any heavy peaks that might send the unit into clipping...could be lower could be higher... As it applies to the GT-8.. if it does have a ratio that’s cool. but limiters are electronic devices designed to limit the maximum signal level without perceptible distortion......... except that the limiter on the GT-8 has a ratio like a compressor. but in the “general world of generalizations” and what most would consider par for the course.. limiting will be applied”. TeeJay is wrong about the limiter..... then you just got to set how fast it kicks in and how fast it releases.what that does is RAISE that little floating piece so that the overall level is louder...... Sustain controls the amount of compression. A Brick-Wall Limiter would definitely be Infinity:1. Please bear in mind that in this case “amplifier” just means a little tiny transistor amplifier chip... isn’t it a compressor?? Also..as I said before I never used it.. now depending on what company it is probably would dictate where that ratio starts. where it is completely full.. I’d say somewhere around 15:1. or “Hard Limiting” Limiting in its simplest form is the result of the limited voltage range that leads to clipping.. not only does it keep the distortion at a more consistent level (because your distortion is affected by the level you feed it) it also helps keep notes sustaining and keeps the extra little bit of gain on that sustain.. With a limiter.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE I wish I could describe it metaphorically. while I was writing the book TeeJay and godless went for another round. Above a certain point the sound can get no louder because the signal voltage can go no higher.. the water can never spill cause the threshold that is set will never be surpassed.. They often have a threshold control that allows you adjust the signal level at which the compression begins to take effect. What this does is gives a more even sound (especially for Hi-Gain settings......so you set this with a bit of headroom from the top. With compression you still have volume changes in the output when the input level changes....to keep from spilling.at the cost of dynamics.Now the Ratio you set is how much the Peaks will be lowered so that you don’t spill the water... The threshold is a level that you set which is below the Full line on the glass(which deals w/ Peaks).the top level of the water is you max output before you clip(PEAK). Compression is similar to limiting... One compressor is another companies limiter. If a limiter has a ratio..... will come through as a change of only 3db if the compression ratio is two to one... A change of say 6db.. from no signal to the maximum level possible. but they are reduced in magnitude.. or if you have a tendency to play some notes or chords too loud or too soft. but there are no pedals that do this other than internally for noise reduction purposes.The Higher the ratio. The opposite of compression is dynamic range expansion. keep in mind that you don’t want to make the glass spill any water... compression operates over the entire dynamic range.. The heart of a compressor is a VCA or Voltage Controlled Amplifier..Limiting is an extreme form of compression.. These pedals usually have high compression ratios that make everything you play come through at about the same level.. Amps produce limiting with very audible distortion. Both compressors and expanders operate by sensing the signal level and adjusting their internal gain (amount of amplification) to achieve the desired effect.... but rather than cutting in at a certain level and preventing it from getting any higher... I think you are both right.. When I was dialling in a synth tone I used a limiter at the end of the chain to smooth out the tracking ‘farts’ that occur when you hit more than one note simultaneously.and in that glass there is something floating in the middle (about ½ way down the glass) that is your RMS level (which is your average audio level (lows and Peaks)... It automatically increases of decreases its volume (or to be more precise. but it’s kinda tough to put into words.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 69 of 96 .
lets say a 5th above. and sounds Killer cool. Limiters keep loud sounds from getting too loud. I have found that using the PB before the OD/PRE gives a much more realistic Whammy effect. Also might be worth pointing out that if you have it set up and you would rather have the pedal act in the completely opposite direction.... find this insanely useful.. and sounds just like Vail’s song erotic nightmare performed at the Astoria DVD. you can have the toe be raised to make the pitch go up and lower it back down to have the normal note. depending on how it’s set. A compressor boosts levels when the levels are at their quietest. before everything. play a while and then turn the gain on the Tubescreamer all the way down.sound is nothing special but usable (I also turn on little vibrato and delay). especially for soloing. I can set the pedal at exactly that and start playing with the pedal up or down.. I thought this was kind of odd. Example: You set up the PB to Min:0 and Max:+24 so that when the EXP pedal is rocked back you get a normal note and when you lower the toe the sound goes up two octaves. an OD buffers the signal (a buffered signal implying more power even with the same apparent level). I figured the level of the effect would roll off as well. Here’s the simple and easy way to understand what compressors and limiters do: Compressors make loud sound softer and soft sounds louder. WHAMMY (PEDAL BEND) I usually put PB in front of preamp (and distortion). etc.. Also the distortion helps to mask some of the ‘oddness’ that the digital process of pitch shifting adds to the guitar tone.. Put the Gain switch on LOW and the gain on about 30-40.. OD GAIN Hey guys. Keep the gain on 50. And try these settings: pitch min: 0 (zero) pitch max: +12 pedal pos: 100 fx level: 100 direct level: 0 (zero) BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Try this also with Pitch Shifter.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE A compressor squashes levels when the levels are their loudest. Oh yeah. go turn on a Tubescreamer. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 70 of 96 .. Like you were pushing or pulling the bar on a Floyd Rose equipped guitar. I’m not slave of other people opinions but I also respect them a lot! However I was not able to create good effect in that way and I’m not saying that was because of bad suggestion from TeeJay.. Even with its gain on zero. Now. say C to E. I personally put it First. Go to your Marshall amps and put it on 1959 1. If the TS is faithfully cloned. The +# is the number of frets higher it is. just like MORELLO or VAI or SATRIANI. If a song changes from. that you can just flip the Min and Max numbers around and it will be backwards.. I had no idea I could roll back my gain and use stomps to help sculpt my sound. give this a try. If you flip the numbers around like Min:+24 Max:0. I’ve also learned to use it with my harmonics.. Notice much difference? I sure don’t. although I’m still trying to learn how to work the pedal effectively. You must set the Pedal Bend as the first module in the FX Chain. This is why compressors can be noisy when the compression amount is set to the extreme. one more thing. this effect must be reproduced in the ‘8. Where is the problem? I remember that TeeJay mentioned best place for PB after the preamp..I just don’t know how to do it!! So how do u all create this effect? What else do u turn on with PB (and where in the chain)? Any favourite settings? Different positions for different effects mate..
and the one that comes in when you pick lightly a little louder with less gain. that “position” parameter stays the same.. and then raise the rate just a bit for a few seconds & put it back to zero. you’ll hear the phaser “phase” up at a certain speed (value A) and then stop after some time (value B) at the desired position. The Shiva has a 3-way switch. when you save a patch and return to it.. The GX-700 has no way to set it explicitly... Set the pan FX after it and set it for wave shape 0.. One less pedal to mess with. I use the PHASER effect to create killer tone filters. set the rate to 0. On the GX-700. Actually I did this on my gt-3... Configure the phaser how you like it.8s Pre Delay 65ms Low Cut 500Hz High Cut 2KHz Density 3 Effect Level 22 Direct Level 100 PHASER AS TONE FILTER A trick I’ve been using to multiply the sound possibilities. and boost. the rate to 0.on the Pro... channel. Now when you play the harmony will fade in the 3rd and then as that one fades in comes the 5th.. unless there’s another way that behaves like if you select another patch and return to the current one. the GT-pro..and useable in a live situation.... I could adjust this parameter by setting the depth to 100%. If you make one a little softer but with more gain. The only bummer is that you have to write the patch for the changes to take effect. I finally gave up. where it was more convenient because of a weirdness (bug?) in the firmware.). AMP CONTROL SWITCHING I posted months ago about the excessive noise I was getting when I tried to use the amp control switch with my Bogner Shiva..and bingo.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 71 of 96 .that causes the problems you’re having. If the amp is anything like a HRD Deluxe. On the GT-3. I tried all the things suggested by other members. (and I presume on the 8 as well) you can use the “internal pedal” to set it explicitly. range lo: 0 Act. You know. PAN THE HARMONIST Put the pan after your Harmonist in the FX chain. Because it retains the stereo field it can fade in and out your harmonies left and right. how if you strum really hard on a tube amp. for example. that corresponds to the “position” of the rate at the moment you press write. I recently tried using a stereo cable.. You know that really does sound like Dick Dale on Nitro. In the FX chain...way less noise. Gain level. rate 50 and depth 100.. IIRC you probably have a stereo footswitch ..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE SPRING REVERB I set high cut to 700hz and level to 100 and played Dual Mono Clean Twin and the Pro Reverb amp mods. and (I think) on the GT-8 and 8. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. so you’re only switching one of the two functions that are switchable on the amp . but set them up so they are virtually the same (in terms of EQ.. range hi: 127 Trigger: Patch change Time: <some value B> Curve: Slow rise Adjust the “some value” A and B to get the desired tone. Or Here are the settings I use: Type Plate Rev Time 2. until it sounded like I wanted.. then setup an assign like this: Target PH: Rate (Fx 1 or 2... It seems like an extra parameter is saved in the patches. then let it ring you get an almost compressor like sustain effect? You can also use this technique to just add character to amps (get the amp to be a little more responsive to how you pick). whichever one you’re using) Min: <some value A> Max: 0 Source: Internal pedal Mode: Normal Act. the position gets reset when you exit/re-select the patch.. When you do. but it gives equally good results.but it is tolerable. There is still some noise when compared with the footswitch that comes with the amp. etc. put the phaser anywhere -after.but none seemed to work.but the amp control jack on the GT-8 is mono. -but. Set harmonist for Stereo and -3rd and -5th. I think you can replicate the effect of a tube amp..which is why I think I needed the stereo cable.. This requires more tinkering around than it does on the GT-3. reverb. TUBE EFFECT VIA DYNAMIC SWITCHING Try using two amps on the dynamic switching mode. even after turning off the unit...the distortion and preamp.. You can also set an assign to toggle between 700Hz and Flat for the Kicking the side of the unit like They used to sound.. a simple stereo => 2x mono insert cable should solve your problems.
The Pitch Shifter does a good detune effect if you use 0 pitch shift and use the fine tune settings 25% in each direction and 2-voice-mono. 1. No more need of those “variable state filters” mounted in the expensive Alembic guitars. you can emulate the sound of your passive pups as you would hear them through a shorter cable just by rising the pedal. The other mono end MUST be connected to a footswitch as well .in the case of a Hot Rod the functions are probably Clean/Drive and Drive/More Drive.enjoy. lengthen the pre-delay a touch and less depth and a very slow rate.... since it's getting more signal longer. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. depending on where the position of the volume pedal is. say it’s halfway up. find some way of gating the signal (limiter?.. and I have seen tips* that have a rather complicated method for adjusting the volume of the wah while you are playing. I've just been playing around with the T-Wah and there doesn't seem to be an adjustment for how long the wah lasts for (if that makes sense).. It just dies after the initial stroke.. It changes the resonant frequency like a standard wah (or as your cables do according to their length) but without the usual mid boost and its artificial flavour. And the capability to approximate a single coil EMG tone with another trick than the “enhance” program provided in the Tone Modify. Also. I just thought it was pretty neat in case you might want a different volume for your wah while you were playing.. WAH TIP This may have been mentioned before in another context about the wah. The function that’s on the other end of the mono cable will be switchable by one of the two buttons on the original amp footswitch (which should be connected as described above). 2. which is good in a way... TOUCH WAH T-Wah is a GREAT FILTER. no direct level and 105 effect level and play guitar. Sounds a bit like reverse guitar if played in a certain way. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 72 of 96 .am I right that there is no control for that . You can try following ..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Basically you put the stereo end of the insert cable in the footswitch jack on the amp. So.like a synth but you can play chords.. as opposed to it being “full-up” all of the time. So set up the reverse delay to 800ms a little amount of FB.. I don’t have gt-8 in front of me to make sure but I believe that would work As far as reverse guitar goes you could try using the ‘slow gear’ effect to automatically fade in the volume of the notes... I play in manual mode a lot and I have my wah assigned to the #1 (channel select) pedal. This also comes from listening to Belew and Fripp on Discipline. A lot of it is in the articulation of notes too... Having a RPS-10 for 18 years has taught me to play ahead of the beat by a set number of millisecs. then run one of the mono ends to the amp control jack on the GT-8.or have I missed something? Try putting a compressor in front of the touch wah. set Delay Level to 100 and Direct Level to 0.you might as well use your HRD’s original footswitch for this. The one I proposed above is a bit different but accomplishes the same thing. noise gate?.. Now you can use the Amp Control function on the GT-8 to switch the function corresponding to the mono end of the insert cable that you plugged into the Amp Control jack . Alter to taste. with the sustain on long .. REVERSE GUITAR Does anyone have a good setting for reverse guitar where it responds right away while you’re picking? The patch that comes on the GT-8 has some lag time in it and it also misses some of the notes I pick. but I think (if I remember right) that it was for using the wah when it is assigned to the exp pedal switch. ride the vol pedal?): things sound a lot more convincing when you can totally kill notes with no tailing artefacts. if you press the #1 pedal turning the wah on it will stay at that volume and likewise for any position of the volume pedal. but it seems to be dying a bit too early for my ears.. Never paid much attention to it before but I noticed something rather helpful (and again forgive me if this has been covered). ”Simultaneous Wah and volume pedal” in Tips & Tricks is where I saw it.select reverse delay. FIXED RESO WAH The Reso Wah in fixed position can be useful. Put on the advanced comp and put the t-wah after your pre and EQ..that should keep the touch wah open longer. CHORUS 2 options within the GT-8..
Bare in mind you should always do this with all effects TURNED OFF!!!! If you would like to add some extra bite/distortion try one of the following boosters/overdrives with the following Preamp Models below. rectifier sim. After you get the sound that you are after as close as possible then add delay. Hope this helps somebody get more “USABLE” distortion without getting FIZZY! BOSS GT-8 TIPS. You’d be surprised how much they add to the sound of a 5150. reverb. You may come across a combination there that you like even better than the original CE. more distortion. or whatever you like. MD2 RECTIFIER VNT1. Depending on where you place an effect in the chain (as I’m sure you know) it can have a drastic effect on the module and ultimately the overall sound. and others.10-40% BOTTOM. BOOSTER & OVERDRIVE There has been a lot of posts stating not heavy enough distortion. VNT2 EDGE LEAD SLDN HEAVY LEAD 5150 DRIVE METAL LEAD OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION BOOSTER BLUES OD CRUNCH TURBO OD OD-1 T-SCREAMER WARM OD I’m sure you notice that these are really just overdrives & NOT full distortion pedals.. PREAMP MODELS TWEED VO LEAD VO DRIVE MATCH DRIVE BG LEAD BG RHYTHM MS STACKS RECTIFIER MD1.20-35 EFFECT LEVEL-40-50% DIRECT LEVEL 50% Remember on rectifier sims to keep the gain around 25-40% MAX.. OVERDRIVE SETTINGS DRIVE. more distortion please.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Just for the heck of it. you can use more gain and be fine. you might try different choruses out in different locations of the effects chain. Make sure you don’t set your levels too high on the overdrive/distortions try them with these settings first and then add a little more if you like. Some of the heavier preamps like 5150. It’s not hard to get it once you know what sound you are after and “FOCUS” on getting it. check out page 36 in your manual for more details.25-35 TONE. because too much gain on any Preamp isn’t necessarily a good thing in fact it can make your sound STINK sounding too muddied and / or fizzy. tweed. Remember that when choosing your output select page 14 in manual that any other setting other than Line/Phones will disable the speaker sims. chorus. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 73 of 96 . Of course there is also TM Tone Modify which can help you FATTEN up your sound. etc. MS stacks.
They allow you to control almost any adjustable parameter on the GT8. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 74 of 96 . For Guitar 2 (loop input) patches only. Guitar 2 into loop return jack. I set the NR mode to “NR input” . WAH TONE FILTERING The other way "wah tone filtering" is used is by SLOWLY moving the pedal while playing. You can program these ASSIGNS and save them for each patch SMOOTHER SYNTH TRACKING When I was dialling in a synth tone I used a limiter at the end of the chain to smooth out the tracking ‘farts’ that occur when you hit more than one note simultaneously. Acoustics.the CTL pedal does 8 other things simultaneously. I would suggest using the T-Wah. If using a SC. This sounds really nice over a cyclical repeating lick. Vary the rate of the Tremolo using the Internal wave pedal to increase/decrease the rate using a Sine curve. Turn on Delay 4..otherwise the NR will constantly mute the loop signal. everything reverts back to the settings I had before. the main input activated. Piezo pickups will work better than electronic ones. Look in the manual and it will tell you where. Now when you select a “loop return” patch. If you put it in front of the stomp/preamp/loop.. settings. ASSIGNS are the most important. Change from Rat Distortion to Big Muff distortion 2.. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. That’s it.. parts of the GT8. Hardware plays a big part in acoustic tone. but when you select a “non loop return” patch. use the middle pickup. that guitar will be active and the other muted. Increase Delay regeneration from 0-100 over about 10 seconds 5. This all occurs simultaneously when I step on the CTL pedal for my Patch named "Shoegazer Song". Turn on the Tremolo 6. and the GT-8 will operate in the usual way. which the internal pedals don't. So how can we make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic? Let’s start with the guitar. Also. Used the “normal” loop setting for all Guitar 2 patches. I have mine maxed out at 200 (default is 100). Ramp up the distortion level from 20 to 100 over about 10 seconds 3. the loop return will be muted. Joe Satriani uses his wah pedal like this sometimes. and not like I hit R2D2 with a baseball bat. It's the.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE LOADS OF REVERB There is a global setting for the REVERB where you can set the maximum level of reverb much higher than is set for default. Turned the loop off for all Guitar 1 patches. and difficult. have a hollow body and thicker strings. I have a patch where I used several assigns to do the following simultaneously when I step on the CTL Pedal: 1. but with the send at 0 and the return at 100 or more (whatever matches the Guitar 1 patches). When I step on it again.M. 8 simultaneously. For example.P. I would recommend putting the NS right after your preamp (or Loop if running 4CM). you are killing your tone before it hits the beast! TWO GUITARS IN VIA LOOP RETURN Guitar 1 into GT-8 input. Now when I hit a couple of notes it sounds kind of cool. ACOUSTIC REPLICATION Let’s analyse acoustic tone. Hollow-bodied electrics will give a better acoustic sound than solid-bodies. Play around with the sensitivity till you get a level that allows you to get a good wah sound on the harder downstrokes but not so much on the rest. Humbuckers (clean warm sounding ones) sound better than single-coils. Placed the loop first in the chain for all Guitar 2 patches (can be any where for Guitar 1 patches). On another patch titled "Indie Rock Song".. does anyone else find the auto-wah kind of useless to have.
EQ. With a clean sound try different output select settings each setting has a different tone. Obviously this should be 1st..BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Other than hardware. as acoustic guitars have a natural reverb due to the hollow body.This should probably be the last thing you do. Use this to get as close to the acoustic sound you want as possible. 2.This can do some generic EQing for you. You can even try a REZO WAH as a fixed wah just after your input.. So I use my old Digitech GSP 21 Pro rack for quick and easy clean sound. This should probably go just before or after the PreAmp. Here you can dial-in frequencies that shape your tone beyond what the Acoustic Processor can do.. Fine-tune your sound before it leaves your processor. but try it. This is what you want.. Place this at the front of your effect chain. Here are a few good options: a. I hope this helped.. I agree with the idea expressed above. but before the Acoustic Processor). PreAmp should be “Full-Range”. It should start sounding more acoustic by now. also tone modify will help deepen or lighten sound and a compressor will help give a better more defined sound but you will have to be able to play without mistakes because you should hear every note played. Anyway. When I don’t play my real electro-acoustic guitars or my Variax (whose acoustic sounds are great). You want to double the sound. if you choose this one. Good luck.. without any amp but with a rather deep reverb.. to use several FX’s in the same time to obtain a pseudo acoustic sound. 1. 3.This should take whatever guitar you have and get it close to what an acoustic should be. what you here as you play unless you have a top quality studio with $$Monitor Speakers Sounds completely different then when you play back and on different stereo’s will sound completely different on each.making the original tone bigger. Please post your patch results so I can see how you chose to tackle this. but you want to make the second tone be so close to the original tone. located just where is the hole on an acoustic guitar I’ve tried compressor and limiter but it gives a fake tone. You have one more effect you can use.maybe 2nd (after Delay maybe. Guitar Sim . I know this is not conventional. Tone Modify . Reverb . It is up to you which one you want. But When you find the right clean sound it sounds awesome. the best way is to use a guitar with piezo transducers. Don’t be scared to try this before the PreAmp. b. Put this second in the FX chain. You want you EQ to be the next thing in the chain. there are a couple of things that can be done. 6. 5. IMO.This can give you that final acoustic sound. the pup to use is the neck model. Use Delay to make the strings sound thicker than they are. c. 4.. that you can’t tell them apart.clean and full. Acoustic Processor effect.... BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Also are you needing this for live performance or Home Studio use. I personally use the GS and the AC sim together. since it modifies the resonant frequency of your pups. Sub-EQ . HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 75 of 96 .
and I get to have 2 tube screamers as well. more dynamic response) And if this wonderful clean sound goes down the drain when you use your GT-8 as a front-end effects unit. LINE SELECTOR (BOSS LS-2) As most of you might know. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 76 of 96 . (and I thought this was surprising). B<-> Bypass. A->B->Bypass->. if I was using an assign to change the settings on the OD/Dist in a given patch. Now..Input. I tend not to switch patches beyond my 3 clean/rhythm/lead tones.. Sorry for a bit of thread resurrection. I think that rambled on a bit.A<->B.one outside the gt-8 and one inside. and A/B Level Control Knobs which adjust the volume from mute to +20dB. and Output Select. A<->Bypass. This leaves the patches on the GT-8 available for effects. the following solution might be the one for you . I would have to have two patches with that effect: one with the OD/Dist sim off (or set low). and one with the OD/Dist sim set high. The basic features of the LS-2: Jacks (all mono) . the GT-8 hasn’t got a true bypass mode.just prefer my “dirt box” and wah better. if I wanted to use the GT’s Octaver. Output. Send B. Select one of two kinds of distortion. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. It has a true bypass mode and it’s not just an AB switch box. Alternatively.Buy a Boss LS-2. I just picked up a cable to hook my GT-8 into my computer so hopefully I will offer some sound clips when I get back home. I only have one patch with the Octaver and I can control the distortion externally. The meter would never max out.. more gain options for me. For example.e. Return A and Return B. Enables you to: Select output Effect [A] or Tuner [B]. Very similar sound. First. but I’ve been messing around with this for a few weeks now and I wanted to share some results. but my output level is actually much lower! It basically maxes out at about the 70% mark. by varying the volume on the two channels which you can select from to drive a single distortion box. but it easily got within one or two bars of the right edge of the display. but perhaps this will help someone. Send A.. so I would actually be clipping on the peaks of my signal.. Similar volume. (i.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE EXTERNAL HARDWARE EXTERNAL OD (TS) I’m using a TS-9 and a Morley bad horsie wah in my loop. So if you’ve got a real good clean sound when you play your guitar directly through your (tube) amp. No digital clipping! The second perk about having the OD’s external to the GT-8 is that I can use my two TS-9s to control my distortion levels. A+B Mix<->Bypass. and a Mode Selector Switch . but by using external OD’s.. Now I’m using two Ibanez TS-9s in my loop (ala SRV or Trey Anastasio) set before the preamp. It’s lots more.. I now have a free button to control the parameters of the effect as opposed to having to always give up the CTL button to alter my OD.
Today I was tinkering with my setup (when I should be practising but hey tinkering is fun) and noticed that my DI Boxes (Berringer Ultra Gs) have a speaker sim in them. Next time I get a bad case of GAS I guess I should consider investing in a Radley HC I’m still not sure what it does really but all the FRFR dudes say it improves their rigs. Whatever the reason . How are you listening to the GT8? I'm going to guess headphones. Mix effect and straight sounds to create a new effect. but it seems they really enable the “JC120 Return” output selection of the GT-8. I'll pretty much change everything but the 2 Q values and the low cut filter leaving 8 parameters that are changed via variable assignment. I found I could get almost the exact same result by raising the EQ level (+5) on the GT-8. Select one of three amplifiers. i. Use the LS-2 with the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor. Output GT-8 -> Return A LS-2. I don’t think the Ultra G sims are really that great (don’t do anything for my Zoom G2 to Peavey KB1 rig). in patch mode with 3 control switches is I set up one switch to change amp channels. Select one of three settings (for solos. Mix two settings (for solos and backing) to create a new effect. When I play through the eons -Output is: line/phones When I play through the cubes Output is: combo. clean direct.I’m liking it man. Use the LS-2 as a 2 channel mixer.) But most of all. Just connect your guitar -> input LS-2. but instead of using the 'SOLO' feature I use the switch to change parameters on the EQ. Two guitars playing at once. I turned on the external sims and switched my GT-8 to output select = “JC120 Return” (which effectively disables the GT-8s speaker sims I think). (The Level Control Knobs will not function. and you’ve got yourself a GT-8 switchable in the loop of the input chain. backing or rhythm). Dial the selector to “A <-> Bypass”. Control your volume if you have multiple LS-2s. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. FS-5U I bought a pair of the FS-5U to use as external control switches and that really helped with the flexibility. and one to take care of a solo boost.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Select one of two instruments. Since you can change up to 8 on one switch using ASSIGNMENTS it is plenty enough to shape the EQ between a rhythm and lead setting. Output LS-2 > High impedance input guitar amp. Generally what I do. then. I play through two eons mainly (G2s) Also two Roland cube amps. and after a lot of playing around with it. Select one of two settings (for solos or backing). Select one of two amplifiers.e. WOW! My sound improved significantly. one to turn on/off the delay. The BBE makes a huge impact when using the GT8 through an FRFR system. SONIC MAXIMISER SUCKS? I bought a sonic maximizer. USING A DI BOX I’ve been using the line/phones output setting since day 1 through to 2 KX1200 keyboard amps sounded pretty good but seemed to lack oomph at times. Send A LS-2 -> input GT-8. especially a PA. the LS-2 enables you to get both sounds. Select one of two settings (for solos or rhythm). Has anybody else tried this? Anyway I ended up taking it back to GC. Select one of two settings (for backing or rhythm). Anyway try raising the EQ level and A/B it. or effects GT-8 with a flick of your toe. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 77 of 96 .
In essence. you may assign is to the Pitch Parameter and have the Pitch constantly changing automatically through a cycle. you could assign it to the Flanger. Here is how I did it. The “Internal Pedal System” was my answer. Triangle and Sine. I currently use the Exp Pedal for Volume and Wah. so that every time you hit a particular pedal. One extra should be enough because the internal pedal system is set in the assigns and can be set to do different changes in different tempos over varying ranges with one step of the foot. The Wave Pedal can also be referred to as an LFO. INTERNAL & WAVE PEDALS INTERNAL AND WAVE PEDALS They are both what I refer to as ‘virtual controllers’ as opposed to physical controllers like the Expression Pedal and CTL Pedal. which is how slow or fast the signal goes through it’s cycle. The Saw gives the parameter a rise. I now use my only pair to play the guitar. You simply “relate” it to some other controller. and where you want it to peak. Instead of having to reach down and turn a knob (like you would have to do on a real pedal). You may choose to assign something like Pitch to it for a triggered whammy dive. then falls sharply to the minimum point. So for example. and you can set it to trigger a range of motion. They are Saw wave. but this required another free “trigger” which I did not have. it is simply another stomp switch or expression pedal that can be assigned to any one of a large number of parameters. the Sub Exp Pedal to control the Reverb level in all my patches and the CTL Pedal to switch between preamp A&B. Since getting the GT-8 I have had 4 arms removed. In my case. Aside from defining a waveform. The Internal Pedal is actually a trigger pedal. I wanted to turn the “Manual Mode” on and off without affecting any of the other controls I had already set. I could really do with at least one more than the usual two. such as the control pedal. THE INTERNAL PEDAL One thing I’ve noticed in many posts is that people are looking for a way to add yet one more foot control to the board. The purpose and usage of this somewhat complex system is difficult to understand a first. Of course. The beauty of the Internal Pedal is that you can trigger it. It basically allows you to set a parameter to cycle through a range of motion following one of 3 specific wave types.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE ASSIGNS. It’s used to trigger an parameter to go from one value to another. The Internal Pedal is for controlling any effect setting you want. you can just step on the CTL pedal to do the same thing. I would like to know if anyone could help in the extra leg department. The internal pedal system changes effects settings when triggered. it would start at any point in the waveform cycle. this is just one use. Chorus and Delay on and off within each patch. Well. So for example. by assigning the Manual Parameter. In replacing the arm’s movements I need to trigger the internal pedal system. Whilst on the subject. I additionally wanted to be able to turn the OD. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. you can trigger the flange from a specific point. you can also set the rate. it’s like a Jet taking off. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 78 of 96 . so that you control where you want it to start. you could set it to the CTL so that every time you step on it. or Low frequency Oscillator. if you just turned the Flanger On. The Triangle gives an even. The Wave pedal changes an effects parameter constantly when that effect is on. Sine gives you a continual smooth cycle. but sharp rise and fall of the signal. for instance.
HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 79 of 96 . Page 57 in the manual covers this. Source Act. choose the Bank and Patch you wish to edit. Continue depressing the right parameter button and set the following parameters. Range Lo: 0. This is a LONG way down the list. Remember this is just one parameter that can be assigned to the Internal Pedal. Source Act. Now. Second. Set up the functions of the controller (in this case the Exp Pedal) and edit it’s “ASSIGN” parameter. Return the Exp Pedal to low one time to turn on Manual Mode and return the Exp Pedal to low a second time to return to Patch Select Mode so you can go to the next requested patch. So you will need to make this new assignment to “assign2” or any open assign slot up to assign8. so don’t give up – it’s in there. OK. This will show “Quick Assign1” in the screen which will be blinking. Next depress the parameter button one more time and you will come to the “Int-Pdl Trig: screen. maybe for Solo on/off? First. Next depress right parameter button one more time until you see “Quick Assign2” or choose your next available assign slot. See page 61 in the manual for details. now you are done with assigning the INTERNAL PEDAL to the Exp Pedal and having it turn the Manual Mode on/off. The Exp Pedal can be set to trigger events in “H”-high. Most likely you will already have something (like Volume) assigned to “assign1”. if you move the Exp Pedal all the way up (heel down) you will see the “MANUAL” light turn on. Remember that in Manual Mode you can not switch patches or banks. To do that.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Overview: I assigned the Manual Mode On/Off switch to the Internal Pedal “Target” Exp Pedal-L. Use the DATA Wheel to set it to “Exp Pedal-L”. Next depress the right parameter button once to “Target Min:” this should be Off. simply move the Exp Pedal all the way up again and the “MANUAL” light will go out and you will be back into PATCH SELECT mode. Range Hi: 127. Next depress the right parameter button or use the data wheel to move to the “Target” that reads “MANUAL On/Off”.. Setting it to “L” causes the low position (Pedal up) to act as a “switch”. “M”-middle or “L”-low position. You can now use the 1 through 4 pedals to turn the effects on and off. Depress “Write” twice to save. I’m sure you can come up with others! First of all. Source Mode: Toggle. Again depress the right parameter button once to “Target Max:” and turn this to On with the Data wheel. Here’s how: Depress “Assign-Variable” button twice. Depress the right parameter button once and you should see “Source”. your solution works great and I never even thought of that. Use the Data Wheel (not the parameter buttons) until it reads “INTERNAL PEDAL. Hope some of you find this useful. This gives the added bonus of being able to switch between preamps A & B using Pedal #1 and frees up the CTL Pedal for other duties! Hum.
I have it set up with Trem on all the time. and slowly rolls back to 0. You can make an Assign for this. in which the Internal Pedal cannot be substituted by easier alternatives.. But please correct me if you know more than those two scenarios. The Internal Pedal offers those extra parameters: TIME and CURVE Those two extra parameters serve for customizing the gradual change. I hope that helps you understand. Other than that I would recommend to not use the Internal Pedal. but the Depth = 0 (it’s as if it were turned off). or fast. which controls the Tremolo Depth. Starts at 100. Imagine. There are actually 2 use cases. For our problem(switching MANUAL on/off) you do not need a gradual switch. in this case the trigger is when the real expression pedal reaches its low setting. I have an assign set so one of my Sub-CTL pedals triggers the Internal Pedal. good example. What the Internal Pedal does. The Reverb level will start at 10 and work its way up to 50. And you have used up all of the other switch options. but then I wouldn’t be able to use the pedal for Volume. So its basically like turning the reverb level knob at a certain speed or by using an “imaginary” expression pedal that starts its automatic movement once the Trigger is made. this is when the gradual change of the internal pedal comes in handy. I have one patch where I want to kick on the Tremolo. I am still overwhelmed by the quantity of options of the GT-8 myself. so I really might be wrong.(I hope that came out right) Jones. the Assign will activate like a switch went off. I don’t have it in front of me. and then have it fade away over about 4-5 seconds. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 80 of 96 . You need only a binary switch (->either “on” or “off”). but the settings are approximately: BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Then.The amount of time it will take to get to 50 is the Time setting. Here’s another way to use the I-Pedal (but you do have to have an available pedal). The curve setting can be set to increase slowly. that require the internal pedal: [1] you want a gradual change [2] you want “Patch Change” as the trigger. Lets say you come up with a patch that uses the expression pedal for volume change. you want to gradually increase the Reverb Effect Level from 0 to 60 instead of switching it abruptly. So your solution comes with a little overhead and makes things more complex than necessary... cause it makes live unnecessarily complicated.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE (TIME := xxx) (CURVE := xxx) The Internal Pedal is actually meant for more sophisticated gradual changes. But. so it has to be on a part of the song where you can drop out for a second. normally. this will also affect your volume level while you do it. I could use the EXP pedal to directly control the Depth. So. But you want to make your reverb level change as if you were using another expression pedal to do it. If you look in the manual you will see diagrams of the different curves.
It doesn’t end there though. Assign1 : Target = ChannelB/Level. Max=70... Mode = Normal. time=75. Min=70. Act Range = 0127. This then can be assigned to something like the CTL Pedal so that each time you stomp on it. Now let’s say you are lazy and you want the 8 to automatically fade from channel A to channel B when pressing the CTL pedal. it can be. Mode = Normal. Trigger = CTL PEDAL. Rate = 80. I can get a nice slow fade with out fiddling around with the foot pedal.) Curve: Linear (could use whatever you like) My ‘definition’ of the Internal Pedal: The Internal Pedal is a virtual expression pedal. but with the Internal Pedal. Shape = 50 then. Note that the volume of the patch will initialize to whatever you have the volume pdl set to (assuming you have PDL HOLD on). When triggered by the selected event this virtual expression pedal takes a configurable amount of time to go from the returned (heel down) to depressed (toe down) positions following one of three curves (linear. curve = fast rise.. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. like Pitch or Wah for pinpoint accurate Wah Sweeps. Trigger = CTL PEDAL. you can trigger a Flange Sweep. fast rise). Source = INTERNAL PEDAL. slow rise. So if the volume is on/off I can switch to this patch and get a slow fade/swell depending. And then when I depress the CTL PDL the volume fades out accordingly.. Act Range = 0127. TARGET : Tremolo Depth TARGET MIN : 100 TARGET MAX : 0 SOURCE : INTERNAL PEDAL Mode: Normal Range Low: 0 Range Hi: 127 Trigger: Sub-CTL 2 Time: 60 (or close to that. time=75.. Source = INTERNAL PEDAL.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Set FX1 On > Tremolo > Depth = 0. curve = slow rise. OR The GT-8 does not have a triggered Flanger. Max=0. Easy : Assign1 : Target = ChannelA/Level. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 81 of 96 . any parameter can be assigned. You simply set the rate of the Flanger to 0 and then assign the Fl Manual parameter to the Internal Pedal. Min=0. Here’s something I came up with.
Any more dynamic controls than that and the 8 really struggles to keep up. It takes some finesse and learning how to work with this mode. OR Get a nice clean preamp(s) you like (not the full range or JC-120. but I had an idea whilst reading one of the posts here a bit back on the dynamic effects switching capabilities of the 8. You can also do the same thing to the reverb effect level (which makes it so when you play lightly. 2) Dial in a light crunch tone on Channel 1 (e.g. Play with that until the feel is natural (mine is usually at 72). Add compressor then go to the assigns and select CS>sustain min=10 and max=80 (or more) set it to be triggered by the input volume. and also to the EQ to bring out any muddiness that occurs at higher sustain levels. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. 3) Dial in a thicker crunch tone on Channel 2 (e.g. And when you pick hard it just SINGS! I also tried this principle on the reverb effect level getting less as you pick harder.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE DYNAMIC ASSIGNS Compression I have been fooling around with my 8 for months and just recently had to redo all of my patches because I changed which guitar I was using. Wild Crunch: Gain @ 30). You can play around with the Dynamic Mode parameters to find the best setting for your playing style (sometimes the release from Channel 2 back to Channel 1 takes longer than you want). HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 82 of 96 . Then scroll to the end of your assigns and there is an input sensitivity value. bump Mids and treble a bit). Wild Crunch: Gain @ 60. I tried it and WOW! now I can have dual amp models with dynamic picking controlling the gain via the compressor. its all echo-y and when you pick hard its nice and in your face) DYNAMIC GAIN 1) Set your GT8’s preamp mode to DYNAMIC. I must say that this gives a more realistic feel and response to the patches I created. What if I were to apply that feature to the sustain parameter on the compressor I was using? Well. Play harder (or turn up the volume on your axe) and the higher gain tone will kick in smoothly. Now play softly (or roll back the volume on your axe a bit) and you’ll get the light gain tone. one that breaks up nicely when the gain is high) mine is the t-amp clean and fender twin.
alter the Reverb level. Assignments.g. According to the Boss manual the Wave Pedal can not be used with the following Targets: FX-1 / FX-2 Select (FX-1. You can have either Sub CTL ½ OR Sub EXP Pedal connected.IN DETAIL OVERVIEW The Assigns are one of the most powerful and least understood facilities of the Boss GT-8. I want to change the Preamp type. When set in Momentary mode (as the manual requests) the LED will only be lit when the pedal is pressed. Assignments are what allows you to make multiple alterations to effects without having to ‘tap dance’ on multiple pedals or twist multiple dials. The fourth press will turn the LED off but not alter the status seen by the GT-8. Control Sources (pages 60-62) The Control Sources consist of all the available devices and functions that can be used to control effects in Assignments. INTERNAL PEDAL The Internal Pedal is a virtual expression pedal. Where the Internal Pedal uses a specific event to trigger a single change from returned to depressed. in their various forms. Expression Pedal Switch (EXP Pedal Sw) The Expression Pedal Switch is the other built-in On/Off type switch. CTL PEDAL The CTL Pedal is one of the two built-in On/Off type switches. When triggered by the selected event this virtual expression pedal takes a configurable amount of time to go from the returned (heel down) to depressed (toe down) positions following one of three curves (linear. The second press will turn off the LED but will NOT alter the status as seen by the GT-8. Expression Pedal (EXP Pedal) The Expression Pedal is the foot-sized pedal on the far right of the unit. set the EXP Pedal so it varies the Delay time and activate the Compressor all with one pedal press). HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 83 of 96 . It will not track the On/Off status of the switch (when defined in toggle mode) as seen by the GT-8 . When the FS-6 is connected via a TRS-TRS cable. By default the EXP Pedal will function as Foot Volume in Auto mode in all patches. triangle or sine). FX-2) BOSS GT-8 TIPS. It is located beneath the EXP Pedal and is toggled by exerting additional pressure on the toe of the EXP Pedal. you cannot have both connected at once. The effect indicators on the GT-8 will correctly track the On/Off status. Sub CTL 1 and Sub Expression Pedal (Sub EXP Pedal) These are optional. If an external pedal is set to Latch mode additional presses will be required to toggle the switch as seen by the GT8. fast rise). Several sections will discuss details that are included in the Boss GT-8 User Manual. The Sub EXP Pedal is a variable controller such as the Roland EV-5. WAVE PEDAL The Wave Pedal is another virtual expression pedal.g. Although external pedals like the FS-6 have status LEDs they are not of much use when used with the GT-8. pedal A is Sub CTL 2 and pedal B is Sub CTL 1. external controls connected via the ¼” TRS jack on the back of the unit. activate OD/Dist. determine how the available Control Sources are used to control the status and settings of various effects either Globally or within a Patch. It is a standalone pedal on the unit with a status LED. the Wave Pedal cycles the virtual expression pedal between those states over a configurable amount of time based on a selected waveform (sawtooth. The first press will activate the switch to the GT-8 and activate the LED. Sub CTL 1 and Sub CTL 2 are On/Off type switches similar to the built-in CTL Pedal. Uses range from the very simple (e.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE ASSIGNS . Sub CTL 1. External CTL Pedals (such as the FS-5U or FS-6) should be set to Momentary mode for correct operation. In Auto mode the Foot Volume function will automatically be disabled when the Wah or Pitch Bend functions are active. It is a variable control with values ranging from 0 (heel fully down) to 127 (toe fully down). I always want the CTL pedal to turn Solo mode on) to the complex (e. The pages will be indicated next to the section title. slow rise. The third press will change the status as seen by the GT-8 but will also turn the LED back on.
If a pedal is given a Global Assignment it is not available to be used in Variable Assignments in any patch. It essentially makes the target settings dependent on the signal level being received from the guitar. If the display is flashing. The status light for Variable does not seem to do anything. This is probably the most difficult control to use. Available options for each pedal are selected with the Patch/Value dial. Global assignments. Use Parameter [<] and [>] to navigate through the available pedals. This can be somewhat hit or miss since there are so many items that contribute to that signal level and its control. This copy function for assignments also works from any User or Preset patch.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Type (Preamp/Speaker. the assignment is active. INPUT LEVEL The Input Level control source is designed to allow the use of the guitar’s volume control to control effects. The status light for CTL /EXP is lit if the Expression Pedal assignment is active. Delay) Manual Mode On/Off Tuner On/Off In actuality it is possible to use any of those Targets with the Wave Pedal but there is little or no reason why you would ever want to. Refer to the GT8 User Manual for each globally assignable pedal and function. MIDI CONTROL CHANGE The MIDI CC control source allows external MIDI devices to be used as a source for assignments. ASSIGNS NAVIGATION Navigating the Assign functions is very similar to configuring the various effects. CTL/EXP Assigns (pages 56-57) The CTL /EXP assigns provide a subset of functions (similar to the Global System Assigns) for the CTL Pedal. Available options are selected using the Patch/Value dial. CTL /EXP and Variable. although quick and convenient. each with its own button containing a status light. CTL/EXP Assigns are accessed using the CTL /EXP button in the Assigns section. This is handy if you have some assignments that you want to use in a number of patches. the LED would not track the On/Off status of the pedal. Control Change numbers 01-31 and 64-95 can be used. EXP Pedal and EXP Pedal SW on a per patch basis. If the display is solid. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 84 of 96 . There are two sections to Assigns. If you were to turn off the CTL /EXP Assign for the CTL Pedal then use the CTL Pedal as the Source for a Variable Assign. Effective use of this source requires precise control of picking strength and the position of the volume control. User Quick Settings include eight assignments that can be defined. In order to use a pedal in Variable Assignments the Global function for that pedal must be set to Assignable. that assignment is inactive. Refer to the GT8 User Manual for each globally assignable pedal and function. The CTL /EXP assigns control the status LEDs for the CTL Pedal and the EXP Pedal SW. The CTL /EXP button will toggle the status. The entire assignment can be copied into a patch you are constructing thus insuring that all parameters are set correctly. Quick Assigns (pages 24-25) Quick Assigns are part of User Quick Settings. it never lights up. only allow a subset of the potential targets to be selected. BOSS GT-8 TIPS.. OD/Dist. Global System Assigns (pages 54-56) Global System Assigns allow you to make consistent assignments to one or more of the available pedals for all patches.
Patch Level Increases and Decreases. The Active/Inactive status of an assignment is indicated by the assignment name in the top line of the display. This can be set to one of the following: CTL Pedal EXP SW EXP Pedal Sub EXP Pedal Sub CTL 1 Sub CTL 2 Internal Pedal Wave Pedal Input Level Midi Change Control (CC) numbers from 1-31 or 6495 Source Mode Page 85 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. This section has limited ability in that there are only 26 target options for the two switches and the EXP Pedal can either be Foot Volume (where you can set the Min and Max values) or Off. For example: if you have an assignment for OD/Dist that has Min=Off and Max=On but you already have OD/Dist On for the patch. Target: Preamp Ch A/B EXP Pedal SW Function: On. Target: Wah On/Off EXP Pedal Function: On. the assignment effectively ‘functions’ as if it were set to Min=On. Important Note: For On/Off-type Targets. they will be lost. They will only display the On/Off status of the switch if there is an active assignment in the CTL /EXP section. Any changes made will be preserved as long as you remain on the current patch. The initial value for Quick Setting is “---: User Setting”. You get a total of eight Variable Assignments to work with.QUICK SETTING This parameter controls the On/Off status of the assignment (toggled by pressing the Variable button) and the source of the settings (Quick Setting. Foot Volume Max: 100 Variable Assigns This is where things get interesting. There are 865 possible target settings allowing you to control almost every parameter of every effect in the unit as well as additional items such as Master BPM. the Patch/Value dial is used to select one of the available options for a parameter. Max=Off . HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS . the EXP Pedal SW and the EXP Pedal.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE You select one of the sections to work with by pressing its button. Source This parameter determines the Control Source for this assignment. You leave an assign section and return to the Play screen by pressing Exit. The parameters are: ASSIGN ON/OFF . if solid the assignment is Active (On).the opposite of what you intended. Each Assignment has eight parameters. You navigate within a section by using the Parameter [<] and [>] buttons and the Patch/Value dial. If you now press CTL /EXP again CTL PDL will begin to flash indicating that the assignment is now Inactive. Target This parameter determines what the assignment will effect. You can tell you’re in one of the Assign sections by looking at the display. Individual assignments within a section are toggled On/Off by pressing the appropriate section button. CTL/EXP ASSIGNS The CTL /EXP section of Assign is used to make basic assignments for the CTL Pedal. Parameters are only available for active assignments. Additionally you can elect to copy an entire existing assignment from one of ten user assignments (U01-U10). Defaults for an Initialized Patch: CTL Pedal Function: On. the assignment is Inactive (Off). If it is flashing. One thing to note: the status lights for the CTL Pedal and the EXP Pedal SW are controlled by the assignments in this section. any of the 140 User Patches (1-1 through 35-4) or the 200 Preset Patches (36-1 through 85-4). For example: If you press the CTL /EXP Assign button the display shows the assignment name on the top line (CTL PDL Function) and it is solid (the assignment is Active). which allows you to set each of the remaining parameters manually. The Parameter [<] and [>] buttons move between parameters. If you change patches or turn the unit off without saving the changes. controlled by rotating the Patch/Value dial). Target Range Min This parameter determines what state or value the target will have when the switch is in its Off state for Toggle Mode or the minimum value for a variable control in Normal Mode. Target Range Max This parameter determines what state or value the target will have when the switch is in its On state for Toggle Mode or the maximum value for a variable control in Normal Mode. Foot Volume Min: 0. twenty two preset assignments (P01-P22). the default value of the target saved with the patch must match the Target Min: value for the assignment to function as intended.
Use ASSIGN1. Sub CTL 2) Normal Mode means the switch is only On when it is physically depressed. The rhythm tone uses Preamp Channel A. Target Max set to On. Active Range Low to 0 and Active Range High to 127. It determines the maximum value of the variable pedal where this assignment is active. Toggle Mode for On/Off types means that the switch toggles between the On and Off states with each press of the pedal. Target Min to 0. Source Mode to Toggle. There are two options. The meaning of the Modes depends on the Control Source type. American DS. Use ASSIGN1 ---: User Setting with a Target of DD: DlyTime. Active Range Low to 0 and Active Range High to 127. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 86 of 96 . Source Mode Normal. has no Reverb and Delay on. If you don’t do this pressing the CTL Pedal will not only trigger the Vibrato but also trigger whatever function is defined here for the CTL Pedal. You do not have any midi devices connected to the GT-8. Internal Pedal. Target Min set to On. Toggle mode for variable types means that the switch is Off (Target Min value will be used) if the position of the pedal is at or below the median value between the Active Range Low value and Active Range High value. Active Range Low This parameter is only used with variable types. Note: Vibrato must be the active effect in FX-2 with a Trigger setting of Off and FX-2 must be On. Input Level) Normal Mode means the value will vary between the Target Min and Max values based on the position (between the Active Range Low and High values) of the pedal or strength of the input signal. for On/Off types it should always be set to 127. Source Mode to Toggle. Scenario: You want to use the Expression Pedal to control the Delay time within a range of 0 to 500ms. For On/Off types (CTL Pedal. Active Range Low to 0 and Active Range High set to 127. Sub EXP Pedal. It determines the minimum value of the variable pedal where this assignment is active. This effectively disables the CTL /EXP assignment. for On/Off types it should always be set to 0. Target Max On. Target Max set to Off. Source Mode to Normal. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Use ASSIGN2 ---: User Setting with a Target of Delay On/Off. Scenario: You want to switch from rhythm and lead tones using the CTL Pedal. For variable types (EXP Pedal. Wave Pedal. Use the CTL /EXP assignment for the CTL Pedal and set it to Preamp Ch A/B (the default) Use ASSIGN1 ---: User Setting with a Target of Reverb On/Off. Here are some examples of Assigns in action: Scenario: You want to be able to turn the OD/Dist On and Off using the CTL Pedal: Use the CTL /EXP assignment for the CTL Pedal and set it to OD/DS On/Off. The lead tone uses Preamp Channel B. Scenario: You want to trigger the Vibrato effect (in FX-2) when the CTL Pedal is pressed. Target Min Off. which are: Target FX2 vb: Trigger. Use the CTL /EXP assignment and set the CTL Pedal Function to Midi Start/Stop. Target Min set to Off. Active Range Low 0 and Active Range High 127. Sub CTL 1. Use the CTL /EXP assignment and turn OFF the FV assignment for the EXP Pedal. Source to CTL Pedal. Source to CTL Pedal. Target Max to 500ms. No variable assignments are needed.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE This parameter determines the Mode of the Control Source. rotate the Patch/Value dial until the display reads: p44-2 ASSIGN1: AMERICAN DS All the parameters for ASSIGN1 in the current patch are now set to the same values as ASSIGN1 in Preset Patch 44-2. Normal and Toggle. On the Assign On/Off Quick Setting parameter. Active Range High This parameter is only used with variable types. EXP SW. Source to EXP Pedal. has Reverb on and Delay off. Source CTL Pedal. the switch is On (Target Max value will be used) if the position of the pedal is at or above the median value between the Active Range Low value and Active Range High value.. The Reverbs are all top quality (apart from the Spring) if used in moderation. Not every metal song posted has to have a sound like an empty train station. The Mic placement has an Off-mic and On-mic setting. These mean pointing away and toward respectfully. They do not mean turning the mics off. Certain effects work better placed somewhere other than the default locations for FX1 & FX2. Vibrato can sound sweet after the amp and pedal bend is better in position one for instance.. If you’ve got a pedal you like don’t bin it ! Now you have the chance to use the pedal as never before. Put it in the Loop and you can move it around your effects chain from patch to patch.. The Ring Mod. in the GT-8 is really very good and can produce some amazingly useful effects. Avoid the pitfall of ignoring this monster by learning about the special number “24” !!!!. The above points are just thrown into the void. All points have been confirmed by Boss & Roland. The bloke I spoke to really liked the fact about the number 24 and it’s derivatives in the intelligent Ring Mod. Try setting it to 98 some time and play quickly up on the 2nd string 12th fret and higher, and LISTEN TO THE SOUND SPEED UP BEHIND YOU AS YOU PLAY..... Put the GT on a chair while you tweak if you don’t want to become the Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Don’t tweak too long… “Tired ears” aren’t good for your tones and don’t improve your playing (it’s even the contrary). Using the “master” EQ or/and the onboard EQ(s), find an overall setting which suits the gear used to amplify the
Page 88 of 96
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BOSS GT-8 TIPS, HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS… Be realistic: there’s combinations of FX’s which sound good while others sound crappy (try every OD/ dist model through each preamp model if you don’t see what I mean… And yes, I’ve already done it). Be persistent: an FX which seems crappy CAN sound good with a defined setting (even the Rockman dist is useable, yes). Be open-minded: even the combinations which sound crappy can be used to produce a musical…). Be LOGICAL in your FX chains, settings etc. then be INTUITIVE when you play, in order to know if your logic serves the… Initialize a patch to hear your guitar first and build on top of that. Without reverb or changing anything, listen to each amp model in it’s default form. Listen to the Overdrives and Distortions using Clean amps and Dirty Amp models. If you must try and sound like anyone else, do your research first. Before you plug in check out what gear they used. Guitar geek and harmony central can help. The GT-8 can emulate a lot of classic amps and boxes very well if you plan first. The guys at Boss made each module of FX to be able to go to extreme settings. These can be fun if used properly. You don’t have to though! To copy amp settings from A -> B press ‘write’ whilst A is selected and then press B and write again to confirm. This lets you set 2 levels for the same amp. Like having a guitar tech change a setting i.e.; mid during a song. FX-Chain can include moving the Foot Volume setting to after the Delay and reverb for post production-esque sounds. If you use pedal bend or Wah or any setting on the expression pedal in a live situation you may want to set the Foot Volume min to 100 as well so you don’t drop the volume during usage.. 8 is a lucky number in Japan not 7. There never was going to be a GT7, so don’t believe a word of anyone who says they cocked up a previous version..
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BOSS GT-8 TIPS, HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS
Page 89 of 96
MS1959 (I) + 4 x 12 SM57 TubeScreamer 50 effect signal 50 Direct and a plate reverb set at 15. This turns off all the effects in a patch and clears all the assigns for the patch and resets the CTL to Pre-amp a/b and the EXP pedal to volume unless the switch is pressed and then Wah. I must admit that I rather like the Wah in the GT8. Make a new start. if you want to hear your patch with reverb. The send and return volumes are completely adjustable. so disable it if you want everything nice and initialised) WAH ORDER Actually. It was for audioslave's like a stone solo to get the most whooshy wah sound.. Usually set Q to 50 and then low end to -30 and high end to +20 with a +10 presence then pick which wah sound you like best. To get spacy synth sounds. All the pre-amps are set to 50% apart from Pres @zero. I find it to be very flexible.. delay etc but you don’t want those effects recorded because you would rather add that in your digital audio workstation. Step 3.. Another trick is. For traditional Wah. Here’s what you do. You can keep your stereo amp setup hooked up and even keep your headphones plugged in and still have an extra output jack for DI recording. Sounds really cool.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE THIRD OUTPUT FOR RECORDING! Just wanted to share this with the people that missed it in the manual or just didn’t know. Plug a MONO ¼” cable from the Loop Send and into your soundcard/recorder. So you can manually change the output volume of the send jack to your sound card. Press '>' twice.. There are actually 4 outputs Left and Right Loop Digital out I use the digital out to record one track clean while I record an effected track. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Set the LOOP to Branch Out.. then what you need to do is place any effects that you don’t want sent out of the Loop Send jack.If you place the LOOP first in the FX chain then that would sound just like a direct connection from your guitar to your soundcard/recorder. Guess it all depends on what you want as where to place it.. RESO WAH is nice. I have a quick INIT PATCH usable tone that has saved bacon a couple of times. When you turn on each effect it begins with it's default set of parameters and they are all set to a pleasing mid-point. How do you INIT PATCH. Reso Wah does sound really cool with clean patches before the preamp.. INIT PATCH can really bail you out and get a fresh start. place it at the very start of the chain.? Step 1. delay feel of the effects. Press 'WRITE' Step 2. kinda like the filtering often used in building tension and release in dance music.. INIT PATCH includes all the A/D conversion and reconstructions as well so can be used as a 'Bypass' test tone. Works great and has helped me change recorded sounds when needed. I always have a “safety” track if I want to re amp later through the 8 or any other device... You may need a ¼” to 1/8” adapter for this. INITIALIZE A PATCH The Init Patch is the short form of the phrase Initialized Patch.. This could be handy because you can still have your amp on during recording and keep the reverb... Press 'WRITE'. as well. Open FX chain. Add some chorus and vóila! I always use customs. but if you want an Envelope Filter. Even the presets do sound really good. I usually use it near the front of the chain but I just made a patch with it just after the od and preamp. place LOOP at the very end of the chain and turn it on. but non of it will be sent to your DAW(Digital Audio Workstation). that way. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 90 of 96 . If you set up the rest of your equipment around the INIT PATCH sound and then add the GT8's effects you get better sounds. A couple of EQ tweaks and I've recorded that sound in emergencies. place those after the LOOP in the FX chain. place it at the end of the chain. put the reso wah after the preamp and distortion. ( Note that NS is still on.
so as to get an idea of the difference between the HC and no-HC. That's it! Don't forget to WRITE to save your settings when you're happy with it. Harmonist/Pitch Bend on the GT8 offers a larger range of settings and some of the settings you might find on the GT3 under Harmonist actually appear under Pitch Bend on the 8. For example.. Can you change the effects chain sequence globally? And how exactly do you hook it up to the GT-8? GT-8 Send > HC Input > HC Output > GT-8 Return? Does it matter what cables? Can you use George L's? And also. I don't use stereo. 3) Wait a little while.. CONVERTING PATCHES You can of course enter the parameters manually but this shows up the clear differences between the machines.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE HAMONIC CONVERGER BASICS I just got both the Mono/Loop HC and the Boss GT-8. However the next problem I encountered was not so easily overcome as the Slow Gear used in the original had to sacrificed. could someone give an idea on how to really hear the difference with and without the HC? The FX chain settings are stored separately for each patch. eg. Now you should be able to turn the loop on+off by repeatedly pressing the LOOP button. just after your distortion source (either your OD/DIST. You will then have the presets halfway down the preset list.. If you like one. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. On the GT3 all the Wah (including Auto and Touch) settings are assigned to a separate button and the "FX1" is used for Slow Gear and "FX2" for the Harmonist. just save it then on the 8. I think) But put the settings into Touch Wah on the 8 and it begins to sound close.. you'll want to position the LOOP in the FX chain. but what this boils down to is put the stereo delay or chorus or whatever at the very end of the FX chain. you have to turn on the LOOP. I copied down the settings into a little note book along with my other favourites before I sold the old dear. FIRMWARE CHECK 1 ) Turn the gt8 off 2) Press delay button and delay tap at the same time and turn the gt8 on. make sure there are no mono effects after the stereo effects.use each preset. Make sure the gt8 loop is turned on.. connect the HC into the LOOP of the GT-8 . long since gone on the GT6 and 8. use the << or >> parameter buttons to move to the point in the chain where you want the loop to be. Place the "LP" (loop) in the FX chain after the preamp. you can set the CTL pedal to Loop on/off and then just press the CTL pedal to hear it with. Obviously there are other clear differences in the operation of the two devices that set them apart from each other. depending on the patch). If you're using stereo amps or 2 amps. This is done by simply pressing the LOOP button once to access it's options. not globally...provided you have a midi link to your 8 . then press the LOOP button to move the loop to that location in the chain. To do this. Then import the . press the FX CHAIN button to access the sequence of effects. Use good quality cables. To hear the sound with and without the HC. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 91 of 96 .mid file into it. Secondly.. How do you place the HC between the OD/Dist/Preamp and the stereo effects. MIDI FILES Download the GT Librarian (search on this site for a link for it). there are Loop Send and Loop Return sockets on the back of the GT-8 . You can then . or the PREAMP. cable from Ext Loop Send to the input of the HC.. (no polarity switch or LPF/BPF setting. then a second time to change it from OFF to ON. Transferring the details into a patch on the GT8 took a little exploration as the Auto Wah on the 8 is configured differently to the 3. the firmware version should show up. This will preserve the stereo separation. Lastly. OR First of all. I always had a fondness for patch 'Monster Cry' on my GT3. I use a 6" cable and one of those connectors with 2 opposed 1/4" plugs. the different parameters available in the EQ module.. then from the output of the HC to Ext Loop Return.
. The wave pedal is basically a fancy name for an LFO they give you so you can do things like what you are trying to do. there it was again...BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Perhaps old patches will be editable in an update of the GT-x editor and then output to a GT8. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 92 of 96 . The editor available on GTCentral does not accept patches other than those it is designed to open and this excludes many of the earlier patches. (don't forget to record the Effects Chain) but you are then able to use them as a starting point for your new patches. I think the GT-3 has a similar patch where the RM frequency is modulated by the Wave Pedal. BOSS GT-8 TIPS. It takes a bit of experimentation and compromise to get a reasonable facsimile of an original patch.. You probably want to look at the Assigns for that patch.quick fix with the chain and ah. Writing down the patch details may be a bit of a labour.
Do you raise your mid and high settings in your EQ more than you would normally use. to my ears. He had even commented that at one point during the last song. This still did not sufficiently help. Good news is there are some great ideas below about how to get that sound that leaps out of the speakers with a vengeance. who were there at the show had a couple of opinions about the situation. So my question to everyone is: what do you do to compensate for live playing. You should always put the distortion in front of the preamp in the effects chain so you still get the coloration of the preamp coupled with the sonic thud of the OD.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE CUTTING THROUGH WHEN PLAYING LIVE – SOME THOUGHTS A note from Tonealicious I put this one in because lots of people including me have experienced this issue with the GT. both musicians. we would turn the drums and bass down. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 93 of 96 . One thought that the guitars sounded too "compressed" and needed more Mids and highs. Of course he was talking about when I used my solo button. I often find that when I set my EQ on "Bright Tone" it may sound a bit razory onstage but cut thru wonderfully through the house mains. They said the drums and bass seemed to dominate. and it was pretty much more of the same the rest of the night. Obviously it depends on your setup and where you are playing. promise you'll be loud and proud! Most of my Solo sounds are in fact my Rhythm patches with a boost of 10 to 15 in Patch Level. Then I hit another button and it went back to muddy. I haven’t edited it much so have a read and make up your own mind what suits your setup. I usually set my OD on booster and crank it about 5-10 over my preamp volume and that works really well for me in taking a solo and getting thru. as well as a touch of Reverb and Delay.A and you will just get lost in the mix BOSS GT-8 TIPS. Set your pedal assign to cause the OD and chorus to toggle on together when you kick it in. My other friend thought that perhaps the guitars were too saturated in effects and therefore could not cut through adequately. A couple of my friends. My live rig is as follows: guitar --> GT-8 (w/ 4cm) --> JSX Amp --> Peavey 5150 Cab --> Shure 57 mic --> PA system. it sounded too loud and overbearing. After our first set. rather than turning the guitars up further. pretty much everyone I spoke to said that they could barely hear the guitars. and if so. So we turned the guitars up a little bit in the PA. as they are dramatically accentuated through a P. Maybe a little Compression and different EQ. This time we decided. Some have the Tube Screamer kick in for a little added dynamics. After the second set people were saying it was a little better but the guitars were still hard to hear. Try adding a bit of "dimension" chorus when you solo as well. but general tips here would be good. Don't get carried away with FX. I did something with my GT-8 and suddenly my sound was "perfect". I had clicked it to play a lead part (not a solo) but immediately shut it off because.
I played around with my global EQ and found that by boosting the bottom end I was able to get a great tone in the mix. You will always here more bass close to the source. On the contrary. I use my GT-8 exclusively at live gigs (and practice. But this is for emergency purposes when it turns out that my lead is extremely soft. the "solo" function can be set at the same level than its normal counterpart. but unfortunately during a gig. use any output select option other than line/phones. as you know.. Did you EQ your patches at a lower volume level? At lower levels there is a tendency to turn up bass because the ear is not as sensitive (it's like using the 'loudness' button on a stereo). if not during the gig at least during sound check. Try using a different output select option (that will turn off the gt8 speaker sim) or run your signal direct from the gt8 to the PA (ie. When I talk with people or listen to recordings. IMO it adds a whole new dimension to individualizing your patches and helps to cut the band mix... I’m disappointed with the mix. To turn off speaker sims globally. The ONLY way to use line/phones on stage is if you are the only guitar. Whenever we run our own sound. you can adjust your individual EQ to cut what lies beneath you. It also helps if you increase your preamp MID which brings the tone more out of the box.and running DIRECT TO THE SOUNDBOARD. our mix is always unbalanced and disappointing. When I first began using it. the EQ needs to be adjusted to sound balanced. That awesome distortion played at a low level or bandless just doesn't cut it live. Personally I have a separate lead patch for lead work. a distortion that sounds good with the band. Boost the Mids! FYI. loud and live. you may want to experiment with it.. I noticed that everything sounded fine in front of my amp. You will not sound the same on stage as in the audience. If you have to leave the "solo" activated to be heard and to use a boost to raise the volume. Getting the Mix If at all possible. Page 94 of 96 BOSS GT-8 TIPS. but when I moved out 20 feet or so (where the audience would be). but if you’re standing in front of your amp.. Depending on the bands overall mix. Either option will give you more highs. the only part of my sound that was cutting through the mix was the very high end distortion (which was all fuzz and no bottom). HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS .these little toys such as resonator are going to be swallowed up in the band mix and it's going to sound muddy at gig volume. always keep in mind that your audience is not standing where you are. Once I started incorporating EQ into my patches.. You can turn off the speaker sims for an individual patch in the preamp menu.. bypass the mic’d cabinet)... and when you play louder.running NO GUITAR OR AMP. One thing that's happening is you're playing through the gt8 speaker sim and a guitar cab. EQ My problem sounds with EQ was the opposite of yours. they are separate. It's the answer to your problem: a lot of us tend to scoop the Mids and the guitars can't be heard live. Wouldn't turning off the speaker sims also turn off the amp sims as well? No. may not sound like crap by itself. It seemed like I was having trouble cutting the mix until I tapped into the EQ capabilities of the GT-8. it is usually about at a level of 10-15 more than my rhythm patch. With more preamp it tends to result in a thinner tone. Volume I know this may sound obvious. The solo button raises not only the volume but also the midrange. do it! Boost some Mids and take off some gain.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE Perhaps you can try dropping the preamp gain. Also. try to enlist get someone to run sound for you. but it may be fine to someone standing out front.. Gain Higher gain almost never sounds as good in a band mix as when you’re practicing solo.. During practice I use line/pa phones to get the full effect for my ears. It's a little more complicated if you generalize patches and don't have individual patches for individual songs or groups of songs... once you get an ear for the ranges of accompanying instruments. You may already be using the EQ. a setting which sounds good through the mix is often felt as too rich in medium when the guitar is played alone. That may seem too loud to you.. For that patch. I'm the only guitar player in the band but if you have 2 guitar players in your band. but if not. I also assign a volume boost to the CTL pedal by bringing up the volume up by another 20.. you should be the loudest thing you hear.. you may need to raise the level slightly more so as to cut through the extra guitar work from your co-guitarist when you are soloing. of course) and here are a few thoughts. things started rising to the top. so you’re just not in a good position to do so while you play.
. why not just boost the Mids and highs through the EQ.. HINTS AND ADVANCED CONCEPTS FROM THE WEB’S FINEST FREAKIN’ GUITAR FX TWEAKIN’ MINDS Page 95 of 96 ...will be there at gig! Remember.. Note: even angled cabs will have this problem just not so bad ... Rock On...once you’re on stage.. anything but line phones.. well. switch to stack amp or whatever. Basically.) or standing far enough away the you hear it better! As far as leaving the "solo" activated. and then still use the "solo" function for. Tonealicious BOSS GT-8 TIPS. The audience (and microphones) will hear the sounds dead on from the speakers and so you must take this into consideration. however on the BBE there is a "process" knob.try making a riser for your cab (milk cartons. Yes your going to get fizz. Play Hard.. Over & Out. rock it back and your fizz IS COMPLETELY GONE. the BBE will let your GT8 breathe! And all the previous contours you hear at practice. then go to your global EQ and tweak to liking (Just don’t go any higher on the low than +3-4) because you will get a much better low end response by raising the "lo contour" on the BBE. Tweak Well.BOSS GT-8 BRILLIANCE My Solution The BBE is a life saver.. soloing? THAT’S ALL FOLKS! Good Luck. | https://www.scribd.com/doc/45850208/Boss-GT-8-Brilliance | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | refinedweb | 61,229 | 84.37 |
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How can i execute SQL code in openerp server ?
Hi.
I want to execute the code below :
Select * from res_users;
from a python methode in openerp. My module look like that :
def my_sql_method(self,cr,uid) :
#it is my method which execute my sql code
How can i do that ?
NB: I don't want to execute my sql code in postgresql (easy)
A sample code is pasted here. You can refer the below code.
def move_line_get(self, cr, uid, invoice_id):
res = []
cr.execute('SELECT * FROM account_invoice_tax WHERE invoice_id=%s', (invoice_id,))
for t in cr.dictfetchall():
if not t['amount'] \
and not t['tax_code_id'] \
and not t['tax_amount']:
continue
res.append({
'type':'tax',
'name':t['name'],
'price_unit': t['amount'],
'quantity': 1,
'price': t['amount'] or 0.0,
'account_id': t['account_id'],
'tax_code_id': t['tax_code_id'],
'tax_amount': t['tax_amount'],
'account_analytic_id': t['account_analytic_id'],
})
return res
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Access to our E-learning platform and experience all Odoo Apps through learning videos, exercises and Quizz.Test it now | https://www.odoo.com/forum/help-1/question/how-can-i-execute-sql-code-in-openerp-server-60902 | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | refinedweb | 196 | 58.48 |
Mar 16, 2011 05:24 AM|winseealn@hotmail.com|LINK
i allow my admin to login from his login page and login information verified and stored into an session after that, he visited into an client page, there is an logout button this will visible whether session has the user id or admin user id else it'll be invisible.
hi all,
now the scenario is:
1. admin logged into admin page
2. then in the address bar type the client page name
3. now the client page is check whether has the userid or admin user id in Session, now the session has admin user id so, its show the Logout button.
4. from this client page, the admin clicks on Logout button, here i have Abandon the session and moved into the admin login page.
5. now again admin types the same client page name in the address bar from his login page(but now he didnt logged in).
6. this time i set the break point on client page_load event but its not hitting the event also its visible the Logout button also.
so, how its not hitting the page_load event and why the logout button is visible after loggedout.
please guide me to resolve this issue?
Mar 16, 2011 05:41 AM|frez|LINK
The page is being loaded from the browser cache so it is not hitting the server to retrieve the page and so it does not care whether the user is logged in or not.
In order to prevent the user from typing a url and this being retrieved from the browser cache you need to request that the cache is cleared on the pages. This is not fool proof as in theory a browser is free to ignore the request to clear the cache.
What you can do is in the page init event for the page you do not want the user to return to in this way run the following code: want all pages protected this way then create a class that inherits from System.Web.UI.Page and have all pages inherit from this class and then put the above code in the OnInit method you override.
Mar 16, 2011 06:41 AM|winseealn@hotmail.com|LINK
Frez thanks for your response.
i didnt get this point "
If you want all pages protected this way then create a class that inherits from System.Web.UI.Page and have all pages inherit from this class and then put the above code in the OnInit method you override."
could you please post some code reg this?
Mar 16, 2011 07:02 AM|frez|LINK
You can create a custom base class so that you dont have to include the same code on every single page it will be done for you; see this link
Your base class will contain this: already have a base class then just add the code above to the OnInit method.
Mar 17, 2011 12:44 AM|sirdneo|LINK
See this blogpost, it will guide you different ways through which you can solve your problem:-
Mar 17, 2011 04:22 AM|frez|LINK
I don't understand what you mean when you are saying it doesnt work in your domain, could you clarify?
Mar 17, 2011 05:22 AM|winseealn@hotmail.com|LINK
Frez, thanks for your response.
your code resolved my issue and its working fine in my localhost but after uploaded to my server its not working. so, could you get any issues on my server or my code.....?
Mar 17, 2011 05:55 AM|frez|LINK
My guess is that there was not a full deploy onto your server, there should be no difference in the code on your local host asking the browser not to cache the pages and the code on your server doing the same if the code is identical. Check that you have not only deployed the new base class but all the pages that now inherit from it too.
Mar 17, 2011 07:36 AM|sirdneo|LINK
If it is working on local machine it should work on production machine as well.Kindly check these two things:-
1- Build is properly deployed on your server?
2- You have restarted your IIS?
Mar 24, 2011 12:48 AM|winseealn@hotmail.com|LINK
Frez you are correct. I didnt publised well, first i removed all the files from server and upload it again now its working good in Ie7 mozila's.
but the same problem exists in IE 8 standard and compatibility mode (OS: Windows Vista Ultimate Pack).
could you please tell me how to resolve this?
Mar 24, 2011 05:06 AM|frez|LINK
I have no idea why IE8 is still caching your pages, I have just created a small test project with two pages and this code:
public partial class WebForm1 : Class1
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Random r1 = new Random();
Label1.Text = Request.Path + " " + r1.Next(100);
}
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Response.Redirect("WebForm2.aspx");
}
}
Where Class1 contained this:
public class Class1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{);
}
}
I then deployed the code, and got a random number on page1, clicked the button to get to page2, then hit the back button to go back to page 1.
The code in Class1 worked at stopping the page being cached in IE8, and when I commented out the code in Class1 and redeployed the page started being cached again.
Mar 24, 2011 08:20 AM|frez|LINK
Sorry I can't help, I have no idea why your IE8 is behaving in this way when mine behaves perfectly well.
Mar 25, 2011 11:43 AM|frez|LINK
Try comparing the "Check for newer versions of stored pages:" option in the two versions of IE8 on the different versions of windows, you will find the option by clicking Tools | Internet Options | Browsing History Settings
Apr 01, 2011 12:50 PM|winseealn@hotmail.com|LINK
Freez, we can get the lattest version but if an user using default version(like which im using now) then that time my application will fail correct? so, is there any way to resolve this issue?
is there any way to post this issue to Microsoft?
Member
90 Points
Apr 04, 2011 09:22 AM|dheerajswami|LINK
Hi,
please try again with following steps:
1. Build your project and make single page dll
2. Host Proparly on your domain
3. Restart your IIS
4. Clear All History and cookes of your browser and this will work.
Apr 04, 2011 11:02 AM|sirdneo|LINK
This is bit tricky, first you have to clear all the data from your browsers history before u get the new pages. actually IE is displaying page from your cache and even if you add cache removal statements still they wont work unless you first clear all the cache from browser and after that your cache code will work as expected.
18 replies
Last post Apr 04, 2011 11:02 AM by sirdneo | https://forums.asp.net/t/1663727.aspx?session+abandon+Page_load+event+not+hitting+ | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | refinedweb | 1,175 | 76.76 |
#include <pbuf.h>
Definition at line 79 of file pbuf.h.
misc flags
Definition at line 102 of file pbuf.h.
length of this buffer
Definition at line 96 of file pbuf.h.
next pbuf in singly linked pbuf chain
Definition at line 81 of file pbuf.h.
pointer to the actual data in the buffer
Definition at line 84 of file pbuf.h.
Referenced by pbuf_header().
the reference count always equals the number of pointers that refer to this pbuf. This can be pointers from an application, the stack itself, or pbuf->next pointers from a chain.
Definition at line 109 of file pbuf.h.
total length of this buffer and all next buffers in chain belonging to the same packet.
For non-queue packet chains this is the invariant: p->tot_len == p->len + (p->next? p->next->tot_len: 0)
Definition at line 93 of file pbuf.h.
pbuf_type as u8_t instead of enum to save space
Definition at line 99 of file pbuf.h. | https://doxygen.reactos.org/d9/db8/structpbuf.html | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | refinedweb | 166 | 76.72 |
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object naming
ujjwalmeshram
June 3rd, 2008, 06:02 AM
Hi all
I m using .net 2.0
I want to create an object of type object
but the problem is my object name has to be taken from string variable
Something like this
string bb = "obj1";
object bb.ToString() = new object();
This code creates an error
I dont know how to do this.
plz help me
thank u
boudino
June 3rd, 2008, 06:57 AM
What exactly would you like to do? Describe it in word, the sample doesn't make sense.
thedevkid
June 3rd, 2008, 07:09 AM
Why not just add the object to an ArrayList or an array...sounds like you want a dynamic variable name? Would be curious on why you would need that...I don't think you can...I know in PHP you can do something like that but not in .NET...atleast that I know of.
ujjwalmeshram
June 3rd, 2008, 07:24 AM
Sorrry for creating confusion.
Let me try again
suppose we are creating an object named 'obj1'
object obj1 = new object();
but instead of providing object name(obj1) directly, we provide a string containing 'obj1' as its data, like
string objname = "obj1";
//now create object
object objname.ToString() = new object();
since string objname contains 'obj1', the object should be created with the name 'obj1'
if string objname contains data 'obj2',the object should be created with the name 'obj2'
hope this will enough info.
thank u
Shuja Ali
June 3rd, 2008, 07:29 AM
since string objname contains 'obj1', the object should be created with the name 'obj1'
if string objname contains data 'obj2',the object should be created with the name 'obj2'This does not make much sense. Why would you do that? If you could share some more insight as to what exactly are you trying to achieve with this type of code, probably some one here might give a better solution.
darwen
June 3rd, 2008, 09:40 AM
You can't do this. C# isn't a scripting language. The best you can hope for is to use a dictionary e.g.
using System.Collections.Generic;
void testmethod()
{
Dictionary<string, object> objects = new Dictionary<string, object>();
objects["obj1"] = new Object();
// ....
object obj1 = objects["obj1"];
}
Darwen.
codeguru.com | http://forums.codeguru.com/archive/index.php/t-454389.html | crawl-003 | refinedweb | 396 | 71.55 |
Graceful shutdown (power off, not deep sleep)
I'm currently using
machine.pin_deepsleep_wakeup(['P3'],machine.WAKEUP_ALL_LOW, True)
to save battery, but the current in this mode is still too high for my needs.
Has anybody implemented a solution where you can gracefully shutdown the main (and its threads) ,then disconnect power and be able to reboot with ONE button?
Many thanks in advance.
Bgds,
Filip S.
@fsergeys You should measure power draw from battery, not USB. There's a lot more going on when powered via USB, it's not representative of what happens when you're running on battery.
You can definitely use the Pytrack's deep sleep (use the PyTrack library) to power down completely the WiPy, but you shouldn't see much of a difference when running from battery in the case of a WiPy 3.
@jcaron The board is a Wipy3 on a pytrack. I don't use the deep sleep shield.
When detaching the battery and connect to usb with an intermediary current meter I notice a spike of 0,2A every few seconds when in deepsleep.
I even tried to deinit the bluetooth and wireless, but to no avail.
The code does indeed call the machine.deepsleep().As the documentation states that the deepsleep API is for Deep Sleep Shields (docs: "This chapter describes the library which controls the Deep Sleep Shield"). If the API also works with pytrack: that would be wonderful news. I will try it out.
Below is the code:
def pin_handler(arg): time.sleep(0.5) if int(p_in()) == 0: print("irq on %s" % (arg.id())) print("Shutting down NMEA reader- and writer threads ...") dispatcher.keepReading = False dispatcher.keepWriting = False gc.collect() time.sleep(2) print("...done") print("Setting %s to listen for wakeup" % (arg.id())) machine.pin_deepsleep_wakeup(['P3'],machine.WAKEUP_ALL_LOW, True) print("Going into deepsleep") machine.deepsleep() p_in = Pin('P3', mode=Pin.IN, pull=Pin.PULL_UP) p_in.callback(Pin.IRQ_FALLING, pin_handler)
@fsergeys what module (LoPy 1, LoPy 4, WiPy 2, WiPy 3...) are you using? Do you also have a Pysense or PyTrack or deep sleep shield? What current draw are you observing? What’s your target?
The Deep Sleep Shield, Pysense and PyTrack do exactly what you are talking about: they completely power off the module during deep sleep (provided you use the appropriate library to control deep sleep, not
machine.deepsleep. But the newer modules should be able to achieve the same consumption with their built-in deep sleep. There are still issues with the FiPy I believe, though.
@fsergeys The most important part of that is an external circuitry to switch the power, mostly a P-Mos FET and a RS-Flip-Flop, there one side is connected to a GPIO port (with a proper pull resistor), and the other to the button, you mention. The only thing to may have to care about when switching off are files, that should be closed. | https://forum.pycom.io/topic/2722/graceful-shutdown-power-off-not-deep-sleep | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | refinedweb | 487 | 75.3 |
指定した開始位置と終了位置の間にラインを描画します。
The line will be drawn in the Game view of the editor when the game is running and the gizmo drawing is enabled. The line will also be drawn in the Scene when it is visible in the Game view. Leave the game running and showing the line. Switch to the Scene view and the line will be visible.
The
duration is the time (in seconds) for which the line will be visible after it is first displayed. A duration of zero shows the line for just one frame.
Note: This is for debugging playmode only. Editor gizmos should be drawn with Gizmos.Drawline or Handles.DrawLine instead.
using UnityEngine;
public class ExampleScript : MonoBehaviour { void Start() { // draw a 5-unit white line from the origin for 2.5 seconds Debug.DrawLine(Vector3.zero, new Vector3(5, 0, 0), Color.white, 2.5f); }
private float q = 0.0f;
void FixedUpdate() { // always draw a 5-unit colored line from the origin Color color = new Color(q, q, 1.0f); Debug.DrawLine(Vector3.zero, new Vector3(0, 5, 0), color); q = q + 0.01f;
if (q > 1.0f) { q = 0.0f; } } }
using UnityEngine;
public class Example : MonoBehaviour { // Event callback example: Debug-draw all contact points and normals for 2 seconds. void OnCollisionEnter(Collision collision) { foreach (ContactPoint contact in collision.contacts) { Debug.DrawLine(contact.point, contact.point + contact.normal, Color.green, 2, false); } } } | https://docs.unity3d.com/ja/2020.1/ScriptReference/Debug.DrawLine.html | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | refinedweb | 230 | 61.33 |
Besides, timeline.
If you find any errors or remaining major omissions, please send them
to us at timeline@lwn.net; please do
not post errors or omissions as comments until after we have had a chance
to address them.
The development of the LWN.net Linux Timeline was supported by LWN
subscribers; if you like what you see, please consider subscribing to LWN..
Page editor: Jonathan Corbet
Security
Your editor's mailbox, now receiving something over 5,000 spams/day, would
beg to differ from this conclusion. In fact, a deeper reading of the
report suggests that CAN-SPAM has not been as effective as one might expect
from reading the headlines, and that the real progress against spam has
been made elsewhere.
So what has CAN-SPAM accomplished? From the report:
Both of these claims are probably true. And, doubtless, many LWN readers
are pleased to know that some of their incoming commercial email follows
"best practices." But the spam problem never had much to do with
"legitimate online marketers." There have been suits brought against
spammers, and that can only be helpful in the end. But even lawsuits will
only be so effective in a world filled with spammers. So one might well
wonder how to square these limited gains against this claim from the
(LWN reported on the MX Logic
report last August.) A reading of the above paragraph might well lead one
to the conclusion that the battle against spam has been won, and that
CAN-SPAM did it. Anybody who deals with email in any serious way knows
that this is not the case.
What is going on - and the report recognizes this - is that anti-spam
techniques unrelated to CAN-SPAM have gotten better. The reported 75% drop
for AOL users does not mean that 75% less spam has been sent in that
direction; it does not even mean that there are 75% fewer AOL users, though
one might be tempted to reach that conclusion. The difference is that much
less spam is actually making it all the way to their mailboxes. Your
editor, too, has seen a reduction in spam reaching his inbox; spamassassin
nicely takes care of the bulk of it. But better filtering is not a solution to
the problem; it is more like sweeping it under the carpet. And, in any
case, it was not legislated by CAN-SPAM.
The report notes that a number of tactics adopted by large ISPs have
helped. These include blocking outgoing access to port 25 (which
imposes unfortunate costs on some users), rate-limiting email entering and
leaving the system, and actively disconnecting users with known-compromised
systems. Blacklisting is an effective tool; the report claims that
large ISPs are able to block 80% of spam before it ever enters their mail
server. The FTC also takes credit for helping to shut down open relays.
Another happy result, according to the FTC, is that "users have grown more
tolerant of spam." That's one way to solve the problem.
For the future, the report notes an increase in phishing mail, as well as
in spam containing malware. There are a few recommendations; one of those
is the adoption of SenderID or some other sort of email authentication
mechanism. The FTC would like to see the "US SAFE WEB Act" passed; this
law would make it easier for the FTC to share information with agencies of
other governments. It would also empower the FTC to compel information
from ISPs and others while requiring confidentiality - an extension of
governmental power which, given recent disclosures in the U.S., may not be
entirely welcome. In fact, this recommendation, along with the agency's
desire for email authentication and more rigorous requirements for WHOIS
information, leads to the question of just how badly we want governments to
"solve" the spam problem for us. Given that the most effective techniques
we have so far did not come from governments, perhaps it's time to
recognize that the solutions lie elsewhere.
Brief items
About 40 post-rc6 patches are currently sitting in the mainline git
repository; they are all small fixes.
The current -mm tree is 2.6.15-rc5-mm3. Recent changes
to -mm include a Sony laptop ACPI driver, support for an
atomic_long_t type, the removal of the swap prefetching patches
("I wasn't able to notice much benefit from it in my testing, and the
number of mm/ patches in getting crazy, so we don't have capacity for
speculative things at present."), the unshare() system call
(see below), a set of MD updates, and the dropping of support for
gcc 3.1 and prior.
The current stable 2.6 kernel is 2.6.14.4, released on
December 14. It contains a relatively large number of patches with a
couple of security fixes and various other important repairs.
In an exception to normal policy, the stable team also released 2.6.13.5 on December 15.
It contains three patches, one of which is a security fix.
Kernel development news
mknodat() and friends.
There was a minor comment on the implementation - Ulrich had wanted to avoid
changing an exported function, but such changes are always fair game.
Beyond that, there seems to be little resistance to adding these system
calls. Expect them in a future kernel.
pselect() and ppoll()
David Woodhouse, meanwhile, has been circulating a patch implementing the pselect()
and ppoll() system calls. These calls each take a signal mask;
that mask will be applied while the calling process waits for events, with
the previous mask being restored on return. There is an emulated version
of these calls in glibc now, but a truly robust implementation requires
kernel support. As with most things involving signals, the new code gets
somewhat complex in places. The end result, however, should be a pair of
straightforward system calls which allow a process to apply a different
signal mask while waiting for I/O.
unshare()
The unshare() patch by Janak Desai was first covered here last May. It allows a process
to disconnect from resources which are shared with others. The target
application is per-user namespaces; implementing these requires the ability
to detach from the global namespace normally shared by all processes on the
system. The current version of
this patch implements namespace unsharing, but it also allows a process
to privatize its view of virtual memory and open files.
This patch has been through a fair amount of review, and has seen a number
of improvements from that process. Andrew Morton's reaction to a request to include the patch in
-mm suggests that there is some work yet to be done, though. Andrew wants
to see a better justification for the patch; he is also concerned about the
security implications of adding a relatively obscure bit of code. The end
result is that Janak still has some homework to do before this patch will
make it into the kernel.
preadv() and pwritev()
The kernel currently supports the pread() and pwrite()
system calls; these behave like read() and write(), with
the exception that they take an explicit offset in the file. They will
perform the operation at the given offset regardless of whether the
"current" offset in the file has been changed by another thread, and they
do not change the current offset as seen by any thread. Also supported are
readv() and writev(), which perform scatter/gather I/O
from the current file offset. The kernel does not have, however, any
system call which combines these two modes of operation.
It turns out that there are developers who wish they had system calls along
the lines of:
int preadv(unsigned int fd, struct iovec *vec, unsigned long vlen,
loff_t pos);
int pwritev(unsigned int fd, struct iovec *vec, unsigned long vlen,
loff_t pos);
To satisfy this need, Badari Pulavarty has created a simple implementation
which is currently part of the -mm tree. It seems that Ulrich Drepper
suggested an alternative to adding two new system calls, however: change
the iovec structure instead. Badari ran with that idea, posting
a new patch creating a new
iovec type:
struct niovec
{
void __user *iov_base;
__kernel_size_t iov_len;
__kernel_loff_t iov_off; /* NEW */
};
The new iov_off field is more flexible than plain
preadv() in that it enables each segment in the I/O operation to
have its own offset. The only down side is that the prototypes for the
readv() and writev() methods in the
file_operations structure must be changed. So every driver and
filesystem which implements readv() and writev() breaks
and must be changed. There are fewer of those than one might expect, but
it is still a significant change.
It was suggested that the asynchronous I/O
operations could be used instead. The AIO interface already allows for the
creation of vectored operations with per-segment offsets. The downside is
that using AIO is more complicated in user space, heavier in the kernel,
and, incidentally, AIO support in the kernel was never completed to the
point where it will support these operations anyway. Still, that is an
option which may need more consideration before changing one of the
fundamental interfaces used by filesystems and drivers.
splice()
Finally, there has been talk over many years of creating a
splice() system call. The core idea is that a process could
open a file descriptor for a data source, and another for a data sink.
Then, with a call to splice(), those two streams could be
connected to each other, and the data could flow from the source to the
sink entirely within the kernel, with no need for user-space involvement
and with minimal (or no) copying.
Some of the infrastructure was put in place one year ago when Linus created
a circular pipe buffer mechanism. Now Jens Axboe has put together a simple splice()
implementation which uses that mechanism. The patch is not ready for
prime time yet (Jens: "I'm just posting this in the spirit
of posting early"), but it is a beginning. In particular, it allows
a file to be spliced to a pipe, as either the source or the sink. With a
pair of splices, it is possible to set up an in-kernel file copy operation
with no internal memory copying.
Work left for the future includes cleaning up the ("ugly," "nasty")
internal interfaces, and generalizing the code so that any two file
descriptors can be spliced together. The ability to splice to network
sockets would be particularly useful. Some of this may take a while, so
don't expect splice() to show up in the mainline in the immediate
future.
There was some fairly strong pushback against the mutex patch after last
week's article was written. Linus expressed
his thoughts this way:
is simply INCREDIBLY BROKEN. It has absolutely _zero_ redeeming features.
I can't understand how there are a hundred emails in my mailbox even
discussing it.
Here is Andrew Morton's take:
Please. Go fix some bugs. We're not short of them.
The objections should be coming into focus at this point. One problem had
to do with performance; the mutex patch was supposed to be faster, but that
was not the case in the posted version (which lacked architecture-specific
implementations). There was a long discussion on why the semaphore code
could not be improved on in this regard. It seems that, on the most
popular architectures at least, the locked decrement-and-test code used by
semaphores is hard to beat.
David's patch also introduced a sort of global flag day, changing the
locking primitives used by vast amounts of code all at once. But it kept
the old semaphore function names and applied them to the new mutex type,
creating a confusing sort of interface. There was resistance to this
choice of naming, but also a great deal of resistance to the idea of making
major changes throughout the kernel without a very strong idea of what was
being gained for it. All told, the mutex patch set looked like it had a
rough road ahead of it.
Enter Ingo Molnar, who has posted a mutex patch of his own.
Ingo's mutexes are derived from the code used in the realtime preemption
patch, of course, but they have been heavily modified to avoid the
objections which greeted David's patch. In this version, a mutex is a
separate data type, with its own API: existing semaphore interface is not changed in any way - at least, not
in any way visible to the rest of the kernel. There is an interesting
feature, however: the semaphore functions (down(), up(),
and friends) have been augmented to be able to handle mutex arguments as
well as semaphores. This feature is a migration tool: a subsystem which is
being considered for migration over to the mutex type can have its
semaphores changed to mutexes, but no other code changes are required. The
various checks built into the mutex type will quickly set off alarms if a
mutex is being used as a counting semaphore. In that case, the locks can
be changed back to semaphores and the whole episode forgotten. If,
instead, all seems well, the semaphore calls can be turned into mutex
calls. Eventually, when the migration work is complete, this helper code
can be removed from the kernel.
The real point of all the above is that, unlike David's patch, this version
of mutexes imposes no flag day on the kernel. It is a new primitive, with
its own API, and bits of the kernel can be converted over one by one.
Ingo claims that his mutex code is significantly faster than semaphores
used as mutexes. The code itself is a bit smaller and tighter, which
helps. But he also gets some impressive performance improvements on some
tests: a filesystem-based test more than doubled its speed on an
eight-processor system. That is the sort of improvement which can help to
motivate the quick merging of a patch.
In this case, developers started to wonder just why the semaphore code
was so much slower. Some research turned up the fact that, on the x86
architecture, each cycle through a semaphore had the potential to wake up
two separate waiting processes, each of which would then contend for the
lock. Nobody knows why the code is this way - Linus is mystified by it. It quickly became clear,
though, that taking out the redundant wakeup breaks the semaphores and
causes lockups. For now, it is a bit of black magic which must remain for
the whole thing to work.
Ingo quickly seized on this revelation to
drive home one of his other points:
Linus seems to have heard this argument:
He doesn't like the under-the-hood semaphore changes, though, and would
like that part of the patch taken out.
Ingo's initial posting
contains no less than ten reasons why he thinks the mutex patch should go
on; rather than try to rephrase all of those arguments, your editor
suggests going straight to the source. It is worth noting that, among
other things, merging this mutex patch would move another piece of the
realtime preemption patch into the mainline - even though many of the
realtime-specific features (priority inheritance, for example) are
missing.
Patches and updates
Kernel trees
Core kernel code
Development tools
Device drivers
Documentation
Filesystems and block I/O
Memory management
Networking
Architecture-specific
Security-related
Miscellaneous
Distributions
News and Editorials
It's the end of the year, and as sometimes happens there was some money
leftover to spend on hardware. LWN editor Forrest Cook did most of the
research, the ordering, and has plans to talk about the hardware in detail
in some future article, but we both got new systems this week. Mine
arrived yesterday, but the promise of its arrival was enough to discourage
me from installing anything new on my old and oh so slow secondary test box,
a 350 Mhz Pentium 2. Instead
I spent extra time making sure that I had good backups to transfer to my
new system.
So yesterday I got home with the new box and then applied admirable
restraint by first processing the Tuesday
security updates, finishing up the rest of the daily page updates and
even spent an hour or so updating entries in the Distributions list before diving into the box
and setting up my new LINI PC with the
Antec Aria Cube case. It's small and super quiet and it came with Ubuntu
5.10 "Breezy Badger" installed on it's 200 GB hard drive.
This frees up my current work box, a 1.4 Ghz Athlon system, for testing
purposes. The old Pentium 2 box will probably be turned into an
IP masquerade box/dhcp server, allowing me to connect more than
one host to my cable modem without a time consuming reboot/power cycle
operation.
Next year I resolve to spend more time playing around with some subset
of the over 400 distributions on our active list.
New Releases
Full Story (comments: 2)
Full Story (comments: none)
Distribution News
Daniel Holbach has released the minutes of
last week's Desktop Team Meeting. Topics include the dbus transition, bug
days and general workflow.
Martin Pitt looks at locales restructuring
and why a dist-upgrade might break. He also explains why this isn't a bug.
New Distributions
Distribution Newsletters
Package updates
Fedora Core 3 updates: perl (bug
fix), caching-nameserver, system-config-bind (bug fixes), system-config-netboot (bug fixes).
Distribution reviews
Page editor: Rebecca Sobol
Development.
Class provides a long list of
features,
including storage of information about students, curricula,
and teacher schedules. It allows this information to be organized
and output in various report formats. ClaSS can also be used to
organize online course material.
The
Technical Whitepaper (PDF) provides an overview of the project
architecture, its history, and its goals.
The
Administrator's Guide discusses the terminology used for ClaSS,
and explains what is involved in setting up a working ClaSS environment.
The online demo site
is perhaps the best way to get a feel for the system.
According to the
installation FAQ,
ClaSS dependencies include PHP, Apache 1.3, MySQL, and PEAR::DB.
The project has yet to be tested with PHP5 or Apache2, volunteer help
is needed.
Release 0.6.1 of ClaSS
was recently announced:
"Update to the 0.6 version includes a couple of bug-fixes which are critical to a correct installation process."
Support for
ClaSS is still in the planning stages. There is a business opportunity
available for a company that can provide ClaSS support.
ClaSS seems ideally suited for schools with a tight budget, and an IT
staff that is reasonably proficient in the use of open-source software.
System Applications
Database Software
Interoperability
Web Site Development
Desktop Applications
Business Applications
Desktop Environments
Full Story (comments: 1)
Electronics
Graphics
GUI Packages
Multimedia
Office Suites
Full Story (comments: 11)
VOIP
Web Browsers
Languages and Tools
Caml
Java
Lisp
Perl
Python
Ruby
Tcl/Tk
XML
Editors
IDEs
Version Control
Full Story (comments: 19)
Page editor: Forrest Cook
Linux in the news
Recommended Reading
Companies
Linux at Work
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Interviews
Resources
Reviews
Announcements
Non-Commercial announcements
Commercial announcements
Full Story (comments: 48)
New Books
Contests and Awards
Surveys
Upcoming Events
Web sites
Audio and Video programs
Letters to the editor
Dear Editor,
I wanted to take a moment out of my day to address the community's
reaction to the use of profanity and strong verbage by Linus Torvalds when
addressing GNOME developers in recent mailing list discussions. It would
be quite silly for me to attempt to address any one side of the argument
over another... it is clear that there are still tempers and feelings
which would turn any such attempt into another 200+-comment flamewar.
What troubles me is that the "friendly" press (I'm inventing the
term to describe sites like Slashdot that tend to cover issues related to
our community) did not report on any strong points Linus made - quotes
simply included his strong language and his call for people to use KDE.
Aaron Seigo, a lead KDE dev, had this to say in his blog:
> but how to express [my] frustration in a way that makes any sort of sense
> is not easy. the question that keeps circling around my head is: if people
> are as passionate about this open source stuff, why do they engage in
> destructive behaviour that works directly against the efforts of those who
> are trying to make it better? this is not a soap opera for your benefit,
> this is a real effort being made by a relatively small number of people
> that, goddess forbid, ought to actually be enjoyable. and someone writing
> one impassioned email, even if that someone is the pope of linux himself,
> does not qualify as a reason to ignore that.
By reducing what should have been a valid debate over design
philosophy into the irrelevant side-comments made in the course of that
debate, participating news outlets reduced themselves to the practices of
sensationalist reporting that would unfortunately scar the public's
perception about the matter at hand.
Linus could be right or he could be wrong. Given the amount of
hysteria generated by Linus raising his voice, I plead that anyone forming
an opinion on this matter first read Linus's remarks in full.
And to those of you who call Linus's remarks "childish" or
"immature", well, would as many of you be saying the same thing if Linus
were screaming instead at Microsoft engineers? Would the same people
call Linus's remarks childish or immature if he were screaming at the
KDE people? Would this have even been a major news story if it was, say,
me that was flaming the GNOME developers - not Linus?
At the end of the day Linus is just a person... a living,
breathing human being like you or I. He expressed his opinions not because
he had been sitting around, twiddling a mustache and planning a chaotic
flamewar, but because of the hope that by considering his frustrations the
developers might be able to better serve their users in the future.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours truly,
- Chase
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds | http://lwn.net/Articles/164377/bigpage | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | refinedweb | 3,730 | 59.03 |
. Today we will check how we can use Static Resource In Lightning Web Component. Due to Lightning Web Components content security policy requirement we need to upload our external files in static resource first. So today we will learn how we can use static resource in LWC and we will also check how it is different then lightning.
For demo purpose I have upload a basic zip file which include one CSS file, jQuery and two images.
lwcStaticResource.html
<template> <img src={customImage}/> <div class="lwcClass">I'm in Lightning Web Components ( LWC )</div> </template>
lwcStaticResource.js
import { LightningElement } from 'lwc'; import { loadScript, loadStyle } from 'lightning/platformResourceLoader'; import customSR from '@salesforce/resourceUrl/customSR'; export default class LwcStaticResource extends LightningElement { customImage = customSR + '/LwcDemo.jpg'; renderedCallback() { Promise.all([ loadScript(this, customSR + '/jquery.min.js'), loadStyle(this, customSR + '/customCss.css'), ]) .then(() => { alert('Files loaded.'); }) .catch(error => { alert(error.body.message); }); } }
In Lightning Web Components ( LWC ) we first need to import
loadScript, loadStyle to load the static resource file. There syntax is
loadStyle(self, fileUrl): where in self we need to pass this and in URL we need to pass the URL of static resource file. For image we can direct access URL. In case of multiple files we can do this.
Promise.all([ loadScript(this, resourceName + '/lib1.js'), loadScript(this, resourceName + '/lib2.js'), loadScript(this, resourceName + '/lib3.js') ]).then(() => { /* callback */ });
If you have directly uploaded your JS, CSS files in static resource without making a zip then you need to refer them using below code
import jquery from '@salesforce/resourceUrl/jquery'; import bootstrap from '@salesforce/resourceUrl/bootstrap'; Promise.all([ loadScript(this, jquery), loadStyle(this, bootstrap), ]).then(() => { /* callback */ });
Now to achieve similar result in Lightning we need to do below things.
lightningStaticResource.cmp
<aura:component> <ltng:require <img src="{!$Resource.customSR + '/lightningDemo.jpg'}"/> <div class="lightningClass">I'm in Lightning</div> <c:lwcStaticResource /> </aura:component>
lightningStaticResource.js
({ setup : function(component, event, helper) { if (typeof jQuery != 'undefined') { alert('jquery loaded in lightning.'); } } })
As we can see in Lightning resource are loaded in component while in LWC we load them in controller and then use it. So in many area LWC is totally different then Lightning.
Do you want to add anything here or have any question, let me know in comments. Happy programming 🙂
16 thoughts on “Use Static Resource In Lightning Web Components”
I am trying to load my bootstrap.min.css. How do I do it ?
You need to use loadStyle only.
import { LightningElement } from ‘lwc’;
import {loadStyle} from ‘lightning/platformResourceLoader’;
import green from ‘@salesforce/resourceUrl/green’;
import style from ‘@salesforce/resourceUrl/style’;
import bootstrap from ‘@salesforce/resourceUrl/bootstrap’;
export default class eventRequest extends LightningElement {
renderedCallback() {
Promise.all([
loadStyle(this, green + ‘/green.css’),
loadStyle(this,style+’/style.css’),
loadStyle(this,bootstrap+’/bootstrap.min.css’),
])
.then(() =>
{
})
}
}
****
I have three files green.css, style.css, and bootstrap.min.css. I have uploaded to Static Resource like green,style, bootstrap. pls find the above code. The styles are not applied.
It looks like you have directly added the files in static resource instead of zip, So you need to change your code
loadStyle(this, green ),
loadStyle(this,style),
loadStyle(this,bootstrap),
Thanks a lot. Now I am stuck in wrapping up HTML/JS and Jquery
$(function () {
$(“.dis-date”).datepicker();
$(“.dis-time”).timepicker({
showPeriod: true,
showLeadingZero: true
});
// enable/disable the time fields based on an all day Meeting
$(“.allday”).change(function (event) {
if ($(‘.allday’).is(‘:checked’)) {
$(“.dis-time”).timepicker(‘disable’);
$(‘.dis-time’).removeClass(‘dis-required’);
}
else {
$(“.dis-time”).timepicker(‘enable’);
$(‘.dis-time’).addClass(‘dis-required’);
}
});
How do I render the Date /Time picker Jquery/Bootstrap CSS through script in LWC ?
You need to use loadScript and loadStyle method. then in renderedCallback() you can write your script.
Thanks, I ll try
How to call a function defined in Static Resource from LWC controller after loading the script ?
Is there a way to call an Apex method from a JS file loaded as a static resource?
I don’t think you can doirectly call apex. But you can call JSController method and from there can call the Apex. I have never tried this in LWC so don’t have any sample code for you.
how to call a method of the loaded script function in the javascript?Ex: if I have loaded a script named ‘abc’. Now I want to call a method of the abc. Let the method be fgh. How do I call it in LWC?
Hey, Im trying to load facebook SDK. Can you please lemme known how to do that ? or consider anysort of SDK for an Example. Thanks
Steps will be same. Are you facing any challenge?
Hi Tushar, thank you for the tips in your post. I was able to get an image displayed in a lightning web component by following your example but now I need to display an SVG file. I can get the SVG to show up as an image, but the links in it do not work. Have you been able to display an SVG file in a lightning web component and have links in the SVG be clickable?
Jim | https://newstechnologystuff.com/2019/03/16/use-static-resource-in-lightning-web-component/ | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | refinedweb | 850 | 59.6 |
Computer Science Archive: Questions from January 14, 2011
- Anonymous asked9. Write statements that perform the following one-dimensional-array operations: a) Set the 10 eleme1 answer
- Anonymous asked0 answers
- Anonymous askedConsider a single link list structure with a reference to the first node and last node (head and tai... Show more
Consider a single link list structure with a reference to the first node and last node (head and tail). Design a recursive method that reverses the list in less than or equal to n method calls. Each method call needs to have O(1) running time. Give an example list with 6 nodes and show the recursion trace for the method.• Show less0 answers
- Anonymous askedConsider a binary tree structure. There is a reference to the root node and each node has a referenc... Show moreConsider a binary tree structure. There is a reference to the root node and each node has a reference to its parent, left and right child. Design an iterator for the tree that visits the nodes depth-first and in-order. The iterator must be complete with constructor and the following methods (with the usual behavior, error conditions and Exceptions) :
a. E next()
b. boolean hasNext()
c. E prev()
d. boolean hasPrev()
• Show less0 answers
- Anonymous askedand merges them into a single sorte... Show more
Design a recursive method that takes 2 sorted ArrayList<Integer> and merges them into a single sorted ArrayList<Integer>. The recursion must finish once one of the lists is empty. That is, no new function calls should be made with one empty list. Of course, the function calls that have begun will finish.• Show less0 answers
- Anonymous askedConsider a hash of size M. Each entry in the hash is a reference to a binary search tree (the tree i... Show moreConsider a hash of size M. Each entry in the hash is a reference to a binary search tree (the tree is rebalanced). When an element is inserted, we find the correct entry in the hash and insert the element into the corresponding BST. Assume we have inserted N >> M elements into this hash. Analyze the expected running time for insert and remove operations. You may assume that elements are distributed evenly across the different trees. Write pseudo-code for the insert and remove operations.
• Show less0 answers
- Anonymous asked0 answers
- InfamousAnimal973 askedCreate an abstract class named Account for a bank. Include an integer field for the account number a... Show moreCreate for the value of the interest rate. The Savings display method displays the String "Savings Account Information", the account number, the balance, and the interest rate. Write an application that demonstrates you can instantiate and display both Checking and Savings objects. Save your files as Account.java, Checking.java, Savings.java, and DemoAccounts.java.
• Show less1 answer
- Anonymous askeda) A machine with index registers and accumu... Show more
Discuss the following statements about instruction sets.• Show less
a) A machine with index registers and accumulator separated need fewer bits of instruction than a machine with generic registers for addressing a given total number of registers.
b) Instruction set of type Load/Store are easier to pipeline that instruction set of type m-m because they perform at most one data access per instruction.
c) A set of instructions RISC has better code density than well-coded set of instructions with variable length.0 answers
- Anonymous askedActually I found the answer for this question but the answer must be in a table contain... Show moreHello there,
Actually I found the answer for this question but the answer must be in a table contains 2 Columns and 2 Rows the columns for the advanatages and disadvantages and the rows for the system level and the programmer level for each one of a,b,c and d.
I appreciate your soon reply
Best Regards, • Show less0 answers
- Anonymous asked1 answer
- Aeilihay askedI'm having some issues writing a program in Java that takes a users inp... Show more
Will give lifesaver rating!!!• Show less
I'm having some issues writing a program in Java that takes a users input of 2 numbers and outputs the current dividend along with the GCD of the 2 numbers. I have code written already but it just keeps looping and won't stop. Help me please!
import java.util.Scanner;
public class GCD
{
public static void main (String[] args)
{
Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
long dividend, divisor, gcd, remainder, remainder2;
System.out.println("Please enter your dividend:");
dividend = keyboard.nextLong();
System.out.println("Please enter your divisor:");
divisor = keyboard.nextLong();
gcd = dividend/divisor;
remainder = dividend%divisor;
if (remainder >= 0)
do{
remainder = dividend%divisor;
System.out.println("Current divident = " + remainder);
} while (remainder>=0);
else {
System.out.println("Results: GCD(" + dividend + ", " + divisor + ") = " + gcd);
}
}
}1 answer
- Anonymous askedMobileTraining is small training firm that offers mobile classrooms that come to your company and te... More »0 answers
- Anonymous askedpublishing for the masses - is here. Many folks are publishing to the web every day in blogs, wikis,... Show morepublishing for the masses - is here. Many folks are publishing to the web every day in blogs, wikis, and personal web sites. What are the implications for these apps to affect web site design? What do they mean for web site developers and their day-to-day jobs?
objective: write minimum 2 paragraphs, You are expected to provide new information and cite a source. • Show less0 answers
- Anonymous askedt do much. To fully comprehend how inheritance works and why it is usefu... Show moreInheritance by itself doesn’t do much. To fully comprehend how inheritance works and why it is useful in an OOP language you need to combine inheritance with polymorphism, which we will cover in the next topic.
objective: draw an inheritance hierarchy diagram for students at a university use A-Z as names.
* Use Student as your superclass in the hierarchy and then extend Student to subclasses underGraduateStudent, graduateStudent, and nonDegreeStudent.
* See how far you can extend the diagram. One way would be to extend underGraduateStudent to subclasses of Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. You might extend graduateStudent to include subclasses of MastersStudent and DoctoralStudent.
Note: You do not write any programming code in this assignment. • Show less0 answers
- Mchinaus askedREO;//... Show moreConsider an event loop for a cell-phone
While(1){
TEO;//trigger event 0
TE1;//trigger event 1
REO;//response event 0
RE1;//response event 1
}
List as many trigger events and response events as you can think of relevant within a cell-phone. • Show less0 answers
- Anonymous asked0 answers
- Anonymous asked0 answers
- Anonymous askedRandom r... Show moreimport java.util.Random;
public class Question3
{
public static void main(String args [])
{
Random rand = new Random ();
int number;
for(int counter=1;counter<=5;counter++){
number = 1+rand.nextInt(10);
System.out.println("numbers = " +number);
}
}
}
This is what I've got so far but I can't get it to add the 5 random numbers. It only displays 5 random numbers every time I execute the program. • Show less1 answer
- Anonymous asked(Fibonacci numbers are i.e. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21 because its the sum of the number that you're up t... More »2 answers
- Anonymous asked26. When $1000 is deposited at 5 percent simple interest, the amount grows by $50 each year. When mo1 answer
- Anonymous asked1 answer
- Anonymous askedFibonacci numbers i.e. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13 (the current number plus the preceding number results in the n... More »3 answers
- Anonymous askedrooms ri that are require... Show moreSuppose there are k rooms available, and request i specifies the number of
rooms ri that are required in the time period si to ti. Describe an algorithm
to nd the maximum number of requests that can be scheduled, that is,
required number of rooms can be allocated to the requests in the required
time. Prove the correctness of your algorithm. • Show less0 answers | http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/computer-science-archive-2011-january-14 | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | refinedweb | 1,324 | 57.57 |
Going Places
Gaming In The Key Of Zune
Mike Calligaro
My son, who's been playing Xbox since he was three, has started showing an interest in programming—specifically writing games. This prompted me to download XNA Game Studio and dive into it myself, you know, so that I could teach him. That I've always wanted to write my own games had nothing to do with it. Really.
XNA Game Studio 3.0 added the ability to write games for Zune, which means the Zune is now a mobile development platform. So it's fair, er, game for a Going Places article. If you're already an XNA developer, I may be reviewing some concepts you already understand. But, if you're like me, a programmer who is enthusiastic about but fairly new to game development, read on.
Man, That C Is Sharp
For the majority of my fifteen year career at Microsoft, I've been a systems and drivers developer. My language of choice and necessity has been a fairly bare bones C++. I rarely get to use runtimes like MFC and the Microsoft .NET Framework. Until recently, I couldn't have even spelled STL much less made use of it.
That's my day job. But in my off time I love playing around with C#. Mostly I write little apps for my Windows Mobile devices and occasionally for my PC. C++ doesn't treat me as badly as it does many native developers, but I still I get a little giddy when I write in C#. You can get a lot done with very few lines of code. I swear, C# is so much fun they should make it a controlled substance.
In the fun category, XNA Game Studio is like C# on steroids. The team over there has done an amazing job of making game development easy. The framework is straightforward, the hard stuff is largely handled for you, and they've released a ton of samples aimed at teaching you the various aspects of game development.
Start at creators.xna.com. From there you can download the free XNA Game Studio 3.0. If you already use one of the various incarnations of Visual Studio 2008, XNA Game Studio will integrate with it. If you don't have Visual Studio 2008, don't fret. XNA Game Studio also works with the free Visual C# Express Edition. (In other words, although I mention Visual Studio, you can substitute Visual C# Express Edition if that's what you're using.)
The creators.xna.com Web site is also full of great information to get you going. Click the Education link at the top of the page to find beginner's guides, samples, and how-to's. The "Beginner's Guide to 2D Games" is especially good, as is the documentation that gets installed with XNA Game Studio. In some cases, the installation documentation has information that's not on the Web. In Visual studio, you can get to that documentation by selecting Help | Contents and setting the filter to XNA Game Studio 3.0.
XNA Game Studio lets you write one code base and deploy it to Xbox, PC, and Zune. Everything I do here will work on all three platforms. The free downloads are all you need to develop for PC or Zune, but Xbox development requires a Premium membership that costs a yearly fee.
Anatomy of a Game
Once you've got XNA Game Studio 3.0 installed, you can create a Hello World game for Zune by selecting File | New | Project. Then select Visual C# | XNA Game Studio 3.0 and click Zune Game (3.0). While the program this generates doesn't actually say Hello World, it does watch for input, paint the background blue, and exit on demand.
If you're expecting something really complicated, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Your entire game infrastructure amounts to around twenty lines of code spread over six functions. Here's a description of those functions.
The constructor is just a standard, garden variety C# object constructor. Treat it the same as you would any other one.
Initialize is called after your constructor finishes. It lets you do further initialization, especially for things involving the graphics system.
LoadContent is called after Initialize and is where you load your images and sounds.
UnloadContent is called on game exit and lets you unload your content. But, since the unloading of most images and sounds is handled for you, you generally don't need to do anything here.
Update is probably the place where game development differs most from normal app development. Instead of a message loop, games regularly poll their input, calculate what to do with it, and then draw the result of those calculations. Most of that happens in Update, so this is where most of your code will live.
Draw is called after each Update and is where you draw your images.
That's it. Even though the program is very short, it starts, paints the screen blue, reads input, and exits when you hit the back button. What's that? Did you think game development would be hard? Not with XNA Game Studio.
Sprites on Pixie Dust
That was easy, but a blue background that exits does not make for a compelling game. You need actual images if you're going to have a game. Thankfully, putting pictures on the screen isn't difficult.
In a minute I'm going to show you the code, but first you need to load an image into your project. In Visual Studio, you should have a window called Solution Explorer (if you don't, you can find it under the View menu). In the Solution Explorer, right-click on Content and select Add | Existing Item. From here you can point it at any .bmp, .jpg, .png, .tga, or .dds image file.
Let's assume you have a picture of a person called player.jpg and that you just added it to Content. Figure 1 shows the code to display that image on the screen.
// Add these member variables Texture2D texture; Vector2 position; // Add this line to the constructor position = new Vector2(100, 100); // Add this line to LoadContent() texture = Content.Load<Texture2D>("player"); // And add these lines to Draw(); spriteBatch.Begin(); spriteBatch.Draw(texture, position, Color.White); // (Draw the rest of your sprites) spriteBatch.End();
Before I explain those lines, let's talk lingo. XNA Game Studio started as a development system for the Xbox. As such, it's all based on 3D graphics. 2D games (and, since the Zune doesn't have a 3D renderer, you need to do 2D games) are really 3D games where everything is really thin. So you'll see 3D terms sprinkled around your code. For instance, while sprite is the normal term for an image in a 2D game, the word texture comes from 3D gaming. As far as XNA Game Studio is concerned, sprites are really thin 3D rectangles with textures mapped to them.
The Content.Load function takes an Asset Name, which by default is the file name without the extension. Since I loaded an image called player.jpg, I passed the string "player" to Content.Load. In the LoadContent function, you'll find that there's already a line that allocates a SpriteBatch. All drawing is done with this SpriteBatch. In the Draw function, you tell the SpriteBatch you're about to begin, draw all the sprites, and then tell it you're finished.
The position member variable is a vector structure that holds the x and y location where you want the sprite to be drawn. In the example, I used pixel location (100, 100). The color is a tint you can add to your sprites. Using white leaves the image unchanged.
So, to get an image on the screen, you just needed to load the texture and tell the sprite batch to draw it. The first image basically takes four lines of code, and each subsequent one takes two more.
Of Asset Names and Color Keys
Hopefully, at this point you're looking at your player image on the screen and thinking that this isn't so difficult. But maybe you're not fully satisfied. What if you don't like that your code needs to use the file name of the image? And, more importantly, what if the picture you loaded is rectangular, but the player isn't? How can you draw just the player and not the background?
To answer both of these questions, you need to look at the properties for the image you loaded. Go back to Solution Explorer and right-click on the file (in my example, player.jpg). Select Properties. A properties pane will appear below the Solution Explorer, giving you a lot of useful information. First look at Asset Name. This is the name you passed to Content.Load. If you want to make it something other than the file name, change it here.
Now expand Content Processor by clicking the little + to the left of the name. The property you care about here is the Color Key Color. Any pixel whose color matches the color key will be transparent. That's how you take a rectangular image and strip out the background. So, to get rid of your sprite's background, either change its color or change the color key setting so that they match. The setting defaults to Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha values of 255, 0, 255, 255, which is magenta.
Ya Gotta Move To Play
Certainly a single sprite on a blue background isn't going to be the next big thing in gaming. Minimally, you need the user to be able to move that sprite around somehow. And, to do that, you need to know what the user wants to do. If you've looked at the Update function in your program, you probably already have an idea how to do this. The default code reads the input and exits if the back key is pressed. Unfortunately, they kind of monopolized the input there. Let's change things around a bit to let you use the input as well.
Here's what you currently see:
I suggest changing it to look like this:
Now you can use the input variable to look at user input. Note that input is a GamePadState. Think of the Zune's input as an Xbox gamepad that's missing some of the buttons. Figure 2 provides the full list of mappings for the Zune's buttons.
Okay, so let's make the player move. The code in Figure 3 covers both DPad and ZunePad input, so it will work on any Zune. (The original Zunes didn't have the ZunePad functionality.)
// add these lines to Update().Y += c_speedScalar; if (input.DPad.Up == ButtonState.Pressed) speed.Y -= c_speedScalar; else if (input.DPad.Down == ButtonState.Pressed) speed.Y += c_speedScalar; position += speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalSeconds;
Remember that the Draw routine is drawing the player at the location specified by the position member variable. So, to move the sprite, all you need to do is update that location.
The really fancy part here is the last line where you change the position. The Xbox has stronger graphics capabilities than the Zune, so its Update routine gets called more frequently. In other words, it has a higher framerate. This means you need to make movement be independent of the framerate. To accomplish this, use the input to calculate a speed, not a position. Then convert the speed to a position by multiplying by the amount of time that has passed since the last call to Update.
Sprite in a Box
Anyone can move. The trick is knowing when to stop.
If your game is going to be interesting, then you need to know when one sprite collides with another. The fancy game developer's term for this is collision detection, and the simplest way to do collision detection in XNA Game Studio is to use an object called a BoundingBox. Basically, you wrap invisible boxes around your objects and then check to see if any of those boxes intersect with each other.
Aside from the current game being less than exciting, the biggest problem is that the sprite can move off the screen. Let's fix that. Whenever the sprite hits an edge, we'll make it jump back to location (100, 100).
First, you'll need a bounding box for the screen:
There's a bit of magic here, but it's not very complicated magic. The Hello World framework gave you a member variable called graphics that contains the width and height of the game screen. You can set the upper-left corner of the bounding box to the upper-left corner of the screen and the lower-right corner of the bounding box to the lower-right corner of the screen. BoundingBoxes require 3D vectors, so set the z coordinates to 0.
Now let's create a box for the sprite, like so:
Finally, let's see if the sprite is fully contained in the screen. If not, it must have hit an edge. Add these lines directly below the ones added previously:
Now the sprite will jump back to (100, 100) whenever it hits the edge of the screen. You, of course, should probably do something more intelligent, like stop or warp to the other side.
Colliding with the edge of the screen is a little different from colliding with another object. The normal situation is that you're inside the screen, but you're outside of other objects. So, to check for a collision with the edge of the screen, you want to see if the screen's box contains you. But if you want to check for a collision with another object, you want to see if that object's box intersects with you. To that end, the BoundingBox object has an Intersects member function. Intersects returns a bool that is true when the two boxes intersect. Use Intersects if you want to check whether two sprites hit each other.
Bing Bang Boom
You're now one technology away from writing your own games. You can draw images, move them in response to user input, and act on them running into each other. Since this is a game, you probably want a sprite collision to end in a huge explosion. You already know how to draw the explosion, but it won't be really satisfying unless you rattle the player's speakers, too. Fortunately, playing sounds is even easier than drawing sprites.
First, you'll need to add a sound to your project. The process here is similar to adding an image. Go to the Solution Explorer, right-click on Content, and choose Add | Existing Item. From there you can choose a .wav, .wma, .mp3, or .xap file. Also, like the image file, if you want a different Asset Name than the file name, you can change it in the properties.
Now let's play that sound. This code assumes that the file you loaded was explode.wav:
// Add this member variable SoundEffect sndBoom; // Add these lines to LoadContent() ContentManager contentManager = new ContentManager(Services, "Content"); sndBoom = contentManager.Load<SoundEffect>("explode"); // Add these lines to Update() if (input.Buttons.B == ButtonState.Pressed) sndBoom.Play();
The contentManager.Load call is similar to the function you used to load your sprite's texture. Then, as you see, when you want to hear the sound, you just Play it. Note that, as written, this code will try to play a new sound every frame while the B button is pressed. Depending on the length of the sound, this could result in too many copies of it playing and your game throwing an exception. You should guard against that by playing only once per button press. The classic way to do that is to store the previous state of the input and act only when the state changes.
Advanced Drawing
You've now got the basic tools you need to build your own games. I suggest you take some time to play with those tools and get comfortable with them. When you're ready for more, you can read this section for a brief introduction to advanced ideas. The help documents for these functions will give you everything you need to know to use them.
First, let's talk about the Z order. As the code currently stands, if two sprites overlap, the one that's drawn last will end up on top. That's kind of a pain. A much better method is to give each sprite a variable that states the order in which it should be drawn. To do this, you need to use more complicated versions of spriteBatch.Begin and spriteBatch.Draw, like so:
Spend some time with the SpriteBatch documentation and experiment. These functions are a bit complicated, but they're also very powerful. For instance, if you want to change the sizes of your sprites, you can use a rectangle instead of a vector for the position. If the rectangle bounds are different than the texture's size, XNA Game Studio will scale it for you automatically. If your texture has multiple images that you want to cycle between, you can pass in a source rectangle that specifies which part of the texture to draw.
If you want a translucent sprite, change the alpha value of the color you pass to draw:
Pass trans to draw instead of Color.White, and the sprite would be half translucent.
Finally, here's some neat code you can use to rotate the screen from portrait to landscape mode:
// Add this member variable Matrix matTransform; // Add these lines to the constructor matTransform = Matrix.Identity; matTransform *= Matrix.CreateRotationZ(MathHelper.ToRadians(90)); matTransform *= Matrix.CreateTranslation(240, 0, 0); // In Draw() change spriteBatch.Begin to this spriteBatch.Begin(SpriteBlendMode.AlphaBlend, SpriteSortMode.BackToFront, SaveStateMode.None, matTransform);
The Rest Is Up To You
The full code for my example is shown in Figure 4, and it should get you moving. If you run aground, the creators.xna.com Web site is full of samples that show you how to do all sorts of arcane game development things, from per-pixel bounding boxes to physics models.
public class Game1 : Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game { GraphicsDeviceManager graphics; SpriteBatch spriteBatch; Matrix matTransform; Texture2D texture; SoundEffect sndBoom; BoundingBox bbScreen; Vector2 position; public Game1() { graphics = new GraphicsDeviceManager(this); Content.RootDirectory = "Content"; position = new Vector2(100, 100); matTransform = Matrix.Identity; // Uncomment these lines to do Landscape Mode //matTransform *= Matrix.CreateRotationZ( MathHelper. ToRadians(90)); //matTransform *= Matrix.CreateTranslation(240, 0, 0); } protected override void Initialize() { Vector3 min = new Vector3(0, 0, 0); Vector3 max = new Vector3( graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport.Width, graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport.Height, 0); bbScreen = new BoundingBox(min, max); base.Initialize(); } protected override void LoadContent() { spriteBatch = new SpriteBatch(GraphicsDevice); texture = Content.Load<Texture2D>("player"); ContentManager contentManager = new ContentManager(Services, @"Content\Audio"); sndBoom = contentManager.Load<SoundEffect>("explode"); } protected override void UnloadContent() { } protected override void Update(GameTime gameTime) { GamePadState input = GamePad.GetState(PlayerIndex.One); if (input.Buttons.Back == ButtonState.Pressed) this.Exit(); if (input.Buttons.B == ButtonState.Pressed) sndBoom.Play();.X += c_speedScalar; if (input.DPad.Up == ButtonState.Pressed) speed.Y -= c_speedScalar; else if (input.DPad.Down == ButtonState.Pressed) speed.Y += c_speedScalar; position += speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalSeconds; Vector3 min = new Vector3((int)position.X, (int)position.Y, 0); Vector3 max = new Vector3((int)position.X + texture.Width - 1, (int)position.Y + texture.Height - 1, 0); BoundingBox bb = new BoundingBox(min, max); ContainmentType ct = bbScreen.Contains(bb); if (ct != ContainmentType.Contains) position = new Vector2(100, 100); base.Update(gameTime); } protected override void Draw(GameTime gameTime) { GraphicsDevice.Clear(Color.CornflowerBlue); spriteBatch.Begin(SpriteBlendMode.AlphaBlend, SpriteSortMode.BackToFront, SaveStateMode.None, matTransform); spriteBatch.Draw(texture, position, null, Color.White, 0, Vector2.Zero, 1.0F, SpriteEffects.None, 0.5F); spriteBatch.End(); base.Draw(gameTime); } }
I hope you find XNA game development in C# to be as much fun as I do. Maybe something you write will become the next big thing in gaming... if my son doesn't beat you to it. Happy coding.
Send your questions and comments to goplaces@microsoft.com.
Mike Calligaro is a Senior Development Lead with the Windows Mobile team at Microsoft and a contributor to the Windows Mobile team blog, which you can see at blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile.. | https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd695919.aspx | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | refinedweb | 3,407 | 66.23 |
#include <SPI.h>#include <MFRC522.h>#define SS_PIN 10#define RST_PIN 9M Serial.println("Scan PICC to see UID and type...");}void loop() { mfrc522.PICC_DumpToSerial(&(mfrc522.uid));}
if ( ! mfrc522.PICC_IsNewCardPresent()) { return; } if ( ! mfrc522.PICC_ReadCardSerial()) { return; } mfrc522.PICC_DumpToSerial(&(mfrc522.uid));
it's possible you just have an unsupported card. Did it come with the reader? if not that could be it. If so it could also be that you accidentally plugged in the power to 5V rather than 3.3V?it's probably the first problem but check anyways.
ok then its probably just that the chip in the card isn't compatible
I do believe that there is an encryption key on the card and I have the key, but I don't know to dump it. | https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?PHPSESSID=l7a88ji3refbkd8mkgd0blpkq1&topic=489748.msg3342931 | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | refinedweb | 127 | 61.83 |
What is best distributed fault-tolerant file systems free for commercial use, on Windows or Linux?
Basically I need infinite number of nodes, easy adding each node, be sure that data are safe, even if some node or hard drive on this node are faulty. Parallel access if good but not critical, fault-tolerance is more.
MogileFS looks like a good option:
MogileFS is our open source distributed filesystem. Its properties and
features include:
Application level -- no special kernel modules required.
No single point of failure -- all three components of a MogileFS setup (storage nodes, trackers, and the tracker's database(s)) can be
run on multiple machines, so there's no single point of failure. (you
can run trackers on the same machines as storage nodes, too, so you
don't need 4 machines...) A minimum of 2 machines is recommended.
Automatic file replication -- files, based on their "class", are automatically replicated between enough different storage nodes as to
satisfy the minimum replica count as requested by their class. For
instance, for a photo hosting site you can make original JPEGs have a
minimum replica count of 3, but thumbnails and scaled versions only
have a replica count of 1 or 2. If you lose the only copy of a
thumbnail, the application can just rebuild it. In this way, MogileFS
(without RAID) can save money on disks that would otherwise be storing
multiple copies of data unnecessarily.
"Better than RAID" -- in a non-SAN RAID setup, the disks are redundant, but the host isn't. If you lose the entire machine, the
files are inaccessible. MogileFS replicates the files between devices
which are on different hosts, so files are always available.
Flat Namespace -- Files are identified by named keys in a flat, global namespace. You can create as many namespaces as you'd like, so
multiple applications with potentially conflicting keys can run on the
same MogileFS installation.
Shared-Nothing -- MogileFS doesn't depend on a pricey SAN with shared disks. Every machine maintains its own local disks.
No RAID required -- Local disks on MogileFS storage nodes can be in a RAID, or not. It's cheaper not to, as RAID doesn't buy you any
safety that MogileFS doesn't already provide.
Local filesystem agnostic -- Local disks on MogileFS storage nodes can be formatted with your filesystem of choice (ext3, XFS,
etc..). MogileFS does its own internal directory hashing so it doesn't
hit filesystem limits such as "max files per directory" or "max
directories per directory". Use what you're comfortable with.
MogileFS is our open source distributed filesystem. Its properties and
features include:
asked
3 years ago
viewed
299 times
active | http://superuser.com/questions/458605/distributed-fault-tolerant-file-systems-free-for-commercial-use | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | refinedweb | 446 | 63.19 |
This article is also available in Russian.
Recently, I’ve been working on a music app that needs to get a musical sequence (like a melody) from the server to the client. To do this, we use a format called ABC. (You can read about how ABC music notation works here.) We chose ABC because it’s more readable than MIDI, it’s pretty concise, and it’s a standard, so we wouldn’t be re-inventing some format over JSON.
ABC is a simple format, and it does a great job of representing music in strings. For example, here’s the little bit from Beethoven’s “Für Elise” that everyone knows:
e ^d e d e B =d c A2
The letters correspond to specific pitches, the characters before the letters represent accidentals (sharps and flats), and the numbers after them represent the duration that that note should be played for. ABC has a lot more features (it supports rests, ties, beams, barlines, and so on), but this simple example gives you a sense for how the format works.
The app needs to transform the string into some kind of struct that the sequencer knows how to play. In short, we need to parse this string.
Regular Expressions
At first blush, the problem seems easy enough. Split on spaces, and write some regular expressions to convert each note into some kind of value. For note parsing, the expression looks something like this:
^(\\^+|_+|=)?([a-gA-G])(,+|'+)?(\\d*)(\\/)?(\\d*)$
There are 3 main problems with this regular expression.
It’s inscrutable
It is nearly impossible to determine what this regex does by looking at it. Especially for something like ABC, which uses punctuation marks for things like accidentals (
^,
_, and
=) as well as octave adjustments (
' and
,), it’s really hard to tell which are literal characters that we are trying to match, and which are regex control characters that tell the pattern to match zero or more of this one, optionally match that one, and so on.
One thing I will grant here is that despite their inscrutability, regexes are one of the tersest languages you can write.
It’s not composable
Another problem with regular expressions is that the constituent components don’t compose easily. For example, our Beethoven sequence above doesn’t include any rests, but they typically look like just like a note with a
z instead of the letter of the pitch. So for example, a half rest might look like
z/2.
Ideally, we’d like to be able to reuse the duration pattern, but it’s currently trapped inside that giant regex. In order to compose these regexes together, we have to break them apart first, and then apply some string concatenation:
let accidentalPattern = "(\\^+|_+|=)?" let letterPattern = "([a-gA-G])" let octaveAdjustmentPattern = "(,+|'+)?" let durationPattern = "(\\d*)(\\/)?(\\d*)" let restPattern = "z" let noteRegex = try! NSRegularExpression(pattern: accidentalPattern + letterPattern + octaveAdjustmentPattern + durationPattern) let restRegex = try! NSRegularExpression(pattern: restPattern + durationPattern
This is really the only way to get composability with regexes. And of course, because these are just strings that we’re concatenating, there’s no way to know if our concatenation represents a valid transformation of the underlying regular expression because it isn’t checked at compile time.
It requires additional conversion
Lastly, even once we have successfully composed our regex pattern, compiled it into a regular expression, and parsed a string, we still don’t actually have anything useful! We have a bunch of capture groups that we need to operate on to get our final result. For example, the first capture group in the regex gives us our accidental string. This can either be one more carets (
^) (sharp), one more underscores (
_) (flat), or an equals sign (
=) (natural), but the regex doesn’t tell us which it is, so we need to parse it further.
let numAccidentals = match.captureGroups[0].text.count let accidentalChar = match.captureGroups[0].text.first switch accidentalChar { case "^": return .accidental(numAccidentals) case "_": return .accidental(-numAccidentals) case "=": return .natural case "": return Accidental.none default: return nil }
Requiring a manual step where we have to convert the matched substring into our domain object is kind of annoying.
Combinatorial Parsing
My first clue that we needed to look closer at this problem was a function signature. Our strategy for parsing sequences was to consume small pieces of the front of a string. For example, for a note, we’d have something like this:
func consumeNote(abcString: Substring) -> (note: Note?, remainder: Substring)
A function that returns a tuple of
(T?, Substring) looked very familiar. I’d seen it referenced in the Pointfree code about combinatorial parsing:
extension Parser { run(_ str: String) -> (match: A?, rest: Substring) }
This is called a combinatorial parser because it relates to a somewhat obscure part of computer science called combinators. I don’t understand them fully, but I will kick it over to Daniel Steinberg to share some very cool examples.
I figured if we’re trying to parse text and return something in this format anyway, maybe the combinatorial parser could be a good fit. So I did a little research on the topic and started the process of reimplementing our parsing with this new strategy. The crux of the parser is a struct with a single function:
struct Parser<A> { let run: (inout Substring) -> A? }
You give it a string (a substring in this case, for performance reasons) and it consumes characters from the front of the buffer to see if it can construct a generic
A from them. If that succeeds, it returns the
A. If it fails, it returns
nil, ensuring no modifications to the input parameter.
Using parser combinators, it’s possible to write concise, type-safe, composable code that parses strings just as effectively as regexes. For example, here’s how you check for a literal:
static func literal(_ string: String) -> Parser<Void> { return Parser<Void>(run: { input in if input.hasPrefix(string) { input.removeFirst(string.count) return () } else { return nil } }) }
If the input has a prefix of the string we’re looking for, drop that many characters off the front and return a valid value (
Void in this case). If not, return nil — no match. I won’t go into detail on all the other helpers here — you can find a lot of them in the Pointfree sample code.
Using this helper and others, you can rewrite the accidental parsing from above into something like this:
let accidentalParser: Parser<Accidental> = Parsers.oneOf([ Parsers.repeating("^").map({ .accidental($0.count) }), Parsers.repeating("_").map({ .accidental(-$0.count) }), Parsers.literal("=").map({ .natural }), Parsers.literal("").map({ .none }), ])
This avoids basically every pitfall that the regex approach has.
First, it’s very readable. You can see what literal characters it’s matching because they’re still strings, but all the regex control characters have changed into named functions, which are approachable for people who aren’t regex experts.
Second, it’s very composable. This parser is made up of smaller parsers, like
.repeating or
.literal, and is itself composed into bigger parsers, like those for notes, rests, and so on. Here’s the accidental parser in the note parser.
var noteParser: Parser<Note> { return Parsers.zip(accidentalParser, pitchParser, durationParser) .map({ accidental, pitch, duration in return Note(accidental: accidental, pitch: pitch, duration: duration) }) }
(
zip matches all of the parsers that are given to it, in order, and fails if any of them fail.) In this example, it’s also really great to see how all the types line up cleanly. You get a lot of assurance from the compiler that everything is in order.
The last benefit it has over regex is that it produces the actual value that you’re expecting, an
Accidental, as opposed to substring capture groups that you have to process further. Especially using the
map operation, you can transform simple results, like a substring or
Void into domain specific results, like
Accidental or
Note.
The only real place that this loses out to regexes is terseness, and when you add the transformation code that regexes require, it’s basically a wash.
Now, we’ve completely handrolled a parsing solution from scratch, in pure Swift, using only tools like substrings and blocks. Surely regexes, which are highly tuned and written in C, should be able to massively outperform this code in terms of speed?
Wrong. By using this new approach, we were able to get 25% faster parsing across the board. This shocked me, to be honest. I will usually take a small speed hit if it makes the code nicer (assuming it’s not a critical path, not noticable by the user, etc), but in this case, that wasn’t even a concern, since the nicer code was also the faster code. Win-win! I think a lot of the speed benefit comes from using substrings. Trimming off the front of a substring is effectively free, which makes a lot of these operations super fast.
There are still a few areas which I’d like to learn more about, like unparsing (what if we want to turn our sequence struct back into an ABC string), and how parsers perform when the needle is in an arbitrary place in the haystack, but it’s going to be pretty hard to get me to go back to regexes after these results. | https://khanlou.com/2019/12/regex-vs-combinatorial-parsing/ | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | refinedweb | 1,556 | 61.87 |
This is the mail archive of the gcc-patches@gcc.gnu.org mailing list for the GCC project.
[typo in in the email address: gcc-patch(es)]
--- Begin Message ---
- From: Tobias Burnus <burnus at net-b dot de>
- To: Paul Thomas <paul dot richard dot thomas at gmail dot com>
- Cc: gcc-patch at gcc dot gnu dot org, fortran at gcc dot gnu dot org
- Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:35:31 +0100
- Subject: Re: [Patch, fortran] PR37445 - Host-associated proc not found ifsame-name generic is use-associated
- Delivery-date: Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:35:35 +0100
- Envelope-to: burnus@net-b.de
- References: <20080929220844.GA17009@net-b.de> <490E0D7E.1030201@gmail.com>Paul, Paul Thomas wrote: > The regression is now fixed in the attached. The original patch > failed to check if the new subroutine symbol is really contained in > the current namespace. Once the extra line is added, Norman's > original 80 file source code compiles correctly.... or it compiles, at > least:-) Thanks! That's great. > The patch also contains a proposal for PR35769 - I have no fixed > thoughts on this other than that it might be excessively difficult to > fix it properly. If this does not immediately seem good, forget it:-) > I think it is good (enough). I'm not sure whether the warning is clear: Warning: The FORALL with index 'j2' might cause more than one assignment to this object at (1) ifort has: warning #6696: All active combinations of index-names are not used within the variable being defined (i.e., leftside) of this assignment-stmt. [LDA] (Note: ifort miscompiles the program with -O2.) g95 has: Error: Left side of assignment at (1) in FORALL block must contain the 'j2' iterator (note: Error is wrong) I'm not sure whether one can improve the wording; I like g95's one (without "must") a bit more. One could combine them, e.g to "Warning: The FORALL with index 'j2' is not used on the left side of the assignment at (1) which might cause more than one assignment to this object" which has the disadvantage of being lengthy. > Bootstrapped and regtested on FC9/x86_i64 - OK for trunk and, after a > week, for 4.3? Regarding: /* If one of the FORALL index variables doesn't appear in the assignment target, then there will be a many-to-one assignment. */ if (find_forall_index (code->expr, forall_index, 0) == FAILURE) gfc_warning ("The FORALL with index '%s' might cause more than " "one assignment to this object at %L", var_expr[n]->symtree->name, &code->expr->where); a) In the comment s/will be/might be/ b) Maybe you can come up with a slightly clearer warning message. Otherwise: OK. Thanks for the patch. Tobias
--- End Message --- | https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2008-11/msg00046.html | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | refinedweb | 456 | 68.81 |
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
Zend_Filter_Sanitize is a component that converts string into SEO friendly url.
Zend Framework: Zend_Filter_Sanitize (formerly Zend_Filter_SeoUrl) Component Proposal
Table of Contents
1. Overview
2. References
3. Component Requirements, Constraints, and Acceptance Criteria
', '/', '-', '_'))
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
Zend_Filter_Sanitize is a component that converts string into SEO friendly url.
Zend_Filter_Sanitize is a component that converts string into SEO friendly url.
- This filter must convert any string to seo url without any setting
- This component will correctly converts string into SEO url.
- This component will put all characters in lowercase.
- This component will translate special chars such as '?' or '?' into 'c' and 'u' (included in Zend_Filter_Transliteration)
- This component will allow to change the word delimiter character (default are (' ', '.', '
- This component will allow to change the delimiter replacement character (default is dash)
- This component will strip characters, which are not allowed in url.
4. Dependencies on Other Framework Components
- Zend_Filter_Interface
- Zend_Filter_Exception
- Zend_Filter_StringToLower
- Zend_Filter_StringTrim
- Zend_Filter_Transliteration
5. Theory of Operation
...
6. Milestones / Tasks
- Milestone 1: [DONE] Finalize this proposal
- Milestone 2: [DONE] Working prototype checked into the
- Milestone 3: [DONE] Unit tests exist, work, and are checked into SVN.
- Milestone 4: Community and Zend review
7. Class Index
- Zend_Filter_Sanitize
8. Use Cases
37 Commentscomments.show.hide
Jan 25, 2008
Tomas Markauskas
<p>Will this work with non-Latin characters, like Cyrillic etc?</p>
<p>I like this, but I would suggest to create a more general transliteration filter. Then anyone could just replace all spaces with dashes ir wanted...</p>
Jan 25, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>it works with these character, because I'm from Czech Republic and I need to transform Czech characters, such as ? š ? ? ž ý á í é into their equivalent. It was one of the reasons, why I decided to write this class.</p>
<p>I'm not sure, if I understand your second note well. You mean to create class, which can just replace spaces with dashes? Or just to add some options to this class?</p>
Jan 25, 2008
Tomas Markauskas
<p>No, I meant, that this could be not a SeoURL filter, but just a transliteration filter, that outputs any text as transliterated ascii text.</p>
<p>And after that you could just use the output for the URL's, you would nly need to lowercase the text and replace all the spaces with dashes...</p>
Jan 27, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Yes, good idea, but when I want to transliterate '?š??žýáíé?ú' (typical Czech symbols) it works thi way:</p>
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
$s = iconv("utf-8", "us-ascii//TRANSLIT", "?š??žýáíé?ú");
// $s contains "escrz'y'a'i'eu'u"
// not "escrzyaieuu"
]]></ac:plain-text-body></ac:macro>
Jan 30, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>I've solved it.</p>
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
$s = Zend_Filter_Transliteration::filter("?š??žýáíé?ú");
// $s now contains "escrzyaieuu" as expected
]]></ac:plain-text-body></ac:macro>
<p> You can checkout from SVN of <a href="">Zend_Filter_Transliteration</a></p>
Jan 27, 2008
Daniel Freudenberger
<p>I'd suggest to rename this class to Zend_Filter_Sanitize. The same name is used in other languages and it seems wrong to bind a class name to only one task (seo optimzation) when it could be used for several other tasks as well.</p>
Jan 27, 2008
Joó Ádám
<p>I should agree with Daniel, this class can be useful for several other task as well, so renaming it to Zend_Filter_Sanitize makes sense. Of course, it would be useful only if it can handle every latin-derivative (or close-to-it) alphabets (european alphabets with diacriticized latin letters, cyrillic and so on).</p>
Jan 27, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>It works correctly with Czech, so I suppose I will work well with other European alphabets. If you have some problematic characters in your language, I'll be happy to add them to unit test.</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p><strong>Renamed to Zend_Filter_Sanitize</strong></p>
Jan 28, 2008
Vincent
<p>Perhaps it'd also be appropriate to update the proposal to reflect the new name (e.g. "This component will correctly converts <ac:link><ri:page ri:</ac:link> string into SEO url."). On the other hand, if you were going to rename it SanitizeUrl (which I also think is more appropriate) you can keep on renaming...</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Renan Gonçalves
<p>I think you will have problems with the encode (UTF-8 and ISO-8859-1, for example) of the characters.<br />
How will you handle that?</p>
<p>I always use Sanitize in my projects. I think I can help with my experiences.</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>It converts utf-8 strings well. If the user has another input, it needs to be converted before.</p>
<p>I'd really appreciate your tips.</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Cristian Bichis
<p>Nice idea about this class, Martin...</p>
<p>Btw, i din't saw you on #zftalk at all last months...</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Ralph Schindler
<p>Hey Martin,</p>
<p>I might propose SanitizeUrl over simply 'Sanitize'.</p>
<p>The current naming doesn't give any context to what you are attempting to filter for and against.</p>
<p>Another thought might be to simply create a "Tansliteration" filter first, as that might have a much broader audience than that of Url's.</p>
<p>My 2cents <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
<p>-ralph</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Daniel Freudenberger
<p>Hey Ralph,</p>
<p>I think this filter could also be used to filter directory names on the filesystem (for example). I don't think it's a good idea to rename it to *anything*Url.</p>
<ul class="alternate">
<li>Daniel</li>
</ul>
Jan 28, 2008
Simone Carletti
<p>I should agree with Ralph just because I found this class has some replacements that has been specifically designed for URLs, especially SEO URLs.<br />
In particular, space replacement with dashes (instead of underscores) is a common practice when you design routes search engine friendly.</p>
<p>I have a question for you, Martin.<br />
How will the filter handle special characters such as slashes <ac:emoticon ac: or dots?</p>
<p>Additionally, if you really want to make an URL search engine friendly you should ensure that URLs with and without trailing slash are normalized to an unique version (usually without for such this type of framework powered URLs).<br />
Do you think this filter should normalize trailing slash too?</p>
Feb 09, 2008
Joó Ádám
<p>I'd prefer to leave dots untouched - would be handy when normalizing filenames like MoZzIlla FiREfOx 1.0.0.12.EXE (mozilla-firefox-1.0.0.12.exe).</p>
Feb 10, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Maybe the option to handle this would do it <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
Feb 18, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Added <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
<p>See use cases and update from SVN.</p>
<p>Martin H.</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Ralph Schindler
<p>That said, doesnt that also make a good case for a Zend_Filter_Transliteration specific filter?</p>
<p>After just a cursory review, I think having a trasliteration filter would be a "Good Thing" (r).</p>
<p>-ralph</p>
Jan 28, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Hello,<br />
I have thought about it (discussion on irc helped me) and I will create proposal for Zend_Filter_Transliteration (or just Translitere). It will handle just transliteration and maybe apostrophes removal.</p>
<p>Simone: slashes and dots are currently stripped away, but they should be converted to dash (or to set replacement character). I'll do it tomorrow. </p>
<p>New name of this component could be one of these:</p>
<ol>
<li>Zend_Filter_Sanitize</li>
<li>Zend_Filter_SanitizeUrl</li>
<li>Zend_Filter_StringToSlug</li>
</ol>
Jan 28, 2008
Tomas Markauskas
<p>I would vote for Zend_Filter_Sanitize. It could be used then to filter strings for URLs, maybe for filenames (ie. for uploaded files, not to contain invalid/unwanted characters) and probably for lots of other things.</p>
Jan 29, 2008
Simone Carletti
<p>The idea behind Zend_Filter_StringToSlug is nice.<br />
Being inspired by Tomas's feedback, what about StringToPath?</p>
Jan 29, 2008
Lars Strojny
<p>You proposal is basically an aggregation of three filter:</p>
<ul>
<li>Transliteration</li>
<li>Lowercase</li>
<li>Space replacement<br />
I suggest to implement that as-is and then aggregate that three helpers into a single one which could be called NiceUrl or something (btw: URLs are overrated in SEO, domains are not, but this doesn't matter here).</li>
</ul>
Jan 30, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p><strong>I have split off part of this component into <ac:link><ri:page ri:</ac:link></strong></p>
Jan 30, 2008
Simone Carletti
<p>Do you think it is necessary? :|</p>
<p>I don't know if it can help you, but no more than 3 days ago I did the same for a Rails project.<br />
Here's my piece of code.</p>
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
module PathFilters
def to_path()
Iconv.iconv("ASCII//IGNORE//TRANSLIT", "UTF-8", self).join.sanitize_path
rescue
self.sanitize_path
end
def sanitize_path()
self.gsub(/[^a-z._0-9 -]/i, "").gsub(/\s+|\./, "_").dasherize.downcase
end
end
]]></ac:plain-text-body></ac:macro>
<p>I used iconv as well as you posted at
<a class="external-link" href=""></a><br />
You can get inspired, if you need. <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
Jan 30, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Thanks, Rails looks like Python <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
<p>I wanted to write more general transliteration filter and when i use this icovn command, it converts some diacritics mark into ' or " or ^<br />
Zend_Filter_Transliteration filter strips this chars out.</p>
<p>And the Sanitize filter has some improvements to be more general (e.g. file system paths creation)</p>
<p>Martin.</p>
Feb 08, 2008
Cristian Bichis
<p>I started using sanitize instead of my own helpers.</p>
<p>Works great for now, will check deeply next days.</p>
May 28, 2008
Ben Scholzen
<p>Some correction from my side to Zend_Filter_Transliteration, which I just found out:</p>
<p>The transliteration table should more look like this for German (according to german grammar):</p>
<ac:macro ac:<ac:plain-text-body><![CDATA[
$table = array (
'ä' => 'ae',
'ë' => 'e',
'ï' => 'i',
'ö' => 'oe',
'ü' => 'ue',
'Ä' => 'Ae',
'Ë' => 'E',
'Ï' => 'I',
'Ö' => 'Oe',
'Ü' => 'Ue',
'ß' => 'ss',
);
]]></ac:plain-text-body></ac:macro>
Jun 07, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>Code updated to reflect this.</p>
Jun 09, 2008
Ben Scholzen
<p>Have to add another thing to that topic:</p>
<p>When the word is written entirely uppercase (ÄPFEL), it should result in "AEPFEL", while "drüben" still results in "drueben".</p>
<p>I guess you could check, if the next character in the word is uppercase. If there is no next character, check the previous character. And don't mind words with just two letters, afaik there aren't any with umlauts <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
May 29, 2008
Joó Ádám
<p>Would be nice to have an option to supply it with a dictionary in which you can specify alternatives for signs in common use: there's nothing more annoying than URLs like /blog/dr-jekyll-mr-hide generated from the title Dr Jekyll & Mr Hide - this case the ampersand could be replaced with the text 'and', 'und', 'et', 'y', 'és' an so on...<br />
This dictionary could be specified in a PHP array, INI or XML config file.</p>
May 29, 2008
Ben Scholzen
<p>Yeah, I was alsoing going to tell that. I suggest that you <strong>could</strong> supply a Zend_Translate instance.</p>
<p>But I also see a problem with that. Sometimes it may be problematic, when you have a title, for example, like "That silly ", which would then be converted to "that-silly-andnbsp".</p>
<p>Sure, in that case you could say, that there must be a space before and after the &, but how about: "The & character in HTML & other things", which would be converted to "the-and-in-html-and-other-things". You would want the first one not to be converted, but the last one.</p>
<p>As you can see, there is no logical way to determine, wether to convert a special character or not.</p>
May 30, 2008
Joó Ádám
<p>Yes, Zend_Translate support would be nice.<br />
However, I don't really see the problem here. In the first case it is more or less unambiguous, I, personally pronounce it that way: 'and-n-b-s-p', suppose I'm not the only one. Also, we could optionally use regular expressions, to say that character references should be converted in the form of 'ampersand-nbsp', 'nbsp' or if you want, just hardcode it, and use 'non-breaking-space'.<br />
In the second case: I suppose you admit that this seems to be no too realistic, and converted to 'the-and-character-in-html-and-other-things' is a totally acceptable conversion.</p>
May 30, 2008
Ben Scholzen
<p>Ok, agreed. Just wanted to make sure that everything is clear <ac:emoticon ac:</p>
Jul 01, 2008
Martin Hujer
<p>This filter is ready for Zend review (also with <a href="">Zend_Filter_Transliteration</a>)</p>
<p>I'm not sure, whether I should decouple this from Zend_Filter_Transliteration.</p>
<p>These two filters were just one, 15 lines long filter to create seo-friendly URL from string.</p>
Aug 05, 2008
Alexander Veremyev
<ac:macro ac:<ac:parameter ac:Zend Comments</ac:parameter><ac:rich-text-body>
<p>The proposal is archived since it has hard dependency on <a href="">Zend_Filter_Transliteration Component Proposal</a> which is already archived.</p></ac:rich-text-body></ac:macro> | http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFPROP/Zend_Filter_Sanitize+-+Martin+Hujer?focusedCommentId=3080264 | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | refinedweb | 2,318 | 54.42 |
Marc Clifton wrote:I am slooowly, arthritically, coming to have some respect for Git and learning how to think-git.
public class SanderRossel : Lazy<Person>
{
public void DoWork()
{
throw new NotSupportedException();
}
}
Sander Rossel wrote:Life is a vale of tears, then you die.
Marc Clifton wrote:velveteen gloves
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:he doesn't know that he's supposed to mark answers
Quote:ANDREW Gregory, 37, of The Cuttings, Hartshorne, was conditionally discharged for six months and told to pay £5.97 compensation, £35 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for stealing two packs of bacon from Tesco on February 16.
Read more at
General News Suggestion Question Bug Answer Joke Praise Rant Admin
Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages. | https://www.codeproject.com/Lounge.aspx?msg=4818950 | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | refinedweb | 135 | 56.18 |
#include <sys/stream.h> #include <sys/ddi.h> void qwait(queue_t *q);
int qwait_sig(queue_t *q);
Solaris DDI specific (Solaris DDI).
Pointer to the queue that is being opened or closed.
qwait() and qwait_sig() are used to wait for a message to arrive to the put(9E) or srv(9E) procedures. qwait() and qwait_sig() can also be used to wait for qbufcall(9F) or qtimeout(9F) callback procedures to execute. These routines can be used in the open(9E) and close(9E) procedures in a STREAMS driver or module.
The thread that calls close() does not necessarily have the ability to receive signals, particularly when called by exit(2). In this case, qwait_sig() behaves exactly as qwait(). Driver writers may use ddi_can_receive_sig(9F) to determine when this is the case, and, if so, arrange some means to avoid blocking indefinitely (for example, by using qtimeout(9F).
qwait() and qwait_sig() atomically exit the inner and outer perimeters associated with the queue, and wait for a thread to leave the module's put(9E) , srv(9E), or qbufcall(9F) / qtimeout(9F) callback procedures. Upon return they re-enter the inner and outer perimeters.
This can be viewed as there being an implicit wakeup when a thread leaves a put(9E) or srv(9E) procedure or after a qtimeout(9F) or qbufcall(9F) callback procedure has been run in the same perimeter.
qprocson(9F) must be called before calling qwait() or qwait_sig().
qwait() is not interrupted by a signal, whereas qwait_sig() is interrupted by a signal. qwait_sig() normally returns non-zero, and returns zero when the waiting was interrupted by a signal.
qwait() and qwait_sig() are similar to cv_wait() and cv_wait_sig() except that the mutex is replaced by the inner and outer perimeters and the signalling is implicit when a thread leaves the inner perimeter. See condvar(9F).
For qwait_sig(), indicates that the condition was not necessarily signaled, and the function returned because a signal was pending.
These functions can only be called from an open(9E) or close (9E) routine.
The open routine sends down a T_INFO_REQ message and waits for the T_INFO_ACK. The arrival of the T_INFO_ACK is recorded by resetting a flag in the unit structure (WAIT_INFO_ACK). The example assumes that the module is D_MTQPAIR or D_MTPERMOD.
xxopen(qp, . . .) queue_t *qp; { struct xxdata *xx; /* Allocate xxdata structure */ qprocson(qp); /* Format T_INFO_ACK in mp */ putnext(qp, mp); xx->xx_flags |= WAIT_INFO_ACK; while (xx->xx_flags & WAIT_INFO_ACK) qwait(qp); return (0); } xxrput(qp, mp) queue_t *qp; mblk_t *mp; { struct xxdata *xx = (struct xxdata *)q->q_ptr; ... case T_INFO_ACK: if (xx->xx_flags & WAIT_INFO_ACK) { /* Record information from info ack */ xx->xx_flags &= ~WAIT_INFO_ACK; freemsg(mp); return; } ... }
close(9E), open(9E), put(9E), srv(9E), condvar(9F), ddi_can_receive_sig(9F), mt-streams(9F), qbufcall(9F), qprocson(9F), qtimeout(9F)
STREAMS Programming Guide
Writing Device Drivers for Oracle Solaris 11.2 | http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E36784_01/html/E36886/qwait-sig-9f.html | CC-MAIN-2014-42 | refinedweb | 470 | 53.81 |
This patch handles two more gethostbyname calls. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Kindness wrote: Content-Description: message body text > Patch attached, along with new libpq-reentrant.c and libpq-reentrant.h > files for src/interfaces/libpq. > > Also at > > Thanks, Lee. > > Lee Kindness writes: > > Ok guys, I propose that the new libpq diff and 2 source files which > > i'll soon send to pgsql-patches is applied to the source. This diff is > > a cleaned up version of the previous version with the wrapper > > functions moved out into their own file and more comments added. Also > > the use of crypt_r() has been removed (not worth the effort), the > > cpp defines have been renamed to be consistent with each other and > > Tom's concerns with loose #defines has been partly addressed. > > > > This diff does not include any configure changes. I plan to tackle > > this separately ASAP, and hopefully produce something more acceptable. > > > > I will add checks for appropriate compiler thread flags (for compiling > > libpq, and alow the removal of #defines in libpq-reentrant.h), and > > link flags & libs (for a planned threaded libpq test program and > > renentrant ecpg library). If a thread environment is found then check > > for the reentrant functions will be done. > > > > Looking at various open source projects configure.in files there seems > > to be little commonality in the thread test macros (telp gratefully > > accepted!), I currently think that something like the approach used by > > glib is most suitable (switch on OS). > > > > All sound acceptable? > > > > Thanks, Lee. > > > > Peter Eisentraut writes: > > > Lee Kindness writes: > > > > > > > Patches attached to make libpq thread-safe, now uses strerror_r(), > > > > gethostbyname_r(), getpwuid_r() and crypt_r() where available. Where > > > > strtok() was previously used strchr() is now used. > > > > > > AC_TRY_RUN tests are prohibited. Also, try to factor out some of these > > > huge tests into separate macros and put them into config/c-library.m4. > > > And it would be nice if there was some documentation about what was > > > checked for. If you just want to check whether gethostbyname_r() has 5 or > > > 6 arguments you can do that in half the space. > [ Attachment, skipping... ] [ Attachment, skipping... ] [ Attachment, skipping... ] -- Bruce Momjian | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | (610) 359-1001 + If your life is a hard drive, | 13 Roberts Road + Christ can be your backup. | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
Index: src/interfaces/libpq/fe-secure.c =================================================================== RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql-server/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-secure.c,v retrieving revision 1.24 diff -c -c -r1.24 fe-secure.c *** src/interfaces/libpq/fe-secure.c 14 Jun 2003 17:49:54 -0000 1.24 --- src/interfaces/libpq/fe-secure.c 14 Jun 2003 18:08:54 -0000 *************** *** 453,460 **** if (addr.sa_family == AF_UNIX) return 0; /* what do we know about the peer's common name? */ ! if ((h = gethostbyname(conn->peer_cn)) == NULL) { printfPQExpBuffer(&conn->errorMessage, libpq_gettext("could not get information about host (%s): %s\n"), --- 453,469 ---- if (addr.sa_family == AF_UNIX) return 0; + { + struct hostent hpstr; + char buf[BUFSIZ]; + int herrno = 0; + + pqGethostbyname(conn->peer_cn, &hpstr, buf, sizeof(buf), + &h, &herrno); + } + /* what do we know about the peer's common name? */ ! if ((h == NULL) { printfPQExpBuffer(&conn->errorMessage, libpq_gettext("could not get information about host (%s): %s\n"), Index: src/port/getaddrinfo.c =================================================================== RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql-server/src/port/getaddrinfo.c,v retrieving revision 1.7 diff -c -c -r1.7 getaddrinfo.c *** src/port/getaddrinfo.c 12 Jun 2003 08:15:29 -0000 1.7 --- src/port/getaddrinfo.c 14 Jun 2003 18:08:55 -0000 *************** *** 84,91 **** --- 84,99 ---- else { struct hostent *hp; + #ifdef FRONTEND + struct hostent hpstr; + char buf[BUFSIZ]; + int herrno = 0; + pqGethostbyname(node, &hpstr, buf, sizeof(buf), + &hp, &herrno); + #else hp = gethostbyname(node); + #endif if (hp == NULL) { switch (h_errno)
---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 9: the planner will ignore your desire to choose an index scan if your joining column's datatypes do not match | https://www.mail-archive.com/pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org/msg31083.html | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | refinedweb | 627 | 57.77 |
snorble wrote: > I use Python a lot, but not well. I usually start by writing a small > script, no classes or modules. Then I add more content to the loops, > and repeat. It's a bit of a trial and error learning phase, making > sure I'm using the third party modules correctly, and so on. I end up > with a working script, but by the end it looks messy, unorganized, and > feels hacked together. I feel like in order to reuse it or expand it > in the future, I need to take what I learned and rewrite it from > scratch. > > If I peeked over a Python expert's shoulder while they developed > something new, how would their habits differ? Do they start with > classes from the start? > > I guess I'm looking for something similar to "Large Scale C++ Software > Design" for Python. Or even just a walkthrough of someone competent > writing something from scratch. I'm not necessarily looking for a > finished product that is well written. I'm more interested in, "I have > an idea for a script/program, and here is how I get from point A to > point B." > > Or maybe I'm looking for is best practices for how to organize the > structure of a Python program. I love Python and I just want to be > able to use it well. > I guess this is happening to anyone using python for their everyday scripting. Writing tools to make life easier. You start writing some quick and dirty code just to do the trick ASAP. Then after adding some features your realize it became a little more than a script but don't want to share it because the code is just a freaking mess that no one but you can understand. Here are the things I do to avoid getting to that point: 1 - accept the fact that I will lose time trying to write it correcly from the begining 2 - the script has to be "importable" and usable by a 3rd python program. 3 - regulary test my code with the python shell importing the script 4 - use a linter (pylint) with all warnings activated. 5 - document the public class/function. This "force" me to expose the minimum interface, because like everyone, I dislike writing doc 6 - always include a argument parser. 7 - always use the logging module. 8 - if the project starts to become medium, write unitary tests. And maybe the most important one, I always start from the upper level interface down to primitives (top-down programming ?). This helps me making suff really easy to use, with a clean interface. Sometimes the implementation can become tricky that way, I guess it's a matter of preference. In pratice, that just means that I write the method call before writing the method definition. JM | https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2011-February/598271.html | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | refinedweb | 471 | 71.75 |
by GRASS Development Team ()
Table of contents, kernels, and volumes), their spatial relations are also stored. In general, topological GIS requires a data structure where the common boundary between two adjacent areas is stored as a single line, simplifying the vector data maintenance.
The GRASS 6/7 vector format is very similar to the previous GRASS 4.x (5.0/5.3) vector format.
This description covers the new GRASS 6/7 vector library architecture. This new architecture overcomes the vector limitations of GRASS 4.x-5.4.x by extending the vector support with attributes stored in the external relational databases, and by new 3D capabilities. Besides internal file based storage the geometry may alternatively be stored in a PostGIS database (accessible via OGR interface). feature definition which allows for multiple types to co-exist in the same map. Centroid are assigned to area it is within/inside (geometrically). An area is identified by an x,y,z centroid point geometrically inside with a category number. feature types (primitives) are defined by the vector library (and holds by the coor file; see also Feature types):
From vector feature types mentioned above are derived:
Note that all lines and boundaries can consist of multiple segments.
Area topology also holds information about isles. Isles are located within an area, not touching the boundaries of the outer area. Isles consist of one or more areas and are used internally by the vector library to maintain correct topology of areas.
There are two levels of read access to the vector data:
Level of access is retured by Vect_open_old().
Note: Higher level of access are planned, so when checking success return codes for a particular level of access (when calling Vect_open_old() for example), the programmer should use >= instead of == for compatibility with future releases.
An existing vector map can be open for reading by Vect_open_old(). New vector map can be created (or open for writing) by Vect_open_new(). Vect_open_old() attempts to open a vector map at the highest possible level of access. It will return the number of the level at which it opened. Vect_open_new() always opens at level 1 only. If you require that a vector map be opened at a lower level (e.g. one), you can call the routine
Vect_set_open_level(1); Vect_open_old() will then either open at level one or fail. If you instead require the highest level access possible, you should not use Vect_set_open_level(), but instead check the return value of Vect_open_old() to make sure it is greater than or equal to the lowest level at which you need access. This allows for future levels to work without need for module change.
Vector map is stored in a number of data files. Vector map directory structure and file names were changed in GRASS 6 with respect to previous GRASS versions. All vector files for one vector map are stored in one directory:
$MAPSET/vector/vector_name/
This directory contains these files:
The header contains meta information, a description of the vector map and many other information. The file is an unordered list of key/value entries. The key is a string separated from value by a colon and optional whitespace.
Keywords are:
This information holds dig_head data structure. (category '0' is allowed for OGR layers). Categories do not have to be continuous.
Information about categories holds line_cats data structure.
The old GRASS 4.x 'dig_cats' files are not used any more and vectors' attributes are stored in external database. Connection with the database is done through drivers based on GRASS DataBase Management Interface. vector,.
Information about database links holds dblinks data structure. vector map i.e. in one vector map may be more features linked to more attribute vector.
Besides internal library functions there are two main libraries:
For historical reasons, there are two internal libraries:
The vector library was introduced in GRASS 4.0 to hide internal vector files' formats and structures. In GRASS 6/7, everything is accessed via Vect_*() functions, for example:
Old 4.x code:
xx = Map.Att[Map.Area[area_num].att].x;
New 6.x/7.x functions:
centroid = Vect_get_area_centroid(Map, area_num); Vect_read_line(Map, line_p, NULL, centroid); Vect_line_get_point(line_p, 0, &xx, NULL, NULL);
In GRASS 6/7, all internal, mostly non-topological vector functions are hidden from the modules' API (mainly dig_*(), V1_*() and V2_*() functions). All available Vect_*() functions are topological vector functions.
The following include file contains definitions and structures required by some of the routines in this library. The programmer should therefore include this file in any code that uses the vector library:
#include <grass/vector.h>
Note: For details please read Blazek et al. 2002 (see below) as well as the references in this document.
The vector library in GRASS 4.0 changed significantly from the Digit Library (diglib) used in GRASS 3.1. Below is an overview of why the changes were made.
The Digit Library was a collage of subroutines created for developing the map development programs. Few of these subroutines were actually designed as a user access library. They required individuals to assume too much responsibility and control over what happened to the data file. Thus when it came time to change vector data file formats for GRASS 4.0, many modules also required modification. The two different access levels for 3.0 vector files provided very different ways of calling the library; they offered little consistency for the user.
The Digit Library was originally designed to only have one file open for read or write at a time. Although it was possible in some cases to get around this, one restriction was the global head structure. Since there was only one instance of this, there could only be one copy of that information, and thus, only one open vector file.
The solution to these problems was to design a new user library as an interface to the vector data files. This new library was designed to provide a simple consistent interface, which hides as much of the details of the data format as possible. It also could be extended for future enhancements without the need to change existing programs.
The new vector library in GRASS 4 provided routines for opening, closing, reading, and writing vector files, as well as several support functions. The Digit Library has been replaced, so that all existing modules was converted to use the new library. Those routines that existed in the Digit Library and were not affected by these changes continue to exist in unmodified form, and were included in the vector library. Most of the commonly used routines have been discarded, and replaced by the new vector routines.
Instead the global head structure was used own local version of it. The structure that replaced structure head is structure dig_head. There were still two levels of interface to the vector files (future releases may include more). Level one provided access only to arc (i.e. polyline) information and to the type of line (AREA, LINE, DOT). Level two provided access to polygons (areas), attributes, and network topology.
All data structure used by the vector library are defined in include/vect/dig_structs.h. See the list bellow:
Major:
Supporting:
Format-related:
DB-related:
Geometry-related:
Category-related:
Topology-related:
Misc:
Obsolete:
Feature types are defined in include/vect_dig_defines.h, see the list bellow:
Face and kernel are 3D equivalents of boundary and centroid, but there is no support (yet) for 3D topology (volumes). Faces are used in a couple of modules including NVIZ to visualize 3D buildings and other volumetric figures.
In the coor file the following is stored: 'line' (element) type, number of attributes and layer number for each category. Coordinates in binary file are stored as double (8 bytes). See Coor_info data structure.
The body consists of line records:
Types used in coor file:.
Topo file is read by Vect_open_topo().
Note:
plus is an instance of Plus_head data structure.
Nodes
For each node (plus->n_nodes):
See P_node data structure.
Lines
For each line (plus->n_lines):
See P_line data structure.
Areas
For each area (plus->n_areas):
See P_area data structure.
Isles
For each isle (plus->n_isle):
See P_isle data structure.
The vector library defines more topology levels (only for level of access 2):
Note: Only the geometry type GV_BOUNDARY is used to build areas. The geometry type GV_LINE cannot form an area.
Points
One point (nodes: 0, lines: 1, areas: 0, isles: 0) + N1/L1
line = 1, type = 1 (GV_POINT)
Lines
One line (nodes: 2, lines: 1, areas: 0, isles: 0) +----L1----+ N1 N2
node = 1, n_lines = 1, xyz = 634624.746450, 223557.302231, 0.000000 line = 1, type = 2 (GV_LINE), angle = -0.436257
node = 2, n_lines = 1, xyz = 638677.484787, 221667.849899, 0.000000 line = -1, type = 2 (GV_LINE), angle = 2.705335
line = 1, type = 2 (GV_LINE), n1 = 1, n2 = 2
Areas without holes
Two lines (nodes: 1, lines: 2, areas: 1, isles: 1) +N1 / \ / \ / \ / +L2 \ / \ -------L1------
node = 1, n_lines = 2, xyz = 635720.081136, 225063.387424, 0.000000 line = 1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -2.245537 line = -1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -0.842926
line = 1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), n1 = 1, n2 = 1, left = 1, right = -1
line = 2, type = 8 (GV_CENTROID), area = 1
area = 1, n_lines = 1, n_isles = 0 centroid = 2 line = -1
isle = 1, n_lines = 1 area = 0 line = 1
Areas with holes
Three lines (nodes: 2, lines: 3, areas: 2, isles: 2) +N1 / \ / \ / \ / \ / +L2 \ / \ / +N2 \ / /\ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / ---L3-- \ / \ ------------L1-------------
node = 1, n_lines = 2, xyz = 635720.081136, 225063.387424, 0.000000 line = 1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -2.245537 line = -1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -0.842926
node = 2, n_lines = 2, xyz = 636788.032454, 223173.935091, 0.000000 line = 3, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -2.245537 line = -3, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), angle = -0.866302
line = 1, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), n1 = 1, n2 = 1, left = 1, right = -1
line = 2, type = 8 (GV_CENTROID), area = 1
line = 3, type = 4 (GV_BOUNDARY), n1 = 3, n2 = 3, left = 2, right = -2
area = 1, n_lines = 1, n_isles = 1 centroid = 2 line = -1 isle = 2
area = 2, n_lines = 1, n_isles = 0 centroid = 0 line = -3
isle = 1, n_lines = 1 area = 0 line = 1
isle = 2, n_lines = 1 area = 1 line = 3
Example 1
A polygon may be formed by many boundaries (several connected primitives). One boundary is shared by adjacent areas.
+--1--+--5--+ | | | 2 A 4 B 6 | | | +--3--+--7--+ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 = 7 boundaries (primitives) A,B = 2 areas A+B = 1 isle
Example 2
This is handled correctly in GRASS: A can be filled, B filled differently.
+---------+ | A | +-----+ | | B | | +-----+ | | | +---------+ A, B = 2 areas A+B = 1 is.
Example 3
This is handled correctly in GRASS: Areas A1, A2, and A3 can be filled differently.
+---------------------+ | A1 | + +------+------+ | | | A2 | A3 | | + +------+------+ | | I1 | +---------------------+ A1,A2,A3 = 3 areas A1,A2+A3 = 2 isles.
Example 4 created with topology, see RTree data structure.
Spatial index occupies a lot of memory but it is necessary for topology building. Also, it takes some time to release the memory occupied by spatial index (see dig_spidx_free()). The spatial index can also be built in file to save memory by setting the environment variable GRASS_VECTOR_LOWMEM. some time on large files.
The spatial index is stored in file and not loaded for old vectors that are not updated, saving a lot of memory. Spatial queries are done in file. a bit longer.
It makes sense to release the spatial index if it is used only at the beginning of a module or in permanently running programs like QGIS. Note that this applies only when creating a new vector or updating an old vector. For example:
int main { Vect_open_update(); /* select features using spatial index, e.g. Vect_select_lines_by_box() */ Vect_set_release_support(); Vect_close(); /* memory is released */ /* do some processing which needs memory */ }
See also spatial_index data structure.
Spatial index file ('sidx') is read by Vect_open_sidx().
Note:
plus is instance of Plus_head structure. Cat_index data structure.
Category index is built with topology, but it is not updated if vector is edited on level 2. Category index is stored in 'cidx' file, 'cat' array is written/read by one call of dig__fwrite_port_I() or dig__fread_port_I()..
Category index file ('cidx') is read by Vect_cidx_open().
Note:
plus is instance of Plus_head structure.
TINs are simply created as 2D/3D vector polygons consisting of 3 vertices. See Vect_tin_get_z().
Reduced topology: each boundary is attached to one area only, i.e. smoothing, simplification, removing small areas etc. will not work properly for adjacent areas or areas within areas.
Full topology is only available for native GRASS vectors or can only be built after all polygons are converted to areas and cleaned as done by
v.in.ogr.
Frmt is a plain text file which contains basic information about external format of linked vector map. Each line contains key, value pairs separated by comma.
OGR specific format is described by:
Example:
FORMAT: ogr DSN: /path/to/shapefiles LAYER: cities
OGR layer can be linked via
v.external command. When linking OGR layer pseudo-topology ('topo') is built including spatial index file ('sidx') and category index file ('cidx'). Additionally also feature index file (see Fidx file format specification) is created.
Note:
finfo is an instance of Format_info structure. GRASS ASCII vector map format may contain a mix of primitives including points, lines, boundaries, centroids, faces, and kernels. The format may also contain a header with various metadata (see example below).
Vector map can be converted to the ASCII representation at user level by
v.out.ascii format=standard command.
See Vector ASCII functions for list of related functions.
The header is similar as the head file of vector binary format (see Header file format specification) but contains bounding box also. Keywords are:
ORGANIZATION DIGIT DATE DIGIT NAME MAP NAME MAP DATE MAP SCALE OTHER INFO ZONE WEST EDGE EAST EDGE SOUTH EDGE NORTH EDGE MAP THRESH
Example:
ORGANIZATION: NC OneMap DIGIT DATE: DIGIT NAME: helena MAP NAME: North Carolina selected bridges (points map) MAP DATE: Mon Nov 6 15:32:39 2006 MAP SCALE: 1 OTHER INFO: ZONE: 0 MAP THRESH: 0.000000
The body begins with the row:
VERTI:
followed by records of primitives:
TYPE NUMBER_OF_COORDINATES [NUMBER_OF_CATEGORIES] X Y [Z] .... X Y [Z] [ LAYER CATEGORY] .... [ LAYER CATEGORY]
Everything above in
[] is optional.
The primitive codes are as follows:
The coordinates are listed following the initial line containing the primitive code, the total number of vectors in the series, and (optionally) the number of categories (1 for a single layer, higher for multiple layers). Below that 1 or several lines follow to indicate the layer number and the category number (ID).
The order of coordinates is
X Y [Z]
Note: The points are stored as y, x (i.e., east, north), which is the reserve of the way GRASS usually represents geographic coordinates.
Example:
P 1 1 375171.4992779 317756.72097616 1 1 B 5 637740 219580 639530 219580 639530 221230 637740 221230 637740 219580 C 1 1 638635 220405 1 2
In this example, the first vector feature is a point with category number 1. The second vector feature is a boundary composed by 5 points. The third feature is a centroid with category number 2. The boundary and the centroid form an area with category number 2. All vector feature mentioned above are located in layer 1.
The vector library provides the GRASS programmer with routines to process vector data. The routines in the vector library are presented in functional groupings, rather than in alphabetical order. The order of presentation will, it is hoped, provide better understanding of how the library is to be used, as well as show the interrelationships among the various routines. Note that a good way to understand how to use these routines is to look at the source code for GRASS modules which use them.
Note: All routines start with one of following prefixes Vect_, V1_, V2_ or dig_. To avoid name conficts, programmers should not create variables or routines in their own modules which use this prefix.
The Vect_*() functions are the programmer's API for GRASS vector programming. The programmer should use only routines with this prefix.
(note: vector layer is historically called "field")
(note: vector layer is historically called "field")
Functions from GRASS Simple Feature API (in progress, incomplete).
Note: The functions are available only if GRASS is compiled with
--with-geos switch.
Updates for GRASS. | http://grass.osgeo.org/programming7/vectorlib.html | crawl-003 | refinedweb | 2,716 | 64.81 |
Pymakr on Debian unstable/testing mix
- jasonriedy last edited by
The files for generating the Debian packaging aren't in the source repo, so debugging this is a tad difficult.
It appears that the .deb package tries to install without pulling in its prerequisites. My attempt at guessing them so far has failed. I'm stuck with QLabel not being imported. The dump is appended with whatever random reformatting.
I need this to install firmware and evaluate the LoPy for our BLE uses later this week. (And I would hugely prefer email or newsgroup access (NNTP). Yes, I'm an old fuddy duddy. Juggling email when disconnected is much easier.)
ejr@qNaN:~$ pymakr
Python 2.7.13rc1
An unhandled exception occurred. Please report the problem
using the error reporting dialog or via email to support@pycom.io.
A log has been written to "/home/ejr/.pymakr/pymakr_error.log".
Error information:
2016-12-12, 17:04:26
<type 'exceptions.ImportError'>:
cannot import name QLabel
File "/usr/share/pymakr/modules/pymakr.py", line 368, in <module>
main()
File "/usr/share/pymakr/modules/pymakr.py", line 288, in main
from UI.SplashScreen import SplashScreen, NoneSplashScreen
File "/usr/share/pymakr/modules/UI/SplashScreen.py", line 16, in <module>
from PyQt5.QtGui import QPixmap, QColor, QLabel
Version Numbers:
Python 2.7.13rc1
Qt 5.7.1
PyQt 5.7
sip 4.18.1
QScintilla 2.9.3
WebKit 538.1
Pymakr 1.0.0.b7
Platform: linux2
2.7.13rc1 (default, Dec 4 2016, 14:12:39)
[GCC 6.2.1 20161124]
Distribution Info:
/etc/os-release
PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux stretch/sid"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
ID=debian
HOME_URL=""
SUPPORT_URL=""
BUG_REPORT_URL=""
- Oneillsite last edited by
apt-get install python-qt4
hi @jasonriedy,
Pymakr is not yet compatible with PyQt5. A fix for this will be included in the next release, which is planned for the start of next week.
I'll talk to some colleagues and will try to get some code published that will allow you to build the packages yourself.
Regards | https://forum.pycom.io/topic/364/pymakr-on-debian-unstable-testing-mix | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | refinedweb | 339 | 54.39 |
The Question is:
We think we have a problem with the C++ compiler
this example shows it:
#include <vector>
vector< int* const>::iterator it2;
This will produce:
PGVS4>cxx text.cc
const_pointer address(const_reference x) const
..................^
%CXX-E-MEMFUNRED, function
"std::allocator<T>::address(std::allocator<T>::reference) const
[with T=int *const]" has already been declared
detected during:
instantiation of class "std::allocator<T> [with T=int *const]" at
line 110 of "Text library
SYS$COMMON:[SYSLIB]CXXL$ANSI_DEF.TLB;1 module VECTOR."
instantiation of class "std::vector<T, Allocator> [with T=int
*const, Allocator=std::allocator<int *const>]" at line 5
of "USER$DISK:[RENE.JOBCMD]TEXT.CC;8"
at line number 407 in module MEMORY. of text library SYS$COMMON:[SYSLIB]CXXL$ANS
I_DEF.TLB;1
%CXX-I-MESSAGE, 1 error detected in the compilation of "USER$DISK:[RENE.JOBCMD]T
EXT.CC;8".
Any hints on how to resolve this?
BTW We are using CPP:
PGVS4>cxx /ver
Compaq C++ V6.2-016 for OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1
The Answer is :
This program violates the container element requirements of the STL.
In particular, an element type must be Assignable, i.e. a type is
assignable if it is possible to copy objects of that type and to
assign values to variables of that type.
If you look on page 84 (Section 6.1) of the book, "Generic Programming
and the STL" by Matthew H. Austern you'll see the following explanation:
"Almost all the built-in C++ types are models of Assignable, with the
notable exception of const T. For example, int is a model of Assignable
(it's possible to copy and assign values of type int) but const int is
not. If x is declared to be of type const int, then x = 7 is illegal.
You can copy a variable of type const int but you can't assign to it.
Since the type int* const, a const pointer to int, is not assignable,
the code in .0 is illegal.
const int*, i.e. a non-const pointer to const int is assignable. | http://h41379.www4.hpe.com/wizard/wiz_5700.html | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | refinedweb | 351 | 59.3 |
[Study notes]
2.4 DataInputStream usage
Mark-to-win: DataInputStream is exactly what the name implies: it is specifically used to read a variety of data, such as (int, char, long, etc.), we must pay attention to the use of DataOutputStream and DataInputStream, and the order of reading and writing must be the same You can refer to the following example.
Example: 2.4.1
import java.io. *;
public class TestMark_to_win {
/ * when run this program, no need any data.dat file, because it can generate
the file.anyway, this file can not be recognized by humanbeing
* /
public static void main (String [] args) throws IOException {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream ("c: /data.txt");
DataOutputStream dos = new DataOutputStream (fos);
dos.writeInt (345);
dos.writeDouble (4.54);
dos.writeUTF ("us");
dos.close ();
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream ("c: /data.txt");
DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream (fis);
/ * 1) a data output stream to write data that can later
be read by a data input stream. 2) note the sequence.first write what,
then read what. if you comment out the following statment, the result
is not correct, because the sequence is chaotic.I tried. 3) readInt ()
Returns: the next four bytes of this input stream, interpreted as an
int. * /
Article reprinted from the original: | http://www.itworkman.com/76548.html | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | refinedweb | 207 | 68.57 |
Back to Chapter 3 -- Index -- Chapter 5., a function that we wrote in Chapter 1,, and in Chapter 5 will show how to make the pattern a parameter that is set when the program is run. There is also a slightly different version of getline; you might find it instructive to compare it to the one in Chapter 1.
mentioned in Chapter 1.
Exercise 4-1. Write the function strindex(s,t) which returns the position of the rightmost occurrence of t in s, or -1 if there is none.
First, atof itself must declare the type of value it returns, since it is not int. The type name precedes the function name:
#include <ctype.h> /* atof: convert string s to double */ double atof(char s[]) { double val, power; int i, sign; for (i = 0; isspace(s[i]); i++) /* skip white space */ ; sign = (s[i] == '-') ? -1 : 1; if (s[i] == '+' || s[i] == '-') i++; for (val = 0.0; isdigit(s[i]); i++) val = 10.0 * val + (s[i] - '0'); if (s[i] == '.') i++; for (power = 1.0; isdigit(s[i]); i++) { val = 10.0 * val + (s[i] - '0'); power *= 10; } return sign * val / power; }Second, and just as important, the calling routine must know that atof returns a non-int value. One way to ensure this is to declare atof explicitly in the calling routine. The declaration is shown in this primitive calculator (barely adequate for check-book balancing), which reads one number per line, optionally preceded with a sign, and adds them up, printing the running sum after each input:
#include <stdio.h> #define MAXLINE 100 /* rudimentary calculator */ main() { double sum, atof(char []); char line[MAXLINE]; int getline(char line[], int max); sum = 0; while (getline(line, MAXLINE) > 0) printf("\t%g\n", sum += atof(line)); return 0; }The declaration
double sum, atof(char []);says that sum is a double variable, and that atof is a function that takes one char[] argument and returns a double.
The function atof must be declared and defined consistently. If atof itself and the call to it in main have inconsistent types in the same source file, the error will be detected by the compiler. But if (as is more likely) atof were compiled separately, the mismatch would not be detected, atof would return a double that main would treat as an int, and meaningless answers would result.
In the light of what we have said about how declarations must match definitions, this might seem surprising. The reason a mismatch can happen is that if there is no function prototype, a function is implicitly declared by its first appearance in an expression, such as
sum += atof(line)If a name that has not been previously declared occurs in an expression and is followed by a left parentheses, it is declared by context to be a function name, the function is assumed to return an int, and nothing is assumed about its arguments. C programs. If the function takes arguments, declare them; if it takes no arguments, use void.
Given atof, properly declared, we could write atoi (convert a string to int) in terms of it:
/* atoi: convert string s to integer using atof */ int atoi(char s[]) { double atof(char s[]); return (int) atof(s); }Notice the structure of the declarations and the return statement. The value of the expression in
return expression;is converted to the type of the function before the return is taken. Therefore, the value of atof, a double, is converted automatically to int when it appears in this return, since the function atoi returns an int. This operation does potentionally discard information, however, so some compilers warn of it. The cast states explicitly that the operation is intended, and suppresses any warning.
Exercise 4-2. Extend atof to handle scientific notation of the form
123.45e-6where a floating-point number may be followed by e or E and an optionally signed exponent.
1 2 - 4 5 + errorT the type of operator get> int getch(void); void ungetch(int); /* getop: get next character or numeric operand */ int getop; -getting 4-10. An alternate organization uses getline to read an entire input line; this makes getch and ungetch unnecessary. Revise the calculator to use this approach. 4-11. Modify getop so that it doesn't need to use ungetch. Hint: use an internal static variable. x; int mid; ... }instead of 1962. 4-12. Adapt the ideas of printd to write a recursive version of itoa; that is, convert an integer into a string by calling a recursive routine.
Exercise 4-13. Write a recursive version of the function reverse(s), which reverses the string s in place.
#include "filename"or
.
#define name replacement textIt calls for a macro substitution of the simplest kind - subsequent occurrences of the token name will be replaced by the replacement text. The name in a #define has the same form as a variable name; the replacement text is arbitrary. Normally the replacement text is the rest of the line, but a long definition may be continued onto several lines by placing a \ at the end of each line to be continued. The scope of a name defined with #define is from its point of definition to the end of the source file being compiled. A definition may use previous definitions. Substitutions are made only for tokens, and do not take place within quoted strings. For example, if YES is a defined name, there would be no substitution in printf("YES") or in YESMAN.
Any name may be defined with any replacement text. For example
#define forever for (;;) /* infinite loop */defines a new word, forever, for an infinite loop.
It is also possible to define macros with arguments, so the replacement text can be different for different calls of the macro. As an example, define a macro called max:
#define max(A, B) ((A) > (B) ? (A) : (B))Although it looks like a function call, a use of max expands into in-line code. Each occurrence of a formal parameter (here A or B) will be replaced by the corresponding actual argument. Thus the line
x = max(p+q, r+s);will be replaced by the line
x = ((p+q) > (r+s) ? (p+q) : (r+s));So long as the arguments are treated consistently, this macro will serve for any data type; there is no need for different kinds of max for different data types, as there would be with functions.
If you examine the expansion of max, you will notice some pitfalls. The expressions are evaluated twice; this is bad if they involve side effects like increment operators or input and output. For instance re-scanned. For example, the macro paste concatenates its two arguments:
#define paste(front, back) front ## backso paste(name, 1) creates the token name1.
The rules for nested uses of ## are arcane; further details may be found in Appendix A.
Exercise 4-14. Define a macro swap(t,x,y) that interchanges two arguments of type t. (Block structure will help.)The first inclusion of h.
ThisThe #ifdef and #ifndef lines are specialized forms that test whether a name is defined. The first example of #if above could have been written
#ifndef HDR #define HDR /* contents of hdr.h go here */ #endif
Back to Chapter 3 -- Index -- Chapter 5 | http://pc-freak.net/Ctut/chapter4.html | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | refinedweb | 1,217 | 62.07 |
.
What is single sign-on?.
Let's suppose that employees use their usernames and passwords for authentication. The enterprise's authentication module would thus have a database of usernames and passwords. Each incoming request for authentication would be accompanied by a username-password pair, which the authentication module would compare against the pairs in its internal database.
Now, our warehousing company may have several applications running within its scope. Different applications form different modules of the same enterprise. Each application is complete in itself, which means that it has its own user base, as well as several different tiers, including the back-end database, business logic, and a GUI for its users. Enterprise application integration (EAI) is a popular name for projects involving the integration of such independent applications into an enterprise.
One common factor usually marks the authentication process in EAI projects: users of a particular application need to access another application within the enterprise. For example, a sales manager who is using the sales database may need to access the inventory database in order to check the availability of a particular component. How can we enable this type of cross-application authentication?
We have two choices:
-.
- The second choice is to enable sharing of authentication data through single sign-on between the sales and inventory applications. If a user is authenticated.
Normally, SSO is implemented as a separate authentication module. All applications that need to authenticate users rely on the SSO-based authentication module to check the identity of their users. Based on this authentication information, different applications then enforce their own authorization policies.
Hopefully, our warehousing company example has illustrated what SSO looks like from the user's perspective. The next question, naturally, is: How do we implement SSO? There are several ways in which we can do so. In the next section we'll discuss Kerberos, which offers various security services, including SSO.
Using Kerberos for SSO
Kerberos is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard that defines a typical key exchange mechanism. Applications can use the Kerberos service to authenticate their users and exchange cryptographic keys with them. Kerberos is based on the idea of tickets. A ticket is just a data structure that wraps a cryptographic key, along with some other bits of information. A key distribution center (KDC) distributes Kerberos tickets to authenticated users. A KDC issues two types of tickets:
- A master ticket, also known as the ticket granting ticket (TGT)
- A service ticket
A KDC first issues a TGT to a client. The client can then request several service tickets against his or her TGT. To explain how TGTs and service tickets work, let's consider the following key exchange scenario:
- A client sends a message to the KDC requesting the issuance of a TGT. The request is in plain text form (without any encryption), and includes the username of the client, but does not include his password.
- The KDC issues a TGT to the client. The TGT contains a session key in encrypted form. To encrypt the session key, the KDC uses a key derived from the client's password. This means that only the client can decrypt the TGT and fetch the session key. Therefore, although a client application does not need to know the password to request a TGT, it does require the password to process or use the TGT.
- The client decrypts the TGT and extracts the session key from it. The client then authors a request for a service ticket. A service ticket is valid only for communication between two parties -- that is, between the client and the other entity (a server, say) with whom the client wants to communicate. No one else can use the service ticket. Therefore, while requesting the service ticket, the client specifies the name of the server with which he plans to use that service ticket. The server should be already registered with the KDC.
- The KDC authors a service ticket for the server. This ticket contains the client's authentication data and a new cryptographic key, called a sub-session key. The KDC encrypts the service ticket with the secret key of the server (the secret key is a shared secret between the KDC and the server). This means that only the server can decrypt the service ticket.
- The KDC authors a message and wraps the service ticket inside of it. The KDC also copies the sub-session key inside the message. Notice that the sub-session key is now contained in the message twice: once directly in the message and again inside the service ticket.
- The KDC encrypts the complete message with the session key from steps 2 and 3. Thus, only the client can decrypt the message and extract the sub-session key as well as the service ticket. But the client cannot decrypt the service ticket -- only the server can. Therefore, no one else can use the service ticket for any purpose. The KDC then sends the message to the client.
- The client decrypts the message received from the KDC and fetches the sub-session key inside the message as well as the service ticket. It sends the service ticket to the server.
- The server receives the service ticket and decrypts it to fetch the authentication data of the requesting client as well as the sub-session key. The server then acknowledges the client's request, and a new secure session is established between the client and the server. Both client and server now possess the same sub-session key, which they can use for secure communication with each other.
The client can repeat steps 3 through 8 for another server application. This means that our Kerberos service can be used to share authentication data, and that the same client (which represents a single user) can authenticate with different applications. This effectively enables SSO.
The process we've just described illustrates how any application can use Kerberos for authentication. Now we'll look at how you can specifically use the Java platform to take advantage of Kerberos's functionality.
The Java Generic Security Services API
The IETF has defined the Generic Security Services API (GSS-API) as a high-level security API that provides features like confidentiality, message integrity, and authentication. GSS-API can easily work in client-server environments. The IETF has defined GSS-API in a language-independent manner.
The Java GSS-API is the Java language-specific form of the GSS-API. Sun has developed the Java GSS-API through the Java Community Process and has also provided a reference implementation, which comes bundled with version 1.4 of the JDK. See Resources for a link to the official RFC for GSS-API.
This article discusses only the Java GSS-API; therefore, for the sake of simplicity, we will refer to the Java GSS-API as GSS in the rest of this article.
GSS aims to provide a high-level abstraction layer on top of different low-level security services. Kerberos is one of the technologies that you can use under the GSS abstraction, though there are many others, like the Simple Public Key Mechanism (SPKM; see Resources), which we won't discuss in this article. The GSS layer of abstraction allows programmers to develop secure applications without worrying about what mechanism will work on a lower level to provide security services. In this article, we'll focus on the use of Kerberos as the low-level security mechanism working under GSS to achieve SSO.
In the remainder of this section, we'll offer a very simple introduction to GSS; the next section will demonstrate the API in action. We will often use the term communicating entities or peers in the forthcoming discussion. An entity or a peer is an application that communicates using GSS. A requesting peer will act as a client and request a new session to securely communicate with a serving peer. The serving peer will act as a server and accept or reject the request.
GSS works on the idea of a
GSSName, a
GSSCredential, and a
GSSContext. A
GSSName identifies you as an individual, like the username that you enter while checking your e-mail. A
GSSCredential is something that you present to prove your identity, like the password that you enter while checking your e-mail. A Kerberos service ticket is another example of a
GSSCredential. A
GSSContext is like a secure session that encapsulates security-related information, such as cryptographic keys. GSS-based applications will use a
GSSContext to securely communicate with each other.
Now let's put to work the concepts that we've learned so far.
GSS client and server applications
In this section, we will demonstrate an actual implementation of a GSS-based secure Java applications. We will develop two reusable JavaBeans components. One bean acts as a requesting client and requests the initiation of a new GSS session (a GSS session is referred to as a GSS context). The other bean will act as a server, listen for requests, and accept the incoming request from the client; it then establishes the secure context and communicates with the client.
As we are discussing and demonstrating SSO in this article, we'll simplify our application by having the KDC used by the application hosted by a third party. Both the client and server trust this KDC and accept authentication data coming from it. Thus, you'll need a Kerberos implementation running in order to use the sample code in this article, but you can use any GSS-compliant KDC you'd like. (If you're using a recent Windows server platform, you already have access to a suitable Kerberos implementation; see the sidebar entitled "Setting up a KDC" for more details.)
A JAAS authentication client
Once you have a KDC service running, you can go ahead and request the KDC to issue a TGT. A requesting GSS client (the one who wants to establish a secure GSS context with a remote serving peer) will ask the KDC to issue a TGT.
However, we have a small problem here. GSS does not contain any method to fetch the username-password pair from a user. Therefore, GSS applications have to rely on other non-GSS mechanisms for login information. We are going to use the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) to allow the requesting client to provide a username and password and acquire the TGT.
Have a look at Listing 1, which shows a class named
GSSClient. This class represents the functionality of a GSS client that wants to establish a secure session with a remote GSS server. The
GSSClient constructor takes a number of parameters:
- The name of the client peer
- The password of the client peer
- The name of the remote serving peer
- The address of the remote serving peer
- The port of the server
- The Kerberos realm or domain (the domain in which the KDC is running; see Setup.txt for details of how to specify the realm for Microsoft's KDC)
- The address of the KDC
- The location path and name of a login configuration file (we'll explain this shortly)
- The name of a client configuration (which specifies the authentication mechanism that the client wants to use)
Note: We will be referencing Listing 1 repeatedly throughout our discussion of the client, so you may want to keep the window open for guidance.
Note that the
main() method simulates a simple application. We have included this method in Listing 1 only to demonstrate the operation of this class by running it from the command line. The
main() method reads the parameter values from the command line in the sequence shown above and calls the
GSSClient() constructor, passing the parameter values to the constructor.
The
GSSClient() constructor stores the parameters coming from the command line in different fields and also sets three system properties itself. The
java.security.krb5.realm system property specifies the KDC realm; the
java.security.krb5.kdc property specifies the address of the KDC server; and the
java.security.auth.login.config property specifies the location path and name of a login configuration file. The GSS framework will use these properties internally.
After instantiating a
GSSClient object, the
main() method calls the
GSSClient.login() method. This method instantiates a
LoginContext object, which is part of the JAAS framework. The
LoginContext constructor takes two parameters. The first,
confName, carries the ninth command-line parameter value; the second is an object of a class named
BeanCallBackHandler. Let's look at the use of these two parameters in more detail.
confName and the configuration file
confName carries the name of a JAAS configuration. The ninth command-line parameter (the name of a client configuration) specifies the JAAS configuration that the client wants to use for authentication. The JAAS configuration file, specified by the eighth command-line parameter, contains one or more client configurations, out of which the client can use any one.
A JAAS configuration specifies the mechanism that will be used for authentication. The concept of configuration files allows Java applications to choose an authentication mechanism independent of authentication logic.
JAAS configurations are stored as
.conf files. The sample JAAS configuration file in Listing 2 has two configurations. The
GSSClient configuration looks like the this:
GSSClient { com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule required; };
This JAAS configuration specifies the name of the Java class
com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule. This class is the Kerberos login module in JAAS, and the
GSSClient configuration uses it for login. Thus, specifying this configuration means that we will use Kerberos as our mechanism for authentication.
Listing 2. JAAS login configuration for GSSClient and GSSServer
/**** Login.conf ****/ GSSClient{ com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule required; }; GSSServer{ com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule required storeKey=true; };
The details of JAAS authentication logic are beyond the scope of this article. If you want to learn more about it, check out the link to the tutorial, "Java security, Part 2: Authentication and authorization," in the Resources section.
BeanCallBackHandler
Now, coming back to our discussion of the client in Listing 1, the second parameter that we have passed along with the
LoginContext constructor method invocation call (an instance of the
BeanCallBackHandler class) specifies the object that will handle callback during the authentication process.
Callback allows Java applications to interact with JAAS implementations during the authentication process. You will normally use callback functionality to pass a username and password to the Kerberos authentication module. Notice that we have passed the
username and
password in the
BeanCallBackHandler constructor call.
Now look at Listing 3, which shows our
BeanCallBackHandler class. This class implements an interface named
CallBackHandler, which is part of the JAAS framework and contains just one method, named
handle().
Listing 3. Handling callback from the JAAS framework
/**** BeanCallbackHandler.java ****/ import java.io.*; import java.security.*; import javax.security.auth.*; import javax.security.auth.callback.*; public class BeanCallbackHandler implements CallbackHandler { // Store username and password. String name = null; String password = null; public BeanCallbackHandler(String name, String password) { this.name = name; this.password = password; }//BeanCallbackHandler public void handle (Callback[] callbacks) throws UnsupportedCallbackException, IOException { for(int i=0; i<callbacks.length; i++) { Callback callBack = callbacks[i]; // Handles username callback. if (callBack instanceof NameCallback) { NameCallback nameCallback = (NameCallback)callBack; nameCallback.setName(name); // Handles password callback. } else if (callBack instanceof PasswordCallback) { PasswordCallback passwordCallback = (PasswordCallback)callBack; passwordCallback.setPassword(password.toCharArray()); } else { throw new UnsupportedCallbackException(callBack, "Call back not supported"); }//else }//for }//handle }//BeanCallbackHandler
The
handle() method of the
CallBackHandler object will automatically receive control during authentication.
The JAAS framework passes an array of
CallBack objects to the
handle() method of the
CallBackHandler instance that we pass as the second parameter value of the
LoginContext constructor. The array of
CallBack objects contains different types of
CallBack objects; however, we are only interested in two types: the
NameCallBack and
PasswordCallBack, both of which extend the basic
CallBack class.
The
NameCallBack object is used to provide the
username to the JAAS framework, while the
PasswordCallBack carries the
password during authentication. Inside the
handle() method in Listing 3, we have simply called the
setName() method of the
NameCallBack object and the
setPassword() method of the
PasswordCallBack object.
To summarize the above discussion on the two parameters that go along with the
LoginContext constructor call, we can say that we have supplied all the information to the
LoginContext object that is required for user authentication. So the next step in Listing 1 should be to call the
LoginContext.login() method, which will perform the actual login process.
If something goes wrong during the authentication process -- if the
password turns out to be incorrect, for instance -- a
javax.security.auth.login.LoginException will be thrown. If there's no exception as a result of the login method call, then we can assume that the authentication was successful.
Because we are using Kerberos login, the JAAS framework internally manages all communication with the KDC and fetches the Kerberos TGT, thus hiding all technical details under the high-level, easy-to-use JAAS interface.
Successful authentication will result in loading the Kerberos TGT in the
LoginContext object. You can call the
getSubject() method of the
LoginContext class, which returns an instance of a class named
Subject. The
Subject instance wraps the TGT.
We will use this
Subject class to perform the action for which we have logged in: establishing a secure GSS context. Let's see how to invoke the required action after successful authentication.
The
Subject class contains a static method named
doAs(), which takes two parameters. Look at the
Subject.doAs() method call in Listing 1. The first parameter value is the
Subject instance that we just obtained after successful authentication. The
doAs() method will use this authenticated
Subject to make the authorization decision -- that is, it will use it to judge whether this
Subject (which we have already authenticated) is authorized to invoke the given operation.
We have used the
Subject class only to fetch the TGT. Therefore, we have not specified any authorization policy for our
GSSClient. Any user can run this client. The
GSSClient doesn't require any security authorization to execute the given operation. However, Web clients such as applets run under a strict security context, which requires security authorization to execute successfully. Setup.txt contains brief instructions on writing an authorization policy for an applet-based GSS client, and we'll look at such a client in more detail later in this article.
The second parameter value of the
doAs() method call,
this, specifies the
GSSClient object (Listing 1) that we are discussing. This parameter expects an object that exposes a
PriviledgedAction interface. Notice that our
GSSClient implements that
PriviledgedAction interface. We have combined all client-side code in one class, but you can have a separate class that implements the
PriviledgedAction interface, if you'd like. If you choose to do so, you will instantiate that object and pass it as the second parameter value with the
doAs() method call.
The
PriviledgedAction interface contains just one method, named
run(). If the authorization policy allows the
Subject to access the
run() method of the
GSSClient class, that method will receive control in a separate thread of execution. When the
run() method receives control, the security context (the TGT, essentially) goes along with it. Our GSS logic will automatically use that security context and fetch the TGT.
Designing a GSS client
We have to perform the following steps in the
run() method of Listing 1 to establish a GSS session:
- Instantiate a
GSSManagerobject. Notice in Listing 1 that we have called the
getInstance()static method of the
GSSManagerclass, which returns a
GSSManagerobject. The
GSSManagerobject will at least support the Kerberos mechanism and perhaps some other mechanisms as well. The
GSSManagerclass contains methods that a GSS application can call to specify other security mechanisms. But because our focus is on the Kerberos mechanism only, we can simply call the
getInstance()method to use the Kerberos mechanism. We will not go into the details of other mechanisms. Thus, after instantiating a
GSSManagerobject in Listing 1, we have instantiated an
Oid(Object ID) object named
kerberos, which identifies the Kerberos mechanism. We will pass on this object wherever we need to say, in essence, "We want to use Kerberos as the underlying technology below the GSS layer."
- Create a
GSSNameobject, which represents a GSS entity. During two-way communication, you can think of a GSS entity as a communicating peer. Therefore, we will actually create two
GSSNameobjects: one for the requesting client peer (
clientPeerName) and another for the remote peer (
remotePeerName).
- Create a set of credentials. GSS is a generic security mechanism, so it has to rely on the underlying technology to create these credentials. Because we are using Kerberos, the Kerberos ticket is the actual credential. To get a
GSSCredentialobject, we use the
createCredential()method of the
GSSManagerclass. The
createCredential()method returns an object that exposes the
GSSCredentialinterface.
- Create a secure GSS context, which will be used to establish secure communication between the two communicating peers. The
createContext()method of the
GSSManagercreates and returns an instance of the
GSSContextinterface. The
GSSContextobject wraps the actual secure context that the GSS client wants to establish with a remote peer using the Kerberos service. Notice in Listing 1 that we have passed the
GSSNameand
GSSCredentialobjects that we create in steps 2 and 3 to the
createContext()method call.
Now we have the
GSSContext object that wraps the secure context, but the context itself is not yet established. After obtaining a
GSSContext object, a requesting peer will call its
requestConf() method. This method causes the application to request confidentiality and data integrity, so any data that the application wants to send to the remote server will be in encrypted form.
After calling the
requestConf() method in Listing 1, we have declared an array of bytes named
byteToken and instantiated it to a size of zero bytes. The
byteToken array will hold the data bytes that the GSS client will send to and receive from the server.
We now call the
initSecContext() method of the
GSSContext interface repeatedly in a
while loop. This method performs the actual exchange of bytes to establish a secure context between the requesting and serving peers.
The
while(!peerContext.isEstablished()) block in Listing 1 performs the actual two-way communication between the GSS client and the server. This block exits only when the secure context is established (or an exception occurs in case something goes wrong).
When the
while loop is executed for the first time, the
byteToken array will have no data. The
peerContext.isEstablished() method will return
false, as the security context is not yet established.
The first thing that we do inside the
while loop is to pass on the
byteToken array to the
initSecContext() method. This method performs two jobs: it generates the bytes that the client sends to the server, and it also accepts bytes coming from the server. This exchange of bytes carries on until the GSS context is established.
Naturally, when we call the
initSecContext() method for the first time, we have no bytes to pass on to the method. So we pass on the empty
byteToken array to the method for the first call. The
initSecContext() method returns some bytes, which we have stored in the same
byteToken array. Next, we write the
byteToken (that we got from the
initSecContext() method call) to the output stream and flush the stream so that the
byteToken array is sent to the remote server.
Now we expect that the remote server will send something in response to the bytes that we have sent to it. So, we read the bytes from the input stream, store the bytes in the same
byteToken array, and then pass the
byteToken array back to the
initSecContext() method. This method again returns an array of bytes, which we send to the remote server. This exchange of bytes carries on inside the
while loop until the secure context is established and the
peerContext.isEstablished() method returns
true.
The establishment of a secure context means that the appropriate Kerberos keys have now been made available on both client and server. Both parties can use these keys for secure communication. When a secure context is established, we simply return the
GSSContext object.
Using the GSS context
We will now see how to use the
GSSContext object in the
main() method of our
GSSClient class. After calling the
login() method, we check to see if the
GSSContext that the
login() method has returned is null. If it isn't, we are sure a secure context is available for secure communication with the remote server.
The
main() method then checks to see if the remote server has honored the client's request for confidentiality and message integrity (recall that the client made this request before starting to establish the GSS context). The
getConfState() method of the
GSSContext class returns
true if the server has honored our request.
The
main() method can now send whatever data it wants to the remote server. We have written a
sendMessage() helper method to send data to the server. Notice in this method that the
wrap() method of the
GSSContext class takes a byte array of data and returns a byte array. The
sendMessage() method supplies plain text data to the
wrap() method and gets an encrypted byte array in response. We can now send the encrypted byte array to the remote server by writing it on the output stream.
The
sendMessage() method then listens for incoming data from the server. When we receive some data from the server, we can pass on the incoming data to the
unwrap() method of the
GSSContext class, which returns the plain text form of the data.
Our
main() and
sendMessage() methods are very simple examples of application-specific logic for data exchange over a secure GSS sessions. You can build your own application logic using the same concept.
A GSS server application
We have seen how our GSS client application works. Now let's build a server to interact with it.
Have a look at Listing 4, which shows the code for a
GSSServer class. (Again, you'll want to keep this listing window open as we discuss the server.) The
startServer() method of
GSSServer performs the same functions that we have already discussed while explaining the
login() method of the
GSSClient class.
Now, inside the
run() method of the
GSSServer class, we have created a
GSSManager and a
GSSName object representing the server. So far, there's hardly any difference between the client- and server-side code. But look a bit closer and notice that the server creates only one
GSSName object, which represents the server. After creating this
GSSName, the server calls the
createCredential() method to load its credentials in a
GSSCredential object.
The next step is to call the
createContext() object to create a new GSS context. This call to the
createContext() method is different from the
createContext() call that we made in the GSS client application. This time, the
createContext() method takes just one parameter: the server's credential. This means that this server-side context is not between two parties. It is like an open-ended connection, where only one of the two communicating parties is decided.
Next, we create input and output streams for communication, and then enter into a
while loop that will keep on looping until a secure context is established with a requesting client. Inside this loop, we wait for the requesting client to send a connection establishment request. When we receive some data on the input stream inside the
while loop, we read the data into a byte array and provide the byte array token to the
acceptSecContext() method of the
GSSContext class. The
acceptSecContext() method returns some data bytes to us, which we send back on the output stream.
The
initSecContext() and
acceptSecContext() methods of the
GSSContext class work in combination. We demonstrated the use of the
initSecContext() method while discussing our GSS client application. The
initSecContext() method produces the initial bytes that a GSS client sends to a GSS server application. The
acceptSecContext() method accepts these incoming bytes and generates its own byte array, which we send back to the client. This exchange of bytes continues until a secure GSS context is established.
Therefore, GSS handles all communication as byte array tokens. You can use any type of transport service to convey the array of bytes from the client to the server and back. GSS is indifferent to the transport facility you use for data transmission.
The process of establishing a secure session concludes with the authentication of the requesting client. You can call the
getSrcName() method of the
GSSContext class to fetch the
GSSName of the authenticated client. On the other hand, the
getTargName() method of the
GSSContext class returns the
GSSName of the server that accepted the remote client's request.
After the
while (!context.isEstablished()) loop returns in Listing 4, the
run() method waits for communication from the client. It keeps on listening for incoming data, and when it receives any incoming byte string, it hands that string over to the
unwrap() method of the
GSSContext class. The
unwrap() method will return the plain text form of the message from the client.
Just for the sake of demonstration, in our sample code we pass a message answer string back to the requesting client. Application developers can implement their own application logic to send their application-specific data back to the requesting client.
We have demonstrated the basic forms of the GSS client and server-side application development. You can put our sample applications to use in several different scenarios. For example, you could use our GSS client as part of a JSP or a JFC application. One interesting scenario would be the use of our GSS client as part of a Java applet running inside a browser, which we'll cover in some detail next.
GSS in a browser
Have a look at Listing 5, which demonstrates how an applet can use the GSS client in Listing 1 to establish secure communication with the GSS server in Listing 4.
The applet will run in an HTML page such as the one shown in Listing 6:
Listing 6. An HTML page that uses a GSS applet
<!-- E-Commerce Login.html --> <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>E-Commerce Login... </TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <p align="center"> <table bgcolor="Gray"> <tr> <td align="center"> <b>E-Commerce Site Login Page </b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <Applet CODE="GSSClientApplet.class" archive="GSSClientApplet.jar" name="GSSClientApplet" width="500" height="280"> </Applet> </td> </tr> </table> </p> </BODY> </HTML>
Let's assume that this applet is running on the main page of an e-commerce Web site. Figure 1 shows what it would look like in action. There are two text entry fields, three buttons, and a text area. Each of the three buttons corresponds to the server-side implementation of a partner of the e-commerce Web site.
Figure 1. An HTML page showing GSS applet usage
A customer of the e-commerce Web site can authenticate himself with any of the site's partners. The customer will enter his username and password in the text fields of the applet, and press the Login button corresponding to the partner site with which he wants to authenticate. The button event handlers simply provide the required parameters to the
GSSClient constructor. The rest of the work is our GSS client's job, which we have already explained.
Summary
We have discussed single sign-on, Kerberos, and GSS in this article. Applications can use SSO to share authentication data with each other. Kerberos offers a mechanism for key management and exchange. GSS is a high-level security API that works on top of different security services.
As you've seen here, you can use GSS and Kerberos to build SSO solutions for the Java platform. While the concepts may seem complex at first, the layers of abstraction afforded by GSS should allow you to implement SSO fairly easily in your Java platform-based enterprise. I hope that you can use the code outlined here as a jumping-off point for your own projects.
Download
Resources
- Read RFC 1510, which officially defines Kerberos.
- RFC 1508 and RFC 1964 define GSS.
- Visit the GSS page at Sun's Web site.
- CSG group and Heimdal provide free Kerberos implementations.
- "Enhance Java GSS-API with a login interface using JAAS," by Thomas Owusu (developerWorks, November 2001), discusses the use of GSS with JAAS login.
- "Java security, Part 2: Authentication and authorization," by Brad Rubin (developerWorks, July 2002), is an excellent tutorial on JAAS.
- "A Kerberos primer," by Bruce Rich, Anthony Nadalin, and Theodore Shrader (developerWorks, November 2001), discusses Kerberos's mechanisms in detail.
- Refer to RFC 2025 for more details of SPKM.
- Find hundreds of Java technology-related. | http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-gss-sso/ | CC-MAIN-2014-52 | refinedweb | 5,481 | 54.42 |
View and helper
#21
Posted 22 July 2011 - 12:46 PM
#22
Posted 22 July 2011 - 12:55 PM
mindplay, on 22 July 2011 - 09:33 AM, said:
My guess is, the introduction of namespaces in recent version of PHP has added some overhead to static method-calls...
Thanks for sharing mindplay. Done your benchmark in my computer and these are the results and is very clear:
1st
Static method-calls: 75.758 msec
Instance method-calls: 59.550 msec
Static method-call overhead: 27%
----
2nd
Static method-calls: 70.767 msec
Instance method-calls: 67.440 msec
Static method-call overhead: 5%
---
3rd
Static method-calls: 69.590 msec
Instance method-calls: 63.538 msec
Static method-call overhead: 10%
Benchmark running on MacOsx Lion, apache, PHP 5.3+
#23
Posted 22 July 2011 - 05:02 PM
Ben, on 22 July 2011 - 12:46 PM, said:
There are many variables, I'm sure - hardware, operating system and perhaps certain installed modules/extensions, such as a bytecode cache, could affect the results.
I would conclude that performance is probably comparable, or perhaps slightly better, for instance-methods on most systems.
#24
Posted 24 July 2011 - 10:35 AM
qiang, on 18 July 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:
1. Should we create a view object in Yii 2.0?
I can see only one benefit of that: Controllers would become much easier to test if action methods returned a view object (instead of outputting anything directly). The actual rendering should be done somewhere in CWebApplication.
But if you just want to factor out template rendering from controllers - which is a good idea anyway - then a simple behavior that can be attached to controllers could do the job. Even the old familiar syntax ($this->render(), etc.) can be kept in this way.
#25
Posted 31 July 2011 - 05:32 PM
phtamas, on 24 July 2011 - 10:35 AM, said:
That approach has both advantages and weak points.
Suppose for example you need to render more than one view for some reason - how would you return multiple view-objects, and how would you make sure they execute in order? Even if you could manage that, suppose the result of one view needs to be inserted into another, how would you achieve that?
The decision to let the framework take over a responsibility like this, always results in more complexity than you were probably expecting.
I think the approach more commonly taken by Yii, is to provide tools, but let you drive the tools - you push, Yii moves. Frameworks that pull rather than push end up having to make decisions, and you end up one step removed from the decision-making process. So you're trying to influence the decisions made by the framework, by providing a different response when it pulls, which is a much more difficult process to understand (and less transparent, and usually slower) than just pushing in the direction you want to go.
Explicitly rendering a view, the way Yii does now, does not prevent testing, by the way - two colleagues in my office recently created a "view renderer" which they plug in during unit testing, which passes the view-data back to the unit test before rendering the view.
Note that this is not necessarily an argument against having a view-object of some sort - there may well be other good reasons to abstract a view in the form of an object...
#26
Posted 12 August 2011 - 11:33 AM
qiang, on 18 July 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:?
It is good to be with helpers but of course as a statuc function in a Class not like CodeIgniter's helpers.
But i be not think we create view obj to render a view. If it will be created what will be benefits of it? Now there is a big benefit that in view file you can access to the controller (by $this) not like Zend framework's view file. Hovewer Zend framework crates a view object to show view file and it is a bit complicated. It is my opinion
#27
Posted 12 August 2011 - 08:40 PM
#28
Posted 15 August 2011 - 09:45 PM
qiang, on 18 July 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:
There are just a few helpers, it's easy to "use" them in a view renderer.
Quote
This is the major drawback. Same as abnormal quantity of private variables all over the framework.
You can replace privates with protected and use static instead of self everywhere to assist in this task.
Quote
Yes.
Controllers are really the view controllers, as we don't have event controllers in web, but the template engine should be separated from controllers.
Last project changed my mind - I think that a separate view is required.
Quote
What are the goals for changes in general? I did not find it in the texts.
#29
Posted 27 August 2011 - 07:23 AM
#30
Posted 01 September 2011 - 08:02 PM
But I'm against having the helpers (or its methods) in the view class as several people suggested. Helpers are also used outside the views.
Not using the helper class directly could bring a good side effect: more extensibility.
The developer will be able to just drop a new helper seamlessly. The helpers will have the same flexibility that components have today.
#31
Posted 03 September 2011 - 02:36 AM
1.) Doing translation without setting Yii::t() everywhere:
We could do something like this:
namespace Yii; $obj = new View; $obj->translationPath = 'app.messages'; // default $obj->translationScope = 'application'; // default $obj->language = 'de'; // default would be Yii::app()->language; return $obj->retrieve('view'); // would return the output of view 'view'; $obj->render('view'); // would render view
Now, in the view file, wo would not use Yii:t() at all:
<p> Please translate me to german </p>
And, in the translation file app.messages.application.de we have a "intelligent"
string detector that translates all found strings in the view file:
'Please translate me to german' => 'Bitte übersetze mich in Deutsch'
Of course, other Message Source like CDbMessageSource, ... can be attached to the
view object, with the CPhpMessageSource as the default. The translated view then
will be cached - maybe even as a physical .php file with translated strings.
2.) Caching:
We could do something like this:
namespace Yii; $dep = new CCacheDependency('select max(*) from users'); $obj = new View; $obj->cache(500, $dep)->render('view');
to let yii automatically cache our view files
3.) Helpers and used templating language:
I do _not_ vote for a "default yii templating language". It
should stay the way it is, and templating languages should
be attachable. But a _minimal_ asset of shortcuts, without
injecting <?php ?> tags would really be helpful. Examples:
Instead of:
<row class="wide"> <?php echo CHtml::activeLabel($model, 'value'); ?>; <?php echo CHtml::textArea($model, 'value'); ?>; <?php echo CHtml::error($model, 'value'); ?>; </row>
We could do (syntax needs to be discussed/voted for):
<% row model="model" value="value" divOptions="wide" type="textArea" %>
Same goes for links. How about
<% link route="//site/index" title="Click me" label="Home" %>
The view object would translate these snippets into the appropriate
<?php ?>, and of course caches these by default.
4.) Layout Handling:
namespace Yii; $obj = new View; $obj->layoutPath = 'views.layouts'; // default $obj->layout = 'column2': $obj->render('view'); // apply layout to view and render, like in Yii1 $obj->attachLayout = false; $obj->render('view'); // do _not_ attach Layout, like renderPartial();
5.) rendering Text
instead of
$this->renderText($text);
we could do do a static function:
View::retrieveText($text); View::renderText($text);
6.) Output processing (javascript)
namespace Yii; $obj = new View; $obj->outputProcessing = false; // default would be true $obj->render('view'); // do not process output here
7.) Intelligent Ajax response
We could make the view object force to not apply the layout
when the request is a ajax request. Of course this can be
overridden by the developer if he wants it for whatever
reason?
#32
Posted 04 September 2011 - 01:34 AM
#33
Posted 20 September 2011 - 08:38 PM
Why don't views compile down to classes?
Before PHP had namespaces, the answer to this was simple: what are you going to name them? They would need to have some ugly machine-generated name, e.g. "views/users/profile.php" might compile into a class named "view_users_profile", which is yucky.
With namespaces available now, it would actually make more sense to compile views down to classes - so when you compile "MyApp/Views/Users/Profile.php", it actually compiles into a class with a (configurable) namespace, e.g. "MyApp\Views\Users\Profile".
This way, when you're looking at a module's folder structure, the folder-names really correspond to namespaces, and filenames really correspond to class-names.
The generated class can extend whatever view-engine it happens to be using, so you might end up with a compiled view like "MyApp\Views\Users\Profile extends \VendorABC\EngineX\View" which implements a render() method.
This opens up more new possibilities - for example, we can now allow multiple view engines in the same application, since view-engines only need to load/compile once, and whatever base-class they need will automatically be autoloaded as needed. After the first request, once the compiled templates are in place, you don't even need to run code that checks which view-engines are installed, they just autoload as needed.
Another thing that PHP developers are generally fearful of, is repeated rendering of the same view - with the traditional template engine approach (where a view compiles into a flat PHP script), rendering the same view 10 times is expensive, because you have to require/include the same flat script repeatedly.
If a view compiled into a class, you can load once and render repeatedly at no extra cost - because it's just a method-call on a class. Which is really all your HTML helpers are - they're mini templates that you can't practically implement as views, mainly because they would be too slow.
I benchmarked this a while back, and found that anything that renders more than once, renders faster when wrapped in a class and method-call, rather than multiple calls to include/require. Even with a bytecode cache.
I know this is a big detour from what you're used to, but give it some thought :-)
#34
Posted 21 September 2011 - 01:34 PM
Quote
It's supported in current Yii.
So your idea is to compile same flat files to classes and then running these?
Enjoying Yii? Star us at github: 1.1 and 2.0.
#35
Posted 14 October 2011 - 03:12 AM
#36
Posted 14 October 2011 - 09:12 AM
Why?
Enjoying Yii? Star us at github: 1.1 and 2.0.
#37
Posted 14 October 2011 - 11:03 AM
samdark, on 14 October 2011 - 09:12 AM, said:
Why?
i think the view object should have all the helper methods (which will not be static functions)
example
$output = new CView('path/to/view/file',array('myVar'=>$var));
because has all the helper method are in the CView object i should be able to do this
inside be view_file
$this->encode($myVar); $this->ajax('ajaxName','url',array('options'));
one can also be able to do this
//this should encode all the data/variables passed to the view object $output->encode();
this is my little concept
#38
Posted 14 October 2011 - 01:12 PM
I really dig the simplicity of the fact that the controller is available in the view.
And why create yet another object?
#39
Posted 14 October 2011 - 05:12 PM
Paths? I love the automated discovery on controllers, and the good thing is that if i need another one placed on different place i just pass the path and voilá...
Caching? are you sure the actual caching features do not accomplish nearly to perfection its mission?
Translation? i18n is perfect the way it is, can be improved of course, but automated tag discovery is error prone and will obviously reduce the speed of the library
Template commands? Wait a minute... templates inside HTML, just like other rendering engines out-there? I do not agree, if anybody wishes to use smarty or an engine, there are ways to do it. IMHO I opt to stick with pure HTML, is easier to work with designers. They can handle PHP tags, but template commands? forget it. Also, I think is a new step to interpret and reduce response time if not used well.
Those reasons above do not convince me to create a view object... there is one thing I have always problems with, and it is the way rendering takes place with javascript files, their order, the renderPartial process output approach that renders duplicated files again and again via AJAX, but is that part of the View object? I think not, is because our CClientScript component I believe.
So why do I need a view object? should we remove all the view rendering features from controller and create a separated object? maybe it is good for methods encapsulation, maybe in the future is better to improve it without affecting controllers code, but i do not find other good reason why do we need a view object.
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UFDC Home | Help | RSS TABLE OF CONTENTS HIDE Cover letter Front Cover Title Page Table of Contents Introduction Part one: The partial budget Part two: Marginal analysis Part three: Variability Part four: Summary Title: Second draft of : From agronomic data to farmer recommendations CITATION THUMBNAILS PAGE IMAGE ZOOMABLE Full Citation STANDARD VIEW MARC VIEW Permanent Link: Material Information Title: Second draft of : From agronomic data to farmer recommendations Physical Description: Book Language: English Creator: CIMMYT Economics ProgramTripp, Robert Publisher: CIMMYT Economics Program Place of Publication: Gainesville, Fla. Publication Date: 1986 Record Information Bibliographic ID: UF00080820 Volume ID: VID00001 Source Institution: University of Florida Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location. Resource Identifier: oclc - 187981166 Table of Contents Cover letter Cover letter Front Cover Front Cover Title Page Title Page Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Part one: The partial budget Part two: Marginal analysis Part three: Variability Part four: Summary Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Full Text (". C Centro Inttmacional de SMejoramiento d Maiz y Trig International Maize and W 'hat Improvement Center Li a27 Apdo. Postal 6-641, Cdl Jwm, Deg Cuaubter 06&oo Mixico, DE, Mexico elex: 1 772023-CIMTME Cable: CENCIMMYT Tel: Texcoco (595) 421-00/420-11 422-11/423-00 October 29, 1986 Dr. Peter Hildebrand Food and Resource Economics Dept. University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611 USA Dear Peter: I enclose a draft of a revised version of the CIMMYT manual on the economic analysis of on-farm experiments. It maintains the basic concpets of the previous version (Perrin et.al.), but tries to take advantage of ten years' experience in teaching these ideas. Thus the ordering, the presentation, and some of the vocabulary are a bit different. The idea, as previously, is to present what any beginner needs to know about the economic analysis of on-farm experiments. We have resisted the temptation to go beyond the basics in this publication. We look upon this as the bare minimum, and will look to other publication for exploring more advanced topics. The new manual will be accompanied by a new version of our workbook of exercises. I would very much value your comments on this new version. Any ideas, suggestions or criticisms will receive full attention, and any comments received before the end of January 1987 can be accommodated in the final version. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely yours, Robert Tripp Economics Program End. SECOND DRAFT OF "FROM AGRONOMIC DATA TO FARMER RECOMMENDATIONS: AN ECONOMICS TRAINING MANUAL" COMPLETELY REVISED EDITION CIMMYT Economics Program October 1986 SECOND DRAFT OF "FROM AGRONOMIC DATA TO FARMER RECOMMENDATIONS: AN ECONOMICS TRAINING MANUAL" COMPLETELY REVISED EDITION CIMMYT Economics Program October 1986 For review purposes only. Not for citation or distribution. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ....... .. .... 1 On-Farm Research .. . . . 1 Goals of the Farmer . . . . 5 On-Farm Experiments . .. . .... 7 Experimental Locations and Recommendation Domains . 10 Introduction to Basic Concepts .. . . 11 The Partial Budget .. . . 12 Marginal Analysis ... . . . . 16 Variability .. . . . .. 17 PART ONE. THE PARTIAL BUDGET CHAPTER TWO: COSTS THAT VARY .. . . 20 Identifying Variable Inputs . . . 21 Purchased Inputs ........... . 22 Equipment and Machinery . . . . 24 Labor . . . . .. . .. 25 Total Costs That Vary .. . ... 27 CHAPTER THREE: GROSS FIELD BENEFITS, NET BENEFITS, AND THE PARTIAL BUDGET . . . . . . 31 Pooling the Results From the Same Recommendation Domain 32 Statistical Analysis . ... . . 33 Average Yield . .. .. . .. 34 Adjusted Yield . . . . 34 Field Price of the Crop . . . . 38 Net Benefits .... . . . . 40 Including All Gross Benefits in the Partial Budget . 40 PART TWO. MARGINAL ANALYSIS CHAPTER FOUR: THE NET BENEFIT CURVE AND THE MARGINAL RATE OF RETURN .. .. .. . . .. .. 45 Dominance Analysis . . .. . . 45 Net Benefit Curves . . . 47 Marginal Rate of Return . ... . .. .. 47 CHAPTER FIVE: THE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE RATE OF RETURN .'. 51 A First Approximation of the Minimum Rate of Return 52 The Informal Capital Market . . . . 53 The Formal Capital Market . . . 54 Summary . . . . 55 CHAPTER SIX: USING MARGINAL ANALYSIS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS 56 An Introductory Example ..... .. 56 A Fertilizer Experiment . . . . 57 Analysis Using Residuals . . . 64 A Second Example: An Insect Control Experiment . 67 Some Questions About Marginal Analysis . . 74 PART THREE. VARIABILITY CHAPTER SEVEN: PREPARING EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: RECOMMENDATION DOMAINS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS . 85 Reviewing the Purpose of the Experiment . .. 85 Tentative Recommendation Domains . ... 87 Reviewing Experimental Results . ..... . 89 Recommendation Domains Defined by Socioeconomic Criteria 92 Statistical Analysis . . . . 93 CHAPTER EIGHT: VARIABILITY IN YIELDS: MINIMUM RETURNS ANALYSIS 98 Dealing with Risk in On-Farm Research ... .. 98 Risk and On-Farm Data. . .... . .... 100 Prerequisites for a Minimum Returns.Analysis . 100 The Farmers' Point of View . .. .. . 102 Minimum Returns Analysis . .. .. 106 CHAPTER NINE: VARIABILITY IN PRICES: SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS . 113 Which Costs and Prices Should be Used in the Partial Budget? . . . . . . 113 Sensitivity Analysis . ........... 115 PART FOUR. SUMMARY CHAPTER TEN: REPORTING THE RESULTS OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS . 123 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION This manual presents a set of procedures for carrying out'the economic analysis of on-farm experiments. It is intended for use by agricultural scientists as they develop recommendations for farmers from agronomic data. Development of recommendations which fit farmers' goals and situations is not necessarily difficult, but it is certainly easy to make poor recommendations by ignoring factors which are important to the farmer. Some of these factors may not be very evident. A recommendation is information that farmers can use to improve the productivity of their resources. A good recommendation can be defined as a choice which farmers would make, given their current resources, if they had all the information available to the agronomist. It may be very specific information, as in the case of a particular variety. Or it may be more general information, as in the case of a fertilizer level or storage technique, that farmers will probably adjust to their own conditions and needs. The agronomic data upon which the recommendations are based must be relevant to the farmers' own agro-ecological conditions. The quality and quantity of these data must be sufficient to inspire confidence that the results will be repeated, and the evaluation of these data must be consistent with the farmers' goals and socioeconomic circumstances. On-Farm Research The steps of an on-farm research program are shown in Figure 1.1. The first step is diagnosis. If recommendations.are to be oriented to farmers, research should begin with an understanding of farmers' conditions. This Policy National goals, input supply, credit, markets, etc. Choice of target farmers and research priorities ' Q------------- Identification of policy issues Figure 1.1 Stages of On-Farm Research On-Farm Research' 1. Diagnosis Review of secondary data, informal and formal surveys. 2. Planning Selection of priorities for research and design of on-farm exDerirents. 3. Experimentation Conduct experiments in farmers' fields to formulate improved -- technologies under farmers' conditions. Assessment -Agronomic evaluation" -Statistical analysis -Farmer assessment -Economic analysis New components for on-farm research 1<------------ Identification of problems for station research Experiment Station Develops and screens new technological ccrponents 5. Recomrmendation Demonstrate improved technologies to farmers. iu^ M-mi mj~BMa CiM.Mj B requires some diagnostic work-in the field, including observations of farmers' fields and farm surveys. This diagnosis is used to help identify major factors that limit farm productivity and to help specify possible improvements. The information from the diagnosis is used in planning an experimental research program which includes experiments in farmers' fields. After the first year, the experimental results form an important part of the information used for planning subsequent cycles. In addition, other diagnostic work continues during the management of the experimental program, as researchers continue to seek information about farmers' conditions and problems which will be useful in the planning of future experiments. The on-farm experiments are planted on the fields of representative farmers. Some of these experiments may explore the problems identified during diagnosis, while other experiments will test possible solutions to those problems. The results of the on-farm experiments must then be assessed. There are several elements in such an assessment. First, the experimental results must be subjected to an agronomic interpretation in order to decide if the responses of the various treatments can be understood agronomically. Second,.a statistical analysis of the results helps researchers decide what degree of confidence they can place in the observed responses. In addition, researchers must discuss the results with farmers, in order to get their opinions of the treatments they have seen in their fields. This farmer assessment is very important. Finally, an economic analysis of the results is essential. The economic analysis helps researchers decide which treatments merit further investigation, and which recommendations can be made to farmers. The procedures for carrying out such an economic analysis are the subject of this manual. The results of an assessment of on-farm experiments can be used for several purposes. First, they may be used for helping plan further research. Some experiments will have as their goal the clarification of production problems (e.g. Is production limited by the availability of potassium? Will improved weed control give a significant increase in yields?) The answers to these questions provide researchers with information for further work. As Figure 1.1 shows, this information can be fed back to the planning of subsequent experiments. It is also an example of the type of on-farm research information that may help orient work on the experimental station. Second, the results may be used for making recommendations to farmers. Some experiments will compare possible improvements to current farmer practice (e.g. Which level of potassium should be applied? Which weed control method gives the best results?) The answers to these questions provide information for farmers. Finally, the results of on-farm experiments may be used to provide information to policy makers regarding current policy towards such matters as input supply or credit regulations. Experimental results can be used to help analyse policy implementation (e.g. Given a significant response to potassium, is the appropriate fertilizer available? Do local credit programs allow farmers to take advantage of new weed control methods?) Although the emphasis in this manual will be on the economic analysis of on-farm experiments for guiding further research and making recommendations to farmers, mention will be made at several points of this link between on-farm research and policy implementation. Goals of the Farmer In order to make recommendations that farmers will use, you must be aware of the human element in farming, as well as the biological element. You must think in terms of farmers' goals and the constraints on achieving those goals. In the first place, farmers are concerned with assuring an adequate food supply for their families. They may do this by producing much of what their family consumes, or by marketing a certain proportion of their output and using the cash to obtain their food supply. Farm enterprises also provide other necessities for the farm family, either directly or through cash earning. In addition, the farm family is usually part of a wider community, towards which the family may have certain obligations. In order to meet all of these requirements, farmers usually manage a very complex system of enterprises that may include various crops, animals, and off-farm work. Although the procedures of this manual concentrate on the evaluation of improvements in particular crop enterprises, it is essential that these new practices be compatible with the larger farming system. Second, no matter whether farmers market little or most of their produce, they are interested in economic return. Farmers will consider the costs of changing from one practice to another and the economic value of the results of that change. Farmers will recognize that if they eliminate weeds from their fields they will likely benefit by harvesting more grain. On the other hand, they will realize that they must give up some cash to buy herbicides and then give up some time and effort to apply them. Or, alternatively, they must give up alot of time and effort for hand weeding. Farmers will weigh the benefits gained in the form of grain (or other useful products) against the things lost (costs) in the form of labor and cash given up. What farmers are doing in this case is assessing the difference in net benefits between practices the value of the benefits gained minus the value of the things given up. SAs farmers attempt to evaluate the net benefits of different treatments, they know there is some risk involved. In the weed control example, the farmers know that in the case of drought or early frost, they may get no grain, regardless of the type of weed control. Farmers attempt to protect themselves against risks of loss in benefits, and often avoid choices which subject them to these risks, even though these choices may on the average yield them positive benefits. The fact that farmers will often prefer yield stability to high average yields is referred to as risk aversion. Another factor, related to risk aversion, is the fact that farmers tend to change their practices in a gradual, stepwise manner. Farmers compare their practices with alternatives, and seek ways of cautiously testing out new technologies. It is thus more likely that farmers will adopt individual elements, or small combinations of elements, rather than a complete technological package. This is not to say that farmers will not eventually come to use all the elements of a package of practices, but simply that in offering recommendations to farmers it is best to think of a strategy which allows them to make changes a step at a time. On-Farm Experiments What are the characteristics of agronomic .experiments that will allow an appraisal of alternative technologies in a way that parallels farmer decision making? The following are five characteristics of on-farm experiments which must be fulfilled if the procedures described in this manual are to be useful. (1) In the first place, the experiments must address problems that are important for the farmers. It may be that farmers themselves are not initially aware of a particular problem (e.g. a nutrient deficiency or a disease), but if research does not lead to possibilities for significantly improving farm productivity, it will not attract the interest of farmers, nor merit assessment. Thus the experiments demand a good understanding of farmers' agronomic and socioeconomic conditions. (2) The experiments should examine a relatively few factors at a time. An on-farm experiment with more than, say, four variables will be difficult to manage and of little relevance to farmers' stepwise adoption behavior. (3) If researchers are to compare the farmers' practice with various alternatives in order to make a recommendation, then the farmers' practice should be included as one of the treatments in the experiment. The farmers will want to see this comparison in any case. (4) The non-experimental variables should be those of representative farmer practice. It is sometimes tempting to use higher levels of management for the non-experimental variables of an on-farm experiment, in order to increase the chances of observable responses to the experimental variables. For example, in a variety experiment researchers may want to use fertilizer levels higher than those used by farmers, in order to ensure vigorous plant growth and the observation of clear differences among the varieties. This type of *experiment may certainly be justified in order to get more information about the performance of the varieties, but the results cannot be used to recommend a particular variety for use under current farmer fertilization practices. Another example may be useful. Assume that researchers wish to plant a fertilizer experiment in an area where insects cause crop losses but farmers do not control insects. There are four possibilities: a) Plant the fertilizer experiment with good insect control. The experiment will give interesting information on fertilizer response, but will not provide a fertilizer recommendation for farmers who do not use insect control. An analysis of this experiment with the procedures in this manual will give a misleading result. b) Plant the fertilizer experiment with the farmers' level of insect control. The results can be analysed in order to decide what level of fertilizer is appropriate, given farmers' current insect control practices. c) If insects are more serious problem, it may be better to experiment first with insect control methods, before experimenting with fertilizer. The diagnosis and planning steps of on-farm research are meant to help set these priorities. The methods of this manual could be used to help identify an appropriate insect control method for recommendation to farmers.- d) If insects and fertility are both serious problems, then an experiment can be designed which takes both insect control and fertilizer as experimental variables. As long as one treatment represents the farmers' practice with respect to insect control and fertility, the experiment can be analyzed with the procedures of this manual. (5) Finally, not only must the management of non-experimental variables be representative of farmers' practice, but the experiments must be planted at locations that are representative of farmers' conditions. _/ Once this has been done, and there is evidence that farmers will adopt the new insect control method, it could be used as a non-experimental variable in the fertilizer experiments, as long as it is understood that the fertilizer recommendation to be developed from such trials depends on the farmers first adopting the insect control method. If most of the farms are on steep slopes, the results of experiments planted on an alluvial plain will probably not be relevant. Similarly, if most farmers plant one crop in rotation with another, experiments from fields that have been under fallow may provide little useful information. More will be said in the following section about the selection of locations. Experimental Locations and Recommendation Domains The development of recommendations for farmers must be as efficient as possible. The conditions under which farmers live and work are diverse in .almost every respect imaginable. They have different amounts and kinds of land, different degrees of wealth, different attitudes toward risk, different access to labor, different marketing opportunities, and so on. Many of these differences can influence the farmers' response to recommendations. But it is impossible to make a separate recommendation for each farmer. As a practical matter, one must compromise by identifying groups of farmers that have similar circumstances, and for whom it is likely that the same recommendation will be suitable. Such a group of farmers is called a recommendation domain. Recommendation domains may be defined both by agroclimatic and by socioeconomic circumstances. A recommendation domain is specific to a particular recommendation. For example, a new variety may be appropriate for all farmers in a given geographical area, while a particular fertilizer recommendation may be appropriate only for farmers with a certain type of soil or rotation pattern. Thus the recommendation domain for variety would be different from the recommendation domain for fertilizer. Recommendation domains are identified, defined and redefined throughout the process of on-farm research. They may be tentatively described during the first diagnosis. Experimentation adds precision to the definition of domains. The final definition may not be ready until the recommendation is ready to be passed to farmers. In interpreting agronomic data to make recommendations you must have a fairly clear idea of the group of farmers which will be able to use this information. This must include not only the agroclimatic range over which the results will be relevant, but also whether such factors as different management practices or access to resources will be important in causing some farmers to interpret the results differently from others. For the purposes of this manual, it is important that the on-farm experiments must be planted at locations that are representative of the recommendation domain. The economic analysis is done on the pooled data from a group of locations of the same domain. The economic analysis of the results of a single location is not very useful because, first, you are not making recommendations for individual farmers, and second, one location will rarely provide sufficient agronomic data to be extrapolated to a group of farmers. Thus all of the examples in this manual will represent data from groups of locations from one recommendation domain. Introduction to Basic Concepts In order to make good recommendations for farmers, researchers must be able to evaluate alternative technologies from the farmer's point of view. The premises of this manual are: (1) farmers are concerned with the net benefits of particular technologies; (2) they usually adopt innovations in a stepwise fashion; and (3) they are concerned with the risks involved in adopting new practices. These are the concerns that will be treated in subsequent chapters of the manual.-Part One of the manual describes the construction of a partial budget, which is used to calculate net benefits. Part Two of the manual presents the techniques of marginal analysis. This is a way of evaluating the changes from one technology to another, by comparing the changes in costs and net benefits associated with each treatment. Part Three of the manual describes ways of dealing with the variability that is characteristic of farmers' environments. Variability in results from location to location and from year to year, and in the costs of the inputs and prices of crops, are all issues of concern to farmers as they decide what choices to make. Part Four provides a summary of these procedures. The following sections provide a brief overview of these topics. The Partial Budget Partial budgeting is a method of organizing experimental data and information about the costs and benefits of various treatments. As an example, consider the farmers who are trying to decide between their current practice of handweeding and the alternative of herbicide. Suppose that some experiments have been planted on farmers' fields, and the results show that the current farmer practice of handweeding results in average yields of 2,000 kg/ha, while the use of herbicides gives an average yield of 2,400 kg/ha. Table 1.1 shows a partial budget for this weed control experiment. There are two columns, representing the two treatments of hand weeding and herbicide. The first line of the budget presents the average yield from all locations in the recommendation domain for each of the two treatments. The, Second line is the adjusted yield. Although the experiments were planted on representative farmers' fields, researchers have judged that their yields exceed by about 10% those that could be achieved by farmers using the same technologies. They have therefore adjusted the yields downwards by 10%. (Yield adjustment will be discussed in Chapter Three). Average Yield (kg/ha) Adjusted Yield (kg/ha) Gross Field Benefit ($/ha) Table 1.1 ample of a Partial Budget Hand Weeding 2,000 1;800 3,600 Herbicide 2,400 2,160 4,320 Cost of herbicide ($/ha) Cost of labor to apply herbicide ($/ha) Cost of labor for hand weeding ($/ha) Total Costs that Vary ($/ha) Net Benefits ($/ha) 0 0 400 400 500 100 0 600 3,200 3,720 The next line is the gross field benefit, which values the adjusted yield for each treatment. To calculate the gross field benefit you need to know the field price of the crop. The field price is the value of.a kilo of the crop to the farmer, net of harvest costs. In this example the field price is $2/kg2/ (e.g. 1,800 kg/ha x $2/kg = $3,600/ha). The farmers can now compare the gross benefits of each treatment, but they will want to take account of the different costs as well. In considering the costs associated with each treatment, the farmers need only be concerned by those costs that differ across the treatments, or the costs that vary. Costs which do not differ across treatments (such as plowing and planting costs) will be incurred regardless of which treatment is used. They cannot affect the choice and can be ignored for the purpose of this decision. The term "partial budget" is a reminder that not all production costs are included in the budget only those which are affected by the decision being considered. In this case, the costs that vary are those associated with weed control. Table 1.2 shows how to calculate these costs. Note that they are all calculated on a per hectare basis. The total costs that vary for each treatment is the sum of the individual costs that vary. In this example, the total costs that vary for the present practice of hand weeding is $400 per hectare, while the total costs that vary for the herbicide alternative is $600 per hectare. SThe use of the $ sign in this manual is not intended-to represent any particular currency. The final line of the partial budget shows the net benefits. This is calculated by subtracting the total costs that vary from the gross field Table 1.2 Calculation of the Costs that Vary Price of herbicide Amount used Cost of herbicide Price of labor Labor to apply herbicide Cost of labor to apply herbicide Price of labor Labor for hand weeding Cost of labor for hand weeding = $250/liter S 2 liters/ha = $500/ha = $50/day = 2 days/ha = $100/ha = $50/day = 8 days/ha = $400/ha benefits. In the weed control example, the net benefits from the use of herbicide are $3,720 per hectare, while those for the Current practice are $3,200 per hectare. Remember that net benefits are not the same thing as profit, because the partial budget does not include the other costs of production which are not relevant to this particular decision. The computation of total costs of production is sometimes useful for other purposes, but will not be covered in this manual. A partial budget, then, is a way of calculating the total costs that vary and the net benefits of each treatment in an on-farm experiment. The partial budget includes the average yields for each treatment, the adjusted yields and the gross field benefit (based on the field price of the crop). It also includes all the costs that vary for each treatment. The final two lines are the total costs that vary and the net benefits. Marginal Analysis In the weed control example, the net benefits from herbicide use are higher than those for hand weeding. It may appear that farmers would choose to adopt herbicides, but the choice is not obvious, because farmers will also want to consider the increase in costs. Although the calculation of net-benefits accounts for the costs that vary, it is necessary to compare the extra (or marginal) costs with the extra (or marginal) net benefits. Higher net benefits may .not be attractive if they require very much higher costs. If the farmers were to adopt herbicide, it would require an extra investment of $200 per hectare, which is the difference between the costs associated with the use of herbicide ($600) and the costs of their current practice ($400). This difference can then be compared to the gain in net benefits, which is $520 per hectare ($3,720-$3,200). So in changing from their current weed control practice to an herbicide the farmers must make an extra investment of $200 per hectare, and will obtain extra benefits of $520 per hectare. One way of making this comparison is to divide the change in net benefits by the change in costs ($520/$200 = 2.6). For every $1 per hectare invested in herbicide, farmers recover their $1, plus an extra $2.6 per hectare in net benefits. This ratio is usually expressed as a percentage (i.e. 260%) and is called the marginal rate of return. The process of calculating the marginal rate of return, and deciding if it is acceptable to farmers, is called marginal analysis. Variability In addition to being concerned about the net benefits of alternative technologies and the marginal rates of return in changing from one to another, farmers also take into account the possible variability in Results. This variability can come from several sources, and researchers need to consider these in making recommendations. Experimental results will always vary somewhat from location to location and year to year. An agronomic assessment of the trial results will help researchers decide whether the locations are really representative of a single recommendation domain, and can therefore be analyzed together, or whether the experimental locations represent different domains. This type of agronomic assessment helps refine domain definitions and leads to more precisely targeted recommendations. Another source of variability in experimental results derives from factors that are impossible to predict or control, such as droughts, floods, or frosts. These are risks that the farmers have to confront, and if the experimental data reflect these risks, they will have to be included in the analysis. Finally, farmers are also aware that their economic environment is not perfectly stable. Crop prices change from year to year, labor availability and costs may change, and input prices are also subject to variation. Although such changes are difficult to predict with any accuracy, there are techniques that allow researchers to consider their recommendations against possible changes in farmers' economic circumstances. PART ONE THE PARTIAL BUDGET CHAPTER TWO: COSTS THAT VARY The first step in doing an economic analysis of on-farm experiments is to calculate the total costs that vary for each treatment. Farmers will want to evaluate all the changes that are involved in adopting a new practice. It is therefore important to take into consideration all inputs that are affected in any way by changing from one treatment to another. These are the items associated with the experimental variables. They may include purchased inputs such as chemicals or seed, the amount or type of labor, and the amount or type of machinery. These calculations can be done before the experiment is planted, as part of the planning process, in order to get an idea of the costs of the various treatments'that are being considered for the experimental program. In developing a partial budget, we need a common measure. It is of course not possible to add hours of labor to liters of herbicide and compare these with kilos of grain. The solution is to use as a common denominator the value of these factors, measured in currency units. This provides an estimate of the costs of investment measured in a uniform manner. This does not necessarily imply that the farmer spends money for labor or receives money for the grain. Neither does it imply that farmers are concerned only with money. It is simply a device to represent the process the farmers go through of comparing the value of the things gained and the value of the things given up. An important concept in these calculations is that of opportunity cost. Not all costs in a partial budget necessarily represent the exchange of cash. In the case of labor, for instance, farmers may do the work themselves, rather than hiring others to do it. The opportunity cost can be defined as the value of any resource in its best alternative use. Thus if farmers could be earning money as laborers, rather than working on their farms, the opportunity cost of their weeding is the wage they would have earned had they chosen not to stay on the farm and weed. The concept of opportunity cost will be discussed at several points in the following sections. The field price of a variable input is the price expressed in units of sale (e.g. $ per kilo of seed, liter of herbicide, man-day of labor, or hour of tractor time). The field cost is the field price multiplied by the quantity of the input needed for one hectare. Thus field costs are always expressed in $ per hectare. If the field price of herbicide is $10 per liter, and if 3 liters per hectare are required, then the field cost of the herbicide is $30 per hectare. In both cases, the emphasis is on the field, i.e. what the farmers pay to obtain the input and to get it to their farms. Such field prices may be quite different from official prices. Identifying Variable Inputs To identify which inputs are affected by the alternatives included in an experiment, you must be familiar with farmers' practices as well as the practices used in the experiment. You must then ask yourself which operations change from treatment to treatment, and make a list of these. For example, consider an experiment in which three different fungicides (A, B and C) are being tested, along with the farmers' practice of no fungicide application. There are thus four treatments in the experiment. The list of variable inputs is as follows: Fungicide A Fungicide B Fungicide C Labor to apply fungicide Labor to haul water for mixing with the fungicide Rental ,of sprayer to apply fungicide This list includes purchased inputs (the fungicides), two types of labor, and equipment (a sprayer). The following sections explain how to calculate the costs for all of these. Purchased Inputs Purchased inputs include such items as seed, pesticides, fertilizer, and irrigation water. For purchased inputs, you need to know the field price of the input, the value which must be given up to bring an extra unit of input into the field. The best way to estimate the field price of a purchased input is to go to the place where the majority of the farmers in the recommendation domain buy their inputs, and check the retail price for the appropriate size of package. For instance, if farmers normally purchase their insecticide in 1 kg packets in a rural market, that is the price that should be used, rather than the price of insecticide in 25 kg sacks in the capital city. In some situations, the farmers will be selecting seed from their previous crop, rather than buying seed. This seed is not costless either. The best way to estimate the opportunity field price of the farmers' own seed is to use the price that farmers pay when they buy local seed, either from each other or at the market. The next step is to find out how the farmers get.the input to the farm. In the case of non-bulky inputs such as insecticides and herbicides, the item can be carried by the farmers and transportation costs are probably not important. But for fertilizer, and perhaps-seed, this is not the case. Usually the farmers must use a truck or an animal to get the input home. If this is so, a transportation charge must be added to the retail price. As most farmers pay others to transport such items for them, it is not difficult to learn what the normal charges are. In general, you will have to be guided by the practice that is followed by the majority of farmers in the recommendation domain. For example, if a 50 kg sack of urea costs $375 in the market, and it costs $25 to transport the 50 kg to the farm, then the field price of urea is calculated as follows: $375 cost of 50 kg urea in market 25 cost of transporting 50 kg to farm $400 field price of 50 kg urea or $-0 $8/kg, field price of urea Very often fertilizer experiments, especially those in the early stages of investigation, utilize single nutrient fertilizers. The treatments are usually expressed in terms of amounts of the nutrient (e.g. 50 kg N or 40 kg P205). In these cases, it is useful to go one step further and calculate the field price of the nutrient. This can be done by simply dividing the field price of the fertilizer by the proportion of nutrient in the fertilizer. In the case of urea, which is 46% nitrogen, $8/kg fertilizer = $17.4/kg N, field price of N .46 kg N/kg fertilizer The field cost of 50 kg nitrogen in a particular treatment would be 50 x $17.4, or $870 per hectare. This should only be done when working with single nutrient fertilizers, and it presumes that the field price of nitrogen (for instance) is roughly the same in any nitrogen fertilizer available. If it is not, researchers should of course be aware of this and take account of these differences when considering which fertilizer to experiment with and recommend. A final point is in order about purchased inputs. This discussion has assumed that the inputs in the experiments are available in local markets, or can be made available. If this is not the case, then the economic analysis of experiments involving such inputs may be of little immediate use to farmers. The results may be used, however, in order to communicate to policy makers the possible benefits of making available a particular input. Equipment and Machinery Some treatments or alternatives may require the use of equipment not required by other treatments. It is then necessary to estimate a field cost per hectare for the use of the equipment. The best way to estimate the per hectare field cost of equipment is to use the average rental rate in the area. If farmers will rent their sprayers for $20 per day and if the sprayer can cover 2 hectares in a day, then the field cost may be taken as $10 per hectare. When estimating the field cost.of tractor-drawn or animal-drawn implements, or small self-powered implements, the average rental rate in the area can also be used. This is especially appropriate if most farmers are renting these implements anyway, but even for farmers who own their equipment, the rental rate is a good estimate of the opportunity field cost. In certain cases a pro-rated cost per hectare can be calculated, using the retail price of the equipment and its useful lifetime, but this calculation involves factors such as repair costs, fuel costs, and the possibility that the equipment will have other uses on the farm. If a pro-rated field cost is to be calculated, it is best to consult an agricultural economist who is familiar with the equipment and costing techniques. Labor It is very important to take into consideration all of the changes in labor implied by the different treatments in an experiment. Estimates of labor time should come from conversations and perhaps direct observation with farmers in their fields. Information about labor use derived from the experimental plots is not very useful, however, if small plots are used in the experiments. The best way to get this information is to visit with several different farmers. Each will have an opinion as to the time required for a given operation, but a number close to the average of these opinions will provide a good estimate. Not all farmers take the same amount of time for a given task, so the estimates will only be approximate. For new activities, with which farmers are completely unfamiliar, some educated guesses will have to be made until more reliable estimates can be developed. If farmers hire labor for the operations in question, the field price of labor is the local wage rate for day laborers in the recommendation domain, plus the value of non-monetary payments normally offered, such as meals or drinks. This wage rate can be estimated by talking to several .farmers. The field cost of labor for a particular treatment is then the field price of labor multiplied by the number of days per hectare required. When members of the farm family will do the work, it is necessary to estimate the opportunity cost of family labor. This is the value which is given up in order to do the work and thus represents a real cost. For example, if farmers must take a day off from working in town to do extra weeding, they will give up a day's wages, and this opportunity cost is just as real as paying a laborer to do the work. And even if the farmer has nothing to do but sit in the shade, the opportunity cost is not zero, as most people put some value on being able to sit in the shade rather than work in the sun. The best place to start in estimating an opportunity field price for family labor is the local wage rate (plus non-monetary payments). It is not unusual to find the rate higher during some periods of the year than others, and this must be taken into account. It is sometimes difficult to estimate an opportunity cost of family labor, especially if local labor markets-are poorly developed. Labor availability may vary seasonally, or across different types of farm households. Labor availability and labor bottlenecks are one of the most important types of diagnostic information to aid in the selection of appropriate treatments for experiments and in the definition of recommendation domains. If labor is scarce at a particular time, extreme caution must be used in experimenting with technologies that further increase the labor demand at that time. In cases such as this, it is reasonable to set the opportunity cost of labor above the going wage rate. On the other hand, if extra labor is to be used during a relatively slack period, an opportunity cost below the going wage rate might be appropriate. But in no case should the opportunity cost of labor be set at zero. In situations where most farm labor is done by the family, and where new technologies are being considered that change the balance between cash expenditures (i.e. for inputs) and labor, special care must be taken in estimating labor costs. If a particular treatment, for instance, involves a large change in labor input, relatively small differences in the opportunity cost of labor will have significant effects on the estimation of the.cost of the treatment. It must be remembered that assigning a monetary value to labor is simply a way of helping to understand the trade-offs involved for the farmers and to quantify net changes in the value of all resources implied in moving from one practice.to another. Total Costs That Vary Once the variable inputs have been identified, their field prices have been determined and the field costs have been calculated, the total costs that vary for each treatment can be calculated. The following is an example. Table 2.1 Weed Control by Seeding Rate Experiment (Wheat) Treatment 1(farmers'practice) 2 3 4 Weed Control no weed control herbicide (2 It/ha)' no weed control herbicide (2 It/ha) Seeding Rate 120 kg/ha 120 kg/ha 160 kg/ha 160 kg/ha price of seed price of herbicide price of labor price of sprayer to apply herbicide to haul water $ 20/kg $350/1t $250/day (local wage rate) $ 75/day (rental rate) 2 days/ha One laborer can haul 800 liters per day (400 liters of water per hectare are required for the herbicide) Data Field Field Field Field Labor Labor Table 2.2 Calculation of Costs that Vary Cost of Treatments 1 Treatments 3 Cost of Treatments 2 Cost of Treatments 2 Cost of Treatments 2 Cost of Treatments 2 seed: and 2: 120 kg/ha x $20/kg = $2,400/ha and 4: 160 kg/ha x $20/kg = $3,200/ha herbicide: and 3: 2 It/ha x $350/ha = $700/ha labor to apply herbicide: and 3: 2 days/ha x $250/day = $500/ha labor to haul water: and 3: 400 liters required x $250/day = $125/ha 800 liters per day sprayer: and 3: 2 days/ha x $75/day = $150/ha These costs that vary are then listed by treatment and the total costs that vary are calculated. Seed Herbi Table 2.3 Total Costs that Vary for Weed Control by Seeding Rate Experiment Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment 1 2 3 4 ($/ha) $2,400 $2,400 $3,200 $3,200 icide ($/ha) 700 0 700 Labor to apply herbicide ($/ha) Labor to haul water ($/ha) Sprayer (,$/ha) Total Costs That Vary ($/ha) 0 $2,400 500 125 150 $3,875 0 0 0 $3,200 500 125 150 $4,675 The perceptive reader will have noticed that all of the costs that vary have not been treated in this chapter. There are two important exceptions. Costs that are associated with harvest and marketing are discussed in the next chapter, where they are included in the field price of the crop. Costs associated with obtaining working capital, such as interest rates, are discussed in Chapter 5. CHAPTER THREE: GROSS FIELD BENEFITS, NET BENEFITS, AND THE PARTIAL BUDGET There are several steps involved in calculating the benefits of the treatments in an on-farm experiment: 1. The first step is to identify the locations that belong to one recommendation domain for the experiment. The economic analysis is done on the pooled results of an experiment that has been planted in several locations for one recommendation domain. 2. Next, the average yields across sites for each treatment should be calculated. If the results of these experiments are agronomically consistent and.understandable, a statistical analysis of the pooled results can then be carried out. If there is no reasonable evidence of differences among treatment yields, researchers need only consider the differences in costs among the treatments. But'if there are significant yield differences, then researchers should continue with the partial budget. 3. The next step is to adjust the average yields downwards, if it is believed that there are differences between the experimental results and the yield the farmers might expect using the same treatment. 4. A field price for the crop is then calculated, and multiplied by the adjusted yields to give the gross field benefits for each treatment. 5. Finally, the total costs that vary are subtracted from the gross field benefits to give the net benefits. With this calculation the partial budget is complete.. Pooling the Results From the Same Recommendation Domain The first line of a partial budget is the average yield for each treatment for a particular experiment for all locations for a recommendation domain. Recall that a recommendation domain is a group of farmers whose circumstances are similar enough so that they will all be eligible for the same recommendation. Tentative identification of recommendation domains begins during the diagnostic and planning stages of on-farm research. This tentative identification is used for selecting locations for planting experiments. If, for example, soil fertility seems to be a serious problem for farmers in a given area, the recommendation domain for a fertilizer experiment might be defined in terms of farmers who plant the target crop, have certain types of soil, and follow a particular crop rotation. Locations for the experiments are chosen so as to represent farmers with these particular circumstances. On analyzing the results it may be that a factor not previously considered, such as slope of field, is responsible for distinct results. In such a case, the experiments from the tentative domain would not all be combined for economic analysis. Instead, they would be divided into two domains (further defined by slope, in this case), and two separate analyses would be carried out. More detail on how and when to pool experimental results is presented in Chapter 7. It should be noted here that although locations can'be eliminated from analysis if it can be demonstrated that they do not belong to the recommendation domain in question, this does not hold for locations that were lost .due to drought, flooding, or other environmental factors that are not predictable. Locations lost or damaged by such factors must be included in the economic analysis. Further discussion of risk analysis is to be found in Chapter 8. Statistical Analysis Before doing an economic analysis of the pooled results of an experiment for a particular recommendation domain, researchers must assess the experimental data to verify that the observed responses make sense from an agronomic standpoint. The statistical analysis must then be reviewed in order to judge the probability that the observed treatment differences could be repeated. Performing an economic analysis on experimental data that researchers do not understand, or do not have confidence in, is a misuse of the techniques of this manual. If the statistical analysis of the results of an experiment indicate little likelihood that the observed responses represent real differences between two treatments, then the lower cost treatment would be preferred. When the statistical analysis indicates that treatment yields are probably the same, the gross benefits for these treatments will also be the same, and the lowest cost method of achieving those benefits should be chosen. If two methods of weed control give equivalent results, for instance, the methods with the lower costs that vary should be chosen (for further experimentation or for recommendation) and no further economic analysis is needed. More details on the relation of statistical analysis to economic analysis are given in Chapter 7. Average Yield When the recommendation domain for a particular experiment has been established and agronomic and statistical assessments have indicated that it is worthwhile to proceed with a partial budget, the average yields of each treatment are entered on the first line of the partial budget. Table 3.1 shows the results from 5 locations in one recommendation domain of the weed control by seeding rate experiment. There were two replications at each location. The average yields for the four treatments are reported on the first line of the partial budget (see Table 3.2) Adjusted Yield The next step is to consider adjusting the average yields. Experimental yields, even those planted on-farm under representative conditions, are often higher than the yields that farmers could expect using the same treatments. There are several reasons for this: 1. Management. Researchers can often be more precise and timely than farmers in applying a particular treatment, such as plant spacing, timing of planting, fertilizer application, or weed control. Further Table 3.1 Yields in kg per Hectare for Weed Control by Seeding Rate Experiment in One Recommendation Domain Treatment 1 No weed control 120 kg seed/ha (farmer practice) Rep. 1 Rep. 2 A 2,180 2,220 2 2,800 2,640 2 1,720 1,880 1 2,680 2,620 2 530 670 Average yield 1 Treatment 2 herbicide (2 It./ha) 120 kg seed/ha V. ,200 ,720 ,800 ,650 600 ,994 Rep. 1 3,030 3,090 2,200 3,270 860 Rep.2 2,570 3,410 2,180 3,090 740 Av. 2,800 3,250 2,190 3,180 800 2,444 Treatment 3 No weed control 160 kg seed/ha Rep. 1 2,440 2,790 1,820 2,950 700 Rep. 2 Av. 2,180 2,310 3,010 2,900 1,680 1,750 2,770 2,860 500 600 2,084 Treatment 4 herbicide (2 it/ha) 160 kg seed/ha Rep. 1 3,200 3,410 2,410 3,400 620 Rep. 2 3,060 3,510 2,230 3,480 680 Av. 3,130 3,460 2,320 3,440 650 2,600 * Affected by drought- S-4 ^ /I Location 1 2 3 4 5* -/90s -1 ,L3 -32- p-- e/9 -4 ) l-O/CEL t ~v 31 3-~ bias may be introduced if researchers manage some of the non- experimental variables. 2. Plot size. Yields estimated from small plots often overestimate the yield of an entire field because of errors in the measurement of the harvested area and because the small plots tend to be more uniform than large fields. 3. Harvest date: Researchers often harvest a crop at physiological maturity, whereas farmers may not harvest at the optimum time. Thus even when the yields of both researchers and farmers are adjusted to a constant moisture content, the researchers' yield may be higher, because of fewer losses to insects, birds, rodents, ear rots, or shattering. 4. Form of harvest: In some cases farmers' harvest methods may lead to heavier losses than researchers' harvest methods. This might occur, for example, if farmers harvest their fields by machine while researchers carry out a more careful manual harvest. Unless some adjustment is made for these factors, you will overestimate the returns that farmers are likely to get from a particular treatment. One way to estimate the adjustment required is to compare the yields obtained in the experimental treatment which represents farmer practice with the yields from check plots in the farmers' fields. Where this is not possible, it is necessary to review each of the above four factors and assign a percentage adjustment. As a general rule, total adjustments between 5 and 30% are normally used. (A yield adjustment above 30% would indicate that the experimental conditions are much different from those of the farmers, and that some changes in experimental design or management might be in order.) For example, in the case of the weed control by density experiment in wheat, researchers estimated that their methods of seeding and of herbicide application were more precise than those of the farmers, and so estimated a yield adjustment of 10% due to management differences. Plot size as well was judged to be a factor, and a further 5% adjustment was suggested. The. plots were harvested at the same time as the farmers, so no adjustment was needed. Finally, the plots were harvested with a small combine harvester, while the farmers use larger machines, and the difference in harvest loss was judged to be about 5%. Thus the total yield adjustment for this experiment was estimated to be 20%. The second line of the partial budget (Table 3.2) thus adjusts the average yields.downwards by 20%. For instance, the average yield for treatment 1 is 1,994 kg/ha and the adjusted yield is 80% x 1,994 or 1,595 kg/ha. It is obvious that this type of adjustment is not precise, nor does it pretend to be. The point is that it is much better to estimate the effect of a factor than to ignore it completely. As researchers gain more experience in an area they will have better estimates of the differences between farmers' fields and their experiments, and yield adjustments will become more accurate. -The yield adjustment, although approximate, should not be looked upon as a factor to be applied mechanically. Each type of experiment, each year, should be reviewed before deciding on an appropriate adjustment. If this is done, researchers will be able to make decisions about new technologies with a realistic appreciation of farmers' conditions. Field Price of the Crop The field price of the crop is defined as the value to the farmer of an additional unit of production in the field, prior to harvest. It is calculated by taking the price that farmers receive (or can receive) for the crop when they sell it, and subtracting all costs associated with harvest and sale that are proportional to yield, that is, can be expressed per kg of crop. The place to start is the sale price of the crop: This is estimated by finding out how the majority of the farmers in the recommendation domain sell their crop, to whom they sell it, and under what conditions (such as discounts for quality). Unless all farmers store their crop for some time before sale, it is best to use the price at harvest time. It is the amount that the farmer actually receives, rather than the official or market price of the crop, that is of interest. Next, subtract the costs of harvest and marketing that are proportional to yield. These may include the costs of harvest, shelling, threshing, winnowing, bagging, transport to point of sale, or storage (if the crop is stored for a period before sale). These costs will have to be estimated on a per kg basis. In the case of harvesting or shelling, for instance, this will require collecting data on the average amount of labor necessary to harvest a field of defined size and yield, or shell a given quantity of grain. Again, these may be cash costs or opportunity costs. If farmers sell maize to traders for $6.00/kg, and they incur harvesting costs of $0.30/kg, shelling costs of $0.20/kg, and transport costs of $0.20/kg, then the field price of maize is $6.00 -($0.30 + 0.20 + 0.20) = $5.30/kg. It must be emphasized that these costs must be accounted for because they are proportional to the yield; the higher the yield of a particular treatment, the higher the cost (per hectare) of harvesting, shelling and transport. That is, the cost of harvesting,.shelling, and transporting 2 tons is almost exactly twice the cost of performing the same activities for a harvest of 1 ton. As these costs will differ across treatments (because the treatment yields are different), they must be included in the analysis. Estimating these costs as part of the field price simplifies the partial budget, because these costs do not then have to be estimated for each individual treatment. These costs are treated separately from the costs that vary described in Chapter 2 because, although they do vary across treatments, they are incurred at the time of harvest and thus do not enter into the marginal analysis of the returns to resources invested. That is, farmers have to wait perhaps 5 months to recover their investment in purchased inputs, but only a few days to recover harvest-related costs. If there are costs associated with harvest or sale that do not vary with the yield, then these should not be included in the field price, nor in the partial budget. In the example of the weed control by seeding rate experiment, the farmers sell their wheat in town for $9/kg. The harvesting is done by combine, and the operators charge on a per hectare basis (regardless of yield), so harvest cost is not included in the calculation of field price. There is a bagging charge of $0.10/kg, a transport charge of $0.50/kg, and a market tax of $0.40/kg, so the field price of the wheat is $9 ($0.10 + 0.50 + 0.40) = $8/kg. The gross field benefit for each treatment is calculated by multiplying the field price by the adjusted yield. Thus the gross field benefit for Treatment 1 is 1,595 kg/ha x $8/kg = $12,760/ha. The above calculations for field price'assume that the majority of farmers of the recommendation domain sell some of their crop. If they do not sell any of their crop, then an opportunity field price for the crop can be used. This is the money price which the farm family would have to pay to acquire an additional unit of the product for consumption. This should be the price in the market (plus transport costs) at the time of the year when farmers are most likely to be buying food, and may be much higher than official prices. Net Benefits The final line of the partial budget is the net benefit. This is calculated by subtracting the total costs that vary from the gross field benefits for each treatment. Table 3.2 is a partial budget for the weed control by seeding rate experiment. Including All Gross Benefits in the Partial Budget The examples discussed above have assumed that a single product is the only thing of value to the farmers from their fields. This is often not the case. In many regions crop residues have fodder value, for instance. The Average Yi Adjusted Y Gross Fiel Table 3.2 Partial Budget. Weed Control by Seeding Rate Experiment Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment 1 2 3 4 eld (kg/ha) 1,994 2,444 2,084 2,600 ield (kg/ha) 1,595 1,955 1,667 2,080 d Benefit ($/ha) 12,760 15,640 13,336 16,640 Costs that Vary Seed ($/ha) Herbicide ($/ha) 2,400 0 Labor to apply herbicide ($/ha) Labor to haul water ($/ha) Sprayer ($/ha) Total Costs that Vary ($/ha) Net Benefits ($/ha) 2,400 10,360 2,400. 700 3,200 0 3,200 700 500 125 150 3,875 11,765 * 3,200 10,136 4,675 11,965 procedure for estimating the gross field benefit for fodder is exactly the same as that for estimating the value of grain. First you must estimate production (by treatment) and adjust the average yields. Then calculate a field price. Of course "harvesting" becomes "collecting", "shelling" becomes "baling", etc. It is important to consider each activity that is carried out (is "chopping" done on maize fodder for instance?). Multiplying the field price of the fodder by the adjusted fodder yield gives gross field benefit from fodder, and this should be added to the gross field benefit from grain. Another important example is that of intercropping. If the majority of farmers in the recommendation domain intercrop, then experiments should reflect that practice. It may be that the experimental variables affect only one crop, but if farmers intercrop their maize and beans (for instance), then a fertilizer experiment on maize should include beans, or a disease control experiment on beans should be planted with maize. The yields of both crops should be measured. The partial budget would then have two average yields, two adjusted yields, and two gross field benefits. The total costs that vary would be subtracted from the sum of the two gross field benefits to give the net benefits. Table 3.3 gives an example. Table 3.3 Partial Budget for an Experiment on Bean Density and Phosphorus Application in a Maize-Bean Intercrop 1 2 3 4 Bean Density .40,000 60,000 80,000 80,000 Phosphorus. rate 30 kg/ha 30 kg/ha 30 kg/ha 60 kg/ha Average bean yield (kg/ha) 650 830 890 980 Average maize yield (kg/ha) 2,300 2,020 1,700 1,790 Adjusted bean yield (kg/ha) 553 706 757 833 Adjusted maize yield (kg/ha) 1,955 1,717 1,445 1,522 Gross field benefits beans ($/ha) 17,143 21,886 23,467 25,823 Gross field benefits maize ($/ha) 14,663 12,878 10,838 11,415 Total gross field benefits ($/ha) 31,806 34,764 34,305 37,238 Cost of bean seed ($/ha) 900 1,350 1,800 1,800 Cost of labor for planting beans ($/ha) 450 675 900 900 Cost of fertilizer 1,050 1,050 1,050 2,100 Total costs that vary ($/ha) 2,400 3,075 3,750 4,800 Net Benefits ($/ha) 29,406 31,689 30,555 32,438 PART TWO MARGINAL ANALYSIS CHAPTER FOUR: THE NET BENEFIT CURVE AND THE MARGINAL RATE OF RETURN In the previous chapter a partial budget was developed in order to calculate the total costs that vary and the net benefits for each treatment of an experiment. This chapter describes a method for comparing the costs that vary with the net benefits. This comparison is important to farmers, because they are interested in seeing the amount of increase in costs required to obtain a given increase in net benefits. The best way of illustrating this comparison is with a net benefit curve, which plots the net benefits of each treatment versus the total costs that vary. The net benefit curve is useful for visualizing the changes in costs and benefits in passing from one treatment to the treatment of next highest cost. The net benefit curve also makes clear the reasoning behind the calculation of marginal rates of return, which compare the increments in costs and benefits between such pairs of treatments. Before proceeding with the net benefit curve and the calculation of marginal.rates of return, however, an initial examination of the costs and benefits of each treatment, called dominance analysis, may serve to eliminate some of the treatments from further consideration and thereby simplify the analysis. Dominance Analysis Table 4.1 lists the total costs that vary and the net benefits for each of the treatments in the weed control by seeding rate experiment from the previous chapter. Table 4.1 Dominance Analysis Weed Seeding Treatment Control Rate Total Costs That Vary 'Net Benefits #1 None .120 kg $2,400 $10,360 #3 None 160 kg $3,200 $10,136 D #2 Herbicide 120 kg $3,875 $11,765 #4 Herbicide 160 kg $4,675 $11,965 Notice.that the treatments are listed in order of increasing total costs that vary. The net benefits also increase, except in the case of Treatment 3, whose net benefits are below that of Treatment 1. No farmer would choose Treatment 3, in comparison with Treatment 1, because Treatment 3 has higher costs that vary, but lower net benefits. Such a treatment is called a dominated treatment (marked with a "D" in Table 4.1), because there is another alternative with a higher net benefit and lower costs that vary. Such treatments can be eliminated from further consideration. This example illustrates that it is important to pay attention to net benefits, rather than yields, if you are interested in improving farmers' incomes. Notice (from Table 3.2) that the yields of Treatment 3 are higher than those of Treatment 1, but the dominance analysis shows that the value of the increase in yield is not enough to compensate for the increase in costs. Farmers would be better off using the lower seed rate, provided they are not using herbicide. Net Benefit Curves The dominance analysis has allowed you to eliminate one treatment from consideration because of its low net benefits, but it has not provided a firm recommendation. It is possible to say that Treatment 1 is better than Treatment 3, but in order to compare Treatment 1 with Treatments 2 and 4 further analysis will have to be done. For this analysis, a net benefit curve is useful. Figure 4.1 is the net benefit curve for the weed control by seeding rate experiment. Each of the treatments is plotted according to its net benefit and total costs that vary. The alternatives that are not dominated are connected with a line. The dominated alternative (Treatment 3) has been graphed as well, to show that it falls below the net benefit curve. Marginal Rate of Return The net benefit curve in Figure 4.1 shows the relation between the costs and benefits for the three non-dominated treatments. The slope of the line connecting Treatment 1 to Treatment 2 is steeper than the slope of the line connecting Treatment 2 to Treatment 4. Calculation of the marginal rate of return allows you to quantify this difference. The purpose of marginal analysis is to reveal just how the net benefits from an investment increase as the amount invested increases. That is, if farmers invest $1,475 in herbicide and its application, they will recover the $1,475 (remember, the costs that vary have already been subtracted from the gross field benefits), plus an additional $1,405. FC\UtMLj1 Nk* i -- xi~~ N4u?- eBw;s C1 I"h ) -Ia,ooo - II,r~o 111000 10JO00 - 4 / I.r 3,Co Thr Vary CI|k) (0) 3,noo 4,iCx 41yoo I ~ ~SbD o10\ Cosi, An easier way of expressing this relationship is by calculating the marginal rate of return, which is the marginal net benefit (i.e., the change in net benefits) divided by the marginal cost, expressed as a percentage. In this case, the marginal rate of return for changing from Treatment 1 to Treatment 2 is: 11,765 10,360 $1405 95 95% 3,875 2,400 1475 - This means that for every $1.00 invested in herbicide and its application, farmers can expect to recover the $1.00, and obtain an additional $0.95. The marginal rate of return for going from Treatment 2 to treatment 4 is calculated in a similar fashion. 11,965 11,765 $200 25 = 25% 4,675 3,875 T- -5 ' Thus for farmers who are using herbicide, and who plant at a rate of 120 kg seed/ha, investing in the higher seed rate would give a marginal rate of return of 25%; for every $1.00 invested in the higher seed rate, they will recover the $1.00 and.an additional $0.25. The two marginal rates of return confirm the visual evidence of the net benefitcurve; the second rate of return is lower than the first. It'is possible to do a marginal analysis without reference to the net benefit curve itself. Table 4.2 shows how tnis is done. Table 4.2 Marginal Analysis Costs that Marginal Net Marginal Marginal Rate Treatment Vary Costs Benefits Benefits of Return # 1 $2,400 $10,360 $1,475 $1,405 95% \ # 2 $3,875 $11,765 $ 800 $ 200 25% / # 4 $4,675 $11,965 Note that the marginal rates of return appear in between the two treatments. This is important, because it makes no sense to speak of the marginal rate of return of a particular treatment; rather, the marginal rate of return is a characteristic of the change from one treatment to another. Also note that because dominated treatments are not included in the marginal analysis the marginal rate of return will always be positive. The marginal rate of return thus indicates what farmers can expect, on the average, in return for their investment when they decide to change from one practice (or set of practices) to another. In the present example, adopting herbicide implies a 95% rate of return, and then increasing seed rate implies a further 25%. As the analysis in this example is based on only five experiments in one year, it is likely that the conclusions will be used to select promising treatments for further testing, rather than for immediate farmer recommendations. Nevertheless, a decision cannot be taken regarding these treatments without knowing what rate of return is acceptable to the farmers. Is 95% high enough? What about 25%? The next chapter explains how to estimate a minimum rate of return. CHAPTER FIVE: THE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE RATE OF RETURN In order to make farmer recommendations from a marginal analysis, it is necessary to estimate the minimum rate of return acceptable to farmers in the recommendation domain. If farmers are asked to make an additional investment in their farming operations, they are going to consider the cost of that investment. This is a cost that has not been considered in previous chapters. Because of the critical importance of capital availability it is treated separately. Working capital is the value of inputs (purchased or owned) which are allocated to an enterprise with the expectation of a return at a later point in time. The cost of working capital (or simply, the cost of capital) is the benefits given up by the farmer by having the working capital tied up in the enterprise for a period of time. This may be a direct cost, as in the case of a person who borrows money to buy fertilizer and must pay an interest charge on it. Or it may be an opportunity cost, the earnings of which are given up by not using money, or an input already owned, in its best alternative use. In addition to estimating the cost of capital, it is also necessary to estimate the level of additional returns which will satisfy farmers, beyond the cost of capital, to make their investment worthwhile. After all, farmers are.not going to borrow money at 20% interest, for instance, to invest in a technology that only returns 20%, and leaves them with nothing to show for their investment. In estimating a minimum acceptable rate of return, something must be added to the cost of capital to repay the farmer for the time and effort spent in learning to manage a new technology. There are several ways of estimating a minimum rate of return for a particular recommendation domain. A First Approximation of the Minimum Rate of Return Experience and empirical evidence have shown that for the majority of situations the minimum rate of return acceptable to farmers will be between 50% and 100%. If the technology is new to the farmers (e.g. chemical weed control where farmers currently.practice hand weeding) and thus requires that the farmers learn some new skills, a 100% minimum rate of return is a reasonable estimate. If a change in technologies offers a rate of return above 100% (which is equivalent to a "2 to 1" return, which farmers often speak of) it would seem safe to recommend it in most cases. If the technology simply represents an adjustment in current farmer practice (such as a different fertilizer rate for farmers that are already using fertilizer) then a minimum rate of return as low as 50% may be acceptable. Unless capital is very easily available and learning costs are very low, it is unlikely that a rate of return below 50% will be accepted. This range of 50% to 100% is not as crude as it appears, and it should always be remembered that the other agronomic and economic data used in the analysis will be estimates or approximations as well. This range should serve as a useful guide in most cases for the minimum rate of return acceptable to farmers. This range represents an estimate.for crop cycles of 4-5 months. If the crop cycle is longer, the.minimum rate of return will b6 correspondingly higher. In areas where the inflation rate is very high, this range should be adjusted upward by the rate of inflation over the period of the crop cycle as well. The Informal Capital Market An alternative way of estimating the minimum rate of return is through an examination of the informal capital market. In many areas, farmers do not have access to institutional credit. They must either use their own capital, or take advantage of the informal capital market (such as village moneylenders). The interest rates charged in this informal sector provide a way of beginning to estimate a minimum rate of return. Informal conversations with several farmers of the recommendation domain should give researchers a good idea of the local rates of interest. "If you need cash to purchase something for the farm, to whom do you go?" and "How much does this person charge for the loan of the money?" are examples of relevant questions. If it turns out that local moneylenders charge 10% per month, for instance, then a cost of capital for a five month period would be 50%. To estimate the minimum rate of return in this case, an additional amount would have to be added to represent what the farmers expect to repay their effort in learning about and using the new technology. This extra amount may be approximated by doubling the cost of capital (unless the technology represents .a very simple adjustment in practices). Thus in this example, the minimum rate of return would be estimated to be 100%. Again, it should be emphasized that this is simply a way of deriving a rough estimate of the level of returns that farmers will require. The Formal Capital Market It is also possible to estimate a minimum rate of return using information from the formal capital market. If farmers have access to loans through private or government banks, cooperatives, or other agencies serving the agricultural sector, then the rates of interest charged by these institutions can be used to estimate a cost of capital. But this calculation is relevant only if the majority of the farmers in fact have access to institutional credit. If they do not, then they will probably face a cost of capital different from that offered through relatively cheap institutional credit. In some cases, it may be that farmers with otherwise similar circumstances must be divided into two groups according to their access to this type of credit. These two groups of farmers would face different minimum rates of return and may well represent two separate recommendation domains. In other cases, institutional credit may be available to farmers, but only for certain crops or rigidly defined credit packages. If such credit is not likely to be available for the recommendations that are being considered, then the cost of capital in these credit programs is not relevant to the estimation of a minimum rate of return. This is another example where on-farm research can provide information to policy-makers, in this case by interacting with credit institutions to assure that their services are directed to farmers in as efficient a manner as possible. If farmers do have access to institutional credit, the cost of capital can be estimated by using the rate of interest charged over the agricultural cycle. That is, the rate of interest should cover the period from when the farmers receive their cash (or inputs) to when they sell their harvest and repay the loan. In addition, it is necessary to include all charges connected with the loan. There are often service charges, insurance fees, or even farmers' personal expenses for things like transport to town to arrange the loan, that must be included in the estimate of the cost of capital. Once the cost of capital on the formal market has-been calculated, an estimate of the minimum rate of return can be obtained by doubling this rate. This will provide a rough idea of the rate of-return that farmers will find acceptable if they are to take a loan to invest in a new technology. Summary It is necessary to estimate a minimum rate of return acceptable to the farmers of a recommendation domain. In the majority of cases it will not be possible to provide an exact figure, but experience has shown that the figure will rarely be below 50%, even for technologies that represent only simple adjustments in farhier practice, and is most often in the neighborhood of 100%, especially when the proposed practice is new to farmers. Where farmers have access to credit, either through the informal or formal capital markets, it is possible to estimate a cost of capital (or an opportunity cost of capital) and then use this to estimate a minimum rate of return. But even in these cases, it must be remembered that the figure will be an approximate one. The next chapter explains how to use the estimates of the minimum rate of return to judge which changes in technology will be acceptable to farmers. S CHAPTER SIX: USING MARGINAL ANALYSIS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS / Chapter 4 demonstrated how to develop a net benefit curve and to calculate the marginal rate of return between adjacent pairs of treatments. Chapter 5 discussed methods for estimating the minimum rate of return acceptable to farmers. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how to compare the marginal rate of return with the minimum rate of return in order to help decide which treatments represent reasonable alternatives for farmers. It should be emphasized again that this type of analysis is useful both for making recommendations to farmers, where there is sufficient experimental evidence, and for helping select treatments for further experimentation. An Introductory Example It might be best to start by returning to the example of the weed control by seeding rate experiment summarized in Figure 4.1. After the dominance analysis there were only three treatments left for consideration, and the marginal rates of return were .calculated. If treatment 1 represents the farmers' practice, will farmers be willing to adopt Treatment 2 or Treatment 4? Farmers will be willing to change from one treatment to another if the marginal rate of return of that change is greater than the minimum rate of return. In this case, if the minimum rate of return were 100%, the farmers would probably not be willing to change from their practice of no weed control, represented by treatment (1), to the use of herbicide, represented by treatment 2, because the marginal rate of return (95%) is below the minimum. If theminimum rate of return were 50%, then farmers would be willing to change to treatment (2). Only if the minimum rate of return were below 25% (which is very unlikely) would the farmers be willing to change from (2) to (4). As long as the marginal rate of return between two treatments exceeds the minimum acceptable rate of return, the change from one treatment to the next should be attractive to farmers. If the marginal rate of return falls below the minimum, on the other hand, the change from one treatment to another will not be acceptable. Two more examples follow: A Fertilizer Experiment C- .Figure 6.1 shows the results of a nitrogen experiment in maize. Table /6.1 gives details on the design and costs that vary for the experiment. The yield data are the average of 20 locations from three years of experimentation. Table 6.2 is a partial budget for the experiment. Figure 6.2 shows the net benefit curve and Table 6.3 shows the marginal analysis (one of the treatments is dominated). In the recommendation domain where these experiments were planted researchers estimated that the minimum rate of return for the crop cycle was 100%. With 20 experiments over three years, researchers felt that they were ready to make a nitrogen recommendation to farmers, who are currently not using nitrogen fertilizer on their crop. What should be the recommendation? Or in other words, if farmers are considering investing in. nitrogen fertilizer (and the labor to apply it), what should be the recommended level of investment? y\ zk sc k ~::2c~f\Jdc~i hA-a. 4.. cw N iO. ( 3, -oo 31,0c q,000 Data on Nitrogen Treatment (kg/ha) A (Farmers' practice) 0 B 40 C 80 D 120 E 160 Table 6.1 Nitrogen Experiment Number of Average Yield for applications of N 20 locations (kg/ha) 0 2,222 1 2,867 2 3,256 2 3,444 2- 3,544 Economic Data Field price of N = $0.625/kg Field price of maize = $0.20/kg Cost of one.fertilizer application = $5.00/ha Yield adjustment = 10% Minimum rate of return = 100% Table 6.2 Partial Budget for Nitrogen Experiment A B C 0 N 40 N 80 N Average yield (kg/ha) 2,222 2,867 3,256 Adjusted yield (kg/ha) 2,000 2,580 2,930 Gross field benefit ($/ha) 400 516 586 Cost of nitrogen ($/ha) 0 25 50 Cost of labor ($/ha) 0 5 10 Total costs that vary 0 30 60 Net benefits 400 486 526 D . 120 N 3,444 3,100 620 75 10 85 535 E 160 N 3,544 3,190 638 100 10 110 528 O1. Io N 8D N I0 N Tok\A Co&sA Tkc( Cur e NtoA O ByPl .ic. A soo s~o (N 9A nPAP*^ gpn\^lJ q4o 4co vw ) -- Vet iV'penei Table 6.3 Marginal Analysis. Nitrogen Experiment Total Costs Treatment that Vary Net Benefits A. 0N 0 $400 B. 40 N $ 30 $486 C. 80 N $ 60 $526. D. 120 N $ 85 $535 E. 160 N $110 $528 D* * Treatment E is dominated Marginal Rate of Return 287% 133% 36% This analysis should always be done in a stepwise manner, passing from the treatment with the lowest costs that vary to the next. If the marginal rate of return of the change from the first to the second treatment is equal to or above the minimum rate of return, then the next comparison can be made, between the second and third treatments (not between the first and third). These comparisons continue (i.e., increasing investment) until the marginal rate of return falls below the minimum rate of return. If the slope of the net benefit curve continues to fall, then the analysis can be stopped at the last treatment which has an acceptable rate of return compared to the one of next lowest cost. If the net benefit curve is .irregular, then further analysis must be done. (See the following example). In the nitrogen experiment, the marginal rate of return of the change from 0 N to 40 N is 287%, well above the 100% minimum. The marginal rate of return from 40 N to 80 N is 133%, also above 100%. But the marginal rate of return between 80 N and 120 N is only 36%. So of the treatments in the experiment, 80 N would be.the best recommendation for farmers. There are a couple of things to notice about this conclusion. First, the recommendation is not (necessarily) based on the highest marginal rate of return. For farmers who use no nitrogen, investing in 40 N gives a very high rate of return, but if farmers stopped there, they would miss the opportunity for further earnings, at an attractive rate of return, by investing in an additional 40 kg of nitrogen. Farmers will continue to invest as long as the returns to each extra unit invested (measured by the marginal rate of return) are higher than the cost of the extra unit invested (measured by the minimum acceptable rate of return). The second thing to notice is that the recommendation is not (necessarily) the treatment with highest net benefits (120 N). If instead of a step-by-step marginal analysis, an average analysis is carried out, comparing 0 N with 120 N, the rate of return looks attractive (i.e. 535-400/85-0 = 159%), but this is misleading. The average rate of return of 159% hides the fact that most of the benefits were already earned from lower levels of investment. This average rate of return lumps together the profitable and the unprofitable segments of the net benefit curve. The marginal analysis indicates acceptable rates of return up to 80 N. If the farmers are to apply 120 N, the analysis shows they would only get a marginal rate of return of 36% on their investment of the last $25. It is likely that they would be willing to invest their money in nitrogen up to 80 N, and then ask if there is not some other way of investing that final $25 (a little extra weeding, fencing for animals, etc.) that would give a better rate of return than 36%. This type of marginal (or stepwise) analysis is thus a more accurate representation of farmer decision-making than alternative methods of analysis. A benefit/cost analysis that compared each alternative directly with farmer practice would have concluded that 120 N should be the recommendation. Similarly, an analysis based on highest net benefit would also have selected 120 N. The reasoning above shows that it is unlikely that farmers would accept such a recommendation, because the cost of capital is neglected. Analysis Using Residuals Another way of looking at the same problem is to use the concept of "residuals". Residuals (as the term is used here) are calculated by subtracting the cost of the investment (the minimum rate of return multiplied by the total costs that vary) from the net benefits. Table 6.4 illustrates this method. The treatments are listed, as usual, in order of total costs that vary. Column (1) gives the total costs that vary and column (2) gives the net benefits. Column (3) is the minimum acceptable rate of return multiplied by the costs that vary, and is the cost (in terms of capital and management) that the investment represents to the farmers. For instance, if 40 N has costs that vary of $30/ha, and if the minimum rate of return is 100%, this means that farmers would ask for returns of at least an addi-tional $30/ha before investing in 40 N. Finally, the residual, column 4, is the difference between net benefits, column (2), and the cost of the investment, column (3). Of course this residual is not the profit, and it it the comparison between the residuals, rather than their absolute value, that is of interest. Farmers will be interested in the treatment with the highest residual, that is, the treatment that has most benefits after accounting for the cost of the investment. In this case, the treatment with the highest residual is 80 N, which is the same conclusion that was reached in the previous analysis. Stopping at 40 N denies the farmers the possibility to earn more money per hectare. Going on to 120 N implies actually losing some money, after accounting for the cost of the investment. Table 6.4 Analysis of Nitrogen Experiment Using Residuals (1) (2) (3) Total Costs Net Cost of Investment Treatment that Vary Benefits 100% x (1) A. 0 N 0 400 0 B. 40 N 30 486 30 C. 80 N 60 526 60 D. 120 N 85 535 85 (4) Residual after accounting for minimum return (2) (3) 400 456 466 450 This method of calculating and comparing residuals will always give the same conclusion as the graphical method of marginal analysis shown earlier. The method of using residuals, however, requires an exact figure for the minimum rate of return, while the graphical method allows comparison of the marginal rates of return with various assumptions about the minimum rate of return. Thus it is advisable to use the graphical method first and then, if necessary, check the conclusions with respect to a particular minimum rate of return by calculating residuals. In summary, the recommendation is not necessarily the treatment with the highest marginal rate of return compared to that of next lowest cost, nor the treatment with the highest net benefit, nor the treatment with the highest yield. The identification of a recommendation requires a careful marginal analysis using an appropriate minimum rate of return. A Second Example: An Insect Control Experiment A second example will illustrate some further aspects of marginal analysis and the selection of recommendations. Figure 6.3 presents yield data from an insect control experiment in maize. Table 6.5 gives details of the design and the costs that vary. The yield data are the average of 6 locations from one year of experiments. Table 6.6 shows the partial budget. Figure 6.4 shows the net benefit curve and Table 6.7 shows the marginal analysis. (I)Ier '1,qoo 4 lYx) 23,v0- 3,qoro- #1 B *-3 cl i1f-erj AetAC Fi(A3t,,) 4is1b.^^^ Table 6.5 Insect Control Experiment Treatment 1. Insecticide A (Farmer practice) 2. Insecticide B 3. Insecticide A 4. Insecticide C Type of Application One sprayer appli- caption Granular application Two sprayer appli- cations Granular application Average Yield for 6 Quantity of locations Insecticide (kg/ha) 2 It/ha 3,797 10 kg/ha x 2 .t/ha 10 kg/ha 4,344 4,500 4,609 Economic Data Field price of Field price of Field price of insecticide A insecticide B insecticide C Cost of applying insecticide A (including carrying water) Rental of Sprayer Cost of applying insecticide B or C Field price maize = $0.08/kg Yield adjustment = 20% Minimum Rate of Return = 50% $5.00/it $2.00/kg $3.20/kg $4.00/ha $1.00/ha $2.00/ha Table 6.6 Partial Budget. Insect Control Experiment 1 2 3 4 Average yield (kg/ha) 3,797 4,344 4,500 4,609 Adjusted yield (kg/ha) 3,038 .3,475 3,600 3,687 Gross field benefit ($/ha) 243 278 .288 295 Cost of insecticide ($/ha). 10 20 20 32 Cost of labor ($/ha) 4 2 8 2 Cost of sprayer rental ($/ha) 1 0 2 0 Total costs that vary ($/ha) 15 22 30 34 Net benefits ($/ha) 228 256 258 261 )e, en3~ ;\ Cr. ~xseat CcA{n\ ~Tho~X e,'~ Shet CenOs 2So + -l --H 1 I [i Is 80 30 35- -- l T T q tn l Table 6.7 Marginal Analysis. Insect Control Experiment 0 Total Costs That Marginal Rate of S Treatment Vary Net Benefits Return 1 15 228 400% 2 22 256 25% 3 30 258 42% 75% 4 34 261 First, it should be noted that this insecticide experiment is different from the nitrogen experiment in that it tests four distinct treatments, rather than the continuous increase of one factor. (Notice that the experimental results of the nitrogen experiment are represented on a curve, while the results of the insecticide experiment are represented on -a bar graph). It is impossible to use 80 kg N without using 40 kg N, but using insecticide B does not require first using insecticide A. There are & four different options, arranged on the net benefit curve in order of increasing costs. The marginal analysis calculates the returns to increasing investment and indicates which treatment should be recommended. There is no implication that to choose one insecticide, the farmer must use the insecticides of lower cost. Second, the situation is a bit different from the previous example in that only 6 locations from one year areavailable. Thus the analysis will be used to help plan further experiments, rather than to make farmer recommendations. In addition, the minimum rate of return in this recommendation domain is lower 50% because farmers are already controlling insects and the experiment is simply looking at alternative methods. Finally, the shape of the net benefit curve is different from the previous example. The marginal rate of return in going from Treatment 1 to Treatment 2 is 400%, well above the minimum. Therefore treatment 2 is certainly a worthwhile alternative to the farmers' practice. Next, the marginal rate of return in going from Treatment 2 to Treatment 3 is 25%, P below the minimum. Treatment 3 can therefore be eliminated from . consideration. But the marginal rate of return between Treatments 3 and 4 is 75%, above the minimum rate of return. In cases such as this, where the marginal rate of return between two treatments falls below the minimum, but the following marginal rate of return is above the minimum you must eliminate the treatments) that are unacceptable and recalculate a new marginal rate of return. In this example, it is necessary to calculate a marginal rate of return between treatment 2 and treatment 4. The result is 42% (261-256 42%), which is below the minimum rate of return. Thus 34-22 - Treatment 4 is also rejected. If this last marginal rate of return had been above 50%, however, Treatment 4 would have been the best treatment. In this case researchers should continue to experiment with insecticide B, which seems to be a promising alternative to the farmers' practice of insecticide A. Treatments 3 and 4 give higher yields, but their costs are such that they do not provide an acceptable rate of return. They should be eliminated from future experimentation, unless agronomists propose more effective dosages or application techniques, or there is evidence that insect attack during this year was well below normal and that another year of testing is worthwhile. If residuals are calculated for this experiment, the same conclusion will be reached. Table 6.8 shows the results; Treatment 2 is the one with the highest residual. Treatment 1 2 3 4 Table 6.8 Analysis of Insect Control Experiment Using Residuals (1) (2) (3) .(4) Total Costs Net Cost of Investment Residual that Vary Benefits 50% x (1) (2) --(3) 15 228 7.5 220.5 22 256 11 245 30 258 15 243 34 261 17 244 SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT MARGINAL ANALYSIS 1. Is marginal analysis the "last word" for making a recommendation? The marginal analysis is an important step in assessing the results of on-farm experiments before making recommendations. But you should recall that agronomic interpretation and statistical analysis are also part of the assessment, as well as farmer evaluation. As researchers conduct on-farm experiments, they must constantly solicit farmers' opinions and reactions. Alternatives that seem to be promising both agronomically and economically may have other drawbacks that only farmers can identify. To the extent possible, this screening of treatments for compatibility with the farming system should take place before experiments are planted. But farmer assessment of the experiments is also essential. It is the farmers who have the last word. 2. How precise is the marginal rate of return? It is important to bear in mind that the calculation of the marginal rate of return is based on yield estimates derived from agronomic experiments and on estimates of various costs, often opportunity costs. As well, the marginal rate of return is compared to a minimum rate of return which is only an approximation of the goals of the farmers. Discretion and good judgement must always play an important part in interpreting these rates and in making recommendations. If the marginal rate of return is comfortably above the minimum, the chances are good that the change will be accepted. If it is close to the minimum rate of return then caution must be exercised. In no case can one apply a mechanical rule to recommend a change that is a few percentage points above the minimum rate, or reject it if it is a few points below. Making farmer recommendations requires a thorough knowledge of the research area and the problems that farmers face, a dedication to good agronomic research and the ability to learn from previous experience. Marginal.analysis is a powerful tool in this process, but it must be seen as only a part of the research strategy. 3. Can the marginal rate of return be interpreted if the change in costs that vary is small? Certain experiments, such as those that look at different varieties or perhaps modest changes in seeding rate, involve changes in costs that may be quite small, perhaps equivalent to less than one hundred kilos of grain. If the yield differences are at all substantial, the resulting marginal rate of return can be very large, sometimes in the thousands of percent. In these cases the marginal rate of return is of little use in comparing treatments. Thus it is usually not worthwhile calculating marginal rates of return for variety experiments, unless there are significant differences in cost between varieties (e.g. local maize variety versus a hybrid). 4. Is it really possible to make recommendations, using marginal analysis, without considering all the costs of production? Remember that the starting point in on-farm research is the assumption that it is much better to consider relatively small improvements in farmers' practices, rather than propose large-scale changes. The idea is thus to ask what changes can be made in the present system, and to compare the change in benefits with the change in costs. Because the focus is on the differences between two treatments, rather than their absolute values, costs that don't vary between treatments will not affect the calculation of the marginal rate of return. Table 6.9 shows two cases, both using the same yields and costs that vary. In case A, the marginal rate of return is calculated in the usual way. In case B, all of the costs of production are included in the budget; they are of course constant ($300/ha) for each treatment. When the marginal rate of return is calculated using benefits and total costs, the result is the same. Table 6.9 Marginal Analysis Using a Partial Budget and a Complete Budget Case A Case B 1 2 1 2 Gross field benefits 500 650 Gross field benefits 500 650 Total costs that vary 100 200 Total costs that vary 100 200 Net benefits 400 450 Total of costs that don't vary 300 300 Total costs 400 500 Benefits 100 150 Marginal rate 450 400 50 of return 200 100 Marginal rate 150 100 50% of return 500 400 5. Is the correct strategy always to consider small changes in the farmers' practices? Experience has shown that farmers are much more likely to adopt new practices in small steps rather than in complete packages. But in following this strategy it should be realized that farmers can (and do) arrive at an adoption of a new set of practices, over a period of several years of testing, rather than all at once. The size and.complexity of the individual steps depends on the nature of the agronomic interactions of the elements being tested and the resources available to farmers. It is often possible to take advantage of this sequential adoption pattern in making recommendations. Initial recommendations may be intermediate between farmer practice and the recommendation that would be selected by marginal analysis. Figure 6.5 is the net benefit curve for a N -- T--QA4 -- rirue-L -- (O, W o) ) D0 ) o 'Rekrn = looWk To~ \ CcssA -T V&i NQA~ (j;I[.A)s *I Kjc \ vre G. C IV&t c~~enzrC11.~ Cyr~N N As to L voscir^ a Ep- Frimts ~~EiD, o) nitrogen by phosphorus experiment. The curve shows that treatment (80, 40) should be the recommendation. Nevertheless, it is possible to first promote an intermediate recommendation of nitrogen only (80,0) and then add phosphorus. The net benefit curve gives assurance that farmers would be able to profitably follow this stepwise adoption strategy. More complex changes, such as the introduction of new crops or cropping patterns, are of course possible as well. But such changes require extremely careful planning and study and are beyond the scope of this manual. 6. Why not include the minimum rate of return in the partial budget? The partial budget includes all of the costs that vary across treatments. The field price of the crop (used to calculate gross field benefits) includes the harvesting and marketing costs that vary with the yield. Why leave the cost of capital and the other returns on investment that the farmers require (the minimum rate of return) until the last? It would be possible, after all, to include the minimum rate of return on the costs that vary as another element in the partial budget. The treatment with the highest "net benefit" would than be the appropriate recommendation. (This is what in fact is done with the calculation of residuals). One reason for first calculating the marginal rate of return on the additional costs that vary, and then comparing it to a minimum rate of return, is the uncertainty regarding the minimum rate of return. It is easier to calculate a marginal rate of return and compare it to several possible minimum rates of return, rather than to calculate several different residuals, each with a different minimum rate of return. A second reason for leaving the cost of capital until the last is the fact that it emphasizes the importance of the capital constraint for most farmers. 7. What is the difference between a marginal analysis and a continuous analysis of data? Agronomists often estimate response functions for factors such as nutrients, and economists use similar continuous functions to select economic optima. Yet the methodology of this manual uses a marginal analysis comparing pairs of individual responses. There are three reasons for emphasizing this latter method. First, marginal analysis, using discrete points, can be used for any type of experimentation, while continuous analysis is only applicable to factors that vary continuously, such as fertilizer rates or seed rates. Second, the computational skills and facilities necessary for estimating response functions are not always available. Finally, farmer recommendations (e.g. for fertilizer levels) will always be adjusted by farmers to their individual conditions. A continuous economic analysis may be very useful in certain situations, however. But if it is carried out, it requires the same degree of care in estimating the benefits and costs that farmers face tnat has been emphasized here for the construction of a partial budget and marginal analysis. Sophisticated analyses done with uninformed assumptions about yields, prices, or minimum rate of return will not give useful conclusions. 8. Does the marginal analysis assume that capital is the only scarce factor for farmers? In the marginal analysis all factors are expressed in terms of value, estimated by a currency.equivalent. This is done not with the idea that cash is necessarily the limiting factor, but simply to provide a common unit for comparison. In an extreme case, for instance, marginal analysis may be used in an experiment which compares treatments which differ only in the amount of family labor utilized, for a crop which is not sold. In order to decide whether extra amounts of labor would be effectively invested to .produce extra amounts of the crop, opportunity costs and prices can be assigned and the comparison made. Nevertheless, in cases where family labor is the predominant source of labor, and experimental treatments involve significant changes in labor use, care must be taken in thinking about labor costs. If, for instance, a change from one treatment to another implies a reduction in family labor and an increase in cash expenditure, a modest increase in total costs that vary may in fact represent a significant increase in cash outlay (balanced to some extent by a reduction in labor "costs"). In cases where family labor is a particularly important factor in farmer decision-making regarding new technologies, a careful analysis must be undertaken. This is complicated by the fact that the opportunity cost of labor is often difficult to estimate. Different members of the household (men, women, children) will likely have different opportunity costs of labor, and the time of the year (slack season, peak season) will also affect the estimate. One possibility is to do a sensitivity analysis (Chapter 9), which involves doing several marginal analyses using different.estimates of the opportunity cost of labor. Another technique involves estimating the returns to labor for the treatments and comparing the marginal returns to labor between two treatments with various estimates of the opportunity cost of labor. Although beyond the scope of this manual, this is a reminder that there are often alternative analytical techniques which may be useful for helping to make decisions about the appropriateness of a particular technology. 9. Can the concept of marginal analysis be used for planning experiments? It is common to consider a change in farmer practice by doing a quick calculation of how much additional yield would be needed to pay for the extra costs of the new practice. For instance, if an extra 100 kg of fertilizer costs $1000, and wheat is selling for $5/kg, then the estimate might be that the farmers would need an extra 200 kg of wheat ($1000/$5) in order to "repay the fertilizer". There are three errors in this kind of calculation, however. The first is in using market prices for fertilizer and wheat, rather than field prices. The second is not including the labor or machinery costs associated with the use of fertilizer. The third is in not including the minimum rate of return. The following formula corrects those errors, and provides a useful way for helping to consider practices that are proposed for experimentation. AY._ ATCV (1 + M) P Where AY = minimum change in yield required ATCV = change in total costs that vary P = field price of product M = minimum rate of return In the above example, if the additional fertilizer, plus the labor to apply it, is worth $1,200, the field price of wheat is $4/kg, and the minimum rate of return is 50%, then: .AY $1,200 (1 + .5) $T4 = 450 kg of wheat Thus given current prices, the minimum yield increase required by farmers from the addition of an extra 100 kg of fertilizer is 450 kg of *wheat, not the 200 kg in the original calculation. 10. Can marginal analysis be used when yields are variable or prices change? Yields in agronomic experiments are usually quite variable, and prices often change. Methods for accommodating this kind of variability to marginal analysis are discussed in Chapters 7, 8 and 9. PART THREE VARIABILITY isl~$S! CHAPTER SEVEN: PREPARING EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: RECOMMENDATION DOMAINS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Marginal analysis for a particular experiment should be carried out on the pooled results of at least several locations, over one or more years. In order to prepare the experimental results .for this type of analysis, several steps must be taken. First, researchers must review the purpose of the experiment, in order to decide whether the results of the analysis are to be used for making recommendations for farmers or for guiding further research. Second, a review of the results from the different locations will indicate whether all of the locations belong to the same recommendation domain and can therefore be analyzed together. Finally, a combination of agronomic judgement and statistical analysis will lead to a judgement regarding the yield-differences among treatments in the experiment. If researchers have little confidence that there are real differences in yields, then the total variable costs of each treatment can be compared; the treatment with the lowest costs will generally be preferred. If, on the other hand, there is confidence that the differences observed represent real differences among treatments, then a marginal analysis should be carried out. Reviewing the Purpose of the Experiment Each experimental variable in an experiment has a purpose, and before thinking about an economic analysis, researchers should review the objectives of the experiment. Some experimental variables are of an exploratory nature; they are meant to provide answers regarding response (e.g. is there a response to phosphorus?) or to elucidate particular production constraints that have been observed (e.g., is the low tillering observed in the wheat crop due to a nutrient deficiency or to the variety?). These variables are meant to provide information that can be used in specifying production problems and designing solutions for them. The treatments in these exploratory types of experiments are chosen in order to provide the possibility of clear responses, and thus do not always represent economically viable solutions to a particular problem. Researchers must bear this.in mind when considering the economic analysis of experiments with this type of exploratory variable. If the experimental results provide clear evidence for a particular production problem, the economic analysis may help to select possible solutions for testing. If a high level of an insecticide in an exploratory experiment provided evidence of a-response, but if the marginal analysis then showed an unacceptable rate of return, researchers would want to examine lower levels or less expensive insect control methods in subsequent experimentation. Other experimental treatments test possible solutions to well defined production problems. The solutions will have been selected for testing not only because they offer promise of economically acceptable returns, but because they are compatible with the farming system and do not represent special risks to farmers. When there are yield differences among treatments in these cases, the marginal analysis should be more rigorous, because a recommendation may be made to farmers. The marginal analysis should be done on the pooled results of a number of locations, usually over more than one year. No strict rules can be given here, but the number of locations should be sufficient to give researchers confidence that the results fairly represent the conditions faced by farmers in the recommendation domain. A very rough rule of thumb might be to include at least a total of 20 locations over two years in the recommendation domain. The exact amount of data required will depend on the variability (across sites and across years) in the recommendation domain and on the technology being tested. For instance, fertilizer recommendations will usually require a fairly large number of locations, to adequately sample the range of response by soil type, rotation, etc. Insect control recommendations may require several years of evidence, in order to sample year to year variability in insect populations. Once recommendations are derived, they are often shown to farmers in demonstrations, which may involve a single large plot with the recommendation next to a similar plot with the farmers' practice. As a way of following up on the recommendation the results of these demonstration plots should also be subjected to an economic analysis. Tentative Recommendation Domains i i Whether the experiments are of an exploratory nature or are testing possible solutions, they should be planted in locations that represent the tentative definition of the recommendation domain. Recall that a recommendation domain is a group of farmers whose circumstances are similar enough that they are eligible for the same recommendation. An example may help. In a particular research area there is experimental evidence of a response to nitrogen in maize. Farmers currently use no fertilizer, and an experiment is designed to test various levels of nitrogen. The majority of the farmers plant maize under rainfed conditions, although a few have access to irrigation. Because the response to nitrogen with irrigation may be different from that under rainfed conditions, and because of the small number of farmers with irrigation, only farmers with rainfed fields are considered. (If there were more farmers with irrigation, experiments might be planted with them as well; they would almost certainly be a separate recommendation domain, however.) Most of these farmers have sandy to sandy-loam soils. Locations are chosen to represent this range of soil types, and careful note is taken in the field book of the soil type of the location. The tentative definition of the recommendation domain includes the range of soil types, but the experimental results may distinguish separate domains. Non-experimental variables, such as variety, planting date, and weed control are left in the hands of the farmers. A certain range in these practices is present in the recommendation domain, and the actual practices at each location are noted in the fieldbook. The researchers do their best to reject locations that represent very unusual practices or conditions (such as a few farmers who plant a special maize variety that is used for sale as green maize.) The tentative definition of the recommendation domain for the fertilizer experiment is thus: "All farmers in the area who plant maize under rainfed conditions on sandy to sandy-loam soils". This definition allows for much variability in conditions and practices, and the selection of experimental sites tries to represent this range, but avoids obvious extremes. Notice that the recommendation domain is defined for the particular experimental variable. A different experimental variable (say, a disease resistant variety) might be tested in a domain of a different definition. In this case, the variety might be tested on both irrigated and rainfed fields, if no difference in its disease resistance capacity were expected. Reviewing Experimental Results The results of each experiment at each location in the tentative recommendation domain must be reviewed. Inconsistencies in results between locations can be due to'one of three causes: 1. Redefinition of the recommendation domain. In the above example, soil type was being considered as a possible means of subdividing the recommendation domain. If the responses are very different at locations with sandy soils and those with sandy loam soils, then there may be two separate recommendation domains (and two separate economic analyses). Or it may be that an unexpected characteristic is of importance. Suppose, in this same example, that some farmers plant a maize-maize rotation, while others rotate their maize with a fallow. If the responses to nitrogen are different on these two types of fields, the original recommendation domain may be refined (by eliminating the rotation that represents a minority of the farmers) or divided (by rotation, if both rotations are of importance in the area). The important point is that researchers.must have a clear and consistent definition of the recommendation domain whose experiments will be submitted to economic analysis. Domain definitions are reviewed and refined during the experimental process, but usually only when there has been a careful selection of experimental locations. The number of possible defining characteristics for domains is greater than the number of locations to be planted, so one cannot hope to let a random selection of sites turn up characteristics for domain definition. If there is a suspicion that a particular criterion may be used to refine the definition of a domain, locations should be chosen accordingly. Finally, it should be very clear that a particular location cannot be eliminated from the economic analysis, or assigned to a different domain for separate analysis, simply because the experimental results do not meet the expectations of the researchers. The change can be made only if the results at that particular location can be explained by a characteristic that the extension agent who is to make the recommendation can recognize as a circumstance of particular farmers. 2. Experimental management. At times the results at a location may differ from the others because of problems in experimental management. This may include errors by the researchers, such as applying the wrong dosage of a chemical, or factors related to the farmer, such as an animal destroying part of the experiment or the farmer failing to weed. (if this non-experimental variable were to be managed by the farmer). In such cases the location can be eliminated from the analysis and the researchers will gain a bit more experience in the management of chemicals, in locating experiments where there is little chance of animal damage, or in carefully.discussing with farmers their responsibilities in the management of an experiment. Part of experimental management includes the selection of locations. If locations have to be eliminated because they have characteristics well outside the normal range of the recommendation domain (such as very late planting dates) this too is an indication of the necessity to improve experimental management. 3. Unexplained or unpredictable sources of variation. After having eliminated locations from the analysis because they do not represent the recommendation domain, and sites where the management of the experiment is responsible for unrepresentative results, there may still be considerable variation in the results from the remaining locations. This may be due to factors that are not understood (and may be the focus of further agronomic investigation), or due to factors that are understood but not predictable, and hence not eligible for defining a recommendation domain, like drought or frosts. These sites must be included in the economic analysis, unless researchers are able to identify particular areas where the factor is more likely to occur. It may be, for instance, that the research area can be divided into more and less drought-prone domains. But if the drought (or frosts or insect attack) cannot be associated with particular areas, then the results of the affected locations must enter the analysis. More will be said about treating these risk factors in Chapter 8, but it is important to emphasize that locations that have been affected, or even abandoned, because of these factors must be included in the marginal analysis. Recommendation Domains Defined by Socioeconomic Criteria The previous discussion of recommendation domains has focused on cases where the experimental results from a set of locations may be regrouped according to some characteristic of the locations or of their management. There is also the possibility of using all the results from a set of locations to do two separate economic analyses, according to a socio- economic characteristic which may affect the economic viability of the treatments. One example is-that of tenant farmers. Although forms of tenancy vary widely, it is common for the landlord and the tenant to share- the crop according to some formula. In some cases, the landlord and tenant also share the cost of the inputs, while in other cases the tenant is responsible for all cash inputs. In the latter case, this arrangement may exert a very significant influence on the.choice of practices. In the case of the nitrogen experiment in Table 6.2 if the tenants were to receive half of the harvest but were responsible for all of the costs of fertilizer and labor, Table 7.1 shows that the difference in marginal rate of return for 40 kg of nitrogen would drop from 287% for owners to 93% for tenants. These two analyses could be done on a single set of experiments (a combination of owners' and tenants' fields), provided that there was no evidence of any differences (in management, soil type, etc.) between the fields of owners and those of tenants. Similar cases might be found for farmers who have the same circumstances but pay very different transport costs (due to distance from markets) or who face different opportunity costs of labor due to different off-farm employment opportunities. Table 7.1 Marginal Analysis for Two Recommendation Domains Defined by Tenancy Owners Tenants 0 N 40 N 0 N 40 N Adjusted yield 2,000 2,580 Adjusted yield 1,000 1,290 Gross field benefits 400 516 Gross field benefits 200 258 Total costs that vary 0 30 Total costs that vary 0 30 Net benefits 400 486 Net benefits 200 228 MRR 486 400 % MRR 228 200 S48 287% = 93% 30 0 30 0 Similar cases might be found for farmers who have the same circumstances but pay very different transport costs (due to distance from markets) or who face different opportunity costs of labor due to different off-farm employment opportunities. Statistical Analysis In Chapter 3 it was pointed out that the economic analysis of an experiment should only be done after reviewing the results of the statistical analysis. If researchers have no confidence that there are differences between treatments, then a marginal analysis is inappropriate. Statistical criteria for making this judgement cannot be offered in this manual, but it is important to remember that statistical analysis is only a tool to help the agronomist assess the results of the experiment. Conventional significance levels such as 5% are not relevant here. In the final analysis, it is the judgement and the experience of the agronomist that decides whether the differences between treatments in the experiment are such that they warrant an economic analysis. If the judgement is that there is no evidence of differences between two treatments, then the treatment with the lowest total costs that vary should be chosen, and no partial budget need be constructed. (There are probably exceptions to this rule. For example, one fertilizer may cost a bit less than another and give equivalent results in experiments, but if agronomists know that this.fertilizer may contribute to soil acidification which would cause problems within a few years, then the other fertilizer should be considered). Cases where no significant yield differences exist and no marginal analysis is required are not necessarily trivial. If experimentation leads to recommendation of a practice that lowers the costs of production while maintaining yields, the gains in productivity of farmer resources are as legitimate as those from a higher yielding (and higher cost) treatment. One common example is that of substituting some form of reduced tillage for mechanical tillage. This often results in considerable cost savings, although yields may not be affected. In on-farm experiments there are often cases where there is evidence of differences between certain treatments, but not between others. Table 7.2 shows the results of a weed control experiment in which the farmers' method of hand weeding was tested against several alternatives. A test of mean separation indicates that there is little likelihood of any real differences between treatments (1) and (2). It would be best to select the lowest cost treatment of these two and compare it to treatments (3) and (4) in a marginal analysis. You should keep in mind that statistical tests are only an aid in deciding if there are responses to the various treatments, and both the statistical and economic analysis of the experiments are complements to the agronomic assessment in the exploratory stage of experimentation. If these results are from a few locations in one year, then several of the treatments may warrant further testing the next year. Table 7.2 Yield Data for a Weed Control Experiment Yield Treatment (kg/ha) 1. Two handweedings (Farmers' practice) 2,275 2. Herbicide A 2,420 3. Herbicide B 2,990 4. Herbicide B + one hand weeding 3,350 A second case is that of factorial experiments. If an experiment looks at two or more factors, and if the statistical analysis shows that one factor is responsible for significant yield differences while the other is not, then the average yields of the significant factor across those of the other factor will enter the partial budget. Table 7.3 shows such a case, in a nitrogen by insecticide experiment. There is a significant response to nitrogen, but not to insecticide. The insecticide to be chosen for further experimentation is the one which costs less. The partial budget for such an experiment'will then have only two columns, corresponding to the two Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2010 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Last updated October 10, 2010 - - mvs | http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00080820/00001 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | refinedweb | 20,926 | 51.07 |
[
]
Claus Ibsen commented on CAMEL-3155:
------------------------------------
And no I could not find a solution with the XPath API to let it be aware of the default namesapce.
There seems to be no good hooks for such kind.
Even if I added what may be a default namespace to the NamespaceContext the xpath would still
fail. The only solution I could get working is to use namespace prefixes in the xpath expressions.
And the XPathExpression does not offer any callbacks or hooks to influence the compiling.
And I bet doing a string based manipulation of the given String for the namespace is hard
because people can use a lot of different combinations.
So if you have a simple expression like
{code}
/foo/bar
{code}
Then it may be possible to manipulate it beforehand and do
{code}
/c:foo/c:/bar
{code}
And register c as a namespace with the uri from the XML message.
But when the xpath expression becomes more complex, its much harder.
So I wonder there must be better ways that this?
> Default namespace not handled by .when(xpath(string))
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
> Key: CAMEL-3155
> URL:
> Project: Apache Camel
> Issue Type: Improvement
> Components: camel-core
> Affects Versions: 2.4.0
> Environment: Apache Maven 3.0-alpha-5 (r883378; 2009-11-23 07:53:41-0800)
> Java version: 1.6.0_17
> Java home: C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_17\jre
> Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: Cp1252
> OS name: "windows 7" version: "6.1" arch: "x86" Family: "windows"
> Reporter: Malachi de AElfweald
> Assignee: Claus Ibsen
> Priority: Minor
> Original Estimate: 2 hours
> Remaining Estimate: 2 hours
>
> If I do a .choice().when(xpath("//rootnode")) it fails to find any matches unless I preprocess
and remove the xmlns="blah" (autogenerated by JAXB on the other end)
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You can reply to this email to add a comment to the issue online. | http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/camel-dev/201009.mbox/%3C768719.32221285479400569.JavaMail.jira@thor%3E | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | refinedweb | 314 | 64 |
In 2005, I wrote that "Integers represent a growing and underestimated source of vulnerabilities in C and C++ programs" as the lead sentence in the "Integer Security" chapter of Secure Coding in C and C++. This prediction has been borne out in a recent study published by MITRE on the types of errors that lead to publicly reported vulnerabilities. "Integer overflows, barely in the top 10 overall in the past few years, are in the top 3 for OS vendor advisories".
An Integer Story
A vulnerability in bash versions 1.14.6 and earlier that resulted in the release of CERT Advisory CA-1996-22 provides an example of a programming error resulting from the incorrect use of integers.
The GNU Project's Bourne Again Shell (bash) is a drop-in replacement for the UNIX Bourne shell (/bin/sh). It has the same syntax as the standard shell but provides additional functionality such as job control, command-line editing, and history. Although bash can be compiled and installed on almost any UNIX platform, its most prevalent use is on Linux, where it has been installed as the default shell for most applications. The bash source code is freely available from many sites on the Internet.
There is a variable declaration error in the yy_string_get() function in the parse.y module of the bash source code:
static int yy_string_get() { register char *string; register int c; string = bash_input.location.string; c = EOF; /* If the string doesn't exist, or is empty, EOF found. */ if (string && *string) { c = *string++; bash_input.location.string = string; } return (c); }
This function is responsible for parsing the user-provided command line into separate tokens. The error involves the variable string, which has been declared to be of type char *.
The string variable is used to traverse the character string containing the command line to be parsed. As characters are retrieved from this pointer, they are stored in a variable of type int. For compilers in which the char type defaults to signed char, this value is sign-extended when) serves as an unintended command separator for commands given to bash via the -c option. For example:
bash -c 'ls\377who'
(where \377 represents the single character with value 255 decimal) will execute two commands, ls and who.
This example is interesting in that the vulnerability is entirely the result of an error in handling an integer value. More commonly, integer errors result in vulnerabilities by causing an exploitable buffer overflow. | http://www.drdobbs.com/security/integral-security/193501774 | CC-MAIN-2014-52 | refinedweb | 412 | 52.39 |
>> select values from a pandas.series object using the at_time() method?
The Pandas Series.at_time() method is used to select values at a particular time of a given series object. The at_time() method takes a time parameter and returns a series object with selected values.
The at_time method will return an empty Series object if the specified time is not there in the index of the given series object, and it raises the TypeError if the index of the input series object doesn’t have the DatetimeIndex.
Let's create a pandas Series object with Datetime Index and get the values using the Series.at_time() method. If the specified time is present in the index of the given input series object then it will return a series object with those rows values.
Example 1
import pandas as pd # create the index index = pd.date_range('2021-01-1', periods=10, freq='6H') #creating pandas Series with date-time index series = pd.Series([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], index=index) print(series) # selecting values print("Selecting values:", series.at_time("6:00"))
Explanation
In this following example, the series is created by using the pandas DateTime index with some list of integer values. After that, we applied the at_time() method to get the values at the time “6:00”.
Output
2021-01-01 00:00:00 1 2021-01-01 06:00:00 2 2021-01-01 12:00:00 3 2021-01-01 18:00:00 4 2021-01-02 00:00:00 5 2021-01-02 06:00:00 6 2021-01-02 12:00:00 7 2021-01-02 18:00:00 8 2021-01-03 00:00:00 9 2021-01-03 06:00:00 10 Freq: 6H, dtype: int64 Selecting values: 2021-01-01 06:00:00 2 2021-01-02 06:00:00 6 2021-01-03 06:00:00 10 Freq: 24H, dtype: int64
In this example, we have successfully selected the 3 rows from the given series object, these 3 rows are having the time “6:00” hours at their index labels.
Example 2
import pandas as pd # create the index index = pd.date_range('2021-01-1', periods=10, freq='30T') #creating pandas Series with date-time index series = pd.Series([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], index=index) print(series) # selecting values print("Selecting values:", series.at_time("00:10:00"))
Explanation
In the same way, we have created a pandas object with pandas DateTime index. After that, we try to get the values from the series at the time “00:10:00”.
Output
2021-01-01 00:00:00 1 2021-01-01 00:30:00 2 2021-01-01 01:00:00 3 2021-01-01 01:30:00 4 2021-01-01 02:00:00 5 2021-01-01 02:30:00 6 2021-01-01 03:00:00 7 2021-01-01 03:30:00 8 2021-01-01 04:00:00 9 2021-01-01 04:30:00 10 Freq: 30T, dtype: int64 Selecting values: Series([], Freq: 30T, dtype: int64)
The output of the following example is an empty series object, which is due to the request time not available in the index of the given series object.
- Related Questions & Answers
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- How to retrieve the last valid index from a series object using pandas series.last_valid_index() method?
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- How to select at the same time from two Tkinter Listbox?
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- Python Pandas - Return a Series containing counts of unique values from Index object
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- How to access a group of elements from pandas Series using the .iloc attribute with slicing object?
- How to append a pandas Series object to another Series in Python? | https://www.tutorialspoint.com/how-to-select-values-from-a-pandas-series-object-using-the-at-time-method | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | refinedweb | 746 | 62.68 |
#390: Product wiki syntax
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Reporter: olemis | Owner: olemis
Type: task | Status: accepted
Priority: major | Milestone:
Component: | Version:
multiproduct | Keywords: product resource wiki syntax
Resolution: | TracLinks
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by olemis):
Replying to [comment:9 andrej]:
> > Is the search page not going to be available under a product url?
> As far as I understand, we plan to have global search url with optional
product selector.
AFAICT this is just a matter of putting things in the right context , and
limit by default the scope of search results by applying product=PREFIX
constraint *if* running inside a product environment (i.e. `/products` URL
namespace ) *and* no other product value is explicitly provided by user .
Let's think of a potential deployment @ apache.org . I see no point in
searching for a term in Bloodhound product scope and get results from
whatever other sibling projects ... unless I make such explicit decision
e.g. in a similar way to Google sites (custom) search (o Search domain X |
o Search the web)
PS: BTW ... we should be dealing with this in #450
--
Ticket URL: <>
Apache Bloodhound <>
The Apache Bloodhound (incubating) issue tracker | http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/bloodhound-commits/201303.mbox/%3C070.889677f5bb93ba068ce3e0b1a6f101ce@incubator.apache.org%3E | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | refinedweb | 185 | 51.28 |
span8
span4
span8
span4
Interested in FME & Python? Checkout the recording of the June 2012 Python webinar on safe.com
Python:
*Important Note: There are numerous FME transformers for performing almost every task you can think of without resorting to scripting. If you are thinking about writing a python script to do something in FME you should make absolutely sure there is not an existing transformer available already. Please feel free to ask us by contacting support at.
Python can be downloaded from the main Python website. Python distributions are also available from ActiveState.
For learning Python, there are many Python books available from publishers such as O'Reilly, etc.
Three free resources are:
FME installs its own python interpreter which is used by any scripts running python in FME. If you want FME to use your own python interpreter there is a setting in Workbench. Please see this article for more information:
Much:
Python-related transformers have excellent Help right in FME Workbench, which also includes Help for Startup and Shutdown scripts. For using FME Objects in Python, you can find complete documentation of the Python FME Objects API here: <FME>\fmeobjects\python\apidoc\index.html
A number of FME related variables are available in FME Startup and Shutdown scripts. As of FME 2014 these variables are accessible in the fme module so you will need to include the statement import fmeto.
import fme SourceDataset = fme.macroValues['SourceDataset_ACAD']Please note: if using an FME version older than FME 2014 please use the syntax below:
SourceDataset = FME_MacroValues['SourceDataset_ACAD']
We can also set FME parameters by creating a scripted parameter and returning the value from the script. This is covered below in the section on Scripted Parameters..
Attached parameter:..
import fmeobjects import time # Template Function interface: def timestampFeature(feature): curTime = time.ctime(time.time()) feature.setAttribute("timestamp", curTime) workspace again to see that the total area of all features is being calculated.
A.
'] Emailfrom = FME_MacroValues['EmailFrom'] ) h eader = 'To:' + to + '\n' + 'From: ' + Emailfrom + '\n' + 'Subject:' + Subject +'\n' print header msg = header + '\n' + Message + '\n\n' smtpserver.sendmail(gmail_user, to, msg) print 'done!' smtpserver.close()
Making use of the ESRI_SOFTWARE_CLASS variable to change ArcGIS license levels within FME
Use PyCharm as FMEObjects Python IDE
Application error when using external Python modules
Pass a List of Tables or Layers to an FME Reader using Python Scripted Parameters
How Can I Modularize My Python Code
Startup and Shutdown Python and Tcl Scripts
Create Spatial Index after loading to ArcSDE - using Load only mode
How to log out after running a translation (Windows OS)
Some Python modules generate Runtime Error in FME
Debug FME Python Plugins with WDB | https://knowledge.safe.com/articles/706/python-and-fme-basics.html | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | refinedweb | 443 | 52.09 |
Know the basic Data Structures
In python Dictionaries and sets use hash tables that have O(1) time complexity., refer to Time Complexity. For a nice, accessible, and visual book on algorithms, refer to Algorithms
However in case of list using:
for value in set(list_name)
is also expensive because of the list-to-set cast.
Reduce ‘not so useful’ memory usage
Avoid + operator on strings. Let us have the following case:
a = 'line_a\n' a += 'line_b\n' a += 'line_c\n'
Instead, use this:
a = ['line1', 'line2', 'line3'] '\n'.join(a)
Similarly, use formatting instead of using the addition operator:
# slow text = 'hello' + variable + 'world!'
# faster text = 'hello %s world!' % variable
# fastest text = 'hellow {} world'.format(variable)
This not only makes the code faster but also more readable. Also, doing
if variable == True
is also more inefficient than,
if variable
This is, of course, more pythonic too!
Utilize generators
In case of large sets of results, go for generators. For example:
def a_fun(a): result = [] for i in a: result.append(i*2) return(result)
Takes more time than using a generator i.e,
def a_fun(a): for i in a: yield(i*2)
which can then be taken to a list.
Generators give you lazy evaluation. You use them by iterating over them: either explicitly with ‘for’ or implicitly, by passing it to any function or construct that iterates.
You can understand generators as iterating and operating over the list one by one instead of iterating over all of it at once.
Use built-in functions and libraries
A lot of built-in functions which are implemented in C are made for efficiency and easy usability. Some of these functions are sum, max, any, map, etc. For example, if we have a list of strings str_list then,
upper_list = [] for string in str_list: upper_list.append(string.upper())
is slower than,
upper_list = map(str.upper, str_list)
This is also called ‘list comprehension’. Which is a bit more pythonic too!
Guido’s Python Patterns — An Optimization Anecdote is a great read:
If you feel the need for speed, go for built-in functions — you can’t beat a loop written in C. Check the library manual for a built-in function that does what you want.
Another useful library is collections, one of its useful functions is:
from collections import Counter s = 'convert the character count of this string to a dictionary' Counter(s)
This will return the dictionary with the count as values and character of the string as keys.
Think about the calculations and functions outside the loop
Iterating and doing the calculations is slower than doing it outside the iteration when it can be done so! Let us have a look at a case where you have a big iterator and you need to do some regex operation:
for i in iter_list: m = re.search(r'regex_expression', i)
Is slower instead, compile the regex at once and then use the cached version of the same.
reg_ex = re.compile(r'regex_expression') for i in iter_list: m = reg_ex.search(i)
Also in case of classes, assigning the methods to a local variable is more efficient than calling them directly and this helps in improving the performance majorly in case of loops. For example:
myfun = my_object.myFun for i in range(n): myfun(i)
There are still many other ways that I may not have discovered yet, which I will be discovering and sharing with you time to time. Please let me know in comments if there is some topic for which I can be of help!
Author – Gaganpreet Singh | https://limelightit.io/know-the-basic-data-structures/ | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | refinedweb | 598 | 63.8 |
Re: STL Vector - pass by reference?
- From: "Scott McPhillips [MVP]" <org-dot-mvps-at-scottmcp>
- Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:52:46 -0400
Gerry Hickman wrote:
Hi,
In an earlier thread entitled "STL vector - which style of for() loop?" I had a function that could populate a vector (with a variable number of strings) and pass it back to the caller, but people pointed out this would create a "copy" of the vector and it may be better to pass by reference. Doug Harrison offered this example:
----- example start -----
I would use pass-by-reference to avoid this needless cost, e.g.
vector<string>::size_type
void GetDeviceClasses(vector<string>& guids)
{
guids.clear();
// If you can estimate n, reserve can eliminate reallocations.
// guids.reserve(n);
...
returns guids.size();
}
----- example end -----
but when I came to actually code this, I ran into some problems. I managed to code something that appears to achieve the objective, but my code is almost "back-to-front" (in terms of * and &) of what Doug posted. Can someone clarify?
----- my attempt -----
using namespace std; // just for this demo
vector<string> guids;
PopulateStrings(&guids);
cout << "Count of guids is now " << guids.size(); // prints 2
void PopulateStrings(vector<string> * guids)
{
guids->clear();
guids->push_back("test1");
guids->push_back("test2");
}
----- end my attempt -----
There are two ways to "pass by reference." They are to pass a reference, or to pass a pointer. Doug showed using a reference, your version is using a pointer. Performance would be equal either way.
--
Scott McPhillips [MVP VC++]
.
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- STL Vector - pass by reference?
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/* rlconf.h -- readline configuration definitions */ /* Copyright (C) 1994CONF_H_) #define _RLCONF_H_ /* Define this if you want the vi-mode editing available. */ #define VI_MODE /* Define this to get an indication of file type when listing completions. */ #define VISIBLE_STATS /* This definition is needed by readline.c, rltty.c, and signals.c. */ /* If on, then readline handles signals in a way that doesn't screw. */ #define HANDLE_SIGNALS /* Ugly but working hack for binding prefix meta. */ #define PREFIX_META_HACK /* The final, last-ditch effort file name for an init file. */ #define DEFAULT_INPUTRC "~/.inputrc" /* If defined, expand tabs to spaces. */ #define DISPLAY_TABS /* If defined, use the terminal escape sequence to move the cursor forward over a character when updating the line rather than rewriting it. */ /* #define HACK_TERMCAP_MOTION */ /* The string inserted by the `insert comment' command. */ #define RL_COMMENT_BEGIN_DEFAULT "#" /* Define this if you want code that allows readline to be used in an X `callback' style. */ #define READLINE_CALLBACKS /* Define this if you want the cursor to indicate insert or overwrite mode. */ /* #define CURSOR_MODE */ #endif /* _RLCONF_H_ */ | http://opensource.apple.com/source/gdb/gdb-1344/src/readline/rlconf.h | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | refinedweb | 166 | 50.63 |
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00001 /* -*- Mode: C; tab-width: 8; Communicator client code, released 00017 * March 31, 1998. 00018 * 00019 * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is 00020 * Sun Microsystems, Inc. 00021 * Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright (C) 1998 00022 * the Initial Developer. All Rights Reserved. 00023 * 00024 * Contributor /* @(#)s_matherr.c 1.3 95/01/18 */ 00041 /* 00042 * ==================================================== 00043 * Copyright (C) 1993 by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. 00044 * 00045 * Developed at SunSoft, a Sun Microsystems, Inc. business. 00046 * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this 00047 * software is freely granted, provided that this notice 00048 * is preserved. 00049 * ==================================================== 00050 */ 00051 00052 #include "fdlibm.h" 00053 00054 #ifdef __STDC__ 00055 int fd_matherr(struct exception *x) 00056 #else 00057 int fd_matherr(x) 00058 struct exception *x; 00059 #endif 00060 { 00061 int n=0; 00062 if(x->arg1!=x->arg1) return 0; 00063 return n; 00064 } | https://sourcecodebrowser.com/lightning-sunbird/0.9plus-pnobinonly/s__matherr_8c_source.html | CC-MAIN-2017-51 | refinedweb | 149 | 68.47 |
Creates JUnit XML test result documents that can be read by tools such as Jenkins
Project Description
About.
As there is no definitive Jenkins JUnit XSD that I could find, the XML documents created by this module support a schema based on Google searches and the Jenkins JUnit XML reader source code. File a bug if something doesn’t work like you expect it to.
Installation
Install using pip or easy_install:
pip install junit-xml or easy_install junit-xml
You can also clone the Git repository from Github and install it manually:
git clone python setup.py install
Using
Create a test suite, add a test case, and print it to the screen:
from junit_xml import TestSuite, TestCase test_cases = [TestCase('Test1', 'some.class.name', 123.345, 'I am stdout!', 'I am stderr!')] ts = TestSuite("my test suite", test_cases) # pretty printing is on by default but can be disabled using prettyprint=False print(TestSuite.to_xml_string([ts]))
Produces the following output
<?xml version="1.0" ?> <testsuites> <testsuite errors="0" failures="0" name="my test suite" tests="1"> <testcase classname="some.class.name" name="Test1" time="123.345000"> <system-out> I am stdout! </system-out> <system-err> I am stderr! </system-err> </testcase> </testsuite> </testsuites>
Writing XML to a file:
# you can also write the XML to a file and not pretty print it with open('output.xml', 'w') as f: TestSuite.to_file(f, [ts], prettyprint=False)
See the docs and unit tests for more examples.
NOTE: Unicode characters identified as “illegal or discouraged” are automatically stripped from the XML string or file.
Running the tests
# activate your virtualenv pip install tox tox
Download Files
Download the file for your platform. If you're not sure which to choose, learn more about installing packages. | https://pypi.org/project/junit-xml/ | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | refinedweb | 291 | 57.77 |
ResultResult
This is a Swift µframework providing
Result<Value, Error>.
Result<Value, Error> values are either successful (wrapping
Value) or failed (wrapping
Error). This is similar to Swift’s native
Optional type:
success is like
some, and
failure is like
none except with an associated
Error value. The addition of an associated
Error allows errors to be passed along for logging or displaying to the user.
Using this µframework instead of rolling your own
Result type allows you to easily interface with other frameworks that also use
Result.
UseUse
Use
Result whenever an operation has the possibility of failure. Consider the following example of a function that tries to extract a
String for a given key from a JSON
Dictionary.
typealias JSONObject = [String: Any] enum JSONError: Error { case noSuchKey(String) case typeMismatch } func stringForKey(json: JSONObject, key: String) -> Result<String, JSONError> { guard let value = json[key] else { return .failure(.noSuchKey(key)) } guard let value = value as? String else { return .failure(.typeMismatch) } return .success(value) }
This function provides a more robust wrapper around the default subscripting provided by
Dictionary. Rather than return
Any?, it returns a
Result that either contains the
String value for the given key, or an
ErrorType detailing what went wrong.
One simple way to handle a
Result is to deconstruct it using a
switch statement.
switch stringForKey(json, key: "email") { case let .success(email): print("The email is \(email)") case let .failure(.noSuchKey(key)): print("\(key) is not a valid key") case .failure(.typeMismatch): print("Didn't have the right type") }
Using a
switch statement allows powerful pattern matching, and ensures all possible results are covered. Swift 2.0 offers new ways to deconstruct enums like the
if-case statement, but be wary as such methods do not ensure errors are handled.
Other methods available for processing
Result are detailed in the API documentation.
Result vs. ThrowsResult vs. Throws
Swift 2.0 introduces error handling via throwing and catching
Error.
Result accomplishes the same goal by encapsulating the result instead of hijacking control flow. The
Result abstraction enables powerful functionality such as
map and
flatMap, making
Result more composable than
throw.
Since dealing with APIs that throw is common, you can convert such functions into a
Result by using the
materialize method. Conversely, a
Result can be used to throw an error by calling
dematerialize.
Higher Order FunctionsHigher Order Functions
map and
flatMap operate the same as
Optional.map and
Optional.flatMap except they apply to
Result.
map transforms a
Result into a
Result of a new type. It does this by taking a function that transforms the
Value type into a new value. This transformation is only applied in the case of a
success. In the case of a
failure, the associated error is re-wrapped in the new
Result.
// transforms a Result<Int, JSONError> to a Result<String, JSONError> let idResult = intForKey(json, key:"id").map { id in String(id) }
Here, the final result is either the id as a
String, or carries over the
failure from the previous result.
flatMap is similar to
map in that it transforms the
Result into another
Result. However, the function passed into
flatMap must return a
Result.
An in depth discussion of
map and
flatMap is beyond the scope of this documentation. If you would like a deeper understanding, read about functors and monads. This article is a good place to start.
IntegrationIntegration
CarthageCarthage
- Add this repository as a submodule and/or add it to your Cartfile if you’re using carthage to manage your dependencies.
- Drag
Result.xcodeprojinto your project or workspace.
- Link your target against
Result.framework.
- Application targets should ensure that the framework gets copied into their application bundle. (Framework targets should instead require the application linking them to include Result.)
CocoapodsCocoapods
pod 'Result', '~> 4.0.0'
Swift Package ManagerSwift Package Manager
import PackageDescription let package = Package( name: "MyProject", targets: [], dependencies: [ .Package(url: "", majorVersion: 4) ] ) | https://swiftpackageregistry.com/antitypical/Result | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | refinedweb | 650 | 50.12 |
Father's Poems
Poems for Fathers
There's a lot of poems written for father's on the net, and some of them are posted here as pictures or videos. However, the poems that I have are poetry for father's through the inspirations that caught me.
I choose to make poetry for fathers because of the the sacrifices they make for their family and for their children. Poetry can be funny, it can be sad, and sometimes it is inspiring.
The Phantom Thief
When the dogs are barking hard, I wanted to ask you how I can pass through them
When the mathematical questions were getting nauseous, I wanted you to teach me.
When life was getting bitter, I wanted you to be there for me.
When laughter’s were loud and everybody is smiling, I was looking for your smile.
When someone wanted to destroy one of your children, I would’ve wanted to know what you’d say.
Now that my life is a standstill, will you be out there making it for me.
Now that sorrow seems not to far away and that I could be attracting it, are you going to teach me how to dodge it.
Now that I should have been taking care of myself but failed, will you force me to experience it.
Now I see why I have to do it alone, not that you had to thread your path before as well but
Now I should be more like you, making it possible for me and my future …
PUDDLE
I looked at the tight alley,
Hoping that we chance on each other
So that you will hold my hand
While we walk past this puddle.
The puddle stops me at the side of the road.
I panicked to move to the middle of the road
For passing cars could hit me.
I looked again at the opening.
Hoping that my reservations have reached your spirit.
Run to me now and help me overcome
My inaptitude to make a leap
Guardian Angel
At the A shaped boondock you stood
At the middle of its opening
Staring like an eagle
You watch with your eyes
People who do bad to me and
Carry their souls for beating
You hold them up in the
Steep mountains, no stairs
Or way down.
You hold my soul sometimes
To give me a lesson.
You are the holder of my sins.
Sometimes you are with me
During treacherous moments,
Driving away evil souls.
Giving them signs to move away.
Sometimes we fly miles and miles
Away in the Cordilleras.
Health and long life was your advice.
A Humble Worker
Papa's Poem
Fear not my words for they are not for me
Your path, I donot know
Learn to decide from the mistake that I had
I only see it, like the mentor that I had
Learn to see opportunity to the things that I say
I just want you to be helpful to people
My words come not empty when I am with you
Make things for your life
All of us will walk this life.
I ask you to think of us before you do wrong
I don’t know how I’m going to give another good for you
I’m glad to see you home and not giving up
I am doing everything for you, not minding myself
I’ll cook your good so that you can relax
No jokes come out when we see each other
Make something out of yourself, or I may lose my balance.
A Fathers Poem to His Daughter on Her Wedding
the father expresses his love to her daughter and bid her best wishes on her wedding. He asked that they be blessed with a daughter as well.
def jam -- knock knock by daniel beaty
A Fathers Day Poem for a Beloved Dad
© 2015 Warren Fianza | https://hubpages.com/literature/Fathers-Poems | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | refinedweb | 650 | 82.17 |
: 2/2831 System ID: UF00084249:02831 Full Text FIETO'FISH FOR LEiNT rmlovn', HIGH 79F LOW 66F CLOUDS & SUN The Tribune Volume: 103 No.82 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 PRICE 750 1[1 71 R^^Ein i^ *ins^^ calrVll Contractor concerns raised Claim that developer did sub-standard work in Excellence Gardens and has been given another govt contract By KARIN HERIG Tribune Staff Reporter SUBCONTRACTORS and building material suppliers are - reportedly *thTeatening.-to . expose a developer they claim is giving the Ministry of Housing a bad reputation. A source close to government yesterday revealed that discon- tent within the. building com- munity is growing with a con- tractor they claim has already done sub-standard work in Excellence Gardens, and has now been given another gov- ernment contract for a new housing subdivision. It is claimed that this devel- oper keeps getting contracts although he owns no equipment and has no experience in lay- ing telephone lines, building roads or installing water pipes for new housing developments. "This man doesn't even own a truck, he has no equipment, he is sub-contracLing the work out to other people, but not paying anyone for their work. People are getting fed up and are now threatening to expose him," the source told The Tri- bune. It is further alleged that the developer in question has instructed the Department of Housing to pay him directly, and not his sub-contractors. "He's already done work in Excellence Gardens where the work was fifth rate," the source alleged, adding that it was "time SEE page seven * Ninety still scheduled to go on trial F By CHESTER ROBARDS FT LAUDERDALE, Florida Accused drug "kingpin" Samuel 'Ninety' Knowles is still scheduled to go on trial April 9 in a Ft Laud- erdale court despite his request for dismissal of his case. Last week, the United States entered a response to Knowles' motion to dismiss his case for lack of jurisdiction days before he was to appear in court to challenge it. The United States' response concisely argued the legitimacy of Knowles' extradition with regard to the extradition treaty between the USA and The Bahamas, and the unambiguous language of the courts of the Bahamas, which acceded the extradition. Within the response, the United States cited rulings of the Bahamas Supreme Court as evidence against the validity of Knowles' dismissal request, saying: "In closing, the Supreme Court unambiguously SEE page seven NeCv Sr start your ii without us! )ij mes to rance, Start choice is management. bu can trust. CE MANAGEMENT D. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS lto I I ra : (m)ll i2% IMI:411 P ^ 4lTel:042)332-i62lT^4)316-30M POLICE remove the body Police said the victim, in his threw a rock at him before stab An ambulance was called to A man is in custody in connec officer and a civilian. This homr Industrial unrest . tbe death Pensioners to see increase on monthly payments OLD age and non-contrib- utory pensioners will see an increase in their monthly pay- ments, effective March 1. This was confirmed by Works and Utilities Minister 9- Bradley Roberts in a recent contribution to debate on a Bill to amend the Prime Min- ister's Pension Act. Mr Roberts said, "I wish to k inform that the Government has approved the recontmen- dation to increase payments to all old age pensioners and non-contributory pensioners to National Insurance Board .effective from March 1, 2007. "These increases will bring much needed relief to the senior citizens throughout The Bahamas." The details of the increases will be announced shortly by Prime Minister Perry Christie, or the Minister responsible for National Insurance, Sena- tor, Dr Bernard Nottage, he said. of a man who was stabbed to death on Boyd Road last night. 30s, was leaving DNC Takeaway around 6pm, when a man SEE page seven Bingg him multiple times about the body. the scene and the victim was pronounced dead. tion with the incident after being caught by an off-duty police icide brings the year's murder count to 12.BU officials (Photo: Felipg Major/Tribune staff) are set to meet BPSU president says Call for parties with director and g0vt has to be more to make the minister of labour nisserddan ie vitca0fp g environment RVOided at workers' concerns election issue Cotton Bay * By ALEXANDRIO MORLEY Tribune Staff Reporter INDUSTRIAL unrest was avoided at Eleuthera's Cotton Bay project which emerged when construction workers. did not receive their pay cheques on Fri- day, The Tribune learned. An inside source said the work- ers were so upset over not receiv- ing their salaries that they decid- ed to stop working until they were paid. However, Wim Steenbakkers, the project's managing director, said the matter was resolved on Monday. Local entrepreneur Franklyn Wilson is the majority sharehold- SEE page seven * By BRENT DEAN GOVERNMENT has to be more proactive, and less reac- tive, in addressing the concerns of workers, declared John Pin- der, president of the Bahamas Public Services Union. Mr Pinder made these remarks in an interview with The Tribune yesterday. In the face of widespread industrial discord, some of which has been resolved by gov- ernment, The Tribune asked Mr Pinder what is behind some of the problems. He said that "a lot of the industrial agreements are not being adhered to in their full content." And many of these disputes have been long-stand- SEE page seven M By KARIN HERIG Tribune Staff Reporter BOTH the PLP and the FNM are being urged to make the preservation of the environment an election issue. At a time when new develop- ments and major construction .projects are being announced almost daily, Bahamians are being encouraged to challenge political candidates in the next general election to commit to the protection of the environment. Save the Bahamas an umbrel- la organisation for non-govern- mental groups that are promoting legislation for protection of the environment in a statement yes- terday said that Bahamians have to learn to take the preservation of the country's natural resources SEE page seven * By ALISON LOWE Tribune Staff Reporter IN A move that seems likely to offset strike action at least for the time being Bahamas Union of Teachers officials are scheduled to meet with the direc- tor and minister of labour next week. President of the BUT, Ida Poitier-Turnquest, confirmed yes- terday that union officials were approached by the labour offi- cials on Monday, who requested to meet to discuss teacher's pay grievances. This comes after a week during which there was no approach made to the union by the labour department despite the filing of a trade dispute on Friday, Febru- ary 16. By law, government had sev- en days until 5pm last Friday - to contact the union, but failed to do so. SEE page seven #1 PAPER IN CIRCULATION BAHAMAS EDITION ,, U P -% "* TO OFF e; iv SELECTED SHOES Madeira Shopping Plaza 328-0703 Marathon Mall 393-6113 RND Plaza, Freeport 351-3274 NO REFUNDS NO EXCHANGES CASH ONLY Mc Ali THE TRIBUNE PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 LOCALN 0 In brief Haitian migrants fleeing the Bahamas 'end up in Jamaica" A GROUP of 23 Hait- ian migrants attempting to flee to The Bahamas in a 20-foot sailboat were reportedly blown off course and ended up on the shores of Port Anto- nio, Jamaica. According to The Jamaica Observer newspa- per, the Port Antonio police, immigration and health officials have "quar- antined" the group and will shortly begin to process them for subsequent deportation. The 19 men and four women told Jamaican authorities they were flee- ing their homeland because of "violence and kidnap- ping." The members of the group, whose ages ranged from 17 to 44 years, said they were sailing to The Bahamas but went off course. Fidel Castro calls in to Chavez show CARACAS, Venezuela CUBAN leader Fidel Cas- tro called in to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's radio talk show on Tuesday, declar- ing he's "more energetic, stronger" and his country is running smoothly without him at the helm, according to Asso- ciated Press. "I feel good and I'm hap- py," intesti- nal surgery in July and dropped out of public view, fueling speculation about his condition. He thanked Chavez for spreading news about his recu- peration and complained that his supporters have "the habit, the vice of getting news dai- ly." "But I ask for patience, calm ... the country is marching along, which is what is impor- tant,". 'A new era' for the Bahamas Postal Service THE Bahamas Postal Service is reforming the way it does business to satisfy its customers, Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin revealed at the Sandyport Post Office. "The first time ever Cluster Mailboxes has 3,529 mail boxes - 2,940 small and 588 medium - and we all at the Ministry of Trans- port and Aviation are pleased with the number of requests that we have been receiving for them from business and individuals alike," said Mrs Hanna-Martin. Approach Having embarked upon a new era, the Bahamas Postal Service has taken a new approach towards customer service and productivity standards, she said. This initiative resulted in major transformation in postal services globally, she added. "For us to do this we must then achieve greater levels of efficiency, implement strategies to ensure diversified use of its products and services, and also expand on addi- tional products and services to meet the increasing demands of its customers," said Mrs Hanna- Martin. The Bahamas Postal Service has the competitive advantage, since it has the capacity to generate greater revenue and is strategical- ly located throughout the country. "As a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) the inter- national body which governs and regulates post offices around the world this administration is mandated to attain and maintain a quality of service standard. "This criterion makes it almost impossi- ble to be lagging behind but encourages us to strive for excel- lence," she said. In the Savings Bank Money Order section, electronic money order machines were introduced, she added. "These machines were put in place to speed up the money order processing time, while minimising fraud and errors. "New stainless steel private mailboxes were installed at the General Post Office to replace the old steel 'dinosaur' type that was in place for decades." This stainless steel is not prone to erosion from surrounding ele- ments. Several areas in the postal ser- vice were computerised in stages. They include savings bank, mail processing inbound, mail process- ing outbound, parcel processing inbound and outbound and inter- national high-speed mail. "As a result of global advances in the postal system, almost every postal item in the postal system is now bar-coded," she said. "This bar-coded system allows for postal items to be tracked." Connected Additionally, she added, the Express Mail Service Office is ful- ly computerised and connected to more than 230 member countries globally. "This service provides track and trace capabilities over the Inter- net, hence making it accessible to everyone," she said. Mrs Hanna-Martin said the bulk mail service of the General Post Office is equipped with modem processing machines and has increased its clientele signifi- cantly. "We have even taken this ser- vice to another level, whereby we provide 'Postage by Phone'. We have been conducting excellent business in this area with the vari- ous local and international busi- ness houses," she said. * TRANSPORT and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin Mother hits out at neighbour's alleged destructive activities * By ALISON LOWE Tribune Staff Reporter A MOTHER is sick and tired of the destructive activities of her neighbour, which have threatened her livelihood and ruined her immediate environ- ment over a period of years. Having called upon govern- ment and police for help with no results she has come to the conclusion that she has no rights, and the neighbour must be "above the law." Ernestine Kauffman moved into a quiet part of the Yamacraw area around 15 years ago, investing her "whole life savings" in building three town houses, two of which she rents to provide for her children. However, for the past five years, she says, her peace and quiet have been shattered, her property wrecked, and her health and safety threatened by a neighbour who is working on land next to her property. She questions whether he has a per- mit to do the type work he is doing. The neighbour, who owns sev- eral apartments behind hers, has started what would appear to be a soil sifting and dumping busi- ness on five lots that are next to her apartment, and in front of his. On a daily basis, sometimes starting as early as 6am and fin- ishing as late as 3am, the neigh- bour runs loud and heavy trucks and machinery on the land - sifting soil for sale, digging so deep that he's "scraping the rocks", she claimed. "He has a big soil sifting machine. It's a big business," she said angrily. "He stores (rock) in the back of my apartment on the main road, what's supposed to be a cul-de-sac," she said. Demolished And the activities do not end there he has also demolished the wall around her property, and caused 95 feet of telephone cable to have to be replaced, such is the voracity of his appetite for removing soil and rocks from the land. "There's no Sunday for me, no Monday all through my week I have gasoline in my bed- room, I'm smelling diesel," she complained. This leaves the inside of her property regularly covered in a layer of dirt, thrown up off the nearby site. "In the morning the coffee'%jn the table is full of dust!" she said. "I have two new tenants and God knows that I'm not losing my tenants because of this guy," she said, adding that "every ten- ant has moved out because of him" so far. "I can't take it, I can't sleep...trucks and tractors 'chase' me out of bed every day," she said. On one particularly memo- rable occasion, fires were started on debris dumped around her property. "It was burning for five days. Firemen tried to out it about three times, (but) they couldn't because it's so deep under the dirt." Her home was filled with thick smoke, and her daughter suf- fered a number of asthma attacks as a result. "It was like five days of death this mossy, dirty wood, the dust and everything mixed, it almost killed you," she said. Mrs Kaufmann said she has approached the man on many occasions requesting that he stop his destructive activities. How- ever, in response she has repeat- edly been threatened or ignored. After one argument, the con- frontational neighbour wrote the words "Holy War" across the side of one of his trucks, she said. She claims to have attempted to contact director of environ- mental health, Ron Pinder, up to 15 times, leaving messages for him with his secretary, but has had no response. This was the same for other environmental health officials'; she added. Adding insult to injury, she described how ten years ago she had received a four page letter from the zoning department stat- ing that she would be unable to erect a sign on her property to direct her massage clients to her house, as it was not in a com- mercial zone. Meanwhile, her neighbour has put up a large sign advertising the sale of soil and fill on the property with impunity. Police have "taken her for granted," she said. "They look at me like oh, a woman, she's com- plaining...". Contact Yesterday, Mr Pinder said he was surprised to hear that Mrs Kaufmann had been trying to contact him, and seemed unaware of her situation. He asked that The Tribune forward his cellphone number to Mrs Kaufmann. In February, the minister of agriculture and marine resources said there needed to be tougher regulations relating to the ille- gal removal of soil and fill, and claimed that a new land policy is being developed to deal with cases where landfill is removed without proper authorisation. This new policy will see indi- viduals fined up to $20,000 in addition to the confiscation of their equipment, he said, after a raid of two such sites. However, in the meantime, Mrs Kaufmann is receiving no relief. * By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter FREEPORT Thousands of spring break students arc expect-i ed to arrive on Grand Bahama;, beginning March 1,,aver thbnext, eight weeks, MinistrypfTorism.. officials announced yesterday. Betty Bethel, executive direc- tor at the Ministry of Tourism, announced that some 3,600 stu- dents are expected to travel to Grand Bahama over the spring break season. The Ministry, she said, has planned a 'Konk and Kalik Springbreak Fest' from March 1 to April 18 at two new venues - Taino Beach and Georgies on the Beach this year. Ms Bethel said the fest will take place on Thursdays, starting March 1 to March 28 at Taino Beach, and at Georgies from March 29 to April 18. "We believe that these two new venues will really enhance the visitor experience and allow us to put on fun activities like tug-of-war, beach volleyball, dancing competitions, and other activities that will enhance their stay here on the island," she said. According to Ms Bethel, Springbreak Travel, which has been bringing students to the island for 19 years, is bringing the bulk of spring breakers to the island. These students are expected to spend anywhere from $250 to $400 during their stay. Ms Bethel said that while spending is not going to be very high, spring breakers represent the potential future business for Grand Bahama. "It is very important that the community understands this. They are not just students, they are our future return visitors. It is important they have a grand experience," she said. The ministry has also part- nered with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, as well as its very own Safety and Security Coun- cil, to ensure that visiting stu- dents will be safe and secure while enjoying the island's amenities. Ms Bethel said the ministry has partnered with several enti- ties, including Burns House, to provide Kalik, Pat and Diane, Tony Macaroni at Taino Beach, and Georgies to provide and promote a fun cultural experi- ence for the students. Supt Clarence Russell said police will be on heightened alert to ensure that spring break- ers are safe. "We have been giv- en a mandate to heighten aware- ness and put in strategic plans with respect to accommodating spring breakers and the ministry can rest assured that we are on board to ensure safety while they are on the island." NOTICE WE HAVE MOVED LIFE CHIROPRACTIC CENTRE HAS MOVED TO THE REAR OF OUR FORMER OFFICE #7B VILLAGE ROAD PHONE: 393-2774 FAX: 394-3067 MAIN SECTION Local News..................P1.,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,14,15 Editorial/Letters. ....................................... P4 Advts ............. P10,11,12,13,16,17,18,19,20 BUSINESS SECTION Business......................P1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,16 Advts.............................P... 10,11,12,13,14,15 ARTS SECTION Arts ............................................ P1,2,3,5,6,8 C om ics.....................................................P4 W eather..................................................... P7 SPORTS SECTION Sports ............................P1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,16 Advts...................... ....P9,10,11,12,13,14,15 CLASSIFIED SECTION 28 PAGES MIAMI HERALD SECTION M ain ................................................12 Pages. I THE TRIBUNE T T UE S FR Y 7A o In brief Two brothers , are shot by masked gunman TWO brothers - aged 31 and 29 were shot in the chest and face by a masked gun- man as they tried to help another man. One is in critical condition. The incident occurred around 7pm on Monday when the pair ran to help a screaming man who was being held up for money at gunpoint on Jennie Street. The victim was in his twen- ties. As they approached, the young man's assailant he turned and opened fire, said police press liaison officer, Walter Evans. The 31-year-old, who was hit in the chest, is in critical condition at Princess Margaret Hos- pital, while the 29 year old, also in hospital, is described as in a stable condition. Police have yet to make any arrests in con- nection with the attack. An investigation is underway. Govt denies FNM claims over plans for airports GOVERNMENT has refuted claims by the FNM that it is just now racing to implement plans for Family Island Airports that were left in placefor-them in 2002. The Ministry of Transport and Aviation ' in a press release yes- terday said that the cur- rent exercise of installing emergency runway lighting is part of a comprehensive plan which commenced in November 2006 follow- ing the signing of a con- tract with Carmanah Enterprises at a cost of $2,244,526.00. "(It is) a systematic, comprehensive exercise comprising a two-phase approach beginning with the installation of emergency lights at 16 airports, all of which have already been com- pleted," the ministry said. Commentary The FNM in its week- ly commentary had accused the government of delaying the installa- tion of emergency landing lights at 14 Family Island airstrips during the past five years. The opposition said that the governing party raced in the first two months of this year to complete a project that was ready for implementation in 2002. "And they are not embarrassed to list this very late completion amongst their accom- plishments, indeed, to use it as a part of their election campaign pro- paganda," the FNM said. However, the Ministry of Transport and Avia- tion, yesterday refuted these assertions, stating that no such plan was left in place by the for- mer government. The ministry further said that phase two of the plan to upgrade the Family Island air- ports will soon com- mence. This phase will involve five airports: Deadman's Cay, Stella Maris, North Andros, Fresh Creek and Nor- man's Cay. BEWU and the government reach 'tentative' * By ALEXANDRIO MORLEY Tribune Staff Reporter THE Bahamas Electrical Workers Union and govern- ment have reached a "tenta- tive" agreement in the dis- pute between the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's management and hundreds of line staff. But, Stephano Greene, sec- retary general of the BEWU, said he would not rule out future industrial action, because the union still has numerous outstanding issues that need to be addressed. Earlier this month, BEWU officials threatened to take But union's secretary general says he will not rule out future industrial action industrial action should their concerns remain unresolved. However, former Labour Minister Shane Gibson said that such action would not be necessary. "We have been working along with management and the union to resolve these matters, but my understand- ing was that the arbitrator - Bishop Neil Ellis has reached an agreement with the union on most of the issues," Mr Gibson said. Mr Gibson was speaking of long-standing concerns the BEWU has been raising. The BEWU claims that line staff members at BEC agreement are owed $9 million in back pay after working more than the 40-hour work week for more than two years. However, government has continuously said that BEC's management has no obliga- tion to pay the workers any additional money. Last November, the union seemed close to ironing out the issue. But, BEWU president Dennis Williams told reporters that the matter remained unresolved. Yesterday, the secretary general of BEWU told The Tribune that "about 95 per cent of the issues have been agreed to and signed off on." Mr Greene said that the arbitrator of the negotiations, Bishop Neil Ellis, has been a very fair person and that he was working diligently to bring the matter to an end. Asked if the government had decided to pay the elec- trical workers their back pay, Mr Greene said: "There'is a tentative agreement on the table for the back pay and now it's just a matter of final- ising everything so that everything is completed." However, he said, the union still has a lot of out- standing issues filed at the Department of Labour that have not been resolved. "And as long as we have 0 contentious, outstanding issues, there is always a pos- sibility of some form of industrial action," Mr Greene said. BEWU officials had threat- ened to take industrial action earlier this month, should their concerns remain unresolved - but former Labour Minister Shane Gibson (above) said that such action would not be nec- essary. The union has also taken issue with shift worker meal breaks, charging that there are employees in BEC to whom management has refused to allow a lunch break. I ACC SERIES S ",, 1 by E ERicJA 1TS .< ^f| Established in 1956 by an old Bahamian family Parliament Street (near Bay St.) Tel: 322-8393 or 328-7157 Fax: 326-9953 Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island Tel: 363-4161/2 m- Lyford Cay (next to Lyford Cay Real Estate in Harbour Green House) Tel: 362-5235 * By ALEXANDRIO MORLEY Tribune Staff Reporter OFFICERS of the School Policing Unit are upset because the government has "back- tracked" their employment contracts, a source disclosed yesterday. The source claimed the officers were so frus- trated that they were contemplating industrial action. Earlier this month, The Tribune reported that the officers were frustrated because their employment contracts had not bedn renewed. The source claimed that the officers, who are referred to as SRO's (school resources offi- cers) and SRA's (school resource assistants), had reached "boiling point" after informing senior police officers and education officials about their numerous labour concerns only to be ignored. The source explained: "We're supposed to get our contracts renewed every year, but right now we have officers who have been without a contract since September, and every time we ask them about it they give us excuses." The source also said that officers in the unit don't receive any increments, benefits, or a uniform allowance, and most officers believe their insurance coverage is "not legit." Yesterday, the source told The Tribune that some of their concerns had been addressed, but now the terms of their employment con- tracts had been changed. M By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter FREEPORT Pelican Bay Resort has responded to a call for assistance by donating gro- cery items to Lewis Yard Pri- mary School to help with their student feeding programme. Judy Duncombe, director of human resources at Pelican Bay Resort, said its eight- member management team felt com- pelled to make a donation to the school after learning of the plight of students there. Late last year, teacher Kel- ley Albury highlighted prob- lems facing students during a presentation at the Rotary Club. She revealed that students from poor families often came to school without having hot breakfast and lunch. Additionally, she noted that students were in need of cloth- ing and shoes. The teacher also said some children had con- tracted a severe skin rash. Ms Duncombe said that Peli- can Bay plans to make several other donations to the school during the school year. "This is a very worthy cause. This (donation today) is just the first...of several other dona- tions," she said. Principal Rodney Smith said response from the community had been tremendous. "Our main objective is to develop the child holistically, and since the co-ordinators' pre- sentation to Rotary we made an appeal for food items and clothing etc, which have been going very well." The source said: "In the beginning, officers signed contracts for one year, from September to September, but we just signed a new contract last month, and now officers are only contracted from January to Septem- ber." The source said persons had joined the School Policing Unit because they believed it would provide them with job security but they now feel that their current contracts, which expire in less than a year, make their positions unstable. "The officers were hired as permanent work- ers," the ,oirce said, "but they now feel like temporary staff." The source also claimed that the Ministry of Education has not followed through on its promise to give the officers extra benefits, including a uniform allowance. He said the officers were contemplating walking off the job or calling in sick. The Commissioner's policy statement for 2006 says the aim of the School Policing Unit is to investigate and stem criminal and gang activ- ities in schools. It also says the unit seeks to advise 'at risk' youth on the dangers of drugs and other illegal substances and activities. But at the moment, the source said, officers feel unappreciated and morale is low. The Tribune tried to contact the Ministry of Education for comment, but calls were not returned up to press time. Mr Smith believes it is impor- tant that a child functions prop- erty in the classroom. He said the presentation was not intend- ed to upstage anyone, but to inform the public about the reality facing students at the school. He said that government also does what it can through social services and the Ministry of Health regarding welfare of the children. Vice-principal Jacquelyn Pin- der said that, although teachers work hard to educate students, children cannot learn on an empty stomach, or if they are cold and have no sweaters to wear. Ms Pinder said churches had also come forward to assist, including the National Church of God, which provides break- fast on a daily basis, and The New Methodist Church, which provides clothing and grocery items. "People are really coming out and helping us. It has become a real community effort," she said. Ms Pinder said even though the program has improved, there is still need for more assis- tance. "We feel that if every business did what happened this morning the need will be less- ened, and our children of course would eventually develop into the whole persons that we desire," she said. When asked about the health issues at the school, Mr Pinder said the matter had been addressed by Grand Bahama Health Services. "They have been addressed, but we still have concerns because the children are still here and some of the children are facing some of the same health problems we brought to the attention of health services. Health services have assured us that the children are fine, and so we rely upon their expertise and respect that, so we had to accept that," she said. Claim that School Policing Unit officers are contemplating industrial action Pelican Bay Resort donates to Lewis Yard Primary School WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 3 THE TRIBUNE I I I A S I The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master LEON E. IH. Best of times for Al Gore WASHINGTON For former Vice Pres- ident Al Gore, these are the best of times. The worst of times lasted several years after a partisan Supreme Court denied him the pres- idency he had won in the 2000 popular vote. But he's back. Maybe he never left and we just didn't notice. Basking in the Oscar's glow isn't quite lording it over the world from the White House, but it's a good alternative. Nobody dies, for starters. (Unless we don't lis- ten to him and everybody drowns along the flooded coasts). And Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," won an Oscar (actually, two of them) for something that Gore has long championed - environmental protection. His sincere con- cern for this cause is unassailable. In the late 1980's, as he was preparing to seek the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, I inter- viewed Gore in his Senate office. I wanted to talk politics, naturally. He wanted to lecture me on the dangers of global warming. He produced a fat globe and proceeded to. edu- cate me on what he saw as a crisis around the world due to destruction of the ozone layer and its greenhouse effect. Very inter- esting, if true. But I went back to my office thinking I had no column. Gore had no more luck exciting me about the environment twenty years ago than he did with others. But he didn't give up. He tried to make it an issue in the 1988 primary campaign. "I made hundreds of speeches about the greenhouse effect...that were almost never reported at all," he grumbled after he lost that campaign. "There were several occasions where I prepared the ground in advance, released advance texts . and then nothing, nothing." Everything in politics, as in life itself, is in the timing. And while Gore was on the right track, he was a tad early on the sub- ject in the 1980's. We didn't see for ourselves the spreading climate changes that now alarm us, from melting ice flows to unnaturally wild and wooly weather creating structural havoc and taking lives.He has transformed "An Inconvenient Truth" into a blockbuster event by travelling around the world personally attending premieres and presiding over what is essentially a slide show. He has been nom- inated for the Nobel Peace Prize for alerting the world to the threat of climate change; for- mer President Jimmy Carter, himself a winner of that honour, has been calling repeatedly to urge Gore to seek the presidency again. It is a reassuring American story. Man is robbed of presidency; man grows beard, flails about aimlessly; man gets a grip, goes home to Ten- nessee and revives a favourite once-ignored cause. Man is rehabilitated! Even President Bush, who for six years dissed the very idea that human habits contribute to global warm- ing, timidly ventured a recent recognition that there might be a problem.. Wow! Bush acknowledged he has actually heard of ethanol and alternative fuel sources. Gore was in the forefront of advocacy for the Internet,.although Republican know-noth- ings mocked him for claiming to have "invent- ed" it. Gore was right to oppose the first Gulf War and very right about the folly of Bush's inva- sion of Iraq in 2003. If Gore were president, the federal government would have spurred the development of stem cell research, and expanded health care for those without insur- ance. He never would have tried to gag scien- tists whose expert evaluations conflicted with right-wing ideology. Gore considers the federal budget deficit, which has ballooned under Bush, to be a "a fiscal catastrophe." But that doesn't mean he should listen to the siren songs about running for the White House again. A .'ccond defeat would be hard to bear. It would be hard for his fans, like myself, but harder for his family. He deserves to bask in the new, very pleasant life he has found. He has learned many lessons from the 2000 whirlwind, but the Supreme Court is still a partisan GOP-dominated operation and the Republicans are still eager for his throat. Gore has, in fact, demonstrated admirable restraint by insisting he has no plans to jump into the jumbled presidential race. He has not issued a flat "if nominated, I will not run, if elected I will not serve," statement, but then who would'? It's much more fun to let the speculation simmer and keep the headlines coming. And Gore himself seems a happier man. He never dreamed of himself as a politician, although his father was a long-serving U.S. senator. When he declined to seek a re-match with Bush in 2004, Gore said he didn't want to "focus on the past" but on the future. As with so many other things, Gore was right. And he is getting the credit he deserves. How sweet it must be. (* This article is by Marianne Means of Hearst Newspapers 2007) EDITOR, The Tribune. THE not so surprising death of Anna Nicole Smith stunned the Bahamian people. No sooner had her death been announced on Fox News, cell phones and text messages began spreading the news. For some it was a bitter-sweet announcement. Ms Smith had created more salacious news worldwide cat- apulting the Bahamas in tabloids around the world. Her "fast track" residency permit caused most of us to conclude that something sin- ister happened between Ms Smith and PLP Minister of Immigration Shane Gibson. These strange dealings cre- ated an uproar among many Bahamians who are married to foreigners and are waiting for similar status for donkeys years, the same document that Ms Smith got in a flash. There were also some spec- ulation that Minister Gibson was more deeply involved with Smith so much so that it was rumoured that his mother was baby-sitting Ms Smith's newborn baby. There are just too many unanswered ques- tions and her death that would prevent the Bahamian people from wanting to know what really went so drastically afoul. Minister Gibson's alleged presence at Ms Smith's wed- ding questions just how deeply involved he was with the "porn star". Ms Smith was a "lightenihg rod" for unusual news. Mr Gibson's ill-conceived behav- iour did not see the potential datnagc ahead. It is clear that many were mesmerised by Ms Smith, one way or the other, but all who came into contact with her, soon realized that her beauty was more of a bait than anything else. Once in her clutches, she seemed to have a "cast a spell" over the men she touched. But the end for Ms Smith came and in her wake she left a long line of men who were literally controlled because of her "loose lifestyle". The list included the most powerful men she could find, which eventually ended on the shores of the Bahamas. In spite of all of that, she is finally out of her misery of obvious drugs and alcohol and confusion that followed her to the end. My sympathy goes out to her mother, other fam- ily members and most cer- tainly Minister of Immigration and Labour, Shane Gibson. May her soul finally rest in peace. Amen. C E DEMERITTE Nassau, February, 2007. Minister does not need to resort to that approach EDITOR, The Tribune. PLEASE allow me space in your daily to take issue with a line of attack that Minister Mitchell delivered at his rally in Fox Hill. Please print this letter for all politicians to consider as we go deeper into this political season. At the core my purpose is to discourage politicians and their operatives from attacking or drawing into the fray family members of their opponents, who in many cases are and not active politically (and in some cases have attempt- ed to persuade their spouse or relative from getting involved). Minister Mitchell brought into the mix the husband and I'm told the mother (his words "close relative") of his female opponent. Would it be fair to discuss the recent law school graduate who often shares the same space with the Minister or his mother in order to pursue victory at the polls? I say no! Discussing that young gentleman or the Minis- ter's mother (close relative) would be inappropriate. They have their own lives and should not be drawn into the fight. Minister, your lead in the area is substantial. You do not need to resort to that approach. Come on FNMs, PLPs and BDMs, compete fair. OLGA SMITH (Old School voter) Nassau, February, 2007. The circus is back in town EDITOR, The Tribune. THE circus is back in town featuring the following clowns, jesters and their acts. Sidney and the Korean Connection. Wisdumb and his House of Many Debacles. Kung Fu Keod and his Kenyatta Punching Bag. Vincent and the Closet of Many Dollars. Fast Freddie's Discount Visa Outlet. The Ballad of Shame and Anna complete with bedroom scenes, no one under eighteen admitted without parent. Ringmaster Cool PC shuf- fles while Bahamaland burns. Oops, wrong shuffle, come too late, but the Show must go on. JOHN ANTHONY Nassau, February 14, 2007. Plugging you into the power of the sun... SOLAR POWER CONCEPTS LTD. A Star in the Galaxy Group of Companies Crawford St., Oakes Field Tel: 323-5171 Fax: 322-6969 KOHLER * 12kw Propane Generator $4,995 * With Automatic Transfer Switch $5,995 Work. Play. Live without Interruption. FISHING GEAR * Rod & Reel Combos starting at $24.98 * Deep Drop Lights & Weights In Stock * Hand Made Salty Tackle Rigs In Stock * Large selection of Igloo Coolers In Stock The life and death of Anna Nicole Lightbourne Marine SJ MERCURY Or""" 1 on onh ee warter * 90 ELPTO SW $4,653 cash * 250 EFI SW $9,470 cash * Large selection of small 2 & 4 stroke outboard motors in stock, at crazy low prices. * Inflatable boats starting at $1,836 I PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 THE TRIBUNE THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 5 L ALNEW 0In brief Judges to decide the. fate of Anna Nicole's body THE fate of Anna Nicole Smith's body is in the hands of three appeals court judges in Florida. They will decide whether to overturn a trial court ruling that led to the decision to bury the former Playboy U'playmate in the Bahamas alongg side-her son Daniel. Yi Ms Smith's mother Virgie Arthur is challenging a deci- sion which last week gave control of the cover girl's remains to the court-appoint- ed guardian of the deceased's infant daughter. Ms Arthur wants her daughter buried in her native Texas, not the Bahamas. Lawyers have until this afternoon to respond to the appeal. A panel of three judges could seek oral argu- ments, or they may decide the case based on the briefs. b The Supreme Court in the "Bahamas has scheduled a t March hearing in the custody battle over baby Dannielynn. bA judge has barred Ms ISmith's companion Howard K Stern from taking the child 'out of the Bahamas until there is a ruling. International "investigation ,into major drug seizure FREEPORT Bahami- an and US authorities have launched an interna- tional investigation in con- nection with a major drug seizure at the container port which resulted in the discovery of $4 million wprt- of cocaine. wac'rdingT&Supt Basil Rahming, the illegal drugs w cdisco\ emed on Friday J aIo J 2 3,.nip during a search of a 40-foot con- tainer that arrived onboard the Mediter- ffanean Shipping Company tVessel, Yokohama, from *Guayaquil, Ecuador. Drug officers found two Jirge blue bags packed behind two Fiat cars. On searching the bags, the officers retrieved 132 kilos of cocaine. The container was in transit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mr Rahming said offi- cers interviewed the ship's captain and crew, but no Arrests were made. The legal drugs were flown y OPBAT helicopter to New Providence. 4. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH 6:30am Community Page 1540AM 8:00 Bahamas @ Sunrise 9:00 Bullwinkle & Friends 9:30 King Leonardo 10:00 International Fit Dance 10:30 Real Moms, Real Stories, Real Savvy 11:00 Immediate Response noon ZNS News Update 12:05 Immediate Response Cont'd 1:00 Legends: Paul Thompson 2:00 Island Lifestyles 2:30 Turning Point 3:00 Paul Lewis 3:30 Don Stewart 4:00 The Fun Farm 5:00 ZNS News Update 5:05 Andiamo 5:30 The Envy Life 6:00 Tourism Today Special 6:30 News Night 13 7:00 Bahamas Tonight 8:00 Gillette World Sports: Featuring Tonique Williams Darling 8:30 Caribbean Passport 9:00. Labour Speaks 9:30 Fight For Life: Bangladesh 10:00 Caribbean Newsline 10:30 News Night 13 11:00 The Bahamas Tonight 11:30 Immediate Response 1:30am Community Page 1540AM NOE N T 3 eeve- h righ to akels mnt prgrmm canes Claim that Anna Nicole's Horizons home on market for $10 million ANNA Nicole Smith's home, Hori- zons on the Eastern Road, is on the market for $10 million, a Nassau lawyer claims. The luxury home, which changed hands for only $950,000 last year, has rocketed ten-fold in value in six months, according to attorney God- frey 'Pro' Pinder. And .in another six months, the property could be worth $20 million, Mr Pinder added. His astonishing claims came during Fox TV's Greta van Susteren show, when Mr Pinder floated the idea that the house and its gardens could become an Anna Nicole Smith muse- um. The house, with its fine swimming pool and Greco-Roman statues, was once owned by hotel developer Ron Kelly, the man behind the $90 million refurbishment of the British Colo- nial Hilton. Anna Nicole and her attorney- companion Howard K Stern moved in last summer looking for peace and quiet, but attracted only controversy and strife. The house was sold by liquidators for $950,000 in a deal which has now become the subject of litigation before the Bahamas Supreme Court. Ben Thompson, a South Carolina realtor, claims he lent Anna Nicole the money to buy the house on con- dition it was repaid in instalments. Anna Nicole claimed, however, that Mr Thompson, a former lover, gave her the property. He later accused her of "double crossing" him. In the aftermath of Ms Smith's death earlier this month, Horizons has become a tourist attraction and the centre of almost constant atten- tion from the international press. Mr Stern is said to be still living * SIR Lynden Pindling (AP Photo) 44 ,, 0 4 "4. . .* .. 0 4, 4 , *** T I 'I * * 4 * i *iA 4 q < 8 4 .* t '# 4* i ? * 4 4 4,* ,+ . I 8* 9 9 0 *4 A 4 .>1 I 9*99*^ 9e .. 1* < S**,***.*, 9*94* I * 4 8-.,V 4 . 9.V .* * ,4.A 9.* s . .;+-^ ,- a w..:.v ... *, THE gate of Anna Nicole Smith's former res- idence. named "Horizons'. (A P Photo/Christine A vien) there with Anna Nicole's baby, Dan- nielynn, whose guardianship is also the subject of court action in Nas- sau. N SIR Sidney Poitier (AP Photo/Metropolitan Photo Service) Bahamians inducted into Civil Rights Walk of Fame TWO Bahamians, the late Bahamas Prime Minister Sir Lyn- den Pindling and actor Sir Sidney Poitier were inducted into the Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta this week. Sir Lynden and Sir Sidney were inducted along with singer Tony Bennett and the late boxer Joe Louis. According to the Associated Press, this is the fourth group to be inducted into the Walk of Fame in the plaza of the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site near downtown Atlanta. The walk, established in 2004, now includes 50 pairs of foot- prints, marked in granite, from people who organizers call the "foot-soldiers" of the civil rights movement. The walk is a partnership between the Trumpet Awards Foundation, the organisation that recently honoured Prime Minister Perry Christie, and the National Parks Service. Poitier did not attend the ceremony because of a scheduling conflict, but he travelled to Atlanta last weekend to be induct- ed and instead of Sir Lynden, his widow Dame Margurite Pin- dling had her footprints marked. Other inductees this year include Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, civil rights attorney Frankie Muse Freeman, Atlanta physician Dr Otis Smith, US Rep Maxine Waters, D-California, Richmond, Va, mayor and former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder and civil rights activist Jean Childs Young. Past honorees include media mogul Ted Turner, former Pres- ident Jimmy Carter, legendary baseball player Henry "Hank" Aaron, and performers Stevie Wonder, Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne. A * *~ *-g, .4* .499**9 9~9,.4' 9*9* '~ *'* . A A .iY A~ 9-, i. .8 A.. A.. A. - - -~ * .8 ~ ~WA~ ~ "a4'~~ 4~ .9. Yesterday, a Nassau realtor said Mr Pinder's appraisal might be wide of the mark. Though the Anna Nicole factor could add value to the property, neighboring homes of similar size usually sell for between $1 million and $3 million, the source said. 5ympfonys TencItg Co. Providing the Best Quality Vinyl & Aluminum Products Ph: 322-8723 or 322-2458 Fax: 326-8469 ScDgratufates Confidence Insurance On 20 years of Service! Thank You for giving Us 16 Years of Excellence .~, **" - ,, , " ;- *+ , 1.h ,, ,. ~e +., .- , 'A' *t .J f si! ^^ ^ 7 ii' t 7A. - ^,'.^ 9Th-' "\ "'" ill I r I I I i -wena* * d n yrl- ~~~Juuw~/~ i--~B Energy projects, off-shore finance and the Bahamas ON A trip to Flori- da this past week- end, I picked up several magazines as a resource for this column. By chance, three of them featured sto- ries that were relevant to the Bahamas. Power from the Ocean The first was an article in The Futurist about a project by Florida Atlantic Univer- sity located just down the road from my hotel on the Gulf Stream's potential to produce electricity. The university has a $5 million grant to research technology to generate elec- tricity from the Gulf Stream current that flows from the Caribbean to Greenland - between Florida and the Bahamas at a top speed of about four knots. Florida's electricity use is expected to rise by 30 per cent over the next decade, and the state is heavily dependent on imported sources of energy. That's one reason why there has been so much interest in bas- ing liquified natural gas plants at Bimini and -TOUJGHCALL Re- ".- mA ZPZ Freeport (to pipe imported gas across the Gulf Stream to Florida power stations). But this new project will use tidal current turbines to generate power in much the same way that land-based windmills do in the form of an offshore underwater 'wind' farm. Since water is denser than air, even slow- moving currents can exert great force on a turbine, meaning that smaller rotors can be used to keep costs down. The blades turn slow- ly in the water and do not pose a threat to marine life. A 9-foot diameter proto- type; turning at 30 revolu- tions per minute, has already been tested, producing 22 kilowatts of power. The goal is to have a field of 3,520 units in place, each about 100 feet in diameter and sus- pended 200 feet below the ocean's surface. The entire Account Manager Commercial Markets Commercial Banking Centre The successful candidate should possess the following qualifications: * University, degree in Commerce or a related field * Only applicants with a minimuih of 3 to 5 years experience in Commercial Banking will be considered Responsibilities Include: Managing relationships between clients & RBC for an assigned portfolio Actively identifying & attracting new clients thereby increasing RBCFG market share Identifying incremental business opportunities for existing Business Banking clients and referring to partners within RBCFG to increase "share of wallet". Applying marketing techniques in developing new sources of business Actively seeking out cross-referral opportunities with RBCFG partners Developing, implementing and executing an individual marketing and sales plan consistent with the Business Plan to generate profitable asset growth, fees, deposits, operating services, etc. Structuring transactions within credit policy, determining appropriate collateral security requirements and prices within matrix guidelines. Monitoring, evaluating and acting on early warning signals, financial covenants, margins, collateral security values, business plans etc. Ensuring the portfolio is effectively administered to minimize risk of loss and takes corrective action as required (i.e. collateral securities, offer letters, authorizations, expiry dates, excesses, monitoring of compliance) Required Skills: Leadership Negotiating/Selling Skills e Financial Analysis Critical Thinking Relationship building/Planning/Organizing/Closing Sales Impact and Influence Ability to manage multiple priorities Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook Proficiency Required Significant marketing presentation skills and advanced skills in client relations A competitive compensation package (base salary & bonus) will commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications. Please apply by March 2, 2007 to: Regional Manager Human Resources Caribbean Banking Royal Bank of Canada Bahamas Regional Office P.O. Box N-7549, Nassau, N.P, Bahamas Via fax: (242)328-7145 Via email: bahcayjp@rbc.com field will produce 8.44 gigawatts, almost a fifth of the state's present consump- tion. The research will exam- ine the cost and logistics of running electrical cable from the turbines to shore - about 10 miles as well as the impact on coral reels and fish populations of running the cable ashore. France already has an active tidal power station off Brittany that produces 240 megawatts. A $20 million tidal turbine genera or is under construction in New York's East River. And the British installed the world's first open-sea tidal turbine off the coast of Devon three years ago. It operates via remote control and will eventually produce 300 megawatts enough to power 8,000 homes. Experts say 10 tidal power stations around the coast could sup- ply 20 per cent of the UK's electricity needs. The research grant (FAU is one of six Florida univer- sities that are receiving funds) is provided by the state under the 21st Century Technology, Research and Enhancement Act. FAU is working with a variety of government agencies, pow- er companies, technology companies and marine research groups. "This funding will lead to the establishment of a world- class centre that will revolu- tionize 'future energy' pro- duction on our planet," said Dr. Larry F. Lemanski, vice president for research at FAU. "We are very excited about developing these inno- vative, energy-producing technologies, and we have put together a strong part- nership base composed of .industrial, academic and government partners." This is a technology that could power the entire Bahamas at a competitive cost saving hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel costs alone. And our total power consumption is only a fraction of Florida's. The State of Solar Related to this (in some ways) was an article in Solar Today magazine on devel- opments in renewable ener- gy over the past 20 years. The most startling fact was that by 2050 the addi- tional power needed to sat- isfy global demand will con- sume the entire production of 20,000 new large electric power plants each gener- ating 1000 megawatts. Obviously, this magazine duce steam that turns a tur- bine to generate electricity, currently costs about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour in the US. It is used in utility- scale plants in several Amer- ican states, which are sup- plemented by natural gas that generates a quarter of the output. Projects are now under- way in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Latin America. Spain hopes to generate 500 megawatts from concentrating solar power by 2010, and China is considering a "Florida's electricity use is expected to rise by 30 per cent over the next decade, and the state is heavily dependent on imported sources of energy. That's one reason why there has been so much interest in basing liquified natural gas plants at Bimini and Freeport." is in favour of using solar power to meet this rapidly rising demand. And it reports that the cost of solar electricity has dropped in the US from several dollars to less than 25 cents per kilo- watt-hour over the past 20 ve,ars. Through better man- ufra4turing, more efficient devices and new materials, the industry expects to cut that cost to less than 6 cents within the next two decades. The current cost of elec- tricity in Nassau is about 27 cents per kilowatt-hour, but solar equipment remains expensive to import and install. The government is working on an energy policy that may introduce incen- tives to make such installa- tions more cost-effective. Concentrating solar pow- er, which uses special mir- rors to focus. the sun's ener- gy on piped water to pro- LARGE SHIPMENT OF USED CARS IN STOCK COME CHECK US OUT NEW EXTRA LARGE SHIPMENTARRIVED THISWEEK For Easy Financing Baink And Iisiuance On Premises Check Our Price Before buying Bahamas Bus & Truck Call. 1000 megawatt plant that could cost more than $2 bil- lion. The magazine also report- ed that the cost to produce wind energy has dropped from 40 to as little as 4 cents per kilowatt-hour at the best sites. The challenge here, experts say, is transmission since most people don't live in the windiest places. So researchers are developing lower-speed turbines and looking at ways to place wind farms offshore. "Much remains to be accomplished before renew- able electricity (can form) a significant part of our energy supply," the magazine con- cluded. "More than ever, policy makers, industry interests and renewable energy advocates must work together to create the equi- table policies and robust markets that will make them available to serve every house and building." Perhaps the best recent example of such collabora- tion is California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 10-year, $3.2 billion, solar incentive programme, which has the goal of installing 3,000 megawatts of photo- voltaic power on the equiva- lent of a million roofs around the state. This requires the industry to increase the current installed capacity six-fold. The programme includes financial incentives and mar- keting campaigns as well as writing solar technology into the state's energy code. The tax and cash incentives can cover up to half of the cost of a solar system. We should be so lucky in the Bahamas. OFCs Good for the Global Economy? The Economist featured a 14-page special report on offshore finance in which the single reference to the Bahamas was as one of a group of tax havens that were blacklisted by the OECD in 2000. Meanwhile, competitors like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Jersey, Singapore and Dubai were cited for diversifying into more sophisticated businesses - focusing on hedge funds, captive insurance, deriva- tives and other forms of structured finance. The magazine identified three big problems for today's globalised economy: "Money moving instantly and anonymously across bor- ders can benefit terrorists, drug traffickers and rogue nations in need of cash. "Footloose capital trans- mits not just tainted money but financial crises too, (because) it is increasingly difficult to understand where financial risk lies. "Highly mobile financial flows may take tax revenues with them, (which) is partic- ularly serious for rich coun- tries with aging populations that they will have to sup- port in retirement." So since the 1990s the countries that control the world's banking system have been pushing for a stronger regulatory regime to guard against the undesirable effects of financial globali- sation: "The idea is to prod financial centres worldwide to adopt best practice on bank supervision, the collec- tion of financial information and the enforcement of money-laundering rules." That's why we had to pass all those financial laws in a big rush seven years ago. The alternative was to be shut out of the international banking system. And recently, Barack Obama, the African-Ameri- can Democratic presidential candidate, introduced a Bill to prevent tax havens like the Bahamas from draining the US Treasury of $100 mil- lion a year a third of the US budget deficit. But The Economist thinks tax competition is healthy because, like all monopolies, governments tend to become bloated and competition encourages high-spendin'g governments to change. And after the regulatory ores- sures of the past decade, supervision in most ofshtore centres is as good as it ;s onshore, the magazine says. While some offshore cen- tres continue to be mainly repositories of the cash of large companies, rich indi- viduals and rogues, others (like Jersey, Bermuda and Cayman) have become sophisticated, well-run finan- cial centres in their own right, with expertise in nich- es like structured finance and insurance, according to The Economist. "Although international initiatives aimed at reducing financial crime are welcome, the broader concern over OFCs is overblown. Well- run jurisdictions of all sorts, whether nominally on -- or offshore are good for the global financial system." Well, that's good news for the Bahamas Financial Ser- vices Board. Now if our lawyers, accountants and bankers could only provide the kind of sophisticated ser- vices offered by smaller competitors like Bermuda and Cayman things would be" really looking up. What do you think? Send comments to larry@tribunemedia.net Or visit Share your news The Tribune wants to hear from people who are making news in their neighborhoods. Perhaps you are raising funds for a good cause, campaigning for improvements in the area or have won an award. If so, call us on 322-1986 and share your story. THE TRIBUNE PAGE 6, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 TH TRBUECENEDA, ERURY28W00, AGI BPSU president FROM page one ing, he said. Mr Pinder suggested that workers expect industrial matters to be resolved before the end of the government's mandate. Additionally, he argued that the upcoming elections allow workers the opportu- nity to be more easily heard, as governments prefer quiet and industrial peace, rather than discord, during these times. Mr Pinder stated: "This is political season and we expect for these matters to be resolved before the House is dissolved from the government standpoint. "From a non-governmen- tal standpoint, where persons feel as if the government could get involved and cause resolution to come to out- standing issues, they are now making sufficient noise so the government could realise it's important to have mat- ters addressed before they go into a general election." Mr Pinder lamented the current state of discord before the election. He said: "I hate to know that it is the political season and the voting' population has to look at the amount of industrial unrest 'that is tak- ing place in the country to make their decision. It should be that whichever governing party is in place - they have performed to the expectations of the people to get re-elected. "But, when they are not performing up to the peo- ple's expectations, the unrest starts to happen and they lessen their (the governmen- t's) chances of being re-elect- ed." Though resolution has been reached with the prison officers, and the Nurses Union, disputes are still pending with the road traffic workers, the managers at Baha Mar and the Teacher's Union, which is threatening a strike that could cripple the educational system, if their dispute is not resolved quick- ly. FROM page one seriously. Speaking with The Tribune, legal rep- resentative of Save the Bahamas Fred Smith said it is time that Bahamians realise that the environment is the one resource that will provide all the economic oppor- tunities for future generations. "We cannot understand how they (the political, parties) can permit the environ- mental destruction that is continuing. Over the last five years more and more non-gov- ernmental organizations, home owners associations and other international envi- Environment ronmental organizations have been speak- ing out about the rape of the Bahamian environment. "We cannot understand why neither the FNM, nor the PLP have not passed an environmental protection Act," he said. Mr Smith said that in his opinion the newly-formed Ministry of Energy and Environment has done little to promote such an Act. He said he considers the min- istry "a joke." Without laws in place to preserve the Contractor concerns FROM page one that this sham stops." It was claimed that the Ministry and Min- ister Neville Wisdom were "going to end up with a bad name." The source predicated that "serious controversy is going to erupt soon due to this matter." The Tribune over the past several months has been reporting allegations of poor workmanship by contractors in subdivisions such as Excellence and Dignity Gardens, and Pride Estates. Residents of those subdivisions said that in some instances their houses deteriorated severely within weeks of being occupied. Complaints included uneven floors, cracked tiles, damaged cab- inets, dented doors, unconnected faucets, leaking pipelines, and severe water damage. Earlier this month Minister Wisdom urged all new home- owners to bring their complaints directly to him. Industrial unrest avoided FROM page one er in Eleuthera Properties Ltd., the company developing the first Bahamian owned and operated resort on the scale of the Cotton Bay Estates and Villas. In an unprecedented move last year, the Royal Bank of Canada invested $2 million in the Cotton Bay development, a first in the bank's nearly centu- ry-long presence in The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Investment Minister Vincent Peet said the investment should prove to be a catalyst, noting that it realized an equity part- nership between a commercial bank and the largest domestic investor in the country's prima- ry industry. And at the beginning of this year, the developers announced that Phase I of the development will open a few months later than originally announced. The opening of Cotton Bay's 73-room resort was scheduled for May or June 2007, but Eleuthera Properties Chairman Franklyn Wilson disclosed that it is n6w-slated to take place in November. Mr Wilson made the announcement during a contract signing event for the installation of water and sewerage in the first phase of the project. Yesterday, The Tribune spoke to the managing director of the project who explained the cur- rent position on the industrial unrest. According to Mr Steen- bakkers: "Last Friday there was a little bit of a glitch with the bank's processing of the payroll, but all of these issues were resolved yesterday." Mr. Steenbakkers said that at the moment all 120 construc- tion employees were at work. Asked if he foresaw any future problems with the work- ers on the project, he said that on projects as large as Cotton Bay challenges are expected. "But this was just an isolated incident where everything has been resolved," he said. Cotton Bay's Phase I will comprise two and three bed- room villas, 114 estate lots and a 26,000-square foot clubhouse. Future phases will include an 18-hole championship golf course, wellness centre/ spa, additional real estate devel- opment and an expanded mari- na. country's natural resources, he said, it is unclear in which manner the ministry is regulating and enforcing the protection of the environment. "The ministry has no teeth. We are pass- ing every other piece of legislation except an environmental protection Act," he said. Mr Smith also expressed disappointment in the Ministry of Energy. and Environ- ment for granting new licences this week to allow for the exploration for oil on the Bahamian ocean floor. "Oil exploration, the destruction of our mangroves and the total destruction of all of the creeks throughout the east end of FROM page one Pensi( Minister Roberts also said House of As he will donate part of his par- general electi liamentary pension for the Mr Roberts benefit of the Bain and the House of Grant's Town Constituency seasoned and and other charitable causes, nessman who: Mr Roberts will not be in advance f< seeking re-election to the retirement. FROM page one Contacting the union on Monday, labour officials pushed for a meeting this week, said Mrs Poitier Turnquest, however due to her current ill health it has been postponed to next week. Depending on the outcome of this meeting, BUT officials will decide whether to go ahead with the strike vote, which has been in the pipeline for about two weeks, said the union president. If a strike vote is taken, up to 800 teachers coun- try-wide could leave the classroom. Teachers have been protesting for several weeks about numerous long-standing issues relating to their salaries and status. These include undelivered backpay, lack of reassessment for those with additional qualifica- tions, and monthly rental allowances which have FROM page one expressed its opinion that the time had come to end the litiga- tion over Defendant's extradition: 'The fact of the matter is that Samuel Knowles has reached the end of the road. He and his coun- sel (and the respondents' coun- sel) have fought a long hard fight, and with considerable credibili- ty. But it is over. No extra time is allowed.'" Furthermore, the response seeks to nullify Knowles' claim that his extradition was unlawful, due to his having a writ of habeas corpus outstanding. The United States contends that the language of the Supreme Court which stat- ed that the habeas corpus was "doomed to fail" and had "less chance of success that (sic) the proverbial, snowball in Hell," unambiguously affirmed the legality of the extradition. "Were I to accede to this appli- Grand Bahama, all the environmental sav- agery that has been allowed to happen must stop," he said. Mr Smith added that it cannot be that Bahamians are "just going to sell our nation in the short term for quick bucks to be earned by foreign real estate agents and developers. "It is time we took the environment seri- ously and Save the Bahamas challenges the voters of the Bahamas, all 150,000 of them, to challenge each prospective rep- resentative, both on the PLP and FNM tickets, to commit to the environment," he said. oners to see increase assembly in the ons. said he came to Assembly as a successful busi- made provisions or his eventual He said whatever his enti- tlement is under the contrib- utory Parliamentary Pensions Act "will be a bonus which I shall use in part for the bene- fit of the constituency of Bain and Grant's Town and other charitable causes." BUT officials are set to meet with director and minister of lab6ur gone unpaid for up to six months. Teachers in both Grand Bahama and New Prov- idence, claiming to be "at the end of their tether" with the ministry, have been involved in disruptive demonstrations and sick-outs. They allege that negligence on behalf of the min- istry has left many suffering severe financial hard- ship. In the meantime, Education Minister Alfred Sears has stated that "extraordinary measures" are being taken to ensure teachers receive outstanding pay and reassessments expeditiously. Ninety cation, it would allow Knowles to carry on with this impossible task. After, perhaps another two or three year's delay, he would have ended up. in the same place. I could order his return to the juris- diction but in three years time after the appeals have been done he would be back in Miami," said the document, quoting a decision of the Supreme Court. According to the response, the Minister of Foreign Affairs' sign- ing of the Warrant of Surrender further bolsters the United States' claim to jurisdiction with regard to the extradition treaty, as well as the Government's lack of protest to it. Judge John Cohn, who heard Knowles' appeal for dismissal Thursday, did not make a ruling on the issue, but deferred and said he would return later with., * SAMUEL 'Ninety' Knowles his decision. Knowles' case is being expe- dited as swiftly as possible by the federal government because "it is an aged case" and "the court finds that the ends of justice served by the granting of a con- tinuance (of trial) outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial." Moses Plaza, Bay Street 326-7327 Shire St. (2nd floor The Standard House) Phone: 323-6920 Fax: 325-8486 mB The management and staff of C. A. Christie Real Estate would like to take this occasion to congratulate Confidence Insurance Brokers & Agents Ltd. #O1 9 on their Again....CONGRATULATIONS! C.A. Christie Real Estate Seagrapes House Saunder's Beach P.O. Box N-8245 Nassau, Bahamas Phone: (242) 326-4800 Fax: (242) 326-5684 email: sales@cachristie.com II I I I ll THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 7 Poverty, gender equality among topics addressed during Population Fund visit REDUCING poverty, improving the quality, and establishing gender equality in the Bahamas were among the topics addressed during the vis- it of the United Nation's Popu- lation Fund (UNFPA) repre- sentative to the Bahamas this week. The UNFPA representative for the English and Dutch- speaking Caribbean Harold Robinson has wrapped up a three-day familiarisation visit to the Bahamas by meeting with representatives of key govern- ment and non-governmental agencies. Mr Robinson's visit is expect- ed to boost UNFPA's assistance in the area of gender and devel- opment in the Bahamas. Mr Robinson said the over- all objective of the current UNFPA Country Programme in the Caribbean is "to con- tribute to the reduction of poverty and to improve the quality of life of the people of the region by promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights; gender equality and equi- ty and by integrating popula- tion related factors into development strategies and plans." Phedra Rahming of the Min- istry of Social Services and offi- cer-in-charge of the Bureau of Women's Affairs, described Mr Robinson's visit as "quite sig- nificant." She explained that as a result of the visit the Bahamas should soon be seeing some assistance from UNFPA in the area of gender and development. "We are very hopeful that in the ensuing months, we are going to formalise an agreement and begin some work beginning with a needs assessment throughout our islands and the preparation of a report and cer- tainly moving towards the establishment of a gender poli- cy for the country," Mrs Rah- ming said. One of the drawbacks facing local officials in getting UN assistance in the past, she said, was that the UN had no estab- lished programmes in the Bahamas prior to 2007. She said that the Bahamas never qualified for the pro- grammes "because we are viewed to be so far up the scale that no one was considering us." "What has happened for the most part and particularly in the government agencies is that we are so accustomed to hear- ing that we can't qualify because it is done on a per capi- ta basis and because we are viewed to be so far up the scale, no one considered us," Mrs Rahming said. Prior to Mr Robinson's vis- it, the Ministry of Social Ser- vices set up strategic meetings with various entities through- out the community. As a result of these meetings, it is expected that Bahamians will see more of the non-gov- ernmental organizations as well as government entities putting forth proposals to UNFPA "The Bureau of Women's Affairs will definitely be seeking their assistance and I believe there are some other NGOs who have said they will do so as well," Mrs Rahming added. UNFPA has provided sup- port to the Caribbean since 1969 and remains the largest international source of popula- tion assistance. The fund has provided more than $40 million to govern- ments, non-governmental organizations and civil societies, in support of programmes and projects at both the national and regional levels. ........... ....................................................................... I............................................................ ..................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Junior Achievement hosts a weekend of events THE Junior Achievement organisation held an Open House at the National Insurance Board on Blue Hill Road on Thursday. The National Insurance Company's Clink group won the open house with their 'Bahamian Wedding' theme. 5 New Reftaurantf, 21 New Skhqp, All in tfe heart /pmaradife. A del new e.xtricehajf iaen'rn unveiled it 1'aradfhe l, bland. Alarina v/ilqf/te at Atlianti, offers the jfineit int ,wlt-cldw A s ,,inPq (til diniq. Yeu'ilJi flM ratd nni.,fieirn ro,,(nt the ,wrrlu ff/crinn e'verytfhinfrem exA',uifte je, idr; n ,, timqt'it, te reert wear anm au'cfeirlo. Aftcr you vsil thie 21 kutiiti., dine at one ef lAt i'ie, re'dfarfit, witlr lf'Ici t4 .,fifl' even thel' mf reftnedi J'.la(. Tif ,'icll.q if f diht! alt the tott'rn end t The Marima at Aflanti,, i."t .'(r kthe aralielsld s ri t ri,. ---- -- THE activities continued on Saturday with a step show at St John's College featuring BEC's group (pictured). Junior Achievement works in partnership with businesses and educators to help young people understand the economics of life. Esso campaign raises $32,000 for hospital foundation * & ~ * SURROUNDED by the Esso team, PMH Foundation members and PMH officials, foundation chairman Myles Munroe accepts a cheque from Keith Glinton, Esso's country manager (Photo: BIS/Kristaan Ingraham) VILLAGE --- AT +-- For mere information, visit Atlantis.cem ESSO's 'Help Us Help' cam- paign last year raised more than 32,000 for the Princess Mar- garet Hospital Foundation. "This creative partnership made it possible for individuals in the community to contribute to the mission of the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation by purchasing fuel from the par- ticipating Esso stations," Foun- dation chairman Myles Munroe said. "Funds from the programme will be used to purchase much- needed medical equipment to assist in pediatric care at Princess Margaret Hospital, mainly the children's ward, the neonatal intensive care units and the special care baby units," he added. Mr Munroe said the PMH foundation will continue to promote creative partnerships with companies and pro- grammes, such as Esso's 'Help Us Help', to strengthen the lev- el of service provided by the hospital. The PMH Foundation "thanks all who contributed unselfishly to the success of the programme," said Mr Munroe, mainly the Esso dealers and employees, the media and all who made Esso their choice during the programme. A percentage of fuel pur- chased at participating Esso sta- tions raised $32,248 in contri- butions to the programme. "The 'Help Us Help' pro- gramme allows the driving pub- lic the opportunity to contribute to something significant with- out going through tremendous effort," said Esso's country manager Mr Keith Glinton. "We provide the mechanism and they actually make the deci- sion to contribute. Anything we can do to increase the likeli- hood of those solutions grow- ing to fruition is very, very nec- essary." Mr Glinton commended the PMH Foundation for affording his company an opportunity to partner with them and assured them that, as long as they have the continued support of their station operators, Esso will do its best to continue to con- tribute. "The united partnership between Esso and the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation has proven that miracles can happen through partnership and community efforts," Mr Munroe added. PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY.28, 2007 THE TRIBUNE ' THE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ OA TRBNNENEDYEERURW8S00,PG Defence Force go to. work at children's home AS A way of helping the less fortunate, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been involved in performing myriad tasks with several charita- ble organizations. The harbour unit section of the squadron department visited Bilney Lane children's s Home, where they were busy painting and cleaning the building. Although it was for just a few days, the marines planned on making more frequent visits to resi- dents there, with the hope of doing minor main- tenance work. The operations section of the Defence Force visited Unity House, East Street South, where they also performed charitable work. The marines removed debris from the property. LEFT: Leading Seaman Leon Pearson paints the walls of Bilney Lane Children's Home during a recent visit. (RBDFphoto by Leading Seaman I Jonathan Rolle) MA Bl m the operations section prepare to discard old wheelchairs at Unity House, East 0 DEFENCE Force marines take a break while performing charity work at Bilney Lane Children's Street South. y were at the residence engaged in charitable work. Home. (RBDF photo by Leading Seaman Mark Armbristff) (RBDF photo by Leading Seaman Jonathan Rolle) Late environmentalist's dream to be kept alive through scholarship FAMILY and friends of the late noted environmentalist Ethan Bain have established a memorial scholarship foun- dation as a way of keeping his spirit and love for The Bahamas' environment alive. Through the foundation, students and professionals can begin or continue their work in the environmental health sci- ences while helping The Bahamas to keep its islands clean as a desirable resort for national and international vis- itors. "The Bahamas is extremely dependent on the tourism trade and, as a result, we should continue Ethan's wish to have our economy remain competitive in the ever- increasing field of destination selection," said Mrs Janice McCants Miller, foundation vice-chairman. Students and career profes- sionals will be awarded schol- arships either to begin pursu- ing environmental studies or to upgrade their credentials in this field. The foundation aims to serve as an effective tool in attracting individuals to envi- ronmental studies and in encouraging their retention in the field. Officers and members of the foundation's executive and selection councils have been meeting for several months to develop criteria for selecting award recipients, expand the donor database, establish a website and identify projects. "We are extremely satisfied with the progress made thus far and look forward to keep- ing Ethan's dream of a clean, aesthetically pleasing Bahamas alive," said Mrs Bain. 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".,7.- . !. .- 2007 FORD SPORT TRAC $39,700.00 4.0L V6 Automatic Limited - Edition, . loaded with leather interior 2006 FORD F 50 $34,300.00 L V6 Automatic Reg Cab STX The worlds best selling full size truck (other models available) b b '4 See the full line of your favourite Ford vehicles at FRIENDLY MOTORS LTD THOMPSON BOULEVARD TEL.: 356-7100 FAX: 328-6094 smartcholce EMAIL: friendlymotors@hotmail.comrn WEBSITE: friendlymotorsbahamas.com PART OF YOUR LIFE I WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 9 THE TRIBUNE ': ` IM : IHIbUN- . .-._ .v. W ..I L.-ui.erI' I L. I I.LiUt.MAnI 0, rUUI Telephone 242 393 2007 Fax 242 393 1772 Internet INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT To the Shareholder of The Bank of Nova Scotia International Limited Report on the consolidated balance sheet We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of The Bank of Nova Scotia International Limited ("the Bank"), as of October 31, 2006, which includes a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes. Management's responsibility for the consolidated balance sheet Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of this consolidated balance sheet in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. This responsibility includes: designing, implementing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the balance sheet that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances. Auditors' responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this consolidated balance sheet based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the consolidated balance sheet is free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated balance sheet. The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the assessment of risks of material misstatement of the consolidated balance sheet, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity's preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated balance sheet. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion, the consolidated balance sheet presents fairly, in all material respects the financial position of The Bank of Nova Scotia International Limited as of October 31, 2006, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The corresponding figures as of October 31, 2005 were audited by another firm of Chartered Accountants and their report thereon, dated February 20, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion. Chartered Accountants Nassau, Bahamas February 23, 2007 THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Consolidated Balance Sheet October 31, 2006, with corresponding figures for 2005 (Expressed in United States dollars) Note 2006 2005 ($'OOOs) ($'OOOs) Assets Deposits with Central Banks $ 15!.881 170,798 Deposits with banks Affiliate 1,814,681 1,941,864 Other 1,956,698 1,717,016 3, 19(a)(c)(e) 3,929,260 3,829,678 Loans and advances to customers 4 10,342,239 6,078,750 Accrued income Affiliates 29,160 16,139 Other 167,563 99,521 Derivative financial instruments 18 126,073 111,652 Investments 5, 19(a)(c)(e) 8,027,704 7,360,591 Assets under repurchase agreements 19(a)(c)(e) 2,250,818 1,890,962 Insurance balances receivable. 13 25,790 17,057 Investment in associates 645 809 Other assets 6 298,047 66,449 Deferred tax asset 283 Fixed assets 50,953 28,338 Investment property 8 4,188 3,685 Goodwill 7 6,138 8,138 $ 25,258,578 19,512,052 Liabilities and Equity Liabilities Deposits Affiliates $ 5,971,247 3,882,266 Other 7,256,886 5,395,680 9, 19(a)(c)(e) 13,228,133 9,277,946 Accrued interest payable Affiliates 29,272 21,633 Other 86,703 37,139 Due to Affiliates 295,622 2,124 Other 35,436 - Derivative financial instruments 18 245,944 255,334 Obligations related to repurchase agreements 19(a)(c)(e) 2,240,004 1,868,479 Obligations related to trading securities sold short 1,043,601 1,069,451 Insurance liabilities 13 99,360 78,098 Other liabilities 10., 16 563,615 146,482 Tax liabilities 11,960 5,431 Debt securities in.issue 25,314 Equity linked note 11 747,957 720,508 Redeemable preference shares held by Parent Bank 15 59,260 59,260 Total liabilities 18,712,181 13,541,885 Equity Share capital 14 2,792 2,792 Share premium 1,466,559 1,466,559 Contributed surplus 299,748 299,748 .Statutory reserves 14 7,058 5,728 Retained earnings 4,667,240 4,092,340 Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent 6,443,397 5,867,167 Minority interest 12 103,000 103,000 Total equity 6,546,397 5,970,167 $ 25,258,578 19,512,052, See accompanying notes to consolidated balance sheet. This balance sheet was approved on behalf of the Board of Directors on February 23, 2007 by the following: Director t --- Director Notes to Consolidated Balance Sheet October 31, 2006 (Expressed in United States dollars) 1. Reporting entity The Bank of Nova Scotia International Limited (the: 'Bank') is incorporated under the Companies Act, 1992 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and is licensed under the Banks and Trust Companies Regulation Act, 2000. The Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of Nova Scotia (the 'Parent Bank'), a company incorporated in Canada. The registered office of the Bank is located at Scotia House, 404 East Bay Street, Nassau, The Bahamas. The primary activities of the Bank and its wholly owned subsidiaries. s ('ogcther the 'Group') are offshore wholesale banking, retail and commercial banking, the provision of trust, corporate and administrative services, and insurance. The Bank nas operations in over I1 countries. As at October 31, 2006, the Group employed approximately 2,178 employees (2005: 1,165 employees). KPMG PO Box N 123 Montague Sterling Cenure East Bay Street Nassau. Bahamas As part of the Improvements project IAS 32 and IAS 39 were significantly amended. The amendments became effective for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2005. Corresponding information was adjusted in accordance with IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors to ensure the appropriate accounting policies are applied within each period. The amended IAS 39 introduced a new category of financial instruments (i.e. financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss). Under the amended IAS 39, designation of any financial assets or financial liability at fair value through profit or loss is made upon initial recognition at the Group's discretion. The Group shall not reclassify a financial instrument into or out of the fair value through profit or loss category while it is held or issued. However, transitional provisions to IAS 39 allowed the Group a one time opportunity to designate a previously recognized financial asset or financial liability as a financial asset or financial liability at fair value through profit or loss despite the requirement to make such designation upon initial recognition. The Company. designated certain investments previously classified as available-for- sale to fair value through profit or loss due to accounting mismatch. At November 1, 2005 certain investments in debt, other fixed income and other securities with carrying amounts and fair values of $3,285 million were designated at fair value through profit or loss. In the consolidated balance sheet as of October 31, 2005 these investments were classified as available-for-sale. Designation of all equity investments at fair value through profit or loss at November 1, 2005 did not result in any adjustment to their carrying amounts. (f) Principles of consolidation The consolidated balance sheet includes the accounts of the Bank and its subsidiaries after elimination of all significant intercompany accounts, transactions and profits. Subsidiaries are those companies in which the Group has more than one half the voting rights or otherwise has the power to exercise control over the financial and operating policies. Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group and are no longer consolidated from the date that control ceases. Where necessary, accounting policies of the subsidiaries have been changed to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by the Bank The financial statements of the subsidiaries used in the preparation of the consolidated ?t have been drawn up to October 31, except for Scotia Insurance (Barbados) Limited, wh 4 .nts are drawn up to September 30. Adjustments are made for the effects of any significafat Pts or intra-group transactions that occur between September 30 and the date of the Bank's consolidated balance sheet. The Bank owns 100% of the voting shares of the subsidiaries in all cases, with the exception of Corporacion Interfin S.A. which the Bank owns 99.99% of the voting shares. The Bank's subsidiaries at October 31, 2006 are as follows: NAME BNS Bermuda Limited BNS International (Barbados) Limited BNS International (Panama) S.A. BNS Pacific Limited Corporacion Interfin S.A. Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited Scotiabank Caribbean Treasury Limited Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. Scotiabank (British Virgin Islands) Limited Scotiabank (Hong Kong) Limited Scotiabank (Ireland) Limited Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Ltd. Scotia Corredores de Seguros S. A. Scotia Insurance (Barbados) Limited Scotia Insurance de Puerto Rico Scotia Realty Cayman Limited Scotia South America Limited The Bank of Nova Scotia Asia Limited The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION Bermuda Barbados The Republic of Panama Mauritius Costa Rica The Bahamas The Bahamas Belize British Virgin Islands Hong Kong The Republic of Ireland The.Turks & Caicos Islands Dominican Republic Barbados The United States of America The Cayman Islands The Bahamas The Republic of Singapore The Bahamas (g) Investments in associates Investments in -associates are accounted for by the equity method of accounting. Associates are entities over which the Group generally has between 20% and 50% of the voting rights, or over which the Group has significant influence, but which it does not control. Unrealized appreciation on transactions between the Group and its associates are eliminated to the extent of the Group's interest in the associates; unrealized depreciation is also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the assets transferred. (h) Translation of foreign currencies Items included in the financial statements of each entity of the Group are measured using the currency that best reflects the economic substance of the underlying events and circumstances relevant to that entity (the "functional currency"). The consolidated balance sheet is presented in U.S. dollars which is the functional and presentation currency of the Bank. Statements of operations and cash flows of foreign entities are translated into the Group's presentation currency at average exchange rates for the year and their balance sheets are translated at the exchange.rates ruling on October 31. (i) Originated loans and the provision for loan impairment Loans originated by the Group by providing money directly to the borrower or to a sub-participation agent at draw down are categorized as loans originated by the Group and are stated at their principal amount net of unearned interest and allowance for credit losses. Third party expenses, such as legal fees, incurred in securing a loan are treated as part of the cost of the transaction. All loans and advances are recognized when cash is advanced to the borrowers. Loan origination and associated fees that are material to the Group are recognized over the appropriate lending or commitment period. A specific credit risk provision for loan impairment is established to provide for-management's estimate of credit losses as soon as the recovery of an exposure is identified as doubtful. The amount of the provision is the difference between the carrying amount and the recoverable amount, being the estimated present value of expected cash flows, including amounts recoverable from guarantees and collateral, discounted at the original effective interest rate of loans. In the case of loans to borrowers in countries where there is an increased risk of difficulties in servicing external debt, an assessment of the political and economic situation is made, and additional country risk provisions are established as necessary. A provision for loan impairment is also established to cover losses that based on experience are judged to be present in the lending portfolio at the consolidated balance sheet date, but which nave not been specifically identified as such. This provision is based on an analysis of internal credit gradings allocated to borrowers, refined to reflect the economic climate in the markets in which the Group operates. When a loan is deemed uncollectable, it is written off against the related provision for impairments; subsequent recoveries are credited to the provision for loan losses. If the amount of the impairment subsequently decreases due to an event occurring alter the write down, the release of the provision is credited as a reduction of the provision for loan losses. *7 I "Mw _I II i- 2. Basis of preparation and significant accounting policies (a) Statement of compliance The Bank's consolidated balance sheet has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The accounting policies have been applied consistently to all periods presented in the consolidated balance sheet and have been applied consistently by Group entities. (b) Basis of measurement The consolidated balance sheet has been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and financial liabilities and derivative contracts to fair value. (c) Functional and presentation currency The consolidated balance sheet is presented in United States dollars (USD), which is the Group's functional currency. Except as indicated, financial information presented in USD has been rounded to the nearest thousand. (d) Use of estimates and judgements The preparation of the consolidated balance sheet requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised and in any future periods affected. In particular, information about significant areas of estimation uncertainty and critical judgements in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheet is described in notes 4, 7, 13, 16, 18 and 21. (e) Adoption of changes in IAS and IFRS In December 2003 and March 2004, the IASB approved amendments to a number of existing standards as a result of the Improvements project and issued several new standards. The objective: of the Improvements project were to reduce or eliminate alternatives, redundancies and conflict, within the standards, to deal with some convergence issues and to make other improvements. On November 1, 2005, the Group adopted the revised versions of IFRS and IAS that were effective a January 1, 2005 as described below: IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures has affected the identification of related parties and sorrm other related party disclosures. IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 11 '4 I I I I n I 1~1i (j) Investments The Group has classified its investments into the following categories: available-for-sale, fair value through profit and loss, and held-to-maturity. Investments are classified as available-for-sale if management intends to hold the investments for an indefinite period of time, but may sell the investments in response to needs for liquidity or changes in interest rates, exchange rates, or equity prices. Investments are classified as fair value through profit and loss if they are acquired principally for the purposes of generating a profit from short-term fluctuations in price or dealers' margin or if they are so designated at the time of acquisition. Investments with fixed maturity where management has both the intent and the ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase. Effective October 1, 2005, the Bank availed itself of the transitional provisions under LAS 39 (revised 2004) and designated all of its investments previously recognized as available-for-sale to fair value through profit and loss. All regular way purchases and sales of investments are recognized on the trade date, which is the 'date that the Group commits to purchase or sell the asset. Investment securities are initially recognized at fair value (which includes transaction costs). Fair value through profit and loss investments are subsequently remeasured at fair value based on quoted bid prices or amounts derived from valuation techniques, e.g. discounted cash flow models. Held-to-maturity investments are carried at amortized cost, less any provision for impairment. A financial asset is impaired if its carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount. The amount of the impairment loss for assets carried at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between the asset's carrying amount and the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the financial instrument's original effective interest rate. By comparison, the recoverable amount of an instrument measured at fair value is the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the current market rate of interest for a similar financial asset. (k) Fixed assets Fixed assets are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. With the exception of land, all fixed assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, for material subsidiaries, as follows: Leasehold improvements Over the term of the lease, plus I renewal term Office equipment Between 3-5 years Office furniture and fixtures Between 3-10 years Motor vehicles Between 3-5 years Fixed assets are periodically reviewed for impairment. Where the carrying value amount of an asset is greater than its estimated recoverable amount, it is written down immediately to its recoverable amount. Gains and losses on disposal of fixed assets are determined by reference to their carrying amount. All repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred and all major renovation costs are capitalized. (1) Investment property All property held to generate cash flows independent of the other assets held by the Bank, have been classified as investment property. Investment property is reflected at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses, if any. Depreciation is provided on the following basis: Buildings and equipment Building improvements Tenant improvements Depreciated between 20 40 years on a striight-line basis. Amortized over the estimated useful life of the building. Amortized over the remaining term of the lease. All repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred and all major renovation costs are capitalized. (m) Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the, net assets acquired at the date of acquisition and subsequent to the date of acquisition, is recorded at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is not amortized but is subject to impairment testing on at least an annual basis. If there is any indication of impairment, an analysis is performed to assess whether the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its fair value either through use or recoverability. Fair value through use is measured as the present value of future net cash flows. (n) Pensions Group companies have various pension schemes in accordance with local conditions and practices in the countries in which they operate. Costs relating to defined benefit schemes are assessed in accordance with the advice of qualified actuaries. Variations from the regular cost are spread over the average remaining service lives of existing employees. The Group's contributions to defined contribution plans are charged to the period to which they relate. (o),Sale and repurchase transactions' -, . securities sold witn an agreement to repurchase, continue to be recognized in the consolidated balance sheet and are reported as assets under repurchase agreements which are measured in accordance with the accounting policy for investment securities. The proceeds and securities received from sale of the investments under repurchase agreements are reported in the consolidated balance sheet as obligations related to repurchase agreements. Securities purchased with an agreement to resell (reverse repurchase agreements) are reported in the consolidated balance sheet as loans and advances to customers. The difference between the sale price and repurchase consideration is recognized on an accrual basis over the period of the transaction. (p) Derivative financial instruments Derivative financial instruments are used predominantly by the subsidiaries in Ireland, Asia, and Hong Kong. Derivative financial instruments, including foreign exchange contracts, interest rate futures, forward rate agreements, currency and interest rate swaps, currency and interest rate options (both written and purchased) and other derivative financial instruments, are initially recognized in the consolidated balance sheet at fair value and subsequently are remeasured at their fair value. Fair values are obtained from quoted market prices, discounted cash flow models and options pricing models 'as appropriate. All derivatives are carried as assets when fair value is positive and as liabilities when fair value is negative. Certain derivatives embedded in other financial instruments, such as the conversion option in a convertible bond, are treated as separate derivatives when their risks and characteristics are not closely related to those of the host contract and the host contract is not carried at fair value. Certain derivative transactions, where providing effective economic hedges under the Group's risk management policies do not qualify for hedge accounting under the specific rules in IAS 39. Changes in the fair value of any derivative instrument that does not qualify for hedge accounting under IAS 39 are recognized immediately. (q) Reinsurance contracts and actuarial liabilities Reinsurance contracts (i) Classification Contracts entered into by the Group whereby one party (the reinsurerr") accepts significant insurance risk from another party (the "reinsured") by agreeing to compensate the reinsured if a specified uncertain future event (the "insured event") adversely affects the reinsured are classified as reinsurance contracts. The significance of insurance risk is dependent on both the probability of an insurance event and the magnitude of its potential effect. (ii) Recognition and measurement (a) Reinsurance contracts assumed Gross premiums written are recognized as income when due. Unearned premiums are the portion of premiums written which relate to coverage provided subsequent to the balance sheet date. Claims are recorded as incurred. Loss reserves represent estimates of future payments of reported and unreported claims and related expenses with respect to insured events that have occurred up to the balance sheet date. Ceding and expense allowances payable are recognized on the same basis as gross premiums written. (b) Reinsurance contracts ceded The Company assumes and cedes insurance risk in the normal course of busitfess. The obligations of a reinsurer under reinsurance contracts ceded are recognized as reinsurance balances receivable or payable. Reinsurance balances are measured consistently with the insurance liabilities to which they relate. Reinsurance premiums ceded and related ceding fee income are recognized when due. Reinsurance claim recoveries are established at the time of the recording of the claim liability. Actuarial liabilities Actuarial liabilities are calculated using methods and assumptions considered to be appropriate to the circumstances of Scotia Insurance (Barbados) Limited ('SIBL;) and to the policies in force. They include a provision for losses incurred but not reported and represent the amount, which, in the opinion of SIBL's actuaries, is required to provide for future benefits on policy contracts reinsured by SIBL. (r) Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents comprise deposits with original maturities of less than 3 months from the acquisition date. (s) Fiduciary activities Assets held or'liabilities incurred'together with related undertakings to return such assets to customers or any collateral or other security arrangement entered into by the Group are excluded from the consolidated balance sheet where the Group acts in a fiduciary capacity such as a nominee, trustee or agent. (t) Taxation and deferred income taxes The Bank is not subject to taxation in The Bahamas. However, the Bank's subsidiaries operate in multiple jurisdictions and are subject to taxation at varying rates, Deferred taxation is provided using the balance sheet liability method, providing for temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used foi taxation purposes. Temporary differences arising from the initial recognition of assets or liabilities thdiat affect neither accounting nor taxable profit are not accounted for. The amount of defended tax provided is based on the expected manner or realization or settlement of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using tax states enacted or substantially enacted at the consolidated balance sheet date. A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the unused tax losses and credits can be utilized. Deferred tax assets are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be realized. (u) Offsetting financial instruments Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the consolidated balance sheet when there is a legally enforceable right to set off thie recognized amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis, or realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. (v) Impairment (i) a individual basis The remaining financial assets aie assessed collectively in groups that share similar credit risk characteristics. An impaiineint loss is reversed if the reversal can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognized. (ii) Non financial assets The carrying amounts of the Group's non-financial assets, are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether thete is any indication of impaiimnen f any such indication exists then the asset's recoverable amount is estimated. For goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite lives or that are not yet available for use, recover able amount is estimated at each reporting date. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of an asset or its cash-generating unit exceeds its recoverable amount. A cash-generating unit is the smallest identifiable asset group that generates cash flows that largely are independent fion other assets and groups. Impairment losses are recognized in respect of cash-generating units are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the units and then to reduce the carrying amount of the other assets in the unit (groups of units) assets carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized. 3. Cash and cash equivalents 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'OOOs Deposits with banks and Central Banks $ 3,929,260 3,829,678 Less: Deposits with original maturity dates greater than 3 months from the acquisition date (399,586) (377,060) Mandatory deposits with Central Banks (29,023) '(25,468) $ 3,500,651" 3427,150 4. Originated loans Originated loans can be analyzed as follows: Note 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'OOOs) Consumer :: 583,178 401,545 Mortgage 1,076,211 760,157 Commercial 8,050,126 4,850,396 Other 675,974 101,038 20(a)(c)(e) 10,385,489 6,113,136 Provision for loan impairment (see below) (43,250) (34,386) $ 10,342,239 6,078,750 Provision for loan impairment 2006 2005 ($'000s) .. ($'00s) Balance at beginning of year $ 34,386 37,427 Write back of specific provisions (24,093) (11,976) Amounts charged for loans written off (2,951) Provision for loan impairment during the yeal 32,878 11,854 Exchange adjustment 79 32 $ 43,250 34,386 Provisions for loan impaiiiment ate estimates that may change in the short-lterm. Management believes that the amounts provided will be adequate to cover anmy losses due to impairment of the related assets, but the actual amount of loan losses will be affected by various future events and may vary materially. from the amounts provided. The aggregate amount of loans and advances included in the consolidated balance sheet, which aie classified as non-performing is $74.608 million (2005: $93.927 million). 5. Investments 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Available-for-sale at fair value Debt, other fixed income and other securities Investment in mutual funds Fair value through profit and loss at fair value Debt, other fixed income and other securities Investment in mutual funds Held-to-Maturity at amortized cost Debt and other fixed income securities Less provisjiot flort in~pailnient Total investinents $ 3,273,488 11,427 3,284,915 5,818 7,924,390 3,790,644 103,314 285,135 (103) 103,314 285,032 $ 8,027,704 7,360,591 The movement ill investments may be suimniarized as follows: FIair value 2006 2005 Available- through 1Held-to- Total Total Sti sale piotit and loss matuiit ($'000s) ($'000s) At beginning of yeai $ 3.284,915 3,/90,644 285,032 7,360,591 7,593,619 Reclassificaltons (Note 2e) (3.'281,915) 3.473,043 (188,128) Exchange differences 76 76 40,429 Additions 2,389.963 35,485 2,425,448 3,685,350 Disposals (sale and iedemplion) (1,702,189) (29,075) (1,731,264) (3.990,267) Gains/(losses) flotit changes in tfa value (2/,38-7) (27,387) 31,131 Provision lot iiiiia Imcnt 2,10 240 329 Atuidl e ,tiofui $ 7/,921, t ,t) 103,314 8,027,704 7,360,591 Investment sccuitlies include secutilies with a canying value ot $829246 million (2005: $1,218.529 million) that haw v been pletd'dg as. collateral lot sccnlitics bolloi'ed 6. Other assets 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Cheques in transit $ 43,587 45,018 Other 254,460 21,431 $ 298,047 66,449 -~~~~ I ~I- ,*- 0 7,918,572 3,790,644 I PAGE 12, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 THE TRIBUNE' 7. Goodwill Goodwill is analyzed as follows: 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s Balance beginning of period $ 8,138 8,138 Impairment value (2,000) $ 6,138 8,138 Upon completion of the impairment test, the Company determined that the unamortized goodwill of $8.138 million, relating to the purchase of a private book of business, was impaired under the new fair-value-based impairment testing methodology. In testing impairment, management calculated the present value of future net cash inflows of the private book of business, using the current year's results discounted at a rate of 10 percent. Revenues were projected to decrease due to the departure of a number of clients, while expenses were projected to increase annually by 3 percent due mainly to the increase in salaries. 8. Investment property The estimated fair value of the building and improvements is $12.230 million (2005: $11.647 million) based on independent valuation appraisals, performed in 2002, adjusted for inflationary factors. Investment property is leased to subsidiaries within the Group and to third parties. Rental income from subsidiaries within the Group has been eliminated on consolidation. 9. Deposits Deposits comprise: 2006 2005 ($'0s) ($'000s) Deposits by banks $ 7,939,448 5,976,445 Customer accounts 5,288,685 3,301,501 $ 13,228,133 9,277,946 10. Other liabilities 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'OO0s) Cheques in transit $ 54,446 32,529 Unsettled trades 1,229 21,182 Accrued expenses and other 507,940 92,771 $ 563,615 146,482 11. Equity linked note On 30 November 2001, the Bank issued a non-interest bearing equity linked note (ELN) with an initial value of $498.099 million to St. Lawrence Trading Inc., maturing on 30 November 2016. The Bank is authorized to issue an aggregate additional amount of up to $102 million. The value of the ELN is equal to the aggregate equivalent value of the equity interests in a basket of funds managed by Global Asset Management Limited. At October 31, 2006, the cost of the ELN was $578.021 million (2005:$578.320 million) with a fair value of $747.957 million (2005: $720.508 million). The Bank entered into total return swaps with Scotiabank (Ireland) Limited to hedge its exposure against unfavorable market movements of the basket of funds. The Bank's obligations under the ELN are fully guaranteed by the Parent Bank. The Bank pays a guarantee fee of 10 basis points on the net asset value (NAV) of the basket of investment securities to the Parent Bank. The fee is accrued monthly and is paid quarterly. Under the ELN agreement, the Bank earns a service fee of 0.5% of the amount by which the reference assets NAV exceeds the Purchaser Put Share Value, as defined in the ELN ,;.,reement. The fee is accrued monthly '' ,id at eah an :: of the issue date and on the maturity date. Ot 25 January 2002, Scotiabank (Ireland) Limited ('SIL') acquired 83% of the equity of Drake Investments Limited for total cash consideration of $500 million. SIL's investment in D)iake represents 70% of the outstanding voting shares at the consolidated balance sheet date. 13. Insurance activities Balances and transactions related to insurance activities are summarized below: .. Note 2006 2005 ($'OOOs) ($'000s) Insurance balances receivable $ 25,790 17,057 Actuarial liabilities (a) $ 92,711 74,704 Insurance balances payable 6,649 3,394 Insurance liabilities $ 99,360 78,098 (a) Actuarial liabilities Unearned Loss and Total Premium other actuarial Reserve reserves liabilities ($'000s) ($'000s) ($'000s) Balance at October 31, 2004 $ 17,743. 59,128 76,871 Normal decrease for new and existing policies (355) (6,765) (7,120) Foreign currency translation 1,121 3,832 4,953 Balance at October 31, 2005 18,509 56,195 74,704 Normal decrease for new and existing policies 7,960 6,570 14,530 Net actuarial liabilities assumed 779 1,887 2,666 Net actuarial liabilities recaptured (66) (994) (1,060) Foreign currency translation 602 1,269 1,871 Balance at October 31, 2006 $ 27,784 64,927 92,711 14. Share capital and statutory reserves 2006 2005 ($'000sj ($'000s) Authorized: Ordinary shares of US$1 each $ 3,500 3,500 Issued and fully paid Ordinary shares of US$1 each $ 2,792 2,792 In accordance with local regulations Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. and Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Ltd. are required to establish a statutory reserve fund equivalent to 25% out of net profits for the year until the amount of the reserve is at least equal to the fully paid up and outstanding share capital. 15. Redeemable preferred shares 2006 2005 ($'000s) ('OOOs) Authorized: 7V2% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series A preferred shares of US$1 each $ 10,000 10,000 10% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series B preferred shares of US$1 each 500 500 6V2% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series C preferred shares of US$1 each 51 51 $ 10,551 10,551 Issued and fully paid: 71/2% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series A preferred shares of US$1 each $ 10,000 10(,000 10% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series B preferred shares of US$1 each 493 493 6'/i% non-cumulative participating redeemable Series C preferred shares of US$1 each - 10,493 10,493 Share premium account: Premium on issuee of redeemable preferred shares 48,767 48,767 $ 59,260 59,260 The redeemable preferred shares rank in priority to the ordinary shares of the Bank in the event of a dividend disti bution. Each series of preferred shares ranks equally in all respects except for the dividend rate accrued theleon The preferred shares are redeemable in whole or in part by the shareholder by notice in writing sixty (60) days prior to the redemption date. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Bank, the holders of the redeemable preferred shares shall be entitled to receive the amount paid up thereon together with all dividends declared and unpaid to the date of distribution before any amounts shall be paid or any assets or property of the Bank distributed to the holders of the ordinary shares. The holders of the redeemable preferred shares shall not be entitled to share in any further distribution of the property or assets of the Bank. 16. Pensions The Bank and its subsidiaries operate a number of defined benefit and defined contribution plans on behalf of its employees. The primary pension plan is offered by the Parent Bank. This plan is a defined benefit plan and participation by employees is non-contributory. The contributions to the plan are made by the Parent Bank on an ongoing basis to keep the plan fully funded. The assets of the plan are held in separate trustee administered funds and the pension plan is funded by payments from corporate headquarters taking account of recommendations of independently qualified-actuaries. The most recent actuarial valuation of the plan was at 1 November 2003 and based on that independent valuation, the plan was fully funded. All actuarial 'information relating to this scheme can be found in the consolidated financial statements of the Parent Bank. Subsidiaries participating in the primary pension plan include BNS International (Barbados) Limited, Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited, Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., Scotiabank (British Virgin Islands) Limited., Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Ltd., Scotia Insurance (Barbados) Limited, and The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited. Defined Benefit Pension Schemes Certain subsidiaries of the Bank not participating in the primary pension plan operate independent defined benefit pension schemes. SIL operates a defined benefit pension scheme. The scheme is fully funded and the assets of the scheme are held in a separate trustee administered fund. The most recent independent actuarial valuation of the scheme was at 1 November 2005. The principal assumptions in these valuations were that investment returns would match annual salary increases. Major assumptions _2006 2005 Rate of general increase in salaries Rate of medical benefit inflation (8% p.a. for next 2 years) Rate of increase in monetary cap applying to increases to pensions in payment Discount rate for scheme liabilities Inflation rate 4.00% p.a. 4.50% p.a. 0.00% p.a. 4.60% p.a. 2.25% p.a. 4.00% p.a. 4.50% p.a. 0.00% p.a. 4.50% p.a. 2.25% p.a. The expected long term rate of returns and market value of the assets of the scheme at October 31, 2006 were itas follows: 2006 2006 2005 2005 Market value Expected long Market value Expected long Term rate of term rate of Return return ($'000s) ($'000s) Equities $ 9,046 7.00% 6,858 6.80% Bonds 1,463 3.5% 1,415 3.3%)o Property 1,192 5.00% 934 4.8% Total market value of scheme' assets 11,701 6.36% 9,207 6.06% Actuarial value of pensions and benefits (14,233) (12,180) Actuarial value of medical liabilities (802) (617) Net retirement benefits liability .$ (3,334) (3,590) Net retirement benefits liability is included in the consolidated balance sheet in other liabilities. Movement in deficit during the year 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Deficit at beginning of year . $ (3,590) (2,996) Movement in year: Foreign currency movements (164) 140 Current service cost (723) (585) Past service cost (9) (8) Contributions 734 504 Other finance cost (20) (22) Actuarial gain/(loss) 438 (623) Deficit at end of year $ (3,334) (3,590) Defined Contribution Pension Schemes Subsidiaries operating defined contribution plans include Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited, Scotiabank (British Virgin Islands) Limited, Scotiabank (Hong Kong) Limited, Scotia Realty Cayman Limited, The Bank of Nova Scotia Asia Limited, and The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited. The plans are operated subject to the provisions of the respective subsidiary's local regulations. Defined Contribution Pension Schemes (continued) Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited, Scotiabank (British Virgin Islands) Ltd. and Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Ltd. also participate in a defined contribution plan established by the Parent Bank covering some of their employees. As of October 31. 2006, this plan is fully funded. 17. Global employee share ownership plan Certain subsidiaries of the Bank participate in the Global Employees Share Ownership Plan (GESOP) of the Parent Bank, which allows employees to contribute a percentage of their annual salary to the GESOP. The contributions are used to purchase shares in the Parent Bank, on the Toronto Stock Exchange at prevailing market prices. The employer matches a stated percentage of the employees' contributions and these vests with the employees after a stated period of participation in the GESOP. 18. Derivative financial instruments In the normal course of business, and in order to meet the financing needs of its customers and its Parent Bank, the Group is party to financial instruments, which involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. The Group mitigates the risks associated with such financial instruments by transacting only with well-established, high credit quality financial institutions, including its Parent Bank. The notional amounts represent the amount to which a rate or price is applied to determine the amount of cash flows to be exchanged. Notional amounts do not necessarily indicate the amounts of future cash flows involved or the current fair value of the iiistrunents, and therefore do not indicate the Group's exposure to credit or price risks. The tables below give the notional amounts of derivative financial instruments. The Group uses the following derivative financial instruments: Currency and interest rate swaps are commitments to exchange one set of cash flows for another. Swaps result in an economic exchange of currencies or interest rates or a combination. No exchange of principal takes place. The Group's credit risk represents the potential cost to replace the swap contracts if counterparties fail to perform their obligation. This risk is monitored on an ongoing basis with reference to the current fair value, a portion of the notional amount of the contracts and the liquidity of the market. To control thie level of credit risk taken, the Group assesses counterparties using the same techniques as for its lending activities. Credit default swaps are bilateral financial contracts in which one counterpart (the 'Protection Buyer') pays a periodic fee, typically expressed in basis points on the notional amount, in return for a contingent payment by the othei party, the 'Protection Seller', upon the occurrence of one or more specified credit events with respect to a third paity, the 'Reference lintity'. A credit event is commonly defined as bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, material adverse restructuring of debt, or failure to meet payment obligations when due. Equity and equity index swaps ace agiccemciits between two patties in which at least one party pays periodic allmounts of the saumie curIency or a different currency based oiln the prfciforiance of a share of an issue, a basket of shares of several issues, or an equity index. The other party makes a payment that can be coinpllted in alliy oilther agreed way. fTotal return swaps are agreemecntts between two parties in which one party pays either a single amount or pino(dic aiiountilts based on llthe tolal reuiirn on one or more loans, debt securities or other financial instniitleCntis (eathl a "leflrencce Obligation") issued, guaranteed or otherwise entered into by a third party (the "'kCcleni c I i'tity") calcullc'd by tlecrtclcc to interest, dividend and lee payments anid any appicciation in the ,m lket value of eachi Relclence Obligation The other party pays either a single amount or ip'nodiic aintoulils deteillnmitd bcy fielele'ti to a spccihtliled notional aiIlmunt and any depreciation in lthe inatkcl value of cahi Rclcilcme Utbligatiotn. A total iclmin swap imay (but need not) provide lor acceleration of its eiiri11itlto1 Ji dailte uLIIO)l the occuiii eCice 01 one or nmoc s1pecif ied events with respect to a Refcirencce Il'litiy or a ReCICICIce OIh fgalmio with a tclminiiiatio payment made by one party to lthe othie calculated by rielitence to the vidlie c 1 thel c citelnc ()bligallioii Currency forwards leilesellt conlllitmenlits to pliclhase foreign and domestic currency, including uiidelivcled spot tlanisactionis Culieicy lorwalds call for a cash settlementill at a fnuttle di'l" lor ithe dillfeciice between a conilacted ate ofl lioeign cuinienciy alid lhe current foreign cucieincy iite, listed on ia notional principal a1imounl. I forward rlrate agreements ale individually negotiated intClest rate LMtulUes that call fir a cash sicll ienll at a fultue dale lor the dillfecence between a contracted rate of interest and thlie current inarketl rate, based on a n lultiiiil )plt'ticlpal amlloulnt I - ly LL_ - -. TU TRIRIINF ..I ..- .- II Foreign currency and Interest rate options are contractual agreements under which the seller grants the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, either to buy or sell at or by a set date or during a set period, a specific amount of a foreign currency or a financial instrument at a predetermined price. In consideration for the assumption of foreign exchange or interest rate risk, the seller receives a premium from the purchaser. Options may either be exchange traded or negotiated between the Group and a customer. As at October 31, 2006 Derivatives held-for-trading Interest rate swaps Currency, total return and equity swaps Foreign exchange contracts Options Futures Credit default swaps protection bought Credit default swaps protection sold As at October 31, 2005 Derivatives held-for-trading Interest rate swaps Currency, total return and equity swaps Foreign exchange contracts Options Credit default swaps protection bought Credit default swaps protection sold Futures contracts Notional Amount ($'OOOs) $1,632,079 1,604,707 115,207 1,114,592 300,051 749,314 Notional Amount ($'OOOs) 48,683 3,581,675 44,045 1,103,000 250,000 423,563 Fair Values Assets Liabilities ($'000s) ($'000s) $ 40,343 1,128 66,897 224,506 1,609 20,108 11,592 51 200 5,581 2 $ 126,073 245,944 Fair Values Assets ($'OOOs) 3,568 31,137 1,277 9,475 2 Liabilities ($'000s) 3,299 196,145 932 328 3 16 66,193 54,611 111,652 255,334 Included in interest rate swaps balance is a commitment in the amount of $19.000 million (2005: $18.982 million) in respect of interest rate swap contracts entered into by BNS Asia with the Parent Bank. 19. Financial risk management The Group engages in transactions that expose it to various types of risk in the normal course of business. These risks include credit, market, currency, interest rate, liquidity and fiduciary risk. The Group's financial performance is dependent on its ability to understand and effectively manage these risks. (a) Credit risk The Group. The Group's credit disciplines are based on a division of authority, a centralized credit review system, a committee system for dealing with all major exposures and periodic independent review by the audit department. The Group uses a risk rating system to quantify and evaluate the risk of proposed credits and to ensure appropriate returns for assuming risks. A policy of lending to top quality corporations is pursued. The table below summarises the Group's exposure based upon the geographical distribution of significant financial assets and liabilities at the consolidated balance sheet date: Latn Iona Asia Europe America America Caribbean (Exprssed inthousandsof dollars) 430,933 1,683,291 282,864 733,536 1,585,704 1,135,458 1,404.939 2,480,626 1,242,416 1.839,290 52,105 2,729,781 - 1.129.383 1,030.799 2,981,223 3,076,985 1,195327 1,304,853 2,237,568 - 328,828 1,840,310 930,490 180,055 1.128,570 1,260,086 1,890,962 2,337,874 2,279,217 1,868.479 82,189 714,738 393,345 2,052,931 16,355 3,405,516 Other Total 762,098 36,538 3,929,260 3,399,038 379.724 10,385,489 1,862.415 301.697 8,027,704 90,636 2,250,818 4,413,208 2,436 256,537 13,228,133 2,240,004 861,592 2,021 3,829,678 1,046,595 1,509,720 1,226,997 323,067 6,113,136 7,360,591 1,890,962 172,655 977,039 3,270,240 240,921 9,277,946 1,868,479 (b) Market risk Market risks arise from open positions in interest rate, currency and equity products, all of 'which are exposed to general and specific market movements. Management constantly monitors market risk by utilising real-time market information systems. (c) Currency risk The Group takes on exposure to effects of fluctuations in the prevailing foreign currency exchange rates on its financial position and cash flows. The Group enters into cross currency interest rate swaps in respect of substantially most of its assets contracted in foreign currencies to hedge its foreign currency exposures. The table below summarises the Group's exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk at the consolidated balance sheet date. Included in the table are the Group's significant financial assets and liabilities at carrying amounts, categorised by currency: United States dollar Hong Canadian British Kong Japanese Euro dollar Pound dollar Yen Other Total (Expressed in thousands of dollars) 3,366,230 110,836 134,897 19,685 3,495 157,566 136,551 3,929,260 7,114,015 882,965 4,786 735,400 85,773 141,579 1,420,971 10,385,489 5,486,425 1,415.975 839,471 1,266.523 984.295 - 83.627 42,769 159,437 8,027,704 2,250,818 7.397,793 3,320,693 119,288 216,143 650,348 230,329 1,293,539 13,228,133 2,238,180 1,824 2,240,004 2,620,163 220,764 603,764 21,470 12,626 218.046 132.845 3,829,678 4,205,721 295,754 378 85,041 336,865 51,651 1,137,726 6,113,136 5,669.714 742,408 550,162 787,992 1.081,344 21,626 26,734 88,052 94,333 189,188 7,360,591 1,890,962 5,225,788 2,077,179 154,701 137,275 436.166 295,098 951,739 9,277,946 1,868,479 1,868,479 The table above does not necessarily reflect the currency exposure in the categories listed as currency risks are usually hedged by derivative contracts which do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting under International Financial Reporting Standards. (d) Interest rate risk Differences in maturities or re-pricing dates of financial instruments create an interest rate gap and expose the group to interest rate risk. Deposits placed by and with the commercial banking operations of the Group generally attract fixed interest rates, which are repriced at market rate on maturity of the underlying asset or liability. Loans, mortgages, overdrafts and credit card receivables generally attract interest based on market rates. The Group mitigates its interest rate risk by matching the maturity periods of its assets and liabilities wherever possible. Exposure is generally managed locally by currency and regularly reviewed on a consolidated basis by executive management. SIL represents 50% (2005: 55%) of the total assets of the group. Sensitivity analysis in this company indicates that an imitnediate 1% rise in interest rates would give rise to a change in the mark-to-market valuation of investments of $88 million (2005: $75 million). This analysis is based on the sensitivity of the investment portfolio to parallel shifts in interest rates across all currencies. (e) Liquidity risk Liquidity risk arises from fluctuations in cash flows. The liquidity risk management process ensures that the Group is able to honour all of its financial commitments as they fall due. The Group manages liquidity using policies that include: measuring and forecasting cash commitments building a large stable base of core deposits from retail and commercial customers ensuring immediate availability of large pools of liquid assets to meet unforeseen events diversifying funding sources receiving significant group and affiliate deposits that give the Bank access to considerable funding The relevant maturity groupings based on the remaining period at the consolidated balance sheet date to the contractual maturity date are shown below. The maturity profiles of the asset categories do not necessarily reflect the interest rate sensitivity of the assets. Up to 3 months to 1 Year to 3 months One Year 5 Years (Expressed n thousands of dollars) 2,925,888 728,721 269,283 Over 5 Years Total 5,368 3,929,260 1,418,844 1,606,987 5,320,694 2,038,964 10,385,489 637,949 1,442,715 2,819,184 3,127,856 8,027,704 25,257 340.194 734,986 1,150,381 2,250,818 11,321,235 1,861,019 45,879 2,240,004 - 3,147,519 342,127 336,592 13,228,133 2,240,004 3,440 3,829,618 1,029,466 880,104 2,709,513 1,494,053 6,113,136 690,163 750.116 2,695,216 3,225,096 7,360,591 27.698 185,133 873,045 805,086 1,890,962 7,905.262 1,158,369 214,315 9,277,946 1,868,479 1,868,479 (f) Fiduciary risk The Group provides custody, trustee, corporate administration, investment management and advisory services to third parties which involve the Group making allocation and purchase and sale decisions in relation to a wide range of financial instruments. Those assets that are held in a fiduciary capacity are not included in the consolidated balance sheet. These activities give rise to fiduciary risk, which is the risk that the Group may fail in carrying out certain mandates in accordance with the wishes of its' clients. To manage this exposure, the Group generally takes a conservative approach in its undertakings. At the consolidated balance sheet date, the Group had financial assets under administration of approximately $19 billion (2005: $19 billion). (g) Fair value of financial instruments Fair value represents the amounts at which a financial instrument could be exchanged in an arms length transaction between willing parties and is best evidenced by quoted market prices if one exists. The fair value of the financial assets and liabilities of the Bank approximates their carrying value. 20. Commitments In the normal course of business, various indirect credit commitments are outstanding which are not reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. These may include: (a) Guarantees and standby letters of credit which represent an irrevocable obligation to pay a third party when a customer does not meet its contractual financial or performance obligations. (b) Letters of credit which require the Bank to honour drafts presented by a third party when specific activities are completed. (c) Commitments to extend credit which represent undertakings-to make. credit available in the form of loans or other financings for specific amounts and maturities.subject to-specific conditions. (d) Securities lending transactions under which the Group, acting as principal or agent, agrees to lend securities to a borrower. The borrower must fully collateralize the security loan at all times. These financial instruments are subject to normal credit standards, financial controls, and monitoring procedures. The table below provides a detailed breakdown of the Group's off-balance sheet credit commitments expressed in terms of the contractual amounts of the related commitment or contract: 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Guarantees and irrevocable letters of credit 385,919 492,790 Undrawn standby facilities, credit lines and other * commitments to lend 1,106,379 752,343 Lease and other commitments 389,177 99,108 1,881,475 1,344,241 21. Measurement uncertainty SIBL is exposed to measurement risk in the determination of liabilities for future policy benefits, whicl require assumptions to be made about the timing and amount of future events. Assumptions include best estimates and a margin for adverse deviations to account for the risks and uncertainties involved in the valuation process. With the passage of time, actual experience determines the adequacy of these margins and any excess margins are released into income. The valuation of SIBL's actuarial liabilities may involve the use of the following actuarial assumptions: mortality morbidity (i.e. incidence of disability) and recovery incidence of unemployment and recovery lapse or withdrawal rates investment yields expense levels It is reasonably possible based on existing knowledge, that changes in future conditions in the near term could require a change in the recognized actuarial liability amounts. Given the nature of the underlying policies that are reinsured by SIBL and the reserving methodologies adopted generally ("group creditor- type" policies of fairly short term duration), the impact of such a change would be immaterial aggregate consolidated balance sheet information in the near term. 22. Acquisition On the 1" September, 2006, the Bank acquired Corporacion Interfin S.A., the parent company of Banco Interfin in Costa Rica for US$ 293.5 million. Total assets at acquisition were approximately US$1.4 billion. The Bank has not yet completed its assessment and valuation of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed for this transaction. As a result, the amount of purchase price in excess of carrying value of the assets and liabilities has not been fully allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Below are key figures for Corporacion Interfin S.A. at October 31, 2006 that have been included in the consolidated balance sheet: Assets Deposits with banks Loan and advances to customers Investments in securities Other assets Fixed assets ($'000s) 322,041 959,611 184,005 42,043 20,069 963,742 369.774 Liabilities Deposits Other liabilities 23. Related party transactions The Group is a member of a group of affiliated banks and other companies and has extensive transactions and relationships with members of the group. Related parties (affiliates) comprise the Parent Bank and other entities in which the Parent Bank is considered to have control or exercise significant influence over the entities' financial or operational decisions. Balances with related parties including the Parent Bank are disclosed as 'affiliates' in the consolidated balance sheet and related notes. i 24. Reclassifications Certain corresponding figures in the consolidated balance sheet and notes have been reclassified to conform with the consolidated balance sheet presentation adopted for the current year. 'm51141 ~ L 1'0'~' WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 13 ___ I ..- I I C'I~" - -p -a~- ~IPF~BWm~llO~P~~ LAf , i PAGE 14, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 *THE TRIBUNE LOCAL'EI~ New water park 'Aquaventure is finally unveiled at Atlantis M ONE of the first to try out the ATLANTIS has unveiled its new 63-acre waterscape, 'Aqua- venture' the centerpiece of the resort's billion-dollar expan- sion. This addition is expected to position Atlantis as the largest water-themed attraction in the world, containing over 20 mil- lion gallons of water altogether. This non-stop water experi- ence consists of new water slides, a mile-long river ride with high-intensity rapids and wave surges, and "never-before- seen" special effects that are designed to add an extreme lev- el of excitement to the overall experience. Aquaventure will be limited to resort guests only until some- time after Easter. At that time Kerzner Inter- national will launch a resident access and school programme. Details of the resident access and school programme will be unveiled in the coming weeks by George Markantonis, presi- dent and managing director of Kerzner International Bahamas. Aquaventure takes known water-based attractions such as water slides, river rapids, water- falls and water holes and adds "first-of-its-kind special effects and technology, bringing then 'Aquaventure' water park all together in a lush environ- ment that is both immersive and interconnected," Kerzner Inter- national said. Once guests are situated in their inner tubes and enter the attraction, they are propelled along by water escalators, waves, water surges and water coaster technology. Unlike traditional water slides that require the partici- pant to leave the water and climb back to the start, at Aqua- venture guests never have to leave the water as they are pro- pelled back up the slide tower via water conveyors. The Power Tower is the grand icon of Aquaventure. At 120 feet tall, the tower will offer guests the choice of four water slides including the 'Abyss', 70- foot high, 200-foot long body slide that starts at the top of the Power Tower. Other attractions featured at the Aquaventure park will be 'The Drop, The Falls and The Surge'- three inner tube slides using the "master-blaster" tech- nology, which effectively cre- ates roller coasters from jets of water that propel rides up and downhill at a fast pace. In addition to the numerous tidal pools and entry points N A PANORAMIC view of the new water park at Atlantis along Aquaventure, guests will have access to two fresh-water pools the Grotto Pool and the largest pool at the resort, 'The Baths', containing nearly 750,000 gallons of water and decorated with hieroglyphic columns and rock work struc- tures. "In designing Aquaventure, we challenged the best design- ers, creative minds and water ride technologists to work with us to take the water experience to a different level. We believe there is something innate with- in human beings that cause them to react to fire and water. We believe that enhancing visuals and landscaping within the experience gives guests another energy, another layer of excitement, a feeling that they are in a place they've nev- er been before," Mr Markan- tonis said. Executive Chairman, Kerzn- er International, Sol Kerzner added, "It is simply not enough for us to deliver new water rides. Our goal is to redefine the concept of a water park." ,.77 Bl **" ;*'* *'1 ?: i' ^* .^ :f; .* .. .. S.. ", . ,,.. i' ",' - i .3 . .. .- -; . .45. - ** ,* .: . ^ ;- *'-- ,, :: . -, - * COMING to the end of the new attraction NASSAU Robinson and Soldier Roads, Nassau, N.P., Bahamas P.O. Box CB-12072 Telephone: (242) 394-8043 / (242) 394-8047 Pagers: 340-8043/340-4424/3404034Fax: (242)340-8034 Police Sergeant 691 CLOIDE GREENE, 45 of Cascarilla Street, Pinewood Gardens, and formerly of Mangrove Cay, Andros, will be held on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 11:00 a. m. at Bahamas Christian Fellowship Centre, Carmichael Road. Officiating will be Apostle Paul Butler, assisted by other Ministers. Interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive. He is survived by his Wife: Ann Greene, Four Children: Lamar, Preston, Michael and David Greene, Three Brothers: Kelly, Sherrold, and Julius Greene, Two Sisters: Laurene Saunders and Daisy Simmons Greene, Mother-in-law: Earlene Williams, Five Aunts: Ethel Allen, Charlotte McKenzie, Shirley Naomi Franzel, Goergie Pennerman, and Lillian, Three Uncles: Philip, Duke, and Adolphus Greene, Four Sisters-in-law: Rhodamae Greene, Maxine Butler, Sandra Williams, and Birdlyn Greene, Eight Brothers-in-law: Pastor Paul Butler, James Saunders, George Simmons, Livingston, Oral, Wendell, Thaddeus, and Christopher Williams, Nieces: Erica Meus-Saunders, Mary and Monique Saunders, Stacey Saunders Kemp, and Sophie Saunders, Desirene Pinder Edmond of Hampton, Virginia, Phyllis Moxey, Edith Greene Bastiane, Pauline Greene of Hampton, Virginia, Tanya Simmons, Ophelia Brown, Grethel Greene, Brenda Lightbourne, Zettamae, Betty, and Sharon, Latoya Williams, Kimberley McIntosh, Kayshala and Tirrez Gutierrez, Nephews: Philip Saunders, Kendrick Pinder, Robert, Craig, Lancelot, Andrew, Robert, and Sherrold Jr., Ronald Simmons, Drexel MclIntosh, Julius, Vincent Greene, Tedaro Edmond of Hampton, Virginia, Eric Darling, and the Hon. Cynthia Pratt, Deputy Prime Minister, and a host of other Relatives and Friends including: Commissioner of Police, Paul Farquharson, A. S. P. Lennox Major of the R. B. P. F., the S. I. B. Branch of the R. B. P. F., The Families of Pastor Curleane Saunders, Wilfred King, Rev. Doreka Greene, Dorothy Greene, Cyril Greene, Minister of Health, Bernard J. Nottage, Donnamae Greene, Moody Moxey, Sister Davi Mary, Rose Belasco, Melva Bastiane, Calvin Sweeting, Ronnie Outten, Sylvia Greene, Rosemary Kelly, Rosie Ingraham, Clara Goulds, Joyus Moxey, Bishop Samuel Greene, Marilyn Meeres, Bahamas Christian Fellowship Church Family, and the entire Mangrove Cay, Andros Community. Special thanks to: The Staff of Private Surgical Ward, P. M. H., R. Devaughn Curling and Staff at the Oncology Consultant Western Medical, Dr. Theodore Ferguson at Doctor's Hospital, and Eugene Dupuch Law School. Viewing will be held in the "Celestial" Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary & Crematorium Ltd, Robinson and Soldier Roads on Wednesday from 1:00p. m. until 6:00 p. m. and then again at the church on Thursday from 9:30 a. m. until service time. KFC 'sharing the love' for this Valentine's Day THIS Valentine's Day KFC showed the love at Stapledon School with 30 hot meals and gifts for each student KFC Mascot Chicky made Valentine's Day a memorable event for the students with gifts of t-shirts, backpacks, pencil cases, and toys in addition to 30 KFC two-piece meals. KFC has been quietly sup- porting local charities such as the Stapledon School for 40 years, and is pleased to continue to have had the opportunity to celebrate community spirit with the incredible and amazing stu- dents attending Stapledon School. Quality Auto. SaI PRE-OWNED CARS :& TRUCKS for the best deal in town on pi-owned cars, with warranty! -NOW IN STOCK '98 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Best offer '99 HYUNDAI ELANTRA '00 HYUNDAI GALLOPER '01 HYUNDAI COUPE '04 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Very low mileage, very clean '05 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Only 5,000 miles plus very clean '03 SUZUKI BALENO '03 SUZUKI XL-7 7-Passenger, dual A/C & low mileage '89 TOYOTA BUS Best offer 1 QUALITY T LIMITED #1 AUTO DEALER IN THE BAHAMAS EAST SHIRLEY STREET 322-3775 325-3079 Visit our showroom oat Quality Auto Sales (Fheepoil) Ltd for slmlJar deals Quoon's Highway 352-6122 r I "'a S. 54 .- , 0i) *ItoI 5' and wtma/ofwm d FREEPORT 11-A East Coral Road, P.O. Box F-42312 Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas Tel: (242) 373-1471 Fax: (242) 373-3005 Page 340-8043 . PAGE 14, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 15 -"iE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS Internet portal launched for Nassau hotels A NEW website has been launched to open up new oppor- tunities for Nassau hotels by connecting them to various local businesses via the internet. NEW Providence has become the first island in the Bahamas to have a local city portal to the internet for Bahamian businesses, it was announced yesterday. Hotels that set httpJ-/ as their home page will give their guests the opportunity to find local businesses when they log onto the internet. When visitors and residents use the Nassau portal to search for a local businesses or other services, premium advertise- ments for those establishments and companies will show up above free listings. The web site will also offer select sponsorship opportunities. Creators of the Nassau portal hope to make it the premier internet site that visitors and residents will use when seeking local and international news, local real estate, medical atten- tion, or a particular service from a person or organisation in New Providence. Much like a 'Bahamas Hand- book', a telephone directory or an online newspaper, the portal is designed to provide guidance to users for finding local infor- mation using electronic services. One of the hidden bonuses of the Nassau portal is its auto- mated free link submission, and free classified advertisements, excluding real estate and auto- mobile ads. Using the portal, internet users in New Providence and Paradise Island, as well as the entire Bahamas, will have .access to a network of city por- tals in North America and across the globe. Vessel Atlantis II is being t restored to former glory Being brought back to life in Grand Bahama HEN the research vessel perhaps most famous for her is all still fully functional. over with Atlantis II, her prop Atlantis II was retired by role in assisting in the discov- And for the first time in the er name, the erroneous ol Wbods Hole Oceanographic ery and exploration of the history of this epic ship she now raised letters were never corn Inkitution in 1996 the headlines Titanic in 1986. proudly displays her name. pletely removed from the vesse re~d: "The end of'an era". Now, after 70 days.in dry When Atlantis II was being until now. 'unce arriving onithe shores of dock she boasts a gleaming new built, another ship was being With a rich 33-year history itsiew home, Grand Bahama in paint job and is finally back in constructed at the same time in no other research vessel ha latt.2006, Atlantis I1 has under- the water. Extensive refurbish- the same shipyard, and the covered as much of the ocean - gope a major restoration and ments and renovations through- names were mixed up by ship- the once 'retired' vessel is bein reit, bringing her back to life. out the entire ship are almost yard builders who welded renewed from stem to stern At one time the support ves- complete. The only thing not "Atlantic Vision" in raised let- and is looking world class onc set-for the oceanographic sub- being changed is the ship's intri- ters on the hull. Although again. Atlantis II is very nea mersible "Alvin", Atlantis II is cate operating equipment, as it "Atlantic Vision" was painted ready for its next adventure. --- -- -- -- - -- - -- - .. . .. .. . .... . .. .. . .. . ... . .. . .. ... .. ... .... .. . .. . .. .. ......................................................... )- d s g 1, e r Best-selling pastor releases b I new THE International Book Sell- er, Association Convention (C3A) this past week was the venue for the official release of tho new book by Bahamian int.rational best selling author M'es Munroe. i the book, titled "The Most Important Person onr Earth" was described by Bob Whitaker Jr, vice-president of the pub- lishing company Whitaker House, as "amazing." 'This new book, 'The most Important Person on Earth', has broken a number of records alr ady, selling out its first two pritgt runs in the first week of its release. This is amazing 4s most books do not achieve this mile- stdne until six to nine weeks out This book is destined to become another of Dr Miinroe's bestsellers and we are proud to be his publisher," Mr Whitaker said. i Whitaker House has also negotiated an agreement with th Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Nassau Sandals Resort and the Chez Willie Restaurant for a special Bahamas vacation package in. connection with the release Mr Mthroe's latest book. This package will include a on week-all-expense-paid vaca- tioi1 at the Sandals Resort in Nassau and a private lunch with thekauthor at the Chez Willie five-star restaurant. I "4Fhis arrangement is the first of its kind for the company and the excitement is overwhelm- ingC, said Mr Whitaker. Readers are asked to visit thelweb site "themostimpor- tantpersononearth.com" to sign up to win the vacation package. Speaking of this newest pro- ject Mr Munroe said: tDOoK at convention "I am very pleased and sur- prised at the early success of this latest work as I thought it would not be a book that the market would embrace so easi- ly, even though I was confident that the subject matter was rel- evant and speaks to all areas of human need. It is my hope that it will change lives as it did mine when I wrote." Mr Munroe has authored over 40 books, many of which have become best sellers and still maintain record sellers positions in the top-ten best selling list throughout the_, world. His books are available in all books stores both Christian and secular as well as Wal-Mart, K- Mart, Target stores, Books-A- Million, Walton Bookstores and Amazon.com. Mr Munroe is under contract . with the publishing company for another two books this year. * ATLANTIS II * BOB WHITAKER JR, vice president of publishing company Whitaker House, with Myles Munroe Share your news The Tribune wants to hear from people whoeare making news in their neighborhoods. Perhaps you are raising funds for a good cause, campaigning for improvements in the area or have won an award. If so; eall us-on 322-1986 - - and share your story. + ............................. ............... ............................................. .............................................................. ......... ............................... ............ ................... .. ................ .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. .1 ..........................................I ................................................ -A- THE TRIBUNE PAGE 16, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,2007 i DOCTORS HOSPITAL HP"i w10- February is National Heart Month "Remember Good Health Starts With You. Cardioman ENTERTHE CARDIO FAMILY ESSAY CONTEST {Cadio meamf&ts deanj Write a letter answering the following question: "What are five things you could do to be heart smart?" Send your letter to Doctors Hospital ihd you can be the winner of $200. The school with the most entries will win a prize. Contest Rules: ... ... .... .............................................................. ......-........................................... 1. Children ages 8-13 may enter. 2. Write a letter answering the following question. "What are five things you could do to be heart smart." 3. The body of the letter may not exceed 150 words. Adults may assist the child in filling out the entry form, but not in writing the letter. 4. Limit one letter per child. All entries must be received by Doctors Hospital Marketing Department before March 31st, 2007. 5. Only letters accompanied by original entry forms clipped from the newspaper will be accepted. : Photocopy, fax, carbon or other copies will not be accepted. 6. One winner will be chosen. The decision of the judges is final. 7. Winner must agree to a photo presentation which will be published in the newspaper p a 50w ---w-------------- ---------------- ----*-- ------------------- CARDIO OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM FAMILY ESSAY CONTEST I C h ild 's N a m e : . . ............................................................................ .... _........................... ............. ........... ......................... ... ................... .........................................-................................. .......... -.. AgeChids N m................... ....... ............... Date of birth: ............................ ... .......... .. .......................................................... -- - Age .- -- -- .- .. Date of birth: -.. ... ... ... ... ... -- School: I S I I I I I U I S S S S I a U I I I A d d re s s : ................................................................................................................................................................................ ....... ................... B o x :........... ............. P a re n t's n a m e : ............................................................................................................................................................Pa re n t's n a m e :............................................... ... ............... ................................................................................. ................ P a re n t 's s ig n a tu r e :......................................................................................................... ......................... ..... E a il:................... .. ..................... ................ .. ...... ..... ....... ......... Telephone contact: (H) (W) _ -__ -. (C) All entries become property of Doctors Hospital and can be used and reproduced for any purpose without compensation. f --- -------------- . . . . . .- . ... .. .. .-' I - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 17 "I get a better sense ot what is happening in The Bahamas confidenl knowing The Tribune looks out for my interests. The Tribune is my newspaper. NELSON JOHNSON TAXI DRIVER A /- .e The Tribune _ L __ ~L __ _ THE TRIBUNE L ///0( A A ' PAGE 18, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,2007 " ---"-"- -_ - 6([%AA * I I On behalf of the Santa Claus Christmas Committee, and most importantly the children, we would like to thank all those who contributed in." making our fundraising efforts of 2006 the success that it was. We raised over $35,000 and were able to provide toys, through your generosity,. to over 3,500 children from Acklins, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, North Andros, Berry Islands, St Cecilia and Fox.Hill. Although our list of' * volunteers and sponsors is too long to mention we owe a great deal of gratitude to everyone who helped out this year. It would be remiss of I Ii ATLANTIS Albany House One&Only PARADISE ISLAND Ocean Club Ocean Club Vanessa Kerzner WINESSPIRITS WINES & SPIRITS S. J. Audio Visual Bahamas PUl"r II m m I m n m 1 m ] mm [] i I-N - I U An^r of Ilslnd , " S I, .. ~k~1' 3ne y~dram 8M41m Tafmn Tgtlnn THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 19 wm m us if we did not mention a couple of people who went far and beyond our call for help: Adam Darville, Allan Leibman of Atlantis Dubai, Andrew Farkas of Island Global Yachting (IGY), Burton Rogers, Jason Callender of Albany House, Harry and Joann McPike, John Bull, Joey Jam Productions, Juan Bacardi, Leon Dupuch, Sean Moore, Steve Haughey and Vanessa Kerzner. To these individuals and all those who helped out we could not have done it without you. We look forward to receiving your help again this year. Thanks again from the children! I I I K I I I I i i U * ! tw Farkas ltohr .Yachting (IGY) 0 "I ISL GLO YACHT ^,t Fisher Island Hotel Atlantis Dubai Ministry of Finance roP.Cal Stefane G I Ke 5House K e! PF (t402) iam ;ibson lEGA 1J114Z Chef Felipe Iturralde Killy Cone Mr. & Mrs Harry McPike DJ Joey Jam . ,1 m E 0 0 W N 0[] PAGE 20, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 . e"-- THANK YOU THE TRIBUNE I I Ii,;: !1 I ... :.2.:ll ^ *^- ^ . *. ." \ '. Chef Felipe Iturralde Vanessa Kerzner Albany TI -^ So nouse I Ministry of Finance wV ropocl. .. Andrew Farkas NM '1 of Island Global Yachting (IGY) y B RISTO I S. J. Audio V Joim & Killy Cone Jim & Killy Cone o IStAND GLOIAL ACTING isual ne&Only cean Club ATLANTIS i PAR MA WI 0AN b, | The Tribune CPr me jf *4hlM ltj FHl e t House& Fisher Island Hotel Home ,fl ,m- i83-4* 4 1fll*0--~ .B hn*. *Mr. & M" i# Atlantis Dubai Stefane Gibs Mrs Harry McPike FIJl DJ Joey Jam ;on OMEGA L. - ~yt~Lc A& aw I I 0 0 I m m m WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 SECTION - business@tribunemedia.net _UT'heIfIbun Miami Herald Business, Stocks, Analysis, Wall Street Inspector of Banks and Trust Companies resigns * By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor .lT he Inspector of Banks and Trust Companies, Michael Foot, has handed in his resignation and will demit office at the end of May 2007,. The Tribune can reveal, a development that has caused some concern in the Bahamian financial services industry. The Central Bank's bank and trust company licencees were informed yesterday that Mr Foot was due to step down from the key regulatory post that he took up towards the Foot demitting office at end of May regarded as a 'loss' by Bahamian financial services industry end of 2004, and will have held for some two-and-a-half years before his term ends. The note from the Central Bank, which has been obtained by The Tribune, said: "Michael Foot, Inspector of Banks and Trust Companies, will demit his post at the end of May 2007. "During the two-and-a-half years spent with the Central Bank of the Bahamas, Mr Foot has made an important contri- bution to banking supervision in the Bahamas and to the on- going regulatory reform initia- tive., "As communicated by Mr Foot, his initial interest in com- ing to the Bahama's was to become involved with regula- tory reform of the financial sys- tem, to which he remains com-, mitted and has expressed a willingness to assist, notwith- standing his hew appoint- ment." The Central Bank notice said Mr Foot was returning to London to take up a post unconnected to any interna- tional financial centres. In the meantime, the Cen- tral Bank said it has begun the search for Mr Foot's replace- ment. Neither Mr Foot nor Wendy Craigg, the Central Bank gov- ernor, could be contacted for comment yesterday as all the bank's phones gave an 'engaged' tone when rung. But James Smith, minister of state for finance, confirmed: "I think he gave some notice of resignation. He's been offered a post back in the UK." Mr Foot arrived in the Bahamas with impeccable reg- ulatory credentials, having been a prime mover in the SEE page 5B Investment Catastrophic insurance fund 'to project awaits help stabilise Bahamian Budget' Ministry bonds )-. By CARA BRENNEN- BETHEL Tribune Business Reporter A BOUTIQUE Eleuthera- based investment project yes- terday told The Tribune it was now only waiting for bonds to eb issued by the Ministry of Works and Public Utilities before it began construction on its 40-property oceanfront gated community. SkyBeach Club will feature 40 homes and villas, covering 610 feet of oceanfront proper- ty. It will include a clubhouse boasting a 360 degree view of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean sea, a building that features a dining room, fitness centre and cocktail lounge. The property will also include an infinity edge pool with a waterfall. Micheal Reardon, SkyBeach Club's vice-president, yester- day said they expected to receive the bonds shortly. Once that is done, construc- tion work can begin. SkyBeach Club is currently engaged in a pre-sale market- ing blitz, which has seen already seen results. "We have already presold about nine properties, so when you consider that we only have 40 properties, we're almost there. So we are very happy about that," Mr Reardon told The Tribune in an interview yesterday. He added that to date, every person involved in the pre- development of the project, including the placement of infrastructure, has been a Bahamian resident of Eleuthera. "So far, in all the phases we have had about 25 persons on the payroll," Mr Reardon said. "Eleuthera people are very proud people ,and so all of their work has been very well done. We are very pleased, and we had no problems working with them." Mr Reardon added that con- struction on the pre-sold hous- es is expected to begin somet ime in April, with work on the club house starting in June and on the oceanfront amenities by year's end. Eleuthera development set to begin construction in April, having employed 25 Bahamians and pre-sold nine properties He said that in the near future, SkyBeach Club hope to have Prime Minister Perry Christie visit the site for a ground-breaking and ribbon cutting. Mr Reardon describes Sky- Beach Club as "a once in a life- time opportunity for real estate investors and vacationers alike". The resort-style homes include one-storey, two storey and split-level designs, with each home having ocean and beachfront views. The beach club will be available to home owners and guests by reserva- tion. . SkyBeach Club homeown- ers will receive 25 hours, of pri- vate jet time from Flight Options LLC. "We want to offer investors convenient, first-class travel to and from their properties. Our partnership with flight options allow us to offer just that ser- vice," Mr Reardon said. He indicated that in order to drive the highest possible return on their investment, the SkyBeach will manage and market SkyBeach Club to the most "distinguished travellers around the world." SkyBeach is one of a very few remaining places worthy of being called 'supremely pri- vate', Mr Reardon said. Villas start at a price of $500,000. Homes start at $2 million. * By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor . A CATASTROPHIC insurance fund to protect the Bahamas and other Caribbean nation]i against hurricanes and natural dis- asters "is hikeIl to be up and running in a month or so", the minister of state for finance said yesterday, a development that will bring "stability" to this natiion's Budget planning. James Smith, speaking to The Tribune upon his return from Washington, where he attended a World Bank meeting to discuss the fund's creation, said that it had received commitments for $47 million in initial seed capital, well in excess of the expected $30 million. He added that some 18 countries, includ- ing the Bahamas, had signed up to partici- pate in the catastrophic insurance fund pro- ject, paying $1 million in annual premiums each to the fund, which would also acquire the necessary rein- surance. A minimum of nine countries were required to 'ign up to the.prograsxmmed o. make it viable, Mr. Smith said, accords-. ing to actt rial pro- jections for the fund. "We want to get it up and running for a JAMIES SMITH the 2007 hurricane season," Mr Smith said. "We were looking for $30 million as seed for the fund, and got $47 million. It's likely to be up and running in a month or so." The minister explained that the fund would operate differently from a traditional property and casualty insurance policy, which called for loss adjusters to assess the damage before any payment was made. When it came to the catastrophic insur- ance fund, Mr Smith explained, payments from the fund to impacted nations would be triggered by events. He said that, for example, if a Category Three hurricane or one of even greater. severity .hit the Bahamas, the fund would "immediately give the Bahamas support", providing it with an instant payment of $20-, $25 million to aid with disaster recovery and other priority items for the Government. Mr Smith said that in previous years, when hurricanes impacted the Bahamas, the Gov- ernment had to "shift things around in the Budget", impacting spending in other needy areas and throwing fiscal projections and calculations out of line. "This will help us to stabilise the Bud- get," Mr Smith said. "Successive govern- ments of the Bahamas would benefit from the stabilisation of fiscal affairs, as they would get direct Budgetary support when a Category Three hurricane or above hap- pens." HELPING YOU CREATE AND MANAGE WEALTH NASSAU OFFICE Tel: (242) 356-7764 FREEPORT OFFICE Tel: (242) 351-3010 FOP he -stoi e heind he ews THE TRIBUNE PAGE 2B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 System failures often root disaster causes This series is intended to highlight why the study of risk, crises and disasters is critical in help- ing professionals reduce loss and adequately manage vari- ous risk associated with crime, security and safety loss events. Of interest here is the loss or damage to reputation ,which must also be considered an asset, along with people, prop- erty and information. Thus efforts must be made to pro- tect it, as in many instances it is a much more difficult item to protect. Our discussion will begin with terms that are used inter- changeably, but are very dif- ferent in their meaning. The terms 'emergency', 'crisis' and 'disaster' are attempts to equate the level and intensity of the loss event or potential loss event. Emergencies These can be defined as sit- uations requiring a rapid and highly-structured response, where risk for critical decision makers can, to a relative degree, be defined. An example is the brakes on your car not responding when pressure is applied, and you are losing control of the vehi- cle. Crises These are defined as situa- tions requiring a rapid response (for this reason they are all too easily misconceived as emergencies). In contrast, Y the risk for critical decision- makers is difficult to define, owing to ill structure. It is typ- ical that the effect of a response either is, or appears to be, unclear The crises based on the 'car brakes' scenario described above would be that there are school children to your left and a large pine tree or cliff to your right. Which direction do you go in?, Disaster In contrast, this would be defined as a cultural construc- tion of reality. A disaster is dis- tinct from both emergencies and crises only in that, physi- cally, it represents the product of the former. Disasters, then, are the irreversible and typi- cally overwhelming result of the ill handling of emergencies and crises. The Straw Market Fire in September 2001, and the colli- sion of two boats in August 2003, are in my opinion clear examples of system failure dis- asters. It was determined that systems, whatever they were, failed and the resulting impact was a disaster where either property or life have been lost. System Failure Regardless of the circum- "CAREEROPPORTUNITIES .. .. .. ... RESPONSIBILITIES: * Effectively and efficiently lead and supervise a team of Audit Managers & Auditors, both on a career management and assignment basis * Collegiate responsibility with peers for leadership and management of the Audit function * Ownership for a wider portfolio of audit assignments end to end across key business areas with an emphasis on Information Technology & Change Management including responsibility for ensuring the quality of audit work undertaken * Relationship management, subject matter expertise and continuous business monitoring with senior level management developing audit opinions based on sound technical judgment in key areas of the business and gaining buy-in to audit results * Support and deputise for the Audit Director and Executive Director, Audit at key business meetings including tisk Committees * Production of reporting/management information for the function and to the business * Delivery of internal projects and key departmental initiatives supporting Audit's Continuous Improvement Plan * Inform and produce macro audit planning for key significant areas of the business * Effective delivery of audit verification activity in key business areas of responsibility Applications with detailed r&sum&s with the names of three busin adseuT 6th March 2007 to: PREREQUISITES: Industry experience at middle management level Minimum of 5 to 6 years' post-qualification experience in core professional qualifications (e.g. ACCA, ACIB, IIA etc) Should possess a high level Graduate qualification and specialist training and/or experience in the area of specialty, e.g, CISA, CCSP, CISSP, PMP, GSNA etc Good understanding of specialty industry issues including regulatory requirements and professional standards Significant experience of leading and coordinating professional teams/complex technical audit assignments at a Group or regional level, demonstrating high standards of leadership and coaching skills High standard of influence, negotiation, facilitation, presentation and communication skills, both oral and written. Sharp analytical skills and judgment Ability to think laterally and be truly flexible and imaginative in developing and maintaining relationships Strong skills/recognition of risk and control considerations in specialist technical areas including Finance, Change Management and Information Technology Position will require a fair amount of regional travel ess references should be submitted no later than St MicalBrbados Email: Rosa [i w'C lai Le f Ta R TO, L IRa Only applican ts ho arehotlitdw ill he, nm'cte unaE Aie Tennis Courts Retention Pond Jogging Trails & Playground Basketball Court Gazebos & Grills Tel: 325-6465 325-6,447/9 LOTS FOR "f ,- Open House Saturday M arch 3, 2 0 0 7 10 AM -5PM SALE stances, these events all have to do with the failure of systems. The persons responsible for these systems will usually say they are operating at optimal level, holding true to the old adage: 'A fisherman never calls his fish stink'. These systems, over time, have been modified to deal with the changing envi- ronmental, social and techno- logical climate we live in. What, then, is a 'system'? We encounter a term that has not yet achieved a universally agreed-upon definition. How- ever, we have been provided with 13 essential characteris- tics: A recognisable whole Interconnected compo- nents or elements Organised interconnec- tions Components .interaction signifies processes Processes imply inputs and outputs Components form hierar- chical structures Adding or removing a component changes the system and its characteristics Component is affected by its inclusion in a system Means for control and communication promote sys- tem survival Emergent properties, often unpredictable System boundary A system environment out- side the boundary, which affects the system System 'ownership' It is not clear how many of these elements have to be missing in order to arrive at a system failure, but what is clear is that these factors are depen- dent on human insight and understanding. Management Failure In order for systems to work together cohesively, and hope- fully produce a positive prod- uct, the system must be man- aged properly. Thus the improper management of sys- tems results in failure, whether human or technical. Good management systems should possess the following charac- teristics: 1. A good management sys- tem has a network that allows all persons to communicate effectively, regardless of where they are located in the organi- sation. 2. The leadership must establish and ensure that all policies and guidelines are ade- quately communicated at all levels of the organisation. 3. Information pertaining to the organisation should con- stantly be reviewed and test- ed for compliance. 4. The leadership should ensure that a good cadre of persons are employed, who possess the technical skill to conform to and intelligently apply the standards laid out by the company, the industry or government regulatory board. It is the failure of systems, and more detrimentally, the management failures, that bring about effects resulting in disaster. What appears as several events having numerous sep- arate causes and effects, can often be viewed as one event. Dombrowsky states: "There is no separate process that swells the cheeks to blow. Wind is air in a specific motion, not a sep- arate being that makes the air blow." This statement does not suggest that there is no causa- tion, but rather the inputs and outputs, action and reactions, all equate to the 'effects'. NB: Gamal New, visit us at- ventativemeasures.net or email gnewry@preventativemea- sures.net 'Redouble' marketing efforts in the face of US passport punch THE speculation is over. The-US passport regulations are in force. Land-based resort destinations closest to the US are feeling the most pain. The Bahamas and Jamaica are clearly on the front line. Cruise shipping has been given a carte blanche. As the January numbers start to be collated by the var- ious destinations, the picture is clearly emerging that the new passport regulations are hurting. My information so far this year tells me that air arrivals from the US to the Bahamas and northern Caribbean des- tinations have been down or flat, while at the same time arrivals from other markets such as Canada, the UK and continental Europe have been showing excellent growth. For Jamaica. from which I have the most up to date infor- mation, air arrivals from the US were down almost 10 per cent while cruise passengers arrivals were up over 5 per cent. Thank God arrivals from Canada were up over 28 per cent, and from Europe over 11 per cent. This made overall arrivals roughly equal to last year. All things being equal, arrivals from the US should have been up at least 5 per cent instead of being down 10 per cent. It would not have been overly optimistic, taking into account all the new hotel projects in Jamaica, to have had an increase of even 10 per cent from the US, a 20 per cent difference. My information from the industry in the Bahamas points to similar patterns. Freeport will probably be hardest hit. Additionally, I have not seen the same spike in close book- ings and arrivals that usually follow cold snaps in the weath- er up north. I am aware of the efforts that have been made to have the new passport regime delayed or eased. It is now clear, though, that the US will not budge. The only option left for us is to redouble our efforts pro- moting the various passport promotions in place, and for the various Ministries of Tourism to redouble their advertising and promotional spending and efforts making the obtaining of a passport a cost free component for our US guests. The cost of the sta- tus quo will be much greater., I BUSNES d^)^Gaml New,77 IB JhniBss I I BUSINESS&SPORTS L3 Ele M iami flera, l TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2007 THE MARKETS STOCKS, MUTUAL FUNDS, 5-6B U,,S. POSTAL SERVI':t 5O0 12, 3. 18.'Forever' postage gets stamp of approval NASDAQ 2,504.52 -10.58 10-YR NOTE CRUDE OIL 4.63 -.04V The Postal Regulatory Commission recommended a 61.39 +.25 new stamp whose purchase value would remain constant forever. The panel also suggested a ,-L t. 2-cent hike for first-class stamps from 39 to 41 cents. .VX AL IL lV...%_/ L' decline persists BY JOE BEL BRUNO * Associated Press NEW YORK Wall Street extended its decline Monday as concerns about a market cor- rection offset investor optimism that acquisition activity is on pace to set a record this year. The $45 billion buyout of electric utility TXU, which agreed to be bought by a private equity firm started by the company's found- ing family. Temple-Inland, a conglomerate that offers every- thing from packaging material to financial services, plans to separate itself into three standa- lone public companies. However, stocks were unable to sustain gains amid speculation that the market may be in for a correction. Hanging over the market is a lack of cata- lysts that could propel stocks forward, especially ahead of an expected downward revisiqnof fourth-quarter gross domestic product to be released Wepdnes- day. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 15.22, or 0.12 per- cent,. Bonds continued to rise from last week's sell-off, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note falling to 4.63 percent from 4.68 percent late Friday. Bonds had been weaker amid concerns that subprime lenders would be forced to take write-downs if consumers defaulted on mortgage pay- ments. The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices rose. Oil prices rose after a winter storm plowed across the United States, spurring expectations of strong demand for heating oil. A barrel of light sweet crude rose 25 cents to $61.39 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Meanwhile, Dow Chemical spiked $1.54, or 3.5 percent, to $44.99 on speculation it could be the target of a leveraged buy- out. Station Casinos rose $3.20, or 3.8 percent, to $86.50 after it agreed to go private in a $5.4 bil- lion deal, which represents an 8 percent premium over its clos- ing price on Friday. The deal still allows Station to solicit acquisition proposals from third parties for 30 days. Advancing issues barely out- paced decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 2.82 billion shares, up from 2.59 billion Friday. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.95, or 036 percent, to 823.69. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed up 0.15 percent. At the close, Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.52 percent, Germa- ny's DAX index added 0.50 per- cent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.81 percent. By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID Associated Press WASHINGTON Say goodbye to those pesky 1- and 2-cent stamps that used to clutter up desks and purses every time the price of mail- ing a letter went up. A new "forever" stamp good for mailing a letter no matter how much rates rise was recommended Mon- day by the independent Postal Regu- latory Commission. The panel also called for a 2-cent increase in first- class rates to 41 cents, a penny less than the post office had sought. In addition, the changes would sharply scale back the price of heav- ier letters. "Adoption of this proposal is good for the Postal Service, postal custom- ers and our postal system," commis- sion chairman Dan G. Blair said at a briefing. A forever stamp would not carry a denomination, but would sell for whatever the first-class rate was at the time. For example, if the 41-cent rate takes effect, forever stamps would sell for 41 cents. If rates later climbed to 45 cents or more, the price of the forever stamp would also go up at the counter or machine, but those pur- chased before the change would still LM OTERO/AP A BIG MOVE IN TEXAS: TXU has agreed to a buyout from a private-equity firm for about $32 billion. ELECTRIFYING DEAL ELECTRICITY PRODUCER TXU PLANS TO GO PRIVATE IN A $32 BILLION DEAL THAT WOULD RANK AS THE BIGGEST PRIVATE BUYOUT EVER IN THE U.S. BY DAVID KOENIG Associated Press DALLAS TXU Corp., Texas' largest electricity producer, said Monday it has agreed to be sold to a group of private-equity firms for about $32 billion in what would be the largest private buyout in U.S. corporate history if shareholders and regulators go along. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific led a group that included Goldman Sachs & Co. and three other Wall Street firms that will pay $69.25 per share for TXU. They will also assume about $13 bil- lion in debt. The firms won support for the buyout from some environmental- ists who have criticized TXU by agreeing to sharply scale back TXU's controversial $10 billion plan to build 11 new coal-fired power plants that would produce tons of new greenhouse gas emissions. They also agreed to cut electric- ity prices 10 percent, which they said would save TXU residential custom- ers more than $300 million per year, and limit prices until September 2008. TXU directors voted Sunday night to recommend that sharehold- ers approve the sale. The price rep- DR. SCOTT M. LIEBERMAN/AP SCALING BACK: Coal moves up a conveyor belt at TXU's Big-Brown power plant. The private firm will scale back a controversial $10 billion plan to build 11 new coal-fired power plants. resents a 15 percent premium to TXU's closing stock price on Friday. TXU shares closed up $7.91, or 13.2 percent, at $67.93 on the New York Stock Exchange after briefly reaching a new 52-week high of $68.45. The deal would top the previous biggest private buyout ever of $25.1 billion set in 1988 when RJR Nabisco was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis. TXU officials said the company would get a $1 billion break-up fee if the buyers can't close the sale. TXU also has until mid-April to shop for better offers, although the buyout firms would get a chance to trump any new bids. Private-equity firms have often steered clear of utilities, viewing them as highly regulated businesses with relatively low return on invest- ment. But Texas deregulated its electricity market in 2002, and TXU is generating tremendous amounts of cash and profit Wall Street .expects the company to report today *TURN TO TXU, 4B be valid to mail a letter. *TURN TO STAMPS, 4B GM may exchange equity stake for Chrysler E Rumors continue to mount surrounding DaimlerChrysler's plans for its struggling Chrysler division, as GM and a Canadian company may be looking at ways to purchase the unit. BY MATT MOORE Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany Gen- eral Motors reportedly may be inter- ested in giving -an equity stake to DaimlerChrysler in exchange for its struggling Chrysler unit. Separately, an analyst said he understands a large Canadian auto parts supplier may be "studying a Chrysler purchase. Russia's second-biggest automo- tive company denied that it was interested in the Chrysler business. The speculation about possible deals for Chrysler is the latest that has surfaced since DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said Feb. 14 that all options are on the table for the money-losing Chrysler business and he would not rule out a possible sale. The Financial Times reported Monday that DaimlerChrysler was considering a 20 percent stake in GM in the form of a payment if a deal to sell Chrysler were to go forward. The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the situation, said DaimlerChrysler was weighing the possibility of trading Chrysler for the GM stake, but added it was also con- sidering a cash sale to private equity firms, including Apollo Management LP, Blackstone, Cerberus Capital Management and Carlyle Group, among others. All four have refused comment. DaimlerChrysler did not comment on the report, reiterating its previous stance that all options for Chrysler are being considered. GM also said it would not comment oh what spokes- man Tony Cervone called specula- tion. Also on Monday, KeyBanc analyst Brett Hoselton said in a note to inves- tors that his sources tell him Magna International is seriously considering a purchase of Chrysler Group. Hosel- ton said senior Magna executives have obtained Chrysler financial information, visited Chrysler TURN TO CHRYSLER, 4B WellPoint CEO retires, woman takes over J Following the announcement that WellPoint CEO Larry Glasscock will step down and Angela Braly will take over in June, the company will become the largest Fortune 500 with a woman at the helm. BY TOM MURPHY Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS WellPoint surprised some Wall Street analysts Monday when it announced that a relatively unknown executive will replace Chief Executive Larry Glas- scock after he steps down in June. Angela Braly, executive vice presi- dent and general counsel for the Indi- anapolis-based insurer, will become president and CEO after Glasscock steps down June 1. She will make WellPoint the biggest Fortune 500 company with a woman at the helm. Glasscock announced his retire- ment Monday. WellPoint's choice for successor comes as a "major shock," according to a report from CIBC World Mar- kets analyst Carl McDonald. "We want to emphasize that our issue is not with Braly herself, as she very well could be the perfect person for the role," McDonald wrote. "We just don't know her, and neither does *TURN TO BRALY, 4B WELLPOINT SET TO RETIRE: WellPoint CEO Larry Glasscock, left, announced his retirement Monday. Angela Braly was an unexpected replacement. Mq r MiamiHerald.com I THE MIAMI HERALD INSURER WORKPLACE WellPoint becomes largest Fortune 500 with female CEO *BRALY, FROM 1B the market." WellPoint shares fell 37 cents to close at $81.13 in trad- ing retire- ment plan calls for a lump sum payment of $31 million, according to Alexandra Hig- gins, a senior compensation analyst with The Corporate Library, a corporate gover- nance research firm. But WellPoint spokesman Jim Kappel said the total value of that pay won't be cal- culated until he retires. Glasscock also has more than $55 million in unexer- cised stock options, but Kap- pel said not all of those vest upon retirement. Braly, 45, joined the com- pany in 2005. Before that, she was president and CEO of TEXAS Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mis- souri. Glasscock cited the membership and profitability growth her company saw then as an attribute. He also noted the impor- tance of handling public pol- icy, Meth- odist University and her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University. She said the company will focus on expanding member- ship but also will continue to look for more merger and acquisition opportunities to drive future growth. WellPoint ranks 38th in the 2006 Fortune 500 list of the biggest companies. The next largest company with a female leader is No. 56, Archer Daniels Midland, DR. SCOTT M. LIEBERMAN/AP NUCLEAR POWER: TXU's Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station near Glen Rose, Texas, is the sole nuclear-fueled power plant owned by TXU. TXU planning to go private *TXU, FROM 1B that it earned about $2.5 bil- lion consum- ers have switched to other companies that sell electricity for less, although most of TXU's longtime customers have stood by it. Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and Mor- gan Stanley intend to be part of the TXU purchasing group, TXU said. TXU also said former Sec- retary of State James A. Baker III will serve as advisory chairman to the new owners, and former EPA Administra- tor William Reilly and former Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans will join the TXU board. In recent months, environ- mentalists have blasted TXU in publications and advertise- ments, inno- vative, customer-centric, environmentally friendly company." He said the pri- vate-equity buyers who are often viewed as short-term investors looking to resell - see TXU as a long-term asset. David Bonderman, found- ing partner of Texas Pacific, said the new owners' approach would "better man- age the delicate balance between the energy needs of a growing Texas population, responsibility to the environ- ment and the cost concerns of Texas businesses and resi- dents." Those remarks could be read as a rebuke to current management and Chief Exec- utive C. John Wilder, who said he has not signed a con- tract to stay with the com- pany. The investors have reached out to Texas officials, including Gov. Rick Perry, in an effort to smooth regulatory approvals and hostility to TXU in the state Legislature. Regulatory hurdles have tripped up previous efforts by buyout firms to enter the power business. In late 2004, investors led by KKR dropped a bid to buy UniSource Energy after an Arizona com- mission rejected the deal. Federal officials had approved it. Oregon regulators rejected Texas Pacific's attempt to buy Portland General Electric in 2005, but a Warren Buffett- controlled company suc- ceeded in buying another Oregon utility, PacifiCorp, last March for $5.1 billion after pledging to upgrade the company's facilities. State regulators in Texas have no authority to stop the deal, but they could consider the effects of the sale on pro- posed rate hikes, Wilder said. Officials said the deal would require approval from federal antitrust and energy regula- tors. Larry Glasscock said he was retiring as president and CEO for family reasons but did not elaborate. where Patricia A. Woertz serves as chairman, CEO and president. Braly said she might bring "great perspective" to the new role because of her gen- der. "What we know at Well- Point is that 70 percent of the healthcare candi- date to replace Glasscock and questioned whether he would stay with the company now. Colby said in a conference call that he was "very happy to work alongside" Braly. U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JPMorgan analyst William D. Georges stated in a sepa- rate report that Braly was the logical choice due to her acquisitions and public policy experience. Glasscock joined Anthem Insurance in 1998 and helped engineer the largest deal in company history. In 2004, WellPoint was formed when Indianapolis-based Anthem acquired Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based WellPoint Health Networks in a $16.5 billion deal. The com- bined company changed its name to WellPoint. Under Glasscock's leader- ship, WellPoint and its prede- cessor companies grew from 6 million medical members and $6 billion in revenue to more than 34 million medical members and more than $60 billion in revenue. Braly will receive an annual base salary of $1.1 mil- lion, which doesn't count other compensation like bonuses and stock options. In 2005, Glasscock earned $5.2 million in 'salary and bonus and received $3.1 mil- lion in restricted stock award, according to the company's latest proxy statement. New stamp s usage would be valid forever *STAMPS, FROM 1B the forever stamp and trimmed back the rate two-ounce letter would actu- increase to 2 cents. ally decrease from 63 cents to The matter now goes back 58 cents. .. to the board of governors.of The proposal also recom- thp post office which can mended a 2-cent boost, to 26 accept the recommendations cents, in the cost of mailing a or ask for reconsideration. If post card, also a penny less accepted, the new rates could than the Postal Service had take effect as soon as May. sought. The Postal Service applied Blair said the rate propos- for higher rates last May. als were scaled back because Since then the commission the higher rates the post has received 139 pieces of tes- office proposed would have timony from 99 witnesses and raised more income than nec- held 34 days of hearing on the essary for the service to break request in developing its rec- even in 2008. ommendations. The proposal also sug- Under legislation approved gested changes in a variety of by Congress last year, the other rates including a 17-cent commission will develop a surcharge on "odd-shaped" new, less cumbersome system mail that cannot be processed of raising rates for use in the using letter-sorting machines. future, and also has more William Burrus, president authority to regulate postal of the American Postal Work- activity. ers Union, called the decision Postage rates last went up "a major victory for the in January 2006. American people." He said Postmaster General John E. the union had argued for the Potter has pointed out that smaller rate increase. "the Postal Service is not In addition, Burrus said, immune to the cost pressures the commission agreed with affecting every household and his union on limiting dis- business in America." counts large mailers get for For example, each penny presorting mail. increase in the price of a gal- The trade group The Ion of gasoline costs the post Greeting Card Association office $8 million, and the post also said it was pleased the office cannot simply add a commission recommended fuel surcharge to its rates. AUTOMOTIVE GM considers equity exchange *CHRYSLER, FROM 1B facilities and met with United Auto Workers leadership. A Magna spokeswoman would not comment on the report, but confirmed that Chairman Frank Stronach has met with DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche. However; spokeswoman Tracy Fuerst would not say when the meeting took place. She said Stronach and other Magna executives meet with auto company execu- tives regularly as part of their normal course of business. Hoselton also said in his report that he thinks a Magna purchase of Chrysler is possi- ble but unlikely. "Since GM is short of cash, an equity deal would make sense if it is interested in Chrysler, and an equity valua- tion of Chrysler at, say, 3 bil- lion euros ($3.94 billion), would wind up giving Daim- lerChrysler a 20 percent stake in GM," said Stephen Chee- tham, a senior analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd. said. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. shares fell 35 cents to close at $70.57 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. GM stock fell 29 cents to finish at $33.97 on NYSE. Chrysler earlier this month announced it lost $1.475 bil- lion in 2006 and said it expects losses to continue through 2007. Parent DaimlerChrysler, however, earned $4.26 billion in 2006. The news was accompa- nied by plans to shed 13,000 jobs, including 11,000 produc- tion workers and 2,000 sala- ried employees as it trims expenses and factory capacity to match declining sales. The automaker also announced the closure of one plant and layoffs at several others. ILLUSTRATION BY KURT STRAZDINS/MCT The dark side of moonlighting BY LISA BONOS Washington Post Service WASHINGTON Achiev- ing work-life balance is already a juggling act. Throw a second job into the mix, and it can become a lot harder to perform. More than 5 percent of U.S. workers hold more than one job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Willie Floyd Brunson has been part of this group for decades. A transpor- tation manager by day and a security guard by night, Brun- son says the cost of living in the Washington area has driven him to an 80- to 90- hour workweek. "To maintain good living conditions, I have to work two jobs," he said. "You can't do it on one job," he added. Brunson, who is,preparing for a second marriage and per- haps a new family, said he wouldn't consider quitting the night job. He describes himself as "old school," saying that as a man it's his responsibility to pay the bills. It's not easy while the decision to moonlight was "financially rewarding," he said, "emotionally it wasn't." Those who hold two jobs must occasionally reweigh the money against the minuses. For about four years, Tiffany Guarascio, now a staffer for Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., took on extra work. She had started waiting tables while a college senior and kept some shifts when she got her first "real job." But when Guarascio started working on the Hill in 2004, she cut back to waitress- ing on Sundays only, at an establishment owned by a friend. The job was flexible "It was very easy to say 'I need a month or two off,' "she said - and it became a social outlet. But last summer, when Guar- ascio recognized that the ser- vice she was providing was starting to reflect her resent- ment over working so much, she quit. PRODUCTIVITY Taking an additional job primarily to make extra money can be stressful and unproductive, according to Renee Lee Rosenberg, an author and career coach with the Five O'Clock Club in New York. Her clients with second Those who hold two jobs must occasionally reweigh the extra money against the minuses. jobs often "get very angry and' depressed and start resenting. their primary work also," Rosenberg said, and some-- times, with better budgeting, a second job isn't really neces- sary. She stressed the impor- tance of researching what a job requires before saying yes, so you can know whether "you can function the next day." Some second jobs can lead to more enjoyable primary jobs. "It builds an opportunity to build a new network and ulti- mately it may develop into a new career," said Kathy Blan- .ton, a career management con- sultant for Spherion in Nash- ville, Tenn. BALANCE AND HARMONY By day, Mike Graglia man- ages a team working on educa- tion in Africa at the World Bank in Washington. A few evenings a week he teaches yoga. He wanted to do more yoga and figured teaching would be the next logical step in his practice. He often schedules his flights to Africa around his yoga commitments and swaps classes with other teachers when he's out of town. It's common to find Graglia at the yoga studio with a suitcase - either coming back from a trip or on his way out. "I love both my jobs, and they balance each other out," Graglia said. "Yoga is a genius one because it keeps you healthy and keeps you mov- ing." MOONLIGHTING: IS IT WORTH IT? * Reexamine your budget, Is the extra income really neces- sary or can you change your spending? * Are there possibilities for overtime or additional responsi- bilities at your primary job? * Sketch out a hypothetical schedule with the second job. Are there enough hours in the week? * Look for flexible hours. Can you work from home or easily swap shifts with others? LATE TRADING Stock Weyerhi SP Fncl NasdlOOT CSXs ClearChan Realogy n CompsBc KimbClk BrMySq VivoPart Intel CocaCI InPhonic 635 p.m. Late dcose Chg. volume 82.25 31152 37.30 20013 45.27 +.01 19814 40.27 -.15 17250 36.47 12800 29.68 +.00 12640 69,95 12162 70.00 11352 27.06 +.01 10000 3.98 10000 20.81 +.05 9953 47.20 -.06 8911 13.00 -.25 8850 Stock Amazon SPDR Supvalu Chubbs EMC Cp Level3 SunMicro RellantEn LongvFb s Cisco SiriusS Unisys 465 pm. 40.78 40.86 145.30 145.43 37.66 37.66 53.02 53.02 14.49 14.49 6.55 6.54 &27 6.38 16.28 17.00 24.59 24.59 27.51 27.58 3.74 3.73 9.30 9.30 ale +.08 7913 +.13 7435 7430 7000 6623 -.01 5878 +.11 5494 +.72 5024 5000 +.07 4732 -.01 4450 * 4004 For up-to-date stock quotes, go to and click on Business I, r. II 4B TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2007 INTERNATIONAL EDITION THE TIBUN WEDNSDAY FEBRARY 8, 207,IPGES5 Credit union officially unveils its new name M By CARA BRENNEN- BETHEL Tribune Business Reporter The Bahama Island Resorts and Casinos Cooperative Credit Union (BIRCCCU) has offi- cially unveiled its new name, a move designed to provide more magnetism to attract employees from those sectors, than its previous name, the Paradise Island Resort and Casino Co-operative Credit Union. A sign bearing the new name was officially unveiled in a short ceremony held at the credit union's Village Road FROM page 1B supervisory consolidation process in the UK that led to the Financial Services Author- ity's (FSA) creation as a 'super regulator'. His appointment was viewed at the time as a precursor to regulatory consolidation in the Bahamas, with Mr Foot over- seeing their integration, given that this nation was generally perceived as having too many supervisory agencies with over- lappingresponsibilities, creat- ingiadditionatlbureaucracy and red tape for Bahamian finan- cial services providers to wade through. Mr Foot's appointment was thus warmly welcomed by the Bahamian financial services sector, especially given his international standing and links to global regulatory bod- ies, something that helped smooth relations with these organizations at a time when the Bahamas was still being monitored by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Unconfirmed reports reach- ing The Tribune last night sug- gested that Mr Foot had become frustrated with the slow pace of developments in the Bahamas, particularly over the reform and potential con- solidation of the regulatory structure the job he was office, which was attended by staff, the minister with respon- sibility for credit unions, V Alfred Gray, and senior offi- cials from his ministry. Paulette Dean, chairperson of BIRCCCU, said the occa- sion marked the threshold of a new era in the credit union's history. "We are more than commit- ted to providing you the very best financial services, as we strive to be the leading credit union of choice in the coun- try," she added. "As such, we will in the very near future be venturing into the Family Islands, in places such as Exuma and Grand Bahama, in an effort to pro- brought into oversee. .His departure has also caused dismay among Bahami- an bank and trust companies, plus leading financial services executives, who have enjoyed the increased transparency and communications Mr Foot has provided via a quarterly newsletter they have received. Mr Foot led the production of a guidebook for interna- tional regulators on co-opera- tion with their Bahamian coun- terparts, explaining the processes and removing mis- understandings .that had blight- ed these relationships in the past. Production As Inspector of Banks and Trust Companies, he also headed the production of guidelines on bank and trust company physical presence, business continuity planning, external auditors, independent and non-executive bank direc- tors, and minority investors in Bahamas-based banks and trust companies. Several financial services industry sources yesterday voiced concerns to The Tri- bune about Mr Foot's impend- ing departure, especially giv- en the message it might send to outside investors, clients and regulators especially the fact that such a recognized name vide the same quality of ser- vices which we presently offer to our current members. "We realise that our broth- ers and sisters on the various Family Islands also have dreams to improve their finan- cial future." According to the union, the name was necessary to dispel any notion that the credit union was only available to persons who worked at Par- adise Island-based resorts. Mr Gray noted the credit union's achievements and growth, saying the name change will help to ensure the financial stability of Bahami- ans involved in the hotel sector throughout the country. in financial services regulation was leaving when the Bahamas still faced scrutiny from the FATF and other agencies. Describing it as "a bad mes- sage" that could be sent, one source said: "It's an unfortu- nate loss. He was very promi- nent and you can't question his experience. It's not good news." Mr Foot's standing gave him the ability to deal with inter- national regulators, and the source said: "It gives you the ability to deal with the IMF . and.CFATF,.when they came . down here to do their reports. Whether it's an irreplaceable loss, I don't know." 'o Another industry source said: "That's very bad news. Being a consumer of the Cen- tral Bank, it's been delightful to have him here, particularly the quarterly newsletter he's given us, as he's told us every- thing he's been thinking. "I know I'm not going to get that kind of service in the future. I'm not at all surprised [at his departure], and the banking community will view it as a tragedy. "I think they did a very good thing in bringing him here. He'll be a hard act to follow." Meanwhile, Mr Smith said yesterday that while the Reg- ulatory Review Commission's legal affairs sub-committee had recommended the changes He added that this was par- ticularly significant when the anchor properties come on stream in the various Family Islands. He also encouraged the credit union to take their assets even higher for the further development of the country. Mr Gray also present plaques to three of the credit union's longest serving mem- bers Lincoln Hercules, Beau- thie Darville and David Mick- lewhite who all joined in 1986, for their commitment to the credit union. BIRRCU now boasts more than 3,000 members with assets totalling more than $20 mil- lion. recently passed by both House of Parliament that allowed reg- ulators to more easily and effi- ciently share information among each other, the sub- committep on structure had not reported yet. "That's a lot more involved, and that determines whether you go the route of the FSA in the UK, go with multiple agencies as in Europe, or in between, as in Canada, with its 'twin pillars'," Mr Smith said. Any regulatory structural' reform had to address condi- tions on the ground, he added, such as a country's costs, resources and expertise.: Housekeepers Maids Laundry workers Waiters Beach activity coordinators Cooks Deck Hands Groundskeepers Over 15 positions are to be filled. All persons require suc- cessful applicants to reside at North Eleuthera OR vicinity.. Parent's Guide to Bright, Healthy, Happy Children ....t -- Make sure your child mentally and physically fit, with a well balanced multi- vitam in and natural appetite stimulant that will help them challenge the active school days. Give them a vitamin from. they can benefit A well established Pharmaceutical Company is seekingto hire the following indiv'idual:- Experience Skills: A minimum ofthree (3) years experience in the field. Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills Excellent communication skills Excellent command of English Language Proficiency in Microsoft Work and Excel. Ability to work with minimal supervision All interested persons should mail their resume to: ChiefFinancial Officer Commonwealth Drugs & Medical Supplies Co. Ltd P.O.Box N-1145 Nassau, Bahamas Fax: (242) 323-2871 Email: ksherman@commonwealthdrugs.com Only applicants who meet the requirements will be contacted. -.- A-----A- Kiddi ,harrr n .) * improves physical and mental performance enhances metabolic functions oftthe body has pleasant fruity orange flavour improves phIysiological functions Contains lysine and other essential components that support your child during the critical development stage. M aki -lrt,,' iiii.t I h i, i-i, allit .11n.l l 'l 1 1ti 1flllh III I I -, I I I WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 5B inspetor f Bans an ' r THE TRIBUNE THE TRIBUNE PAGE 6B. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 Greenspan said what? The former Fed chair's recession comments rocks markets * By RACHEL BECK AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) A bullish complacency among investors worldwide came to a 'sudden halt this week after Alan Greenspan spoiled the fun by warning of a possible U.S. economic recession later this year. In a matter of hours, his forecast wreaked havoc on global share prices. Chinese stocks plunged 9 percent from record levels in their worst ses- sion in a decade and U.S. mar- kets suffered their biggest declines in years. Some of what spooked investors was the former Fed- eral Reserve chairman's change in tone. Until recent- ly,' he had been adding some froth to the big gains in stocks by giving an upbeat economic outlook and downplaying the risks from declining growth. Quality Auto Sales Ltd PARTS DEPARTMENT Will be CLOSED for STOCKTAKING MARCH 1 to 3. (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) We will re-open for business as usual on Monday, March 5. We apologise to our valued customers and regret any inconvenience this may cause. All other departments will be open for ",,"" business as usual. AUTO MALL ,u.,u.rI 4 -, AALi! LiA E i E E'rWV MOrOi LTD PARTS ivufci u saies LIMITED AUTO- MALL Shidrey Street, .397-1700 JEWELLERY SALES ASSOCIATES Must be... Honest, Reliable, Dedicated, Professional, Energetic & SELF MOTIVATED Excellent $$$ Bonus Potential DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? If the answer is YES then take the next step. FAX RESUME TO 326-2824 APL TDY That positive view seems to be history unless he flip- flops again. It has been more than a year since Greenspan left the helm of the Fed after an 18-year tenure, and he now runs a con- sulting firm that bears his name. But that doesn't mean he has shied away from the spotlight. He still publicly voic- es his views on economic trends, and what he says cer- tainly carries weight in finan- cial markets. That was clear this week when Greenspan warned that the current six-year economic expansion is in danger of expir- ing by year." Investors weren't expecting such a bearish view from Greenspan, who has stressed in recent months that strong profit margins and capital spending are signs of good times to come. He also has repeatedly noted that the "worst is behind us" in the eco- nomic impact of the housing market slump. Greenspan also has down- played the recessionary link to the inverted yield curve, which happens when interest rates on longer-term U.S. Treasury notes fall below those of the overnight federal funds rate and short-term Treasury bills. Even though major financial troubles have historically fol- lowed such inversions, many economists now have brushed off ties between the two SLIFEGSUARDS S Applicants must be certified by the Royal Life Saving Society and possess first aid and CPR training. Candidates should also be swimmers. Successful applicants will be able to give swim and dive lessons but cannot do such lessons during regular working shifts. It is imperative that applicants be personable, well-groomed, flexible individuals available to work shifts as needed. Interested persons should fax resumes with copies of certificates and telephone contacts to: The Director, Human Resources Lyford Cay Members Club Lyford Cay Nassau, Bahamas Fax: #362-6245 around even though the curve has been inverted for months. But this week, Greenspan sang a new tune "recession" - and that was enough to send some investors running for the first time in a long while. There hasn't been anything in recent months that could rattle stocks significantly. Investors have chosen to focus on the mergers and acquisition boom, the pullback in oil prices that have somewhat tempered inflationary risks and some healthy economic data and discounted most everything else. And as the rally in U.S. markets that began last July has shown no sign of slowing, more investors wanted to take part. Before Tuesday's sell-off, the Dow Jones industrial aver- age had soared 19 percent in the last eight months to a record high, while the broader- market Standard & Poor's 500 index had jumped 18 percent to six-year highs since July. Now many market-players are taking a step back, at least for a moment. Stocks on Tues- day had their worst day of trading since markets reopened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Greenspan's remarks also panicked global investors, who worry about a cooling of both the U.S. and Chinese economies. A day after send- ing Shanghai's Composite Index to a record, the bench- mark index tumbled 8.8 per- cent for its largest decline since Feb. 18, 1997. But there may be something positive in Greenspan's warn- ing. Investors needed a bit of an attitude adjustment, and he jump-started the process. It's not that the outlook ahead is all gloom, but since many market participants have gotten caught up in their buy- ing spree, they've overlooked some potential concerns. While the U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.5 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2006, a sur- vey released Monday by the National Association for Busi- ness Economics showed that experts predict economic growth of 2.7 percent this year, the slowest rate since a 1.6 per- cent rise in 2002. The Commerce Department on Tuesday reported demand for big-ticket manufactured goods fell by a sharper-than- expected 7.8 percent in Janu- ary, the biggest drop in three months. And the housing mar- ket remains in a tough spot, especially given the recent implosion in subprime mort- gages, with a realty group reporting that average selling prices for existing homes fell last month. Investors might not see it this way now, but Greenspan's warning might actually help them in the end. That could happen if it gives his successor, current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the opportunity to save the day by cutting interest rates to offset potential weakness. While that wasn't the direction the Fed has seemed to be leaning, it surely is what investors want. Rachel Beck is the nation- al business columnist for The Associated Press Write to tier at rbeck(at)ap. orgably qualified individuals to apply for the following position with the company: HEAD CHEF Duties and Responsibilities Coordinate and manage multiple food venues. Coordinate and manage all food preparation areas. Budgeting and purchasing of food supplies. Planning of meals for all food venues. Qualifications: Must have 5 star experience ci- ther in a restaurant private residence or yacht. Must have an "attention to detail" work ethic. Willing to take directions from management and maintain a hands on approach. Experience in a "Chef's table", "Disgustation" or "tasting menu" style of dining. The ideal candidate will have to reside on Eleuthera or its surrounding area.. C F A L" Pricing Information As Of: Tjesdo, 27 February 200 7 BISK. LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES VISIT WVWW.BISXBAHAMAS COM FOR MORE DATA & INFORMATION BISX ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE 1.762.79 / CHG 03 68 / %CHG 00.21 / YTD 86.60 / YTD % 05.17 52wk-Hi 52wk-Low Securit y Previous Close Today's Close Change Daily Vol. EPS- $ D iv $ PIE Yield 1.85 0.54 Abaco Markets 0.78 0.78 0.00 -0.282 0.000 N/M 0.00% 12.05 10 40 Bahamas Property Fund 11.25 11.25 0.00 1.689 0.400 6.7 3.56% 8590 Bank of Bahamas 8.11 8.50 0.39 1,700 0.796 0.260 10.7 3.06% 0.85 0.70 Benchmark 0.80 0.80 0.00 0.265 0.020 3.0 2.50%a Holdings 2.00 2.00 0.00 0.078 0.040 25.6 2.00% 1374 9.38 Commonwealth Bank 13.85 13.85 0.00 0.998 0.680 13.9 4.91% 6.26 4.22 Consolidated Water BDRs 5.54 5.30 -0.24 0.134 0.045 41.4 0.81% 2 88 2.40 Doctor's Hospital 2.44 2.44 0.00 0.295 0.000 8.3 0.00% 6.21 5.54 Famguard 5.70 5.70 0.00 3.50Q 0.552 0.240 10.5 4.14% 1230 1070 Finco 12.30 12.30 0.00 0.779 0.570 15.7 4.65% 14.60 10.90 FirstCaribbean 14.60 14.60 0.00 0.921 0.500 15.9 3.42% 1671.52 1 J.S.Johnson 9.05 9.05 0.00 0.588 0.560 15.4 6.19% in nn 10in on Premier Real Estate 1000 10.00 0.00 1.269 0.795 7.9 7.95% Fldeity Over-The-Counter Securities 52wk-Fh. -..d L .,,t,..I fBiI i L .. ... : E: t C'. P E Yiela 14.30 1- .. .i.Tia fur .ri.rl- 1.1 60 1. C,'" ''' 1 1 1 6t1 6 7 35 ' 10.14 10.00 Caribbean Crossings (Pref) 8.00 8.25 10.00 0.000 0.640 NM 7.85% 0 54 0 20 PHID Holdinas 0 4 5 055 0 20 0.021 0.000 26.2 0.00% Collne Over-The-CounLer Securlties 43.00 --- --I" 6.:."6 4 1) 1 : I0,1 AI ":,.I ---. ,'C ,-,. ) I 4 0 00". 14 60 14.00 Bahamas Supermarkets 14.60 15.50 14.00 1.770 1.320 8.3 9.04% 0.60 0 15 RND Holdinas 045 0 55 0.45 -0.070 0.000 N/M 0.00% BISX Lisled Mulu.al Furnds 52w k-I l. -. l .- I1 1-,,. i r .- ,rrc- r4- .C,, L _.i- r 1 _l.. 1i.- L', f '*-I 1.3292 I -1-*. *, ,r.,i r 1.. .-., r.l-tl F1r',,:] 1 '--1 :!" 3.0569 2 6662 Fidelity Bahamas G & I Fund 3.0569"** 2 5961 2.3241 Colina MSI Preferred Fund 2.596093** 1 2248 1.1547 Colina Bond Fund 1.224792**.* 11 ? cc in nonn Fidelity Prime Income Fund 11 35454.. FINDEX. CLOSE 778.73 / YTD 04.941% / 2008 34 47" 52wk H, Highest closing price in last 52 weeks Bid $ Buying price of Colina and Fidelity 52wk-Low Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Ask $ Selling price of Colina and fidelity 16 February 2007 Previous Close Previous day's weighted price for dally volume Last Price Last traded over-the-co lnter price Fridays Cilosr- Current day's weighted price for dally volume Weekly Vol. Trading volume of the prior week 31 January 2007 Channu Change in closing price from day to day EPS $ A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mfths Dally Vil Number of total shares traded today NAV Net Asset Value 31 January 2007 DIV $ Dividends per share paid In the last 12 months N/M Not Meaningful P/E Closing prico divided by the last 12 month earnings FINDEX The Fidelity Bahamas Stock Index. January 1, 1994 = 100 .. 31 January 2007 ". 31 January 2007 TO) TRADE CALL. COLINA 242-502-7010 / FIDELITY 242-356-7764 FOR MORE DATA ., INFORMATION CALL (242) 394-2503 __ __I~~_ BUSINESS m ,v-. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 7B TiF TRIRI INF Chrysler workers are offered up to $100,000 to leave company * By TOM KRISHER AP Business Writer DETROIT (AP) - Chrysler Group will offer all 49,600 hourly workers in the U.S. up to $100,000 to leave the company as part of a recov- ery plan announced earlier this month. The company, which lost $1.475 billion in 2006 and said it expects losses to continue through 2007, said on Feb. 14 it intends to shed 13,000 jobs, including 11,000 hourly posi- tions and 2,000 salaried, as it tries to further shrink itself to match reduced demand for its products. A company document obtained by The Associated Press outlines an early retire- ment program for hourly workers near retirement age and a buyout program for those with at least one year of tenure with the company. The offers were reported earlier Tuesday by The Detroit News. Under the buyout offer, workers would receive a pretax lump-sum payment of $100,000 plus six months of medical and vision coverage in exchange for their departure. The early retirement pack- age includes a $70,000 pay- ment, health care benefits and whatever pension a worker was eligible for based on age and years of service. According to the document, the United Auto Workers union and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group agreed dedica- tion of our members to deliver quality vehicles that customers want to buy." The offers come as Chrysler tries to reduce production by 400,000 vehicles per year. Production All U.S. production workers will get the offers, including those at eaph U.S. facility would have different timing for work- ers to take the packages, but the timing for plants slated to lose production this year will be between April and Decem- ber. Further cuts scheduled for 2008 and 2009 will be done'in similar fashion. To be eligible for early retirement, workers must have 30 years with the company or be at least 60 years old and have at least 10 years of ser- vice, or be at least 55 years old and their age and years of com- pany. The Delaware plant would closed during the next two years, and Chrysler also plans to cut shifts at plants in War- ren, Mich., and St. Louis. Other plants that will see job losses include a machining plant in Toledo, Ohio; a Detroit axle plant; the Mack Avenue Engine Plant I in Detroit; an engine factory in Trenton; stamping plants in Sterling Heights, Warren and Twinsburg, Ohio; and the Indi- ana Transmission Plant I in Kokomo. The company also announced that a parts distri- bution center near Cleveland will close this year. The targeted factories gen- erally make components for slow-selling trucks and sport utility vehicles, the company said. In addition to the cuts at ,those facilities, Chrysler plans to eliminate 3.000 hourljobs due to'expected produotiyity gains at yet-to-be identified plants, said spokesman David Elshoff. In all, 4,725 hourly posts will be eliminated this year, with the remaining 4,275 in 2008 and 2009, Elshoff said. TROPICAL SHIPPING LIMITED VACANCY FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS Qualifications & Experience Minimum five (5) years in Heavy Equipment Mechanics Knowledge of diesel and gasoline engines Knowledge of hydraulic systems Good understanding of 24 V Electrical S\stems Experience in wire rope rigging would be a plus Welding experience also would be a plus Duties & Responsibilities Perform repairs and preventive maintenance on various heavy equipment. Required Qualities Good physical condition Able to withstand constant exposure to the weather conditions Must be willing to work shift schedules Nust be willing to work at heights Company offers good benefits and salary is commensurate with ex- perience and qualifications. Interested persons are invited to submit a resume' by February 28, 2007 to the following person: Ramon Taylor Tropical Shipping Limited John Alfred Dock East Bay Street Nassau, Bahamas Phone: (242) 322-1012 11 II II II II II II II I 11 II II 1 II II I 11 1 II11 11 11 11 II II II II II II II II 11 The Ansbacher Group, specialists in private banking, fiduciary services and wealth management, has an opening in The Bahamas for a SECURITIES ADMINISTRATOR/OFFICER Primary Responsibilities: To safeguard and accurately maintain records of all securities held S* Proper execution and settlement of trades and/or any other securities transactions To ensure all Securities transactions are accurately processed in the proper accounting period Liaise between custodians and administrators to ensure client records are updated p To carry out all duties as they relate to the proper administration of securities S*Assist with the preparation of all securities related documentation S*To accurately post all stock orders, non-cash transactions and dividends To update the trade log on a daily basis, to validate, post and settle trades S* To assist with daily call-over routine : Secondary Responsibilities: To carry out such duties as may be required from time to time To serve as a back-up verifier of swifts To assist with departmental cross training, pension payments and sales ledger when necessary Requirements: Bachelors' Degree in Banking/Accounting/Economics/Management with at least one year experience in an offshore environment; or "* Relevant associate Degree with three years experience as a Junior Banking of Securities Officer - Securities certification such as Series 7 or C.S.C. SHighly proficient in Microsoft Office . * Ability to multi-task Please send all resumes to the attention of. Human Resource Manager : Ansbacher (Bahamas) Limited P.O. Box N-7768 . Nassau, Bahamas Fax: 325-0524 E-mail: hrmanager@ansbacher.bs Deadline for all applications is March 2, 2007 i 1 11 11 11 I 11 1 I i i 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 Ii 11 11 11 11 i 11 IN III 11 11 11 11 I F I BUSINESS PAGE 8B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 Crist says he's not wedded to any property tax reform idea . By BILL KACZOR Associated Press Writer TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) - Governor Charlie Crist said Tuesday he's not committed to any property tax reform ideas, and even refused to defend his own proposals. The centerpiece of Crist's reform package, which he also made a cam- paign promise last year, is a proposal to double the exemption on homesteads - an owner's primary home from $25,000 to $50,000. House Speaker Marco Rubio, R- Miami, last week criticized that idea, saying it would "wipe out entire coun- ties." Small rural counties, where prop- erty values are low, would be hardest hit. "I'm not in the push-back mood," Crist said Tuesday when asked about Rubio's comments. "My objective is to lower property taxes for the people of Florida and it doesn't necessarily have to be my idea." The governor said he was confident the Legislature would find a consen- sus among a variety of suggestions. "I'm not wedded to any of those pro- posals, necessarily," Crist said. The governor's package also includes proposals that would allow homeown- ers to take the three per cent cap on their annual property taxes, provided through the Save Our Homes Amend- ment, with them when they move and add a similar cap for non-homestead properties. Pushing Rubio, though, is pushing a differ- ent plan that would abolish property tax on homesteads and cap it for non- homestead real estate. It also would raise the statewide sales tax from six per cent to 8.5 per cent to partly offset the property tax losses to local govern- ments. The proposals aim to lower property taxes driven up largely by higher real estate values and wide disparities in tax bills caused mainly by the Save Our Homes Amendment. It has shifted the tax burden from longtime homeowners to new buyers and owners of second homes, rental and commercial proper- ties. Crist was unfazed by a lawsuit chal- lenging the Save Our Homes Amend- ment, which took effect in 1994. It was filed Monday in state Circuit Court here by a group of Alabama residents who own second homes in the Florida g Panhandle. The lawsuit alleges the amendment unconstitutionally shifts an unfair amount of the tax burden onto them and other owners of non-homestead ^ property. Crist agreed Save Our Homes should ^ be more broadly applied but said, "I ., think the Legislature is going to come to the rescue." We are looking to fill the position of Assistant Fitness Centre Manager. Among other duties the successful applicant will be expected to: Assist the manager of the fitness centre in supervision of staff and staff activities; ensure the comfort of fitness centre patrons; maintain the cleanliness standards of the fitness centre; ensure equipment is working superbly at all times; maintain par level stocks per the standard and that bathroom/ shower facilities are fully stocked and in an acceptable condition at all times. It would be an asset if the individual has some personal training certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America or a similar institution and a minimum of two to three years experience. The successful applicant must be: highly motivated, willing to work flexible hours, in excellent physical condition and enjoy working with members and sponsored guests alike. Interested individuals should fax resumes to: The Director of Human Resources Lyford Cay Members Club Lyford Cay Drive Nassau, Bahamas Fax: #362-6245 Insurers sued in Florida over building permit costs TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) Three large insurers underpaid homeowners for roof damage from storms, and failed to factor in the cost of building permits for major repairs, three lawsuits filed in Florida allege. The lawsuits, filed in three different Florida courts last week and on Monday, named Allstate Floridian Insurance Co., Citizens Property Insur- ance Corp. and State Farm Florida Insurance Co. as defen- dants. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of three Florida home- owners whose houses were insured by one of the compa- nies during the last five years with claims for roof damage from a hurricane, tornado, or other natural disaster. They allege the companies failed to compensate them for the cost of a building permit to do the roof repairs. The Hurricane Law Group, which is representing the homeowners, is seeking class- action status for all three law- suits. "The three suits combined will impact an estimated 200,000 policyholders who were not paid for building per- mits for damages suffered dur- ing the various hurricanes which ravaged Florida over recent years," the law group said in a statement released NOTICE IN THE ESTATE OF BEATRICE A. RUSSELL, (a.k.a. BEATRICE ANN RUSSELL) late of 114 Hesketh Street, Chevy Chase, Montgomery, Maryland, U.S.A., deceased NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against or interest in the above Estate should send same duly certified in writing to the undersigned on or before 28th March, 2007 after which date the Executor, MNarsh Harb,-ou' Abaco, The Bahanmas Tuesday. The lawsuits seek to have the homeowners reimbursed, with interest, for permits and have their attorneys fees cov- ered. The lawsuit against Citizens was filed Friday by homeown- er Steven Schlegel in Miami- Dade County; the lawsuit against. State Farm was filed by homeowner Tracy Healy in Broward County on Friday and the lawsuit against Allstate was filed Monday by home- owner William Clinard in Hendry County. While not commenting on the specifics of the lawsuit, All- state spokesman Adam Shores said the company "takes seri- ous our obligation to pay cov- ered losses." "We're confident that we've ,, settled our claims appropri- ately," Shores said. State Farm Florida spokesman Justin Glover said complaint records would show ," that "the vast majority of our v. customers are satisfied with 1 their settlements," and also noted that the company has paid out billions for home- owners to fix their houses over the last couple years. A spokesman for Citizens said company officials had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment. NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that KENOLD CIVILMA OF BAHAMA AVENUE, P.O.BOX N-7499,days from the 21STiday of FEBRUARY, 2007 to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, P.O.Box N- 7147, Nassau, Bahamas. JEWELLERY STORE MANAGERS Discover a rewarding and challenging career catering to the country's visitors in the exciting retail jewelry business!!! Do You Have What it TakesP ARE YOU... Confident? A Leader? Self Motivated? Professional? Mature (25 yrs or older)? Dedicated? If the answer isYES then take the next step FAX RESUME TO 326-2824 SALARY OPPORTUNITY COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATION Bimini Sands Condominiums & Resort JOB FAIR held on March 1st and March 2nd 2007, Place: Culinary & Hospitality Management Institute;Of The College Of The Bahamas; in the Demonstration Room. Time: 9:00am until 2:00pm daily EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Accountant Reservation Clerk Special Events Coordinator Chef Line Cook Waiters / Waitress Bus Boys Bartenders Maintenance Security Applicants Should bring resume along with them. NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that EDNA MARKS OF .19 FRAZIER ALLOTMENTS, SOLDIER RD., P.O. BOX N-8313, NASSAU, BAHAMAS, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The-Bahamas, and thatany: MAINTENANCE MANAGER Must have sound mechanical qualifications, experience and skills with all types of vehicles, boats & water toys. Responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and repair of the following inventory: Boat/ Water fleet 44' Morgan 38' Jupiter 26' Dusky 15' Boston Whaler 18' Flats Boat Yamaha Jet Skis Land Fleet 6 Polaris Ranger 2x4's Golf Carts Some Construction machinery Knowledge and experience with electrical, plumbing and building repairs and maintenance also essential, either in 4 or 5 star resort, or on private property. Responsible for upkeep of tool/maintenance shed with particular strength in inventory and stock control and general order. '* Must ensure that all maintenance tools are operated safely and only by staff qualified to use them. Must have excellent organizational and skillsan eye for detail.. BUSINESS THE TRIBUNE 7 :!! Midwest CEO fears merger with AirTran would take away his airline's charm * By EMILY FREDRIX AP Business Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) The head of Midwest Airlines, target of a hostile takeover by Orlan- do, Florida-based AirTran Air- ways, said he fears a merger with the low-cost carrier would result in his airline losing its charm. AirTran envisions a merger that will create a large, low-cost national airline, said Tim Hoek- sema, CEO of Midwest Air Group, told The Associated Press. But that would require more seats, less leg room and giving up perks such as Mid- west's trademark chocolate chip cookies, he said. "I think their vision, based on what you read, is to convert it to a commodity carrier that does not have the focus on service that we do and to make it into a high density, low-cost product, eliminate some of the things that we offer ... and turn it into Air- Tran," Hoeksema said. The $345 million offer from AirTran Holdings Inc., parent of AirTran Airways, to Midwest shareholders expires on March 8. Midwest Air Group's board of directors has turned down three offers from AirTran. In January, it called the latest offer "inadequate" and recommend- ed shareholders not sell their stock to AirTran. The board knew what it was doing in the summer of 2005, Hoeksema said, when it quietly declined AirTran's first buyout offer of about $78 million, or $4.50 a share. "So one can say, 'Oh boy, that was about twice what the share price was,' but our board of directors knew what we were doing, what was coming, what our strategic plan was and obvi- ously in retrospect made the right decision," he said. Shares of Midwest closed Tuesday down 50 cents, or 3.76 per cent, to $12.80 on the Amer- ican Stock Exchange. Shares of AirTran fell 27 cents, or 2.51 per cent, to close at $10.48 on the New York Stock Exchange. The board prefers to expand NOTICE IN THE ESTATE OF EVERETTE ARCHER a.k.a RICHARD EVERETTE ARCHER a.k.a EDWARD EVERETTIE ARCHER a.k.a EVERETTE RICHARD ARCHER late of Dundas Town, Abaco, The Bahamas deceased NOTICE.is' hereby gi c-n that all persons having any claim or demand against or interest in the above Estate should send same daily certified in writing to the undersigned on or before 26th March, 2007 after which date the Executrix will proceed to distribute the assets of the Estate having regard only to the claims, demands or interests of which she shall then have notice AND all persons indebted to the above Estate are asked to settle such debts on or before 26th March, 2007. V.M. LIGHTBOURN & CO. Attorneys for Executrix P.O. Box AB-20365 Bay Street, Marsh Harbour Abaco, The Bahamas 4UBS UBS (Bahamas) Ltd. is one of the leading Wealth Managers in the Caribbean. We look after wealthy private clients by providing them with comprehensive, value-enhancing services. In order to strengthen our team we look for an additional Client Advisor Brazil In this challenging position you will be responsible for the following tasks (traveling required): Advisory of existing clients Acquisition of high net worth individuals Presentation and implementation of investment solutions in the client's mother tongue We are searching for a personality with solid experience in wealth management, specialized in the fields of customer relations, investment advice and portfolio management. Excellent sales and advisory skills as well as solid knowledge of investment products are key requirements. A proven track record with a leading global financial institution as well as fluency in English and Portuguese is essential. Written applications should be addressed to: UBS (Bahamas) Ltd. Human Resources P.O. Box N-7757 Nassau, Bahamas Midwest on its own, Hoeksema said. The Milwaukee-based air- line plans to add six new desti- nations this year and 12 new routes, including a direct flight from Milwaukee to Seattle/Tacoma announced Tuesday. Midwest Air Group, with 3,500 employees and more than 340 flights a day, plans to serve 49 cities in the next few months. AirTran currently operates more than 700 flights a day to 56 cities and has 8,000 employees. A combined company could reach 1,000 departures a day in 74 cities, AirTran CEO Joe Leonard has said. Hoeksema said that's just not feasible. AirTran said Monday in a fil- ing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it wants to add 29 destinations from Milwaukee to cities such as San Juan, Puerto Rico and Rochester, N.Y. But there won't be enough passengers out of Milwaukee to justify that, Hoeksema said. He also disputed AirTran's claim that it would add more than 1,100 jobs to the Milwau- kee area with a merger. That won't happen after overlapping jobs are eliminated, Hoeksema said. Midwest may be small it carries less than one per cent of all US passengers but it has done well by carving its own niche, he said. "We want to maintain that uniqueness and that specialness so people do pick us and that's what it's all about," he said. AirTran could have gone into Milwaukee and competed directly, but it wants to work out a deal, said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran's vice president of mair- keting. The company has promised to keep serving cook- ies, he said, and passengers who want more service can always fly business class. "We don't want to destroy Midwest," Hutcheson said. Hoeksema would not specu- late on whether Midwest would consider offers from companies other than AirTran or engage in its own takeover efforts. "We're probably in the strongest position we've ever been in from a competitive point of view in terms of low cost and good service," he said. "And that, I think, is the secret for success going for- ward." NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that ARMONY JEAN-BAPTISTE OF 3RD STREET, GROVE, FEBRUARY, 2007 to the Minister responsible for Nationality-and Citizenship, P.O.Box N- 7147, Nassau, Bahamas. ,y ' NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MICHAEL DAMIAN WAYDE JOSEPH OF LUDLOW ST. WEST,. OFFICE ASSISTANT NEEDED To assist in General Office Work. Duties include, but not limited to, Receptionist, Filing, Typing, Banking and Postal Duties. Will also be required to perform some Accounting and Payroll Functions. Excellent Computer Skills Necessary. Ideal candidate will be honest, responsible, punctual and self-motivated. Salary commensurate with experience. FAX 326-2824. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 9B VACANCY For Private club is seeking a restaurant manager with a minimum of five (5) years managerial experience in a gourmet style restaurant. The individual's primary responsibilities include but are not limited to a willingness to: work split shifts; attend to employee discipline; coach and counsel; roster; conduct performance appraisals; establish and maintain necessary controls to ensure a smooth operation; motivate and train employees; exercise exceptionally-strong supervisory skills in any matters involving subordinate staff and manage by example in an environment of professionalism beginning with being a role model in professional attire and deportment. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Interested managers should express an interest by faxing resumes to the attention of: The Director, Human Resources, Lyford Cay Members Club Lyford Cay Nassau, Bahamas Fax: #362-6245 THE TRIBUNE An established Law firm is seeking suitable applicants for the position of Legal Secretary. The following qualifications and attributes are necessary requirements. Associate Degree in Secretarial Science or equivalent A minimum of 3 years working experience in the specified position Excellent use of the English language Strong secretarial and administrative background Good communication and people skills Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel Experience working in a law firm's Corporate or Commercial department would be an asset. The successful candidate must be able to multi task and work in a demanding environment. Qualified persons may apply to the Human Resources Manager before March 16, 2007. P.O. Box c/o The Tribune Nassau, The Bahamas NOTICE IN THE ESTATE OF JULES D. GRIFFING, late of the City of Rutland, Vermont U.S.A., deceased NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against or interest in the above Estate should send same duly certified in writing to the undersigned on or before 28th March, 2007 after which date the Administratrix, Marsh Harbour Abaco, The Bahamas II .1 HAUG 10B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 THE TRIBUNE BUSINESS FIRSTCARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL BANK (BAHAMAS) LIMITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2006 (Expressed in thousands of Bahamian dollars) Notes ASSETS Cash and balances with The Central Bank Loans and advances to banks Derivative financial instruments Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss Other assets Investment securities Loans and advances to customers Property, plant and equipment Retirement benefit assets Intangible assets Total assets LIABILITIES Derivative financial instruments Customer deposits Other borrowed funds Other liabilities Retirement benefit obligations Total liabilities EQUITY Share capital and reserves Retained earnings Total equity Total liabilities and equity 2006 2005 $ $ (Restated) 69,143 108,802 298,257 682,859 1,983 6,832 809,509 300,211 121,772 37,338 715,370 168,600 2,444,830 1,972,392 29,209 31,764 13,654 13,597 187,747 187,747 4,691,474 3,510,142 12,424 267 3,503,903 2,856,737 281,344 276,789 81,299 11,608 10,600 4,086,068 2,948,903 17 435,556 417,281 169,850 143,958 605,406 561,239 4,691,414 3,510,142 Approved by the Board of Directors on December 15, 2006 and signed on its behalf by:. Michael Mansoor Chairman Sharon Brown Managing Director NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 1. General information The Bank, which was formerly named CIBC Bahamas Limited ("CIBC Bahamas") and controlled by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), changed its name to FirstCaribbean International Bank (Bahamas) Limited on October 11, 2002, following the combination of the retail, corporate and offshore banking operations of Barclays Bank PLC in The Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands ("Barclays Bahamas") and CIBC Bahamas. The Bank is a subsidiary of FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited formerly CIBC West Indies Holdings Limited (the "Parent" or "FCIB"), a company incorporated in Barbados with the ultimate parent companies being jointly CIBC, a company incorporated in Canada, and Barclays Bank PLC, a company incorporated in England. In March 2006, CIBC and Barclays Bank PLC signed a non- binding Letter of Intent for the acquisition by CIBC of Barclays' 43.7% ownership stake in FCIB. Upon completion of the transaction, CIBC would own 87.4% of FCIB. The registered office of the Bank is located at the FirstCaribbean Financial Centre, 2d Floor, Shirley Street, Nassau, The Bahamas. At October 31, 2006 the Bank had 812 employees (2005: 811). 2. Summary of significant accounting policies 2.1 Basis of presentation This consolidated balance sheet is prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of available-for-sale investment securities, financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value through the profit and loss and all derivative contracts. The preparation of the balance sheet in conformity with IFRS requires management to make certain critical estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the balance sheet and accompanying notes. Actual amounts could differ from these estimates. The areas requiring a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated balance sheet, are disclosed in Note 24. The following new standards and amendments to standards are mandatory for the Bank's accounting periods beginning on or after November 1, 2005. Management assessed the relevance of these new standards and amendments and concluded that the adoption did not result in substantial changes to the Bank's accounting policies. In summary: IAS 8, 10, 16, 17, 21, 27, 28, 32 and 33 had no material effect on the Bank's policies. IAS 24 has affected the identification of related parties and some other related party disclosures. IAS 39 (revised 2004) has affected the investment and trading securities categories for disclosure. IFRS 2 has affected the disclosures for share-based payments to employees. All changes in accounting policies have been made in accordance with the transition provisions in the respective standards. All standards adopted by the Bank require retrospective application other than: IAS 21 prospective accounting for goodwill and fair value adjustments as part of foreign operations; and IAS 39 the de-recognition of financial assets is applied prospectively. Certain new standards, interpretations and amendments to existing standards have been published that are mandatory for the Bank's accounting periods beginning on or after November 1, 2006 or later periods but which the Bank has not early adopted, as follows: IAS 19 (Amendment), Employee Benefits (effective from January 1, 2006). This amendment introduces the option of an alternative recognition approach for actuarial gains and losses. It may impose additional recognition requirements for multi-employer plans where insufficient information is available to apply defined benefit accounting. It also adds new disclosure requirements. The Bank has not yet determined whether it will change its accounting policy adopted for recognition of actuarial gains and losses. IAS 39 (Amendment), The Fair Value upon (effective from January 1, 2006). This amendment changes the definition of the financial instruments classified at fair value through the profit and loss and restricts the ability to designate financial instruments as part of this category. The Bank believes that this amendment should not have a significant impact on the classification of financial instruments, as the Bank should be able to comply with the amended criteria for the designation of financial instruments classified at fair value through the profit and loAS IFRS 7, Financial Instruments: Disclosures, and a complementary amendment to IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements Capital Disclosures (effective from January 1, 2007). IFRS 7 introduces new disclosures to improve the information about financial instruments. It requires the disclosure of qualitative and quantitative information about exposure to risk arising from financial instruments, including specified minimum disclosures about credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk, including sensitivity analysis to market risk. It replaces IAS 30, Disclosures in the Financial Statements of Banks and Similar Financial Institutions, and disclosure requirements in IAS 32, Financial Instruments: Disclosure and Presentation. It is applicable to all entities that report under IFRS. The amendment to IAS 1 introduces disclosures about the level of an entity's capital and how it manages capital. The Bank assessed the impact of IFRS 7 and the amendment to IAS 1 and concluded that the main additional disclosures will be sensitivity analysis to market risk and the capital disclosures required by the amendment to IAS 1. IFRIC 8, Scope of IFRS 2 (effective from May 1, 2006). IFRIC 8 clarifies that the accounting standard IFRS 2, Share-Based Payment applies to arrangements where an entity makes share-based payments for apparently nil or inadequate consideration. The Interpretation explains that, if the identifiable consideration given appears to be less than the fair value of the equity instruments granted or liability incurred, this situation typically . indicates that other consideration has been or will be received. IFRS 2 therefore applies. Management does not believe that IFRIC 8 will impact the Bank's operations. IFRIC 9, Reassessment of Embedded Derivatives (effective from June 1, 2006). IFRIC 9 clarifies certain aspects of the treatment of embedded derivatives under IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. Management does not believe that IFRIC 9 will impact the Bank's operations. 2.2 Consolidation Subsidiary undertakings, which are those companies in which the Bank directly or indirectly has an interest of more than one half of the voting rights or otherwise has power to exercise control over the operations, have been fully consolidated. The principal subsidiary undertakings are disclosed in Note 27. Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date on which the effective control is transferred to the Bank. They are de-consolidated from the date that control ceases. All inter-company balances and unrealized surpluses and deficits on balances have been eliminated. Where necessary, the accounting policies used by subsidiaries have been changed to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by the Bank. The purchase method of accounting is used to account for the acquisition of subsidiaries by the Bank. The cost of an acquisition is measured as the fair value of the assets given, equity instruments issued and liabilities incurred or assumed at the date of the exchange, plus costs directly attributable to the acquisition. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at.their fair values at the date of acquisition, irrespective of the extent of any minority interest. The excess of the cost of acquisition over the fair value of the Bank's share of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of the acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized directly in the income statement. 2.3 Segment reporting A business segment is a group of assets and operations engaged in providing products. Segments with a majority of revenue earned from external customers, and whose revenue, results or assets are 10% or more of all the segments, are reported separately. 2.4. Foreign currency translation Items included in the consolidated balance sheet are measured using the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates ("the functional currency"). The functional currency of the Bank is Bahamian dollars, and, this consolidated balance sheet is presented in Bahamian dollars. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at rates prevailing at the date of the balance sheet and non-monetary assets and liabilities are translated at historic rates. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency positions are reported in income of the current year. Translation differences on non-monetary items, such as equities classified as available-for-sale financial assets, are included in the available-for-sale reserve in equity. 2.5 Derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting Derivatives are initially recognized in the balance sheet at their fair value based on trade date. Fair values are obtained from discounted cash flow models, using quoted market interest rates. All derivatives are carried as assets when fair value is positive and as liabilities when fair value is negative. The method of recognizing the resulting fair value gain or loss depends on whether the derivative is designated as a hedging instrument, and if so, the: 'i) formal documentation of the hedging instrument, hedged item, hedging objective, strategy and relationship, at the inception of the transaction; ii) the hedge is documented showing that it is expected to be highly effective in offsetting the risk in the hedged item throughout the reporting period; and iii) to net profit or loss over the period to maturity. (2) Cash flow hedge The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges are recognized in equity. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognized immediately in the income statement. Amounts accumulated in equity are recycled to the income statement in the periods in which the hedged item will affect profit or loss (for example,. 2.6 Financial assets The Bank classifies its financial assets into the following categories: i) Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss ii) Loans and receivables iii) Held-to-maturity investments iv) Available-for-sale financial assets Management determines the classification of its investments at initial recognition. or if so designated by management. Derivatives are also categorised as held for trading unless they are designated as hedges. ii) Loans and receivables Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. They arise when the Bank provides money, goods or services directly or indirectly to a debtor with no intention of trading the receivable. iii) Held-to-maturity Held-to-maturity investments are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments and fixed maturities that the Bank's management has the positive intention and ability to hold to maturity. Were the Bank to sell other than an insignificant amount of held-to-maturity assets, the entire category would be tainted and reclassified as available- for-sale. iv) Available-for-sale Available-for-sale investments are those intended to be held for an indefinite period of time, which may be sold in response to needs for liquidity or changes in interest rates, exchange rates or equity prices. All purchases and sales of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, held-to-maturity and available-for-sale that require delivery within the time frame established by regulation or market convention ("regular way" purchases and sales) are recognized at trade date, which is the date that the Bank commits to purchase or sell the asset. Otherwise such transactions are treated as derivatives until settlement occurs. Loans and receivables are recognized when cash is advanced to borrowers. Financial assets are initially recognized at fair value plus transaction costs for all financial assets not carried at fair value through profit or loss. Financial assets are derecognised when the rights to receive the cash flows from the financial assets have expired or where the Bank has transferred substantially all risks and rewards of ownership. Available-for-sale financial assets and financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are subsequently re-measured at fair value based on quoted bid prices or amounts derived from cash flow models. Loans and receivables and held-to-maturity investments are carried at amortized cost using the effective interest yield method, less any provision for impairment. Third party expenses associated with loans and receivables, such as legal fees, incuned in securing a loan are expensed as incurred. Unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of securities classified as available-for-sale are recognized in equity, except whre; a hedging relationship exists. When the securities are disposed of or impaired, the related accumulated fair value adjustments are included in the income statement as gains and losses from investment securities. All realized and unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of securities classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are included in operating income. Unquoted equity instruments for which fair values cannot be measured reliably are recognized at cost less impairment. _ I I THE TRIBUNE BUSINESS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 11B 2.7. 2.8 Sale and repurchase agreements Securities sold subject to linked repurchase agreements reposos") are retained in the financial statements as investment securities or financial assets at fair value through profit or loss and the liability to the counter party is included in other borrowed funds under liabilities. Securities purchased under agreements to resell are recorded as loans and advances to other banks or customers as appropriate. The difference between sale and repurchase price is treated as interest and accrued over the life of repurchase agreements using the effective interest yield method. 2.9 Impairment of financial assets The Bank future cash flows of the financial asset or group of financial assets that can be reliably estimated. Objective evidence that a financial asset or group of financial assets is impaired includes observable data that cdanes to the attention of the Bank about the following loss events: i) significant financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor; ii) a breach of contract, such as a default or delinquency in interest or principal payments; iii) the Bank granting to a borrower, for economic or legal reasons relating to the borrower's financial difficulty, a concession that the lender would not otherwise consider; iv) it becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganisation; v) the disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties; or vi) default on the assets in the group. If there is objective evidence that an impairment loss on loans and receivables or held-to- maturity investments carried at amortised cost has been incurred, the amount of the loss is measured as the difference between the carrying amount and the recoverable amount, being the estimated present value of expected cash flows, including amounts recoverable from guarantees and collateral, discounted based on the current effective interest rate. When a loan is uncollectible, it is written off against the related provision for impairment; subsequent recoveries are credited to the provision for impairment losses. If the amount of the impairment subsequently decreases due to an event occurring after the write-down, the release of the provision is credited to the provision for loan loss impairment in the income statement. In circumstances where Central Bank guidelines and regulatory rules require provisions in excess of those calculated under IFRS, the difference is account for as an appropriation of retained earnings and is included in a non-distributable general banking reserve. 2.10 Intangible assets Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary undertaking at the date of acquisition and is reported in the balance sheet as an intangible asset. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment and carried at cost less accumulated impairment losses.. 2.11 Property, plant and equipment Land and buildings comprise mainly branches and offices. All property, plant and equipment is stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of the items. Subsequent costs are included in the asset's carrying amount otare recognized as a separate asset,' s appropriate, only when it is'rob.ihle iha fiurure uconmrnic 'lnefits associated with the :. i 'flow to ihe Banik jnd the cost qf the item ran, be measuredxreliably. All other repairs and maintenance re ch,.,rged to the income statement during the financial period in which they are incurred. Land is not depreciated. Depreciation on other assets is computed using the straight-line method at rates considered adequate to write-off the cost of depreciable assets, less salvage, over their useful lives. The annual rates used are: - Buildings - Leasehold improvements - Equipment, furniture and vehicles 2/2% 10% or shorter life of the lease 20 50% Assets that are subject to depreciation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Where the carrying amount of an asset is greater than its estimated recoverable amount, it is written down immediately to its recoverable amount. The asset's recoverable amount is the higher of the asset's fair value less costs to sell and the value in use. 2.12. 2.13 Retirement benefit obligations i) Pension obligations The Bank operates a pension plan, the assets of which are held in a separate trustee- administered fund. The pension plan is sections of the plan is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the balance sheet date minus the fair value of plan assets, together with adjustments for unrecognized actuarial gains/losses and past service costs. The defined benefit obligation is calculated periodically by independent actuaries using the projected unit credit method. The present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined by the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates of government securities which have terms to maturity approximating the terms of the related liability. The pension plan is a final salary plan and the charge for such pension plan, representing the net periodic pension cost less employee contributions is included in staff costs. Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to income over the expected average service lives of the related employees. Past service costs are recognized immediately in income, unless the changes to the pension plan are conditional on the employees remaining in service for a specified period of time (the vesting period). In this case, past service costs are amortised on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. For the defined contribution section of the plan, the Bank makes contributions to a private trustee-administered fund. Once the contributions have been paid, the Bank has no further payment obligations. The regular contributions constitute net periodic costs for the year in which they are due and as such are included in staff costs. The Bank's contributions in respect of the defined contribution section of the plan*are charged to the income statement in the year to which they relate. (ii) Other post retirement obligations The Bank provides post-retirement healthcare an'd changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to income over the expected average service lives of therelated employees. These obligations are valued periodically by independent qualified actuaries. 2.14 Borrowings Borrowings are recognized initially at fair value and are subsequently stated at amortized cost, and any difference between net proceeds and the redemption value is recognized in the income statement over the period of the borrowings, using the effective interest yield method. z.15 Share capital and dividends i) Share issue costs Shares issued for cash are accounted for at the issue price less any transaction costs associated with the issue. Shares issued as consideration for the purchase of assets, or a business, are i ccorded at the market price on the date of the issue. ii) Dividends on ordinary shares Dividends on ordinary shares are recognized in equity in the period in which they are declared. Accordingly, dividends in respect of the current year's net income that are declared after the balance sheet date are not reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. 2.16 Fiduciary activities The Bank commonly acts as trustees and in other fiduciary capacities that result in the holding or placing of assets on behalf of individuals, trusts, retirement benefit plans and other institutions. These assets and income arising thereon are excluded from this consolidated balance sheet, as they arc not assets of the Banik. 2.17 Comparatives Where necessary, comparative figures have been adjusted to comply with changes in presentation in the current year as noted in accounting policy 2.1. 3. Cash and balances with 'Thie Central Bank 24,543 Deposits with The Central Bank non-interest bearing Cash and balances with The Central Bank Less: Mandatory reserve deposits with The Central Btank Included in cash and cash equivalents as per below 2005 $ 28,290 44,600 80,512 69,143 108,802 (43,209) (49,550' 25,934 59,252 Mandatory reserve deposits with The Central Bank represent the Bank's regulatory requirement to maintain a percentage of deposit liabilities as cash or deposits with The Central Bank. These funds are not available to finance the Bank's day-to-day operations and as such, are excluded from cash resources to arrive at cash and cash equivalents. Cash and balances with The Central Bank are non-interest bearing. Cash and cash equivalents 2005 $ Cash and balances with The Central Bank as per above Loans and advances to banks, including accrued interest (Note 4) 4. Loans and advances to banks Included in cash and cash equivalents (Note 3) Greater than 90 days to maturity from date of acquisition Add: Accrued interest receivable 25,934 154,150 59,252 682,859 180,084 742,111 2006 2005 $ $ 151,847 679,695 144,107 295,954 679,695 2,303 3,164 298,257 682,859 Loans and advances to banks comprise deposit placements and include amounts placed with other FirstCaribbean Bank entities of $86 (2005 nil) and deposit placements with CIBC and Barclays Bank PLC entities of $230,778 (2005 $518,562). The effective yield on deposit placements during the year was 3.3% (2005 2.7%). 5. Derivative financial instruments The Bank uses interest rate swaps for both hedging and non-hedging purposes. Interest rate swaps are commitments to exchange one set of cash flows for another. The Bank uses interest rate swaps as fair value hedges to reduce the exposure of fair value changes due to fluctuation in market interest rates resulting from fixed rates binding to customers and from available-for-sale securities. The swaps result in an economic exchange of interest rates (fixed rate for floating rate). No exchange of principal takes place. The Bank's credit risk represents the potential cost to replace the swap contracts if counterparties fail to perform their obligation. The counterparties to the swaps are Baiclays and Lehman Brothers. Currency forwards represent commitments to purchase foreign currency including undelivered spot transactions. The counterpart is Royal Bank of Canada. The notional and fair value amounts under these contracts at October 31 are shown below: Contract /Notional Amount Fair Values Assets $ Liabilities $ October 31, 2006 i) Derivatives held for trading -Interest rate swaps ii) Derivatives designated as fair value hedges Interest rate swaps Currency forward 383,320 270,834 102,276 1,933 50 (12,414) (10) 1,983 (12,424) *October 31, 2005 i) Derivatives held for trading Interest late swaps ii) Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges Interest rate swaps 6. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss 204,700 95,433 6,015 817 (267) 6,832 (267) 2005 $ Irading securities Government bonds Corporate bonds Asset-backed securities theree r debt seciiities Add: Interest receivables Total trading securities 495 1,566 ,556 134,931 360 159,429 i906 296,832 3,379 241, 561. 803,411 6,098 809,509 300,211 The effective yield on le tadiing secuitlics di ing hlie ycai was 5 7% (2005 0.lo' . 7. Other assets Due from brokers Amnouint duei lioun iclated pii ti' P'repayimenits and deferred litnsi Otlier accounts I cecivablce 91,-411 3.000 1.153~ 20,208 2005 $ 12,630 1,398 23,310 121,772 37,338 The ai1mounl duc Ifromn related party is due on demand from Barclays Bank 1I.C and is interest-timLc. I - 11113 1 Ir CI- I I I I - PE 12B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,2007 THE TRIBUNE BUSINESS rv, ,112B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 Ee_ ,e i i[ I I -, 156898_ 158,823 411,655 133,363 545,018 7,500 7,500 701,916 166,323 13,454 2,277 715.370 168,600 Debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of The Bahamas amounted to $136,700 (2005 $131,546). Government bonds include US Treasury Notes of $369,492, of which $279,337 have been pledged in support of the repurchase agreements described iit Note 14. The effective yield during the year on investment securities was 6.2% (2005 6.0%). The movement in investment securities may be summarised as follows: Loans and receivables $ Balance, beginning of year Additions Disposals sale and redemption Gains from changes in fair value (Note 17) Balance, end of year Available -for-sale $ 158,823 7,500 9,350 533,774 (11,275) (4,982) 8,726 156,898 545,018 Total $ 166,323 543,124 (16,257) 8,726 701,916 Included in gains front changes in fair value are unrealized net gains of $8,295 on available-for-sale securities that are included in the statement of income, due to these securities being included in fair value hedging relationships. The remaining $431 represents unrealized net gains on available-for-sale securities that are not included in hedging relationships. 9. Loans and advances to customers 2006 Mortgages Personal loans Business loans Government securities purchased under r, ,'o rTeemr' Add: Interest receivable Less: Provisions for impairment 1,025,949 333,866 1,064,035 860,265 288,667 857,180 52,185 2,476,035 2,006,112 16,035 9,297 (47,240) (43,017) 2,444,830 1,972,392 Movement in provisions for impairment is as follows: Specific credit risk provision $ Balance, October 31, 2004 (36,269) (6,889) (865) 7,383 (36,640) Doubtful debt expense Recoveries of bad and doubtful debts Bad debts written off Balance, October 31, 2005 Doubtful debt expense Recoveries of bad and doubtful debts Bad debts written off Balance, October 31, 2006 Inherent risk provision $ (9,348) 2,971 (6,377) (4,141) (1,183) (1,344) 2,445 (39,680) The average interest yield during the yper on loans and advances was 8.4% (2005 -- 8.2%). Impaired loans as at October 31,2006 amounted to $123,630 (2005 -$105,911). Included in business loans are advances to FCIB Jamaica totalling $88,754, which are pledged in favour of that bank in support of loans granted to certain of its customers. 10. Property, plant and equipment Cost Balance, November 1, 2005 Purchases Disposals Transfers Balance, October 31, 2006 Accumulated depreciation Balance, November 1, 2005 Depreciation Disposals Transfers Balance, October 31, 200(6 Net book value, October 31, 2006 Cost Balance, November 1, 2004 Purchases Disposals Transfers Balance, October 31, 2005 Accumulated depreciation Balance, November 1 ""04 Depieciation Disposals Balance, October 31, 2005 Net book value, October 31, 2005 Land and buildings S 20,436 450 (1,214) (1,137) Equipment, furniture and vehicles $ 30,524 1,438 (191) 615 Leasehold improvements $ 11,445 84 522 62,405 1,972 (1,405) 18,535 32,386 12,051 62,972 5,282 19,898 5,460 30,640 322 2,614 600 3,536 (224) (189) (413) (54) 39 15 - 5,326 22,362 6,075 33,763 13,209 10,024 5,976 29,209 Equipment, Land and furniture Leasehold Total buildings and vehicles improvements 2005 $ $ $ $ 25,970 27,042 10,314 63,326 1,374 2,146 209 3,729 (3,651) (102) (897) (4,650) (3,257) 1,438 1,819 20,436 30,524 11,445 62,405 5,628 17,632 4,732 27,992 533 2,338 964 3,835 (878) (72) (236) (1,I186 5,283 19,898 5,460 30,641 15,153 10,626 5,985 31,764 11. Retirement benefit assets and obligations The Bank has an insured group health plan and a pension plan. The pension plan is a mixture ol defined benefit and defined contribution schemes. The defined benefit sections of the scheme are non-conti ributory and allow for additional voluntary contributions. The insured health plan allows for retirees to continue to receive health benefits during retirement. The plan is valued by independent actuaries every three years using the projected unit credit method. The amounts recognized on the balance sheet are determined as follows: Defined benefit pension plus 2006 04 $ , Fair value of plan assets Present value of funded obligations Unrecognized actuarial gain Net asset/(liability) rest retirement medical benefits 2006 2005 S S 83,149 7-,458 (56,398). (50,440) (9,368) (8,910) 26,751 27,018 (9,368) (8,910) (13,097) (13,421) (2,240) (1,690) 13,654 13,597 (11,608) (10,600) Ibepensionplanassetsinclude100,000ordinarysharesintheBank. The actuarial return on plan assets for the defined benefit sections of the pension plan i. $6,494 (2005: $5,570). The movements in the net asset/(iabtlwty) recognized on the balan Defined ben pension pl 2006 S Balance, beginning of year Charge for the year Contributions paid Employer premiums for existing retirees Balance, end of year 13,597 65 ce sheet are as follows: neft Post retirement ians medical benefits 2005 2006 2005 $ $ S 13,167 (10,600) (9,064) 430 (1,113) (1,641) 105 105 13,654 13,597 (11,608) (10,600) The principal actuarial assumptions used at the balance sheet date are as follows: Defined benefit pension plan 2006 2005 Discount rate Expected return on plan assets Future salary increases Future pension increases 6.5% 8.0% 4.5% 1.5% 7.0% 8.5% 5.3% 1.8% Post retirement. medical benefits 2006 2005 Discount rate Pe:;i.-m escalation rate Exis!.ig letiree age 6,5% 4.5% 64 7.0% 5.0% 64 The latest actuarial valuation of the pension plan was conducted as at November 1,2004 and revealed a fund surplus of $20 million. 12. Intangible assets 2006 S Goodwill Carrying amount, October 31 2005 S 187,747 187,747 13. Customer deposits Individuals Business and Governments Banks Add: Interest payable Payable on demand S 131,803 699,729 1,154 Payable after notice S 181,215 31,991 Payable at a fixed date 747,980 1,156,011 534 317 2606 Tot 1,060,998 1,887,731 535.471 2005 Total $ 1,013,248 1,747,846 S1.476 832,686 213,206 2,438,308 3,484,200 2,842,570 230 273 19,200 19,703 14,167 832,916 213,479 2,457,508 3 503,903 2,856,737 Included in deposits' Iront uanks are deposits from other FirstCaribbean Bank entities of $484,877 (2005 $13,199) and deposits from CIBC and Barclays Bank PLC entities of $12,757 (2005 - $17,550). The effective rate of interest on deposits during the year was 3.8% (2005 2.1 %). 14, Other borrowed funds 2006 2005 $ a 280,692 Repurchase agreements Add: Interest payable 652 281,344 - The Bank'sold under repurchase agreements, investment securities having a fair value of $279,337. The effective rate of interest on these borrowings during the year was S.17%. 15. Other liabilities 2006 s Accounts payable and accruals .Due to brokers Amount due to related parties 2005 35,204 26,963 239,389 53,119 2,196 1,217 276,789 81.299 The amount due to related parties refers to balances due to other FirstCaribbean Bank entities as well as C113C and Barclays Bank PIC or their subsidiaries. 16. Share capital The Bank's authorized capital is $20 million, comprising 150 million ordinary shares with a par value of $0.10 each and 50 million preference shares also having a par value of-S0.10 each. All issued shares are fully paid. At October 31, 2006 and 2005, the issued share capital was as follows: Number of Share Share shares par value premium S $S Ordinary shares, voting Total S 120,216,204 12,022 465,20&8 477,230 8. Investment securities Loans and receivables Issued or guaranteed by Governments - Debt securities 2006 $ 2005 $ 158.823 156.898 Total loans and receivables Available-for-sale securities Government bonds Corporate bonds Total available-tor-sale securities Add: Interest receivable Total investment securities p1-I-r ---rII r -- "`' (7,560) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 13B THE TRIBUNE BUSINESS -b 17. Share capital and reserves 2006 $ Share capital (Note 16) 477,230 477,230 Reserves Statutory reserve fund Turks & Caicos Islands Statutory loan loss reserve Bahamas Revaluation reserve available-for-sale investment securities Revaluation reserve cash flow hedges Reverse acquisition reserve Total reserves Total share capital and reserves 6,800 14,661 431 2,800 817 (63,566) (63,566) (41,674) (59,949) 435,556 417,281 In accordance with the Banking (Amendment) Ordinance 2002 of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), the Bank was required in 2004 to assign capital to the TCI operations in the amount of $24 million. The movements in reserves were as follows: 2006 2005 $ S Statutory reserve fund Turks & Caicos Islands Balance, beginning of year Transfers from retained earnings Balance, end of year 2,800 700 4,000 2,100 6,800 2,800 in accordance with the Banking (Amendment) Ordinance 2002 of the TCI, the Bank is required to maintain a statutory reserve fund of not less than the amount of its assigned capital. Where it is less than the assigned capital, the Bank is required to annually transfer 25% of its net profit earned from its TCI operations to this fund. During the year the Bank transferred $4,000 (2005: $2,100) from retained earnings to the statutory reserve fund. Revaluation reserve available-for-sale investment securities Balance, beginning of year Net gains from changes in fair value of available-for-sale investment securities (Note 8) Transfer to profit and loss for hedging purposes Balance, end of year Revaluation reserve cash flow hedges Balance, beginning of year Net gains (loss) from changes in fair value 8,726 (8,295) 431 2005 $S 817 (817) 817 Balance, end of year 2006 Statutory loan loss reserve Bahamas Balance, beginning of year Transfers from retained earnings Balance, end of year 14,661 14,661 I I Banking Regulations of The Central Bank of The Bahamas require a general provision in respect of fatle performing loans of at least one percent of these loans. To the extent the inherent risk provision Z for loans and advances to customers is less than this amount, a statutory loan loss reserve has been established and the required additional amount has been appropriated from retained earnings, in accordance with IFRS. Reverse acquisition reserve 2006 2005 $ $ Reverse acquisition reserve, beginning and end of year (63,566) (63,566) At October 11, difference between the legally required share capital together with the retained earnings of Barclays Bahamas, and the equity of the Bank presented in accordance with IFRS. 18. Dividends At the Board of Directors meeting held on December 15, 2006, a final dividend of $0.25 per share amounting to $30,054 in respect of the 2006 net income (December 2005: $0.30 per share, amounting to $36,065) was proposed and declared. The consolidated balance sheet as of October 31, 2006 dos not reflect this resolution, which will be accounted for in equity as a distribution of retained earnings in the year ending October 31, 2007. 19. Related party balances The Bank's major shareholder is FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited which owns 95.2% of the Bank's ordinary shares and is itself jointly owned by CIBC and Barclays Bank PLC which collectively own 87.4% of the voting share capital. The remaining shares are widely held. A number of banking transactions are entered into with related parties in the normal course of business. Outstanding balances at year-end are as follows: Key related party balances and transactions Balances: Deposit placements Loans Deposit liabilities Directors and key management personnel 2006 2005 $* $ 2,011 5,869 Major shareholder and associated banks 2006 2005 $ $ 86 2,827 88,754 4,033 484,877 46,500 13,199 Ultimate shareholders 2006 2005 $ $ 230,778 518,562 12,757 17,550 20. Contingent liabilities and commitments The Bank conducts business involving guarantees, performance bonds and indemnities, which are not reflected in the balance sheet. At the balance sheet date the following contingent liabilities and commitments exist: 2006 $ Letters of credit Loan commitments Guarantees and indemnities 2005 $ 60,881 42,966 358,191 351,109 16,067 14,586 435,139 408,661 The Bank is the subject of legal actions arising in the normal course of business. Management considers that the liability, if any, of these actions would not be material. 21. Future rental commitments under operating leases As at October 31, 2006 the Bank held leases on buildings for extended periods. The future rental commitments under these leases are as follows: Not later than 1 year Later than 1 year and not more than 5 -years Later than 5 years 2,695 3,122 6,104 7,556 2,428 2,436 11,227 13,114 22. Business segments The Bank operates four main lines of business organised along customer segments, but also includes treasury operations as a reportable segment. 1. Retail Banking is organized along four product lines: Premier Banking (dedicated relationship management), Home Finance (mortgages), Consumer Finance & Credit Cards and Asset Management & Insurance. L. Corporate Banking comprises three customer sub-segments: Corporate Business, Commercial Business and Business Banking. Corporate Banking offers deposit and investment products, borrowing and cash management products, merchant card services and trade finance. 3. International Wealth Management is organized into four segments: International Personal, International Premier, International Mortgages and International Corporate. The Personal Banking segment specializes in currency accounts, deposit accounts, U.S. dollar credit cards and international mutual funds. The Premier Banking segment offers each client a personal relationship manager in addition to all of the products and services offered by the Personal Banking segment. The International Mortgage group provides funding in U.S. dollars, to non- residents seeking to purchase second homes for personal use or as an investment. The International Corporate Banking segment specializes in providing banking services to businesses and professional intermediaries at international financial centres. 4. The Capital Markets segrr.... ... .... .ous anu investors with access to larger pools of capital and greater investment opportunities. It acts for and on behalf of large business and sovereign clients who seek both equity and debt capital instruments and facilitates the expansion of the existing secondary market capabilities in the region. The Treasury Group manages the interest rate, foreign exchange and liquidity risks of the Bank. In addition, the Treasury Group conducts foreign exchange transactions' on behalf of clients, where possible, and hedges fixed rate loans and investments with interest rate swaps. Transactions between the business segments are generally on normal commercial terms and conditions. Funds are ordinarily allocated between segments, resulting in funding costs transfers disclosed in operating income. Interest charged for these funds is based on the Bank's funds transfer pricing. There are no other material items of income or expense between the segments. Segment assets and liabilities comprise operating assets and liabilities, being the majority of the balance sheet, but exclude items such as borrowings. Internal charges and transfer pricing adjustments have been reflected in the performance of each business. October 31, 2006 Segment assets Segment liabilities Other segment items Capital expenditure October 31, 2005 Segment assets Segment liabilities Other segment Items Capital expenditure Retail Corporate International Capital Banking Banking Wealth Mgt Markets Treasury $ $ $ S $ Other Eliminations S S 1,241,828 1,054,552 1,314,637 11,257 770,771 313,970 (15,541) 4,691,474 790,623 864,807 1,364,016 1,062,197 18,966 (14,541) 4,086,068 Ketall Banking S Corporate Banking $ iilernational Capital Health Mgt Markets Treasury $ $ $ 1,028,603 836,412 1,325,098 564,476 759,472 1,304,993 Other $ 1,972 Total $ 996 261,084 57,949 3,510,142 - 303,025 16,937 2,948,903 3,729 3,729 Capital expenditure comprises additions ic :' rty, plant and equipment (Note 10). Geographical segments are set out in Noiw .3 (C). 23. Financial risk management A. Strategy in using financial instruments By its nature the Bank's activities are principally related to the use of financial instruments. The Bank accepts deposits from customers at both fixed and floating rates and for various periods and seeks to earn-above average interest margins by investing these funds in high quality assets. The Bank seeks to increase these margins by consolidating short-term funds and lending for longer periods at higher rates whilst maintaining sufficient liquidity to meet all claims that might fall due. The Bank also seeks to raise its interest margins by obtaining above average margins, net of provisions, through lending to commercial and retail borrowers with a range of credit standing. Such exposures involve not just on-balance sheet loans and advances but the Bank also enters into guarantees and other commitments such as letters of credit and performance and other bonds. B. Credit risk The Bank takes .on exposure to credit risk which is the risk that a counter party will be unable to pay amounts in full when due. The Bank. The exposure to any one borrower including banks and brokers is further restricted by sub-limits covering on and off-balance sheet exposures and daily delivery risk limits in relation to trading items such as forward foreign exchange contracts. Actual exposures against limits are monitored daily.. Derivatives The Bank maintains strict control limits on net open derivative positions, that is, the difference between purchase and sale contracts, by both amount and term. At any one time the amount 'subject to credit risk is limited to the current fair value of instruments that are favorable to the Bank (i.e. assets), which in relation to derivatives is only a small fraction of the contract or notional values used to express the volume of instruments outstanding. This credit risk exposure is managed as part of the overall lending limits with customers, together with potential exposures from market movements. Collateral or other security is not usually obtained for credit risk exposures on these instruments, except where the Bank requires margin deposits from counterparties. Master netting arrangements The Bank further restricts its exposure to credit losses by entering into master netting arrangements with counterparties with which it undertakes a significant volume of transactions. Master netting arrangements do not generally result in an offset of balance sheet assets and liabilities as transactions are usually settled on a gross basis. However, the credit risk associated with favorable contracts is reduced by a master netting arrangement to the extept that if an event of default occurs, all amounts with the counterpart are terminated and settled on a net basis. The Bank's overall exposure to credit risk on derivative instruments subject to master netting arrangements can change substantially within a short period since it is affected by each transaction subject to the arrangement. Credit related commitments The primary purpose of these instruments is to ensure that funds are available to a customer as required. Guarantees and standby letters of credit, which represent irrevocable assurances that the Bank will make payments in the event that a customer cannot meet its obligations to third parties, carry the same credit risk as loans. Documentary and commercial letters of credit, which are written undertakings by the Bank on behalf of a customer authorizing a third party to draw drafts on the Bank up to a stipulated amount under specific terms and conditions, are collateralized by the underlying shipments of goods to which they relate and therefore carry less risk than a direct borrowing. Commitments to extend credit represent unused portions of authorizations to extend credit in tne form of loans, guarantees or letters of credit. With respect to credit risk on commitments to extend credit, the Bank is potentially exposed to loss in an amount equal to the total unused commitments. However, the likely amount of loss is less than the total unused cot imitments since most commitments to extend credit are contingent upon customers maintaining specific credit standards. The Bank monitors the term of maturity of credit commitments because longer- term commitments generally have a greater degree of credit risk than shorter-term commitments. o a PAUE 14B. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 28. 2007 THE TRIBUNE BUSINESS C. Geographical concentration of assets, liabilities and off-bal,,e sheet Items ,, q '. The following note incorporates IAS 32 credit risk d -osures, IAS 30 geographical concentrations of assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet it~rs disclosures and a public enterprise's IAS 14 secondary segment disclosures. : Total OI '' Credit Capital assets liabilitles commitments expenditure *S tS S O bIUC 31, 2006UU Bahamas Turks & Caicos Islands October 31, 2005 Bahamas Turks & Caicos Islands 4,131,165 S 560309 3,575, 31 332,371 510.337 102.768 4,691,474 4,086,iB 435,139 1,972 3,062,151 2,54191.7 371,124 2,984 447,991 406,98 37,537 745 3,510,142 2,948,903 408,661 3,729 The Bank is managed based on the five business segments, and it operates in two main geographical areas. The Bank's exposure to credit risk is concentrated in these areas. Capital expenditure is shown by geographical area in which the property, plant and equipment are located. Geographic sector risk concentrations within the customer loan portfolio were as follows: 4 2006 2006 2005 2005 Bahamas Turks & Caicos Islands 2,252,842 191.988 92 1,819,464 8 152928 2,444,830 100 1,972,392 100 D. Currency risk The Bank takes on exposure to effects of fluctuations in tme prevailing foreign currency exchange rates on its financial position and cash flows. The Board of Directors sets limits on the level of exposure by currency and in total for both overnight and intra-day positions, which are monitored daily. The table below summarizes the Bank's Aposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk at October 31.1 The off-balance sheet net notional position represents the difference between the notional amounts of foreign currency derivative financial instruments, which are principally used to reduce the Bank's exposure to currency movements, and their fair values. } Concentrations of assets, liabilities and credit commitments: October 31, 2006 Assets Cash and balances with The Central Bank Loans and advances to banks Derivative financial instruments Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss Other assets Investment securities Loans qnd advances to customers * Property, plant and equipment Retirement benefit assets Intangible assets Total assets Liabilities Derivative financial instruments Customer deposits Other borrowed funds Other liabilities Retirement benefit obligations Total liabilities US Other s s 62,192 6,727 1,415 196,474 1,983 ,6 1. 0 1,43'. 4 2 3 * -, 1, Net on balance sheet position . Credit commitments 1 October 31, 2005 Total assets 1,7 Total liabilities 1,3 Net on balance sheet position 4 Credit commitments 2 E. Cash flow and fair value interest rate risk I. ,' 684 025 409 391 869 M82 809,509 104,832 562,795 1,008,419 6,738 1,785 1,165 224 100,368 256 13,550 2 80 69,143 298,257 1,983 809,509 121,772 715,370 2,444,830 29,209 13,654 187,747 7 2,700,427 114,480 4,691,474 12,424 12,424 1,954,116 215,096 3,503,903 281,344 281,344 265,788 507 276,789 389 11,608 2,514,061 215,603 4,086,068 186366 (101,123) 605,406 74.141 258,395 1,903 435,139 40,054 1,529,111 240,977 3,510,142 01,024 1,412,704 235,175 2,948,903 139,030 116,407 5,802 561,239 218,758 189,104 799 408,661 Bank takes on exposure to the effects of fluctuations in the prevailing levels of market interest rates on both its fair value and cash flow risks. Interest margins may increase as a result of such changes but may reduce or create losses in the event that unexpected movements arise. Limits are set on the level of mismatch of interest rate repricing that may be undertaken, which are monitored on an ongoing basis. Expected repricing and maturity dates do not differ significantly from the contract dates, except for the maturity of deposits up to 1 month, which represent balances on current accounts considered by the Bank as a relatively stable core source of funding of its operations. F. Liquidity risk The Bank is exposed to daily calls on its available cash resources from overnight maturity date. 'Maturities of assets and liabilities October 31, 2006 Assets Cash and balances with central banks Loans and advances to banks Derivative financial instruments Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss Other assets Investment securities Loans and advances to customers Property, plant and equipment Retirement benefit asset lntangible assets Total assets Liabilities Derivative financial instruments Customer deposits Other borrowed funds Other liabilities Retirement benefit obligations Total liabilities Net on balance sheet position Credit commitments October 31, 2005 Total assets Total liabilities Net on balance ssheel position Credit commitments (I remaining period at balance sheet date to the contractual 0-3 months 6914 157,033s l,91o3 ?, 809,50 4, 1 ,, f72 -' ' 3-12 months $ 78,224 111,987 251,124 1-5 Over 5 years years $ S 63,000 - 323,758 620,621 266,171 1,064,069 29,209 13,654 81 '747I Total S 69,143 298,257 1,983 809,509 121,772 715,370 2,444,830 29,209 13,654 S71 '77A -- 1,68i,0.6 441,335 1,007,379 1,560,850 4,691,474 12,424 12,424 2,940,975 376,205 13,076 173,647 3,503,903 281,344 281,344 276;789 276,789 11,608 11,608 3,511,532 376,205 13,076 185,255 4,086,068 (1,829,622), 65,130 994,303 1,375,595 605,406 25,953 409,186 435,139 1,265,940 392,172 618,714 1,233,316 3,510,142 2,309,958 415,732 3,861 219,352 2,948,903 (1,044,018) (23,560) 614,853 1,013,964 561,239 17,318 391,343 408,661 The matching and controlled mismatching of the maturities and interest rates of assets and liabilities is fundamental to the management of the Bank. It is unusual for banks ever to be completely matched since business transacted is often of uncertain term and different types. An unmatched position potentially enhances profitability, but also increases the risk of losses. The maturities of assets and liabilities and the ability to replace, at an acceptable cost, interest- bearing liabilities as they mature, are important factors in assessing the liquidity of the represent future cash requirements, since many of these commitments will expire or terminate without being funded. G. Fair values of financial assets and liabilities The following table summarizes the carrying amounts and fair values of those financial assets and liabilities not presented on the Bank's balance sheet at fair value. Bid prices are used to estimate fair value of assets, whereas offer prices are applied for liabilities. Financial assets Loans and advances to banks Loans and advances to customers Investment securities -loans and receivables Financial liabilities Customer deposits Other borrowed funds Carrying value 2006 2005. Total Total $ S$ Fair value 2006 2005 Total Total $ S 298,257 682,859 298,257 682,859 2,444,830 1,972,392 2,437,737 1,972,392 158,983 161,100 168,561 161,100 3,503,903 281,344 2,856,737 3,504,793 2,856,737 281,240 Loans and advances to banks Loans and advances The estimated fair value of loans and advances represents the discounted amount of estimated future cash flows expected to be received. Expected cash flows are discounted at current market rates to determine fair value. The balances are net of specific and other provisions for impairment and their net carrying amounts reflect their fair values. Investment securities Fair value for investments designated as loans and receivables is based on market prices or broker/dealer price quotations. Where this information is not available, fair value has been estiniated using quoted market prices for securities with similar credit, maturity and yield characteristics. Where fair values still cannot be measured reliably, these securities are carried at cost less impairment. Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value. Customer deposits and other borrowed funds The estimated fair value of deposits with no stated maturity, which includes non-interest-bearing deposits, is the amount repayable on demand. The estimated fair value of fixed interest bearing deposits and other borrowings without quoted market price is based on discounted cash flows using interest rates for new debts with similar remaining maturity. 24. Critical accounting estimates and judgements in applying accounting policies Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The estimates and judgements that have a significant risk of causing material adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below. I) Impairment losses on loans and advances The Bank reviews its loan portfolios to assess impairment at least on a quarterly basis. In determining whether an impairment loss should be recorded in the income statement, the Bank makes judgements as to whether there is any observable data indicating that there is a measurable decrease in the estimated future cash flows from a portfolio of loans before the decrease can be identified with an individual loan in that portfolio. This evidence may include 1 observable data indicating that there has been an adverse change in, the payment status of borrowers in a group, or national or local economic conditions that correlate with defaults on. ii) Retirement benefit obligations Accounting for some retirement benefit obligations requires the use of actuarial techniques to make a reliable estimate of the amount of benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods. These actuarial assumptions are based on managements' best estimates of the variables that will determine the ultimate cost of providing post-employment benefits and comprise both demographic and financial assumptions. Variations in the financial assumptions can cause material adjustments in the next financial year, if it is determined that the actual experience differed from the estimate. ill) Loan fee recognition estimate The Bank's current processes and information technology systems do not support the treatment of loan fee income and the related direct costs as an adjustment to the effective interest rate and deferred. As a consequence, management has to estimate the effect of this treatment. In accordance with IAS 18 Revenue, loan origination fees, relating to loans that have a high probability of being. drawn down, are to be deferred (together with related direct costs) and recognized as an adjustment to the effective interest yield on the loan. This accounting treatment was not applied in the past as previous estimations indicated the adjustment to be immaterial. This year management has estimated the impact using the last four year's historical data along with certain key assumptions about the maturity profile of the loan portfolio prior to 2004 and the level of fees booked prior to 2002. The recording of this impact has been applied retrospectively, and the comparative balance sheet for 2005 has been restated, as follows: $'000 Total liabilities as previously reported 2,930,422 Adjusted for: Increase in other liabilities Total liabilities as restated Total equity as previously reported Adjusted for: Decrease in retained earnings Total equity as restated 18,481 2,948,903 579,720 (18,481) 561,239 25. Fiduciary activities The Bank provides custody and trustee discretionary investment management services to third parties. Those assets that are held in a fiduciary capacity are not included in these financial statements. At the balance sheet date, the Bank had investment assets under administration on behalf of third parties amounting to $201. 26. Post balance sheet event On October 25, 2006 the Bank offered through a private placement $20 million redeemable floating rate notes. Interest on the notes will be payable at a rate of Bahamas Prime plus 0.75% per annum, and the notes will mature on November 3, 2011. The notes, which are unsecured, may be redeemed after one year at the option of the Bank. The closing date of the offer is November 3, 2006 and accordingly it is not reflected in the balance sheet as of October 31, 2006. 27. Principal subsidiary undertakings Name FirstCaribbean International Finance Corporation (Bahamas) Limited FirstCaribbean International (Bahamas) Nominees Company Limited FirstCat ibbean International Land Holdings (TCI) Limited Country of incorporation Bahamas Bahamas Turks & Caicos Islands All subsidiaries are wholly owned. (Continued) 'PAGE 15B 55 I -- ~- 1. I I I -- _I_ I _ _ 1 I UctoUerJI 2UU I THE TRIBUNE PRC&WATERHOUS(ECOPERS PricewaterhouseCoopers Providence House East Hill Street P.O. Box N-3910 Nassau, Bahamas Website: E-mail: pwcbs@bs.pwc.com Telephone (242) 302-5300 Facsimile (242) 302-5350 INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT STo the Shareholders of S FlrstCaribbean International Bank (Bahamas) Limited We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of FirstCaribbean International Bank < (Bahamas) Limited (the Bank) as of October 31, 2006. This consolidated balance sheet is the 1 responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this balance sheet based on our audit. % We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the balance sheet is free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts '7 and disclosures in the balance sheet. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and t significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall balance sheet presentation. L We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. ; In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated balance sheet presents fairly, in all material respects, the :' financial position of the Bank as of October 31, 2006 in accordance with International Financial 4 Reporting Standards. Without qualifying our opinion, we emphasise that the accompanying consolidated balance sheet does not comprise a complete set of financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Information on consolidated results of operations, changes in equity and cash flows is necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the financial position, performance and changes in Financial position of the Bank. Chartered Accountants December 15, 2006 ., NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the loss of Bahamas Government Registered Stock Certificate as follows: SStock Interest Rate CertificateNo. Maturity Date Amount t, Bahamas Government Registered Stock 0.8125 APR 45-117 14 June 2010 316,400 Ot I intend to request The Registrar to issue a replacement certificate. If this certificate is found, please write to P.O. Box N7788, 4 Nassau, Bahamas. APR= Above Prime Rate I . * By MADLEN READ AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks plummeted Tuesday, briefly hurtling the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 550 points as Wall Street suc- cumbed to a global market plunge sparked by growing concerns that the United States and Chinese economies are cooling and that equities prices. have become overinflated. A nine per cent slide in Chi- nese stocks, which came a day after investors sent Shanghai's benchmark index to a record high close, set the tone for US trading. The Dow began the day falling sharply, and the decline accelerated through- out the course of the session before stocks took a huge plunge in late afternoon as computer-driven sell programs kicked in. The Dow fell 546.02, or 4.3 per cent, to 12,086.06 before recovering some ground in the last hour of trading to close down 415.86, or 3.29 per cent, at 12,216.40, according to pre- liminary calculations. Because the worst of the plunge took place after 2:30 pm, the New York Stock Exchange's trad- ing limits, designed to halt such precipitous moves, were not activated. The decline was the Dow's worst since September 17, 2001, the first trading day after the terror attacks, when the blue chips closed down 684.81, 'or 7.13 per cent. The drop hit every sector of stocks across the market. Riskier issues such as small- cap and technology stocks suf- fered the biggest declines. Investors' dwindling confi- dence was knocked down fur- ther by data showing that the economy may be decelerating more than anticipated. A Com- merce Department report that orders for durable goods in January dropped by the largest amount in three months exac- erbated jitters about the direc- tion of the US economy, just a day after former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the United States may be headed for a recession. "It looks more and more like the economy is a slow growth economy," said Michael Strauss, chief economist at Commonfund. "Moderate eco- nomic growth is good an abrupt stop in economic growth scares people." The market had been expecting the government on Wednesday to revise its esti- mate of fourth-quarter GDP growth down to an annual rate of about 2.3 per cent from an initial forecast of 3.5 per cent, hous- ing-related concerns, as medi- an.18, or 3.46 per cent, at 1,399.19, and the tech-domi- nated Nasdaq composite index was off 96.65, or 3.86 per cent, at 2,407.87. A suicide bomber attack on the main US military base in Afghanistan where Vice Pres- ident Dick Cheney was visit- ing also rattled the market. China's stock market plum- meted Tuesday from record highs as investors took profits when concerns arose that the Chinese government may try to temper its ballooning econ- omy by raising interest rates again or reducing more of the money available for lending. "Corrections usually happen because of a catalyst, and this may be it," said Ed Peters, chief investment officer at PanAgora Asset Management. "The move in China was a sur- prise, and when a major mar- ket has a shock it ripples through the rest of the market. With all the trade that goes on with China, there tends to be a knee-jerk reaction with that kind of drop." The Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 8.8 per cent to close at 2,771.79, its biggest decline since it fell 8.9 per cent on February 18, 1997. Since Chinese share prices doubled last year as investors poured money into the market after the completion of sharehold- ing reforms, trading in Shang- hai has been very volatile. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 1.8 per cent, and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Composite Index fell 2.8 per cent. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell a more mod- erate 0.52 per cent, but Euro- pean markets were rattled - Britain's FTSE 100 lost 2.31 per cent, Germany's DAX index dropped 2.96 per cent, and France's CAC-40 fell 3.02 per cent. Bond prices shot higher as investors bought into the safe- haven Treasury market, push- ing the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note down to 4.47 per cent, its lowest level so far this year, from 4.63 per cent late Monday. The bond buy- ing was sparked primarily by the durable goods orders, which the Commerce Depart- ment said fell 7.8 per cent, much more than what the mar- ket expected. The durable goods drop raised the chance of the Fed- eral Reserve easing interest rates later in the year a pos- sibility that makes the bond market an attractive place to be right now. The hope for slowing infla- tion sum- mer, but over the past few trading sessions, stocks have pulled back on the worry that the market is due for a correc- tion. Many analysts have noted that the Dow hasn't seen a two per cent decline in more than 120 sessions. Data indicating a slower economy had recently been giving stocks a boost on the hopes that the Fed will lower interest rates, which could rein- vigorate consumer spending and the struggling housing market. But the market may fall further before that hap- pens, analysts said. "If in a week or two, the psy- chology in the US market turns to the realization that we're in a modest growth economy of two to three per cent growth, that will help temper inflation pressures going forward. "If that perception evolves, there's an increase in the like- lihood that the Fed will be low- ering rates rather than raising rates. Structurally, it's a devel- opment that should be good for the equity market, but it might be an event that unfolds after prices are lower," Strauss said. Declining issues outnum- bered advancers by about sev- en to one on the New York Stock Exchange, where vol- ume came to 2.38 billion shares. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies dropped 30.96, or 3.76 per cent, at 792.74. *UI0O THE WORLD The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. P.O.Box N-3048 Nassau, Bahamas Tel: (242) 302-7000 THE BAHAMAS TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY LTD. TENDER FOR NEW VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd is pleased to ,invite qualified companies to apply for tender for New Vehicle and MEquipment. ,Interested companies can pick up a specification document from BTC's Administration Building John F. Kennedy Drive and The %Mall Drive Freeport, Grand Bahama February 5, to February 21, 12007 between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00tim Monday to Friday. Tender should be sealed in an envelope marked "VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT TENDER" and delivered to the attention of: - Mr. Leon Williams President & CEO The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. P.O. Box N-3048 Nassau, Bahamas ,Bids should reach the company's administration office on John F. Kennedy Drive by 4:00 p.m. Monday February, 19th, 2006. SCompanies submitting bids are invited to attend the bid opening on Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 at 10:00 A.M. at BTC's Perpall .Tract location. BTC reserves the right to reject any or all tenders. 4to BKG/410.03 ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT TREASURY BILLS Sealed Tenders for B$59,100,000.00 of 91-day Treasury Bills will be received by the Banking Manager, The Central Bank. of the Bahamas, Frederick Street, Nassau up to 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 2, 2007. Successful Tenderers, who will be advised should take up their bills against payment on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. These bills will be in minimum multiples of B$ 100.00. Tenders are to be on special forms obtainable from The Central Bank of the Bahamas or Commercial Banks. Tenders must state the net price percent (in multiples of one cent) and should be marked Tender" The Central Bank of The Bahamas reserves the right to reject any or all tenders. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 15B Wall Street plummets, sending Dow down 415 after Chinese stocks take big hit Baker's Bay opponents seeking stop-work injunction * By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Opponents of the $175 million Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club project have filed a motion with the Court of Appeal seeking an injunction to stop the developers working on the Great Guana Cay-based development, alleg- ing that if the investment is allowed to continue it will cause "irreparable damage" to their rights. An affidavit sworn by Troy Albury, a member of the Save Guana Cay Reef Association, said the motion seeking an injunction to halt work by San Francisco-based developer, Dis- cover Land Company, had been consolidated with the developers' application to the Court of Appeal that the Asso- ciation should enter "security for costs". In his affidavit, Mr Albury said that Fred Smith, the Asso- ciation's attorney, had told him there were "important points of law involved in the determina- tion of [the] appeals, which are of grave public importance to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas". He alleged: "In the meantime, if prior to the determination of the appeals, the developers and the respondents are permitted to continue to proceed with the development, there will be * SMITH irreparable harm occasioned to the environment and the tradi- tional rights of usage and other public law rights of the mem- bers of the Appellants." , The Association is seeking an injunction as part of its appeal against a ruling delivered by act- ing Supreme Court Justice Nor- ris Carroll late last year, which threw out its attempts to halt the Baker's Bay project. Since then, Discovery Land Company has proceeded with work on the pro- ject. Mr Albury recalled how Dis- covery Land Company previ- ously gave an undertaking to the Court of Appeal in an earlier action in the case, on Novem- ber 22, 2005, that it would not proceed with work on Great Guana Cay prior to the outcome of a hearing on the merits of the Association's arguments and application for a judicial review of the project's Heads of Agree- ment. Mr Albury alleged that the undertaking was given after the Court of Appeal expressed con- cern "that there should be no irremediable damage to the environment and the appellants' rights pending the determina- tion of the judicial review pro- ceedings. "Were there to be such dam- age, then the Judicial Review proceedings (whose object is, in large part, to prevent such dam- age ever occurring) and these appeals would be rendered pointless." Mr Albury alleged that noth- ing had changed, arguing: "The rationale behind the giving and the acceptance of the undertak- ing remain as forceful today as when the undertaking was first given and accepted. TRUSTED...%%T]ESTEDD.%. ]PROVEN After more than 20 years of providing our valued members in the Resort industry with sound financial services Paradise Island Resort and Casino Cooperative Credit Union is expanding and so we are changingour name to Bahama Islands Resorts and Casinos Cooperative Credit Union, to better serve ALL Resort employees throughout The Bahamas. Let us Jump Start your savings and investment plans today. p-' Contact our office on Village Road at 394-0331 BAHAMA ISLANDS RESORTS & CASINOS COOPERATIVE CREDIT UNION Pe.p elj.ping people to help -0 .. ... thenuelvea! "Were the development to proceed there would be sub- stantial, irreparable damage to the appellants' rights and the environment. If the judicial pro- ceedings were to succeed on appeal, and the development and or the process declared unlawful, then this damage could not be reversed. In short, the proceedings would have been rendered pointless." He alleged that the discovery Land Company project was a 10-year development, and little time would be lost while the par- ties waited for the Court of Appeal judgement,- "a few months at most". Mr Albury argued that the Great Guana Cay project wag "not a matter of critical national, social, political and economic importance", and "little eco- nomic benefit is accruing to Bahamians" because the Heads of Agreement waived the pay- ment of most taxes by the devel- opers. Meanwhile, Mr Albury said the Hope Town District Council on February 22 deferred hear- ings on six permit applications by Discovery Land Company for buildings ranging in value from $600,000 to $1.6 million to March 5,2007. - In his letter to the Council, Mr Smith asked for it to provide his clients with copies of BEST Commission reports and Envi- ronmental Impact Studies relat- ing to Great Guana Cay. Mr Smith wrote: "'Our clienf have only just been made aware that these applications arp before the council, and not hav- ing had the benefit of any:details with respect thereto, and given the fact that the applications will be considered so soon, onyr clients will not be in a position to be properly informed so as p be able to make sensible, ratio- nal and constructive com- ments......... ., "May we also ask that, in the spirit of transparency, account- ability and in the interest of nat- ural justice. and having regard to our clients' rights to be heard. that we beproyided with copies so thai-we ca-nTake they into account when making represetn- tations. Our clients are prepared to pay the cost of any copies. and are prepared to collect them - at your convenience." PAGE 16B, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 .II'he Tribull THE TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 SECTION 4 E E Fax: (242) 328-2398 E-Mail: sports@100jamz.com MIAMI HERALD SPORTS Coach reflects on Cobras' Hugh Campbell title triumph E BASKETBALL By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter IN JUST his first year on the job, coach Ian 'Wire' Pinder guided the CC Sweeting Cobras to the Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic's championship. ." Pinder and the Cobras Snapped the CI Gibson Rat- tiers' three-year champi- onship reign with a thrilling performance on Monday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. The tournament's Cin- derella team turned the game around in the second half and held off the Rat- tlers for a 74-70 victory and it left Pinder claiming that he felt he was on "top of the world." Going into the game, which was marred by a power failure and a slippery court in the third and fourth quarters respectively, the Cobras were the underdogs, but they showed how to bring the champions down. "I didn't know (what to expect), but I said as long we play defence, anything is possible," said Pinder, who finally got the thrill of victory after he suffered the agony of defeat for two years as a former player with the SC McPherson Sharks. "We couldn't ask for a better game. It was a close finish all the way to the end." Pinder said he's con- vinced now that his Cobras' confidence has soared to another level that he can't wait to complete the year by going after the Govern- ment Secondary Schools Sports Association's cham- pionship crown. Gallant 4 While that will have to wait a little longer, it was time for the Cobras to cele- brate as the 1-2 combina- tion of Cruz Simon and Eugene Bain made it all happen down the stretch as Rattlers made a gallant attempt to keep their hopes alive for one more champi- onship feat. Simon, named the most valuable player after he pumped in a game high 29 points, said all they did was carry out the instructions that Pinder gave them. !'I waited for this too long." he insisted. Not even the fatigue from having to pull off a double overtime victory over the Jordan Prince William Fal- cons in the semifinal earlier in the day was going to deter the Cobras from their goal. "We just went out there and did what we had to do and we came out with the victory," Simon pointed out. "From the beginning of the game, I knew we were going to pull it off." Bain, who made some crucial turnovers with the long passes, but made up for it with some key rebounds, said they could have tasted the victory from the tournament started. "This is my final year and I really wanted to go out with the title," he pro- claimed. "From the tourna- ment started, we knew that we were going to win it. But me and Cruz knew that we were the do-or-die combi- nation and we made sure that it happened." Coach Kevin 'KJ' John- son and his Rattlers were on the brink of history SEE page two * U15 boys in action in the 100m sprints at the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association's 14th annual Junior High Track and Field Championships. (Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune staff) Raptors caw their way to the front atc lam pionsips * TRACK AND FIELD By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter THE CH Reeves Raptors have taken the lead in five of the six divisions at the end of day one of the Gov- ernment Secondary Schools Sports Association's 14th annual Junior High Track and Field Championships. Yesterday at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the Cobras emerged out front in the bantam girls, junior girls and boys and intermediate girls and boys divisions. The only division they are not controlling going into the final day of competition today is the bantam boys. That division is being led by the SC McPherson Sharks. Day one of the champi- onships were highlighted by the 100 and 400, 300 and 400 hurdles and 4 x 100 metre relay finals on the track. There were a number of events contested on the field as well. Rhonesia Johnson of AF Adderley turned in one of the most outstanding per- formances on the track when she doubled up in the bantam girls 100 (13.99 sec- onds) and 400 (1:09.57 for the Tigers. "It was good," said the 11 GSSSA 14th Annual Junior High Track and Field event year-old seventh grader. "The 100 was shorter, so I liked how I ran that race." Roniqua Stubbs of SC McPherson got second in the 100 in 14.07 with Ronieker Ferguson of CH Reeves third in 14.35. Garvinisha Carey of CH Reeves was second in the 400 in 1:10.01 and Eddicia Carey of HO Nash was third in 1:11.49. In the bantam boys divi- sion, LW Young's Audley Butler took the 100 in 14.10 over Kieron Gibson of CH Reeves (14.48) and Leonar- do Scavalla of SC McPher- son was third in 14.62. Challenging "It was very good and it was very challenging because they could run," said Butler, a 11-year-old seventh grader. "I had to run hard to win." The junior girls' century was won by Vashti Cole- brooke of DW Davis in 13.21. She held off LW Young's Marva Etienne (13.28) and Katrina Sey- mour of AF Adderley (13.43). "It was good, but every- body was saying that the girl from LW young was going to beat me. I just had to overpower her," said 13- year-old Colebrooke, who pulled away at the 50 mark. Seymour came back in the one-lapper and turned the tables on Etienne when she won the race in 1:02.11. Eti- enne was second in 1:05.43 and Randeca Johnson of HO Nash was third in 1:08.51. "It was hard. I just wanted to get over it because it was long," said Seymour, who felt she won the race when she got to the 200 mark. Seymour, a 13-year-old ninth grader, admitted that she got out of the blocks too late to finish any higher in the 100. The junior boys 100 was won by Shaquille Moxey of CH Reeves in 11.86. Davaine Farrington of SC McPherson (12.19) held off his team-mate Tre Adder- ley (12.23) for second. "I ran good. I liked how I ran. It was a good start, but I feel I could do a lot bet- ter," said Moxey, the 14- year-old 10th grader. Tonia-Kaye Johnson of CH Reeves repeated as the intermediate girls 100 in 13.76. Second was Denaire Pickstock of LW Young in 13.88 and Cache Kelly of CH Reeves was third in 14.22. Doubled Johnson also doubled in the long jump with a win- ning leap of 4.38 metres. Kelly was second with 4.31 and Christia Taylor of LW young came in third with 3.82. "It wasn't a problem for us because I won and my team-mate came third," stat- ed Johnson, a 14-year-old ninth grader. "These girls are really competitive. I had to push hard to win." In the intermediate boys' division, Ulysses Hinsey sped down the straight away to claim the glory in 11.87. His nearest rival was Pargin Patton of CC Sweeting (12.10) and third was Junior Joassum (12.11). "It was great. I ran a good race," stated 14-year-old eighth grader Hinsey, who improved on his sixth place finish last year. "I didn't know I was going to win it." Also on the track, Vashanique Lewis of AF Adderley won the interme- diate girls 300 hurdles in 52.10 with Rashan Darling of CH reeves second (52.11) and Felicity Lightbourne of CC Sweeting third (54.74). Lewis also posted a dou- ble, winning the 1500 in 6:06.53 over Kellyann Pin- nock (6:16.69) and Ernesha Watt (6:36.22), both of SC McPherson. Melvin Henfield of CH Reeves won the intermedi- ate boys 400 hurdles in 1:01.3 with Rashad Sturrup of LW Young second (1:04.4) and Troy Laguerre of CH Reeves third (1:04.9). Vicknel Serveus of DW Davis won the intermediate boys 1500 in 4:46.48, while Lopez LaFleur of SC McPherson took the junior boys' 1500 in 4:49.14. In some of the field events, Lashanta Deveaux of AF Adderley took the SEE page two _ _ i~e'Tiiaiinfb Govern ent Secondary Schools Sports Association's Junior High Track and Field Championships ,i -," V -. - .. A "'~' I ; ,' 4.. -" N -. 4.-,.-. .. .... ..... ..... . ....... . j, .... -. , . ... . .: ;'. .. ... p "- & -& '., .:~~ ~ ~ ~ .44- . .. . . -.. ( ' ^ .: ^ ; ; ^ l a t l lf - .. ..4 '.- .4 ; 4.-4-i~ .4. ,d ~4 4. 4 ..... .. ,. ,, * ABOVE: Jaran Hinsey easily clears the bar in the boys U15 high jump he won with a jump of 1.75im (5.9ft). LEFT: Mallon lianchell cruises to victory in the boys U15 400 metres. (Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune staff) FROM page one ba'ni in girls' long jump with a leap of 3.69; CC Sweating's Hollina Sears soared 1.37 metres to win the junior girls' high jump: Giovanna Gordan of CC Sweeting won the interme- diate girls shot put with a heave of 8.92 metres. On the boys' side, Ken- ton Gibson of AF Adder- lev cleared 1.73 metres to win the intermediate boys' high jump; Ramoan Gibson of SC McPherson took the intermediate boys triple jump with a leap of 11.44 and Leslie Sama of CH Reeves won the intermedi- ate boys discus with a throw of 86.02. Kadeem Young of AF Adderley threw the junior boys' javelin 33.92 and Lee- wood Swann of CH Reeves won the junior boys discus with a heave of 33.04. Coach reflects on Cobras' Hugh Campbell title triumph FROM page one again. They were that close to becoming the first coach and team to win five straight. But Johnson, who is tied with two other coaches in win, :.' Iour titles, said it just w.v' Ii't meant to be. "CC wanted it more. They had the intensity. My guys were flat. CC wanted it more. Hats off to them," said Johnson, who admitted that they were simply out-played down the stretch. Johnson said they have to go back to the drawing board and hopefully regain their composure when they resume the road to the GSS- SA championship. "I'm disappointed that we lost." he charged. "But CC wan e'cd it more, they foughi and they gotl i.." Til Rattlers c. l.': diiv had cvI 'ng going lo the1m, 1but it '.;1's a hard pill for point guard Danny McKen- zie and the rest of his CI Gibson team-mates to swal- low. "We played hard, but they wanted it more than us and they got it," he noted. "We never thought that we lost the game. That was why we never gave up. But when the time ran out, we knew that it was over." It was a great finish to a fantastic tournament that *,:v none of1 The teams from It also gave the fans some- thing to look forward to as the GSSSA playoffs approach. Share your news The Tribune wants to hear from people who are makic,g news in their n('i ,bhourhoods. Perhaps ra lor improvements in the area or have won an award. If so. call us on 322-1986 and s];irc vour story. #~iLiIh ~44. / ,41 i : 7 't4 , (. ,h V S "9 'S' I II Florida Stock Ready for Immediate Shipment japanesevehicles.com +1-954-880-0781 Call Now-Ask For Ana. Dan, or Humberto Fax +-1-954-880-0785 Email us;>('japancsevehicles.coin -J/ TRIBUNE SPORTS PAGE 2E, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 .64k" .. ~awr- .. SPORTS he Miami ietralb WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 INTERNATIONAL EDITION IN MY OPINION GREG COTE gcote@MiamiHeraldcom PRO FOOTBALL I TENNESSEE TITANS Pacman's problems dog Titans Wade should think long-term, have the surgery wyane Wade wants a second opinion? I thought he'd never ask. OK, maybe he meant that he wants a second medical opinion on his sepa- rated left shoulder before choosing a course of action. And I'm no doctor (though I occasionally play one in the newspaper). But if a young man in the throes of indecision nearly a week after his injury might entertain an opinion that doesn't require any degree except a degree of presumptuous- what's left of nightmare of a season. Wade should do what is best for him- self, long-term, because at 25 he is just get- ting started future andfthe Heat's are RONHOSKINS/GETTYIMAGES inseparable. Wade is hurting, same. With any luck, D-Wade will be drilling and thrilling long after Shaquille O'Neal has retired to a TV studio and Pat Riley is done coaching. This franchise has its trophy. Now it must make sure that the player who gives it a chance to win more is protected. Forget the focus on this godfor- saken Heat season, which has fol- lowed last summer's NBA champion- ship parade the way the world's worst hangover follows the best party. Forget what this Heat team maybe/might/could do in April and May if Wade returned. This decision should not be about salvaging a Heat season that, if it were a flight, would have seen the oxygen masks drop at least three times by now while harrowed passengers groaned and reached for barf bags. The decision should be about making sure Wade's shoulder is 100 percent. That would seem to suggest sur- gery now, then recovery time heavy on care and caution. Meaning Wade's season is done, and no risk-taking this summer with Olympic qualifying, either. Meaning we'll see you return in October, Dwyane. DON'T RUSH THINGS To instead rest and rehab for six weeks means Wade could return for the playoffs. But the risk is Wade's competitiveness, a force perhaps more powerful than his rational mind. His internal magnet would be draw- ing him back maybe too soon. "I told him he has to be patient, [not] rush it," Wade's buddy LeBron James told reporters here Sunday. "I had a friend in high school that had the same injury, and he tried to rush it, and it kept popping back out." Could Wade muster sufficient patience when he's close but not quite ready? When his team is struggling, maybe fighting for that last playoff spot? Why chance getting reinjured and it becoming something that per- sists or turns chronic? (Quick aside: Riley and team vis- ited the White House on Tuesday. Could there be two more beleaguered leaders in one room than George W. Bush and Riley? The way Heat luck has been running this season, the team was fortunate to escape the Rose Garden without Udonis Haslem being sent to Iraq.) WHAT IS TO GAIN? This Heat season plainly is ill-fated. Even if Wade returned and wasn't reinjured, and if somehow the Heat beat the odds and got to the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks - now on a 33-2 run wait in a crush- ing mood. So would the Phoenix Suns. So let the Heat make what it can of the rest of this potholed season with- out Wade. See how much heavy lift- ing Shaqhas left in him. See if Riley, with guile and an inspiring parable or two, can goad his team to rise. See if Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, running on career fumes, can find the gas pedal one last time. It might be human nature to wish that Wade would hurry back. But it might be smarter to hope that he does no such thing. BY TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press NASHVILLE Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones' might finally have worn out his welcome with the Tennessee Titans. Jones has had one legal problem after another since the Titans drafted him out of West Virginia in 2005. He has kept his job because of his talent, and because the Titans haven't had the sala- ry-cap room to replace him. Now Las Vegas police are investigating the latest inci- dent a Feb. 19 triple shoot- :. ing that left one man para- lyzed and Jones has become a public-relations nightmare who might be too costly to keep, espe- cially now that the Titans have an estimated $36 million in cap room. At the NFL Combine, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher tried to deflect questions about Jones. "Once we're able to gather the facts on this one, we'll be able to IN U~ address his future and those other types of things," Fisher said. The Titans are leaving the investigation of the shooting at the Minxx Gentleman's Club to the Las Vegas police, who said in an affida- vit last week that they had seized $81,000 that they believed Jones brought to the club. The club's co-owner, Robert Susnar, has led the charge against Jones, saying that the gun- man suspected of shooting two bouncers and a cus- tomer arrived and left with Jones. Susnar was not at the club when the shooting hap- pened, but he said he learned what happened from his staff. This is the eighth time Jones has been in trouble and the police have been involved; Jones has been arrested three times. Charges from a Nashville nightclub incident in July 2005 were dismissed in March 2006. Four weeks ago, on Feb. 1, a judge dismissed a simple assault CHRIS McGRATH/GETTY IMAGES TROUBLE MOUNTS: Pacman Jones. charge for spitting on a woman. But Jones, who has not com- mented publicly since the shooting in Las Vegas, could risk having his expungement revoked for an arrest on public-intoxication and disor- derly-conduct charges from last August. In January, a judge agreed to expunge the charges if Jones stayed out of trouble until July 5. Titans fans have blistered radio airwaves and online forums since news broke about the Las Vegas incident. Many fans want Jones released, which reportedly would cost the Titans $5.4 million against the salary cap this year. On Monday night, Nashville's WTVF-TV aired a wire-tapped phone conversation from a drug investigation in which one of Jones' acquaintances talks about rumors of the player's drug use. "You know, I was talking' to [Jones] the other day about smoking' [pot], and he was like, 'Man, if I didn't smoke, I couldn't take all the stress that I'm dealing with right now,"' said Darryl Moore, who faces charges includ- ing conspiracy and possession of cocaine and marijuana for resale. MORE FOOTBALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL I ",,'?--NE5E:J a. *6. 5 FLORIDA 76 Vols hammer Gators %mLofton scores 21, and road gets rocky for reigning champs BY ELIZABETH A. DAVIS Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Chris Lofton scored 21 point for Tennessee, and the Volunteers pulled away from No. 5 Florida in the first half Tuesday night and held on for an 86-76 victory. JaJuan Smith had 16 points for the Vols, and Ramar Smith and Dane Bradshaw each had 10. The Gators (25-5, 12-3 Southeastern Confer- ence) continued a troubling trend for the defending national 1-.,, champions, who have lost three ' of four after a 17-game winning .. streak. Their chances for a No. 1 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament are slipping away after easily wrapping up the SEC regular- season title last week Al Horford led Florida with 17 points, and Chris Richard and Corey Brewer each scored had 12. Joakim Noah contributed 11 rebounds, and Horford had 10. But this was the Volunteers' night. With Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt dressing as a cheerleader and singing Rocky Top and Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning watching his alma mater, Tennessee (21-9, 9-6) finished the regular season 16-0 at home. The Vols dominated Florida until the Gators started making a run late in the second half. Tennessee had a 17-0 run in the first half and S S: was ahead by 19 points at halftime and as S.94 after that. Noah had another subpar night, scoring all eight of his points in Florida's late run. The Vols finished undefeated at home for the WADEPAYNE/AP first time since 1975-76, and a near-capacity PRESSURE, PRESSURE: Tennessee defenders Duke Crews, top right, and Ramrnar Smith crowd of 24,047 watched the home finale. disrupt Taurean Green's drive to the basket, leading to a charging call in the first half. MORE GAMES BASEBALL I HALL OF FAME VOTING Veterans Committee pitches another shutout BY BEN WALKER Associated Press NEW YORK The Hall of Fame has blanked 'em again. Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Marvin Miller and all the other candidates were left out Tuesday when the Veterans Committee admitted no new members for the third consec- utive election. The blank slate could lead to some changes before the commit- tee's next vote, in 2009. "We're being blamed because something hasn't happened," Hall of Fame member and Veterans Committee vice chairman Joe Mor- gan said. "If you're asking me, 'Do we lower our standards to get more people in?', my answer would be no." Santo came the closest to the required 75 percent. A nine-time All-Star, the former Chicago Cubs third baseman was picked on 57 of 82 ballots (70 percent). Election required 62 votes. Kaat, a 283-game winner who was strongly backed by " Hall of Fame member Mike Schmidt, drew 52 votes. Gil Hodges, who hit 370 home runs, received 50 votes, and three-time American League batting cham- pion Tony Oliva had 47. Umpire Doug Harvey received 52 of the necessary 61 votes on the ballot for managers, umpires and executives. Miller, the union head who led players to free-agent riches, showed a strong increase in getting 51 of the potential 81 votes. The Veterans Committee ) was revamped after charges of cronyism when it elected Bill Mazeroski in 2001. That marked the eighth consecu- tive year the 15-member panel had sent someone.to the shrine in Cooperstown, N.Y. After that, the panel was expanded to include all living Hall of Famers. The new committee votes every other year for players and every four years for the others. "We are disappointed that no one has been elected in the three voting cycles," Hall of Fame chair- man Jane Forbes Clark said. "We will be evaluating this process." Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected to the Hall by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in January. They will stand alone at the induction cere- monies, July 29 in Cooperstown. The 84 eligible voters on the Veterans Committee included 61 Hall of Fame members, 14 broad- casters, eight writers and one holdover from the previous panel. BASEBALL REPORT I I I I I--II L --I I II I, I I I 1 MiamiHerald.com I THE MIAMI HERALD 4B, I WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SOCCER I BOXING I ETC. SOCCER Arsenal, Chelsea face charges PEOPLE IN SPORTS From Miami Herald Wire Services Arsenal and Chelsea were charged with misconduct on Tuesday over the mass brawl at the end of the League Cup final. Arsenal players Emmanuel Eboue and Emmanuel Ade- bayor were also separately charged by England's Football Association for their role in the injury-time melee which marred Chelsea's 2-1 victory on Sunday in Cardiff, Wales. Three players were sent off. However, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and his Arse- nal counterpart Arsene Wen- ger escaped any charges for going onto the field to calm down their players. The FA charged the clubs with failing to ensure that their players or officials "con- ducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative and/or violent behavior." The clubs have until March 14 to respond. Eboue was charged with violent conduct for striking Chelsea's Wayne Bridge dur- ing the brawl. The defender has until tonight to respond, and the case will be heard Thursday by a disciplinary commission. Adebayor was charged with reacting aggressively and fail- ing to leave the field of play immediately after being sent off. He also has until tonight to respond, and his case will be heard next Tuesday. The striker can request a personal hearing. On Monday, Chelsea and Arsenal each filed appeals against the red cards issued to John Obi Mikel and Adeba- yor. The melee started with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure and Mikel tangling after a tackle. Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard also got involved, followed by others some trying to fight and others trying to pull them apart. Referee Howard Webb From Miami Herald Wire Services Evander Holyfield is try- ing res- taurant, Holyfield began his come- back last year with two victo- ries,. ETC. Tennis: Defending champion Rafael Nadal, play- ing his first match since the Australian Open quarterfinals, rallied past Marcos Baghda- tis 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Dubai Open. Third-seeded Nikolay Davy- denko, fifth-seeded Tommy TOM HEVEZI/AP OK, HERE WE GO: Things got ugly on Sunday during the League Cup final between rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. conferred with his assistants and, after he red-carded Mikel and Toure, he then sent off Adebayor. Arsenal accepted the red card given to Toure. Elsewhere: Manchester United scored three times in the first six minutes to reach the English FA Cup quarterfi- nals with a 3-2 victory over Reading. Gabriel Heinze, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer all scored in the fifth-round replay at the Madejski Stadium. The Red Devils withstood a late surge from Reading, which missed the chance to push the game into extra time when Brynjar Gunnarsson hit the crossbar in injury time. United will next play Middlesbrough, which beat 10-man League Champi- onship club West Bromwich Albion 5-4 on penalty kicks in its fifth-round replay.... Tot- tenham's Robbie Keane had his appeal against a red card rejected and will serve a one- match suspension. Keane was sent off for a hand ball in the 36th minute of Sunday's 4-1 Haas and seventh-seeded Novak Djokovic also advanced.... Two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin won his first match in Las Vegas, defeating Stefan Koubek of Austria 7-5, 6-2 in the Tennis Channel Open round robin.... Defending champion Luis Horna lasted just two games before retiring with an injury against fifth-seeded Gaston Gaudio in the first round of the Mexican Open in Aca- pulco. Horna, who won his first career title at the event a year ago and his second earlier this month in Chile, pulled up with a right-leg injury while serving at 1-1. In first-round women's play, top-seeded Marion Bartoli of France overcame a sluggish start to defeat compatriot Camille Pin 7-6 (9-7), 6-2. ... Kateryna Bondarenko beat seventh- seeded Anna-Lena Groene- feld of Germany '7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the Qatar Open in Doha. NFL: Quarterback Damon Huard has agreed to a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.... Defen- sive tackle Hollis Thomas has agreed to a four-year, $12 mil- lion contract with the New Orleans Saints .... The New England Patriots have hired Duke University offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien as an offensive assistant coach . . The New York Giants re- signed long snapper Ryan Kuehl.... San Francisco 49ers linebacker Derek Smith underwent surgery to repair a damaged muscle connected to Premier League victory over Bolton. TV replays appeared to show the ball hit Keane's chest and then his arm before falling to the ground. However, the Football Association called it "an obvious goal-scoring opportunity." The Ireland striker will miss Sunday's Pre- mier League match against West Ham .... British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants Premier League clubs to lower their ticket prices. "Anyone who watches the Premiership can just notice, in the past year or couple of years, the rows of empty seats," Blair said Tuesday at his monthly news conference. "It's something I do not recall seeing in the same way four or five years back so I think there are very sensible market-based reasons for peo- ple to make sure the ticket prices aren't beyond the reach of the ordinary fan. It's a deci- sion for them but I think the logic of it is pretty clear." Almost 80 lawmakers have signed a motion protesting ticket prices "beyond the reach of many fans." AROUND THE GLOBE Germany: Naohiro Takahara scored two goals to help Eintracht Frankfurt reach the semifinals of the German Cup with a 3-0 victory over second-division Kickers Offenbach. Frankfurt, last season's finalist, joined Nuremberg and Wolfsburg in the final four. Nuremberg beat Hannover 96 4-2 on penalties, while Wolfs- burg eased past Alemannia Aachen 2-0. Stuttgart plays Hertha Ber- lin today in the last quarterfi- nal. .. Schalke playmaker Lincoln was banned for five matches, ruling hinm out of key games in the Bundesliga lead- er's attempt to capture its first championship in 49 years. Lin- coln got a red card after the final w histle of Sunday's 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen for punching Bernd Schneider. ... Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to a third- place finish at last year's World Cup, will finally receive the country's highest honor today at a private ceremony at the chancellery. The time of the ceremony was not revealed. Klinsmann was awarded the Federal Order of Merit for his team's showing during the tournament. He did not show up for a ceremony in August, when the players received their distinctions, not of the same rank. Klinsmann will now get the honor from Chancellor Angela Merkel, government officials said Tuesday. Spain: Samuel Eto'o was left off FC Barcelona's squad for today's Copa del Rey quarterfinal match against Zaragoza. Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard is reportedly resting Eto'o for crucial games agaitist Sevilla, Liverpool and Real Madrid over the next two weeks. Italy: Fiorentina has signed Italy under-21 striker Arturo Lupoli from Arsenal on a five-year contract. The Serie A team announced the transfer of the 19-year-old Lupoli on Monday. No finan- cial details were disclosed. Lupoli joined Arsenal in 2004 from Parma and started six games. He was on loan this season at League Champion- ship team Derby County. Bulgaria: Two referees were banned for life by the Bulgarian soccer federation after corruption allegations. Federation president Borislav Mihailov said the two referees Momchil Vraikov and Dimitar Dimitrov - deserved the punishment. Netherlands: Dutch coach Guus Hiddink was con- victed of tax evasion, fined $60,000 and given a six-month suspended prison sentence. He will not serve any time behind bars. STAN HONDA/AFP-GETTY IMAGES READY TO RUMBLE: Evander Holyfield, left, will try to take a step toward becoming the first five-time heavyweight champion on March 17 when he fights Vinny Maddalone. his left eye, a delicate injury that hampered his play last season.... Safety and special- teams standout Quintin Mikell signed a four-year con- tract to remain with the Phila- delphia Eagles. Golf: The PGA Tour is returning to the nation's capi- tal with a guy who carries more clout than anyone in golf: Tiger Woods. Woods will join Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as hosts of a PGA Tour event, although still to be announced was a title sponsor and a golf course for the new tourna- ment in the Washington, D.C., area during Fourth of July week. The Tiger Woods Foun- dation will run the tourna- ment. College football: Hop- ing to get the Cotton Bowl back on college football's national stage, the board that oversees the game voted to move it to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium starting in 2010. Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chairman Bruce Gadd declined to reveal details of the contract with the Cowboys but said it will last more than a decade. ... A Duke player has been charged in the traffic death of another driver after a weekend acci- dent. Raphael Chestnut, 20, was charged with misde- meanor death by vehicle fol- lowing the accident at about 11:30 a.m. EST on Sunday, according to the state High- way Patrol in North Carolina. He also faces a charge of driv- ing left of the center line. ... Georgia linebacker Akeem Hebron has been suspended for the first two games of the 2007 season following his arrest by university police for underage possession of alco- hol. Steroids probe: A New York prosecutor said celebri- ties were customers of a phar- macy that was raided Tuesday as part of a yearlong investiga- tion by that state into illicit steroid sales over the Internet. Federal and Florida narcotics agents seized drugs and docu- ments at two Signature Phar- macy stores in Orlando. AP PHOTO/TOPPS JOKE OF A CARD: In this undated digitally altered image provided by the Topps baseball card company, President Bush smiles and waves from the stands, right, and Mickey Mantle looks on from the dugout at left, as Derek Jeter swings his bat. Someone within the company had inserted Bush and Mantle as a joke. Jeter's famous onlookers As President Bush smiled and waved from the stands and Mickey Mantle looked on from the dugout, Derek Jeter swung his bat. Talk about pressure. The game never happened, of course. It was just some- one's idea of a visual gag pulled off in a recent Topps base- ball ship- ping delays. It's not the first card to have silly errors or odd prints, said T.S. O'Connell, the editor of Sports Collector's Digest. "For collectors, there's a real giggle factor for something like this," he told The New York. Another collector said the joke would raise the price of the card, which currently goes for $2 on eBay. Back in Oklahoma Kelvin Sampson returned to Oklahoma on Monday night to escort his son during the Sooners' senior day. Sampson, who left Okla- homa in April to become Indiana's new head coach, exchanged hugs with some of his former players in a tunnel leading to the court at Lloyd Noble Center before accompanying his son, Kellen, to midcourt along with his daughter and wife. First-year Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel exchanged hugs and hand- shakes with members of the Sampson family. "I'm excited to be here as a parent and support Kel- len," Sampson said before- hand. "It's really the first time I've seen him. "I saw him for 48 hours at Christmas. I haven't had a chance to see him since then." Kellen Sampson, a 6-1 guard, earned a degree in communications in Decem- ber and has enrolled in grad- uate classes at Oklahoma. Memory lapse Chelsea captain John Terry can't remember the kick that knocked him unconscious in his team's 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the League Cup final. Terry was accidentally, kicked in the head by Arse- nal defender Abou Diaby in the 58th minute Sunday while diving for a header. He was removed from the field on a stretcher but recovered in time to rejoin his teammates for the tro- phy celebrations at the Mil- lennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. "I was just saying to the lads I don't remember," Terry told Chelsea TV on Monday. "I remember walk- ing out for the second half and nothing else until wak- ing up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital." Terry has had a series of injuries and had been a doubtful starter for the first cup final of the English sea- son. "I had the scan, and they said it's OK," Terry said. "I'm still feeling abit groggy, though." FLASHBACK On this day in history: 1971 In golf, Jack Nicklaus captures the PGA Champi- onship by beating Billy Casper by three strokes. / / SPORTS ROUNDUP Holyfield aims to be champ for fifth time ' 'You cannot defend 45 free throws. That is ridiculous. I just think our guys deserve much better than that. They played their keisters off.' BERNIE BICKERSTAFF, Charlotte coach, after the Bobcats had just 23 free-throw attempts compared to the Clippers' 45 in a 100-93 loss Monday night at Los Angeles. L I LI Il I I -I I I INTERNATIONAL EDITION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,2007 1 5B THE MIAMI HERALD I MiamiHerald.com BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING REPORT Marlins mad: Girardi helped Lieber From Miami Herald Wire Services JUPITER, Fla. National League wild-card berth, and Lieber beat the Marlins twice in Sep- tember. Florida general manager Larry Beinfest declined to comment Tues- day, but another team official said the front office was angry about the mat- ter. was chosen NL Man- ager of the Year. Marlins left-hander." Left-hander Scott Olsen agreed. "If you would have told me that last July when it happened, I proba- bly would say a little more," Olsen said. "But it doesn't mean anything right now." SThe -Marlins* finished 10 games behind NL wild-card winner Los Angeles and seven games behind CHUCK BURTON/AP THANKS, PAL: Phillies right-hander Jon Lieber, above, said his season turned around shortly after he was roughed up by the Marlins last July 31, and he credits a phone call from then-Marlins manager Joe Girardi. Lieber and Girardi were teammates with the Chicago Cubs. Philadelphia. Girardi's agent didn't return a call seeking comment. SABATHIA WANTS EXTENSION WINTER HAVEN, Fla. The Cleveland Indians have started talks with the agent for C.C. Sabathia on a contract extension. The left-hander is due to make $8.75 million this year and $9 million in 2008. He is eligible for free agency after the 2008 World Series. He saw Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and other starting pitchers get big contracts during the offsea- son. "The market was great for pitch- ing this time," Sabathia said. "We'll see how it goes the next couple of years." With a 81-56 record, his .591 win- ning percentage ranks with those of Zito (.585) and Schmidt. Sabathia will be 28 in 2008. "I hope I can stay healthy the next couple years and be in the position those other guys were in this winter," Sabathia said. The Indians' front office could be facing some other difficult financial decisions in the upcoming months. Right-hander Jake Westbrook, 44-34 the past three years, can become a free agent after the season. Designated hitter Travis Hafner, who hit 42 homers with 117 RBIs last season despite missing the last 29 games with a broken hand, also can be a free agent after next season. Considering the Indians' status as a mid-market team, signing all three would seem unlikely. "That doesn't mean we wouldn't be able to get something done in the offseason with any of the three or next year with C.C. and Travis," gen- eral manager Mark Shapiro said. Shapiro has talked to agents for Westbrook and Hafner. It's been Sha- piro's policy to suspend contract talks if a deal can't be completed dur- ing spring training.... Manager Eric Wedge isn't sure when outfielder Trot Nixon will play in an exhibition game. Nixon had back surgery in December. ELSEWHERE Twins: The club and reliever Jesse Crain agreed to a three-year, $3.25 million contract. Crain, 25, went 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 68 games last season, finishing strong to help the Twins rally for ' their fourth American League Cen- tral title in five seasons. In his final 22 appearances, the right-hander was 2-0 with a 038 ERA and gave up just 14 hits. Yankees: Kel Igawa was the center of attention even before he threw a pitch Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. About 20 photographers from his homeland lined up behind the plate to record the Japanese left-hander's first warmup toss before a New York Yankees' intrasquad game. The quick-working Igawa needed just 19 pitches to roll through two scoreless innings. "He was good," manager Joe Torre said. "There's really no wasted motions. He's very compact and he goes after it. I think that's a sign of knowing what you want to do." ... Right fielder Bobby Abreu, who strained his right oblique during bat- ting practice Monday, underwent treatment. He expects to be ready for Opening Day on April 2. .... Right- hander Carl Pavano threw on level ground, three days after being hit on the instep of the left foot by a liner during batting practice. He is to have a bullpen session Thursday and is scheduled to start Sunday. Mets: Outfielder Carlos Bel- tran and catcher Paul Lo Duca were late scratches from Tuesday's intras- quad game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., for precautionary reasons. Beltran said his neck and quadriceps were sore. Both are expected to play today against Detroit. Pirates: Outfielder Xavier Nady left the team Tuesday after- noon to fly to Pittsburgh for more tests on his inflamed intestine. Giants: Starting second base- man Ray Durham isn't playing the first exhibition game as he regains his strength from having food poisoning. How's he feel? "Good," Durham said. "Back strong." Rangers: Miguel Ojeda likely will be the backup catcher behind Gerald Laird. Ojeda was playing in the Mexican League last summer when the Rangers acquired him in a trade with Colorado. Orioles: Right-hander Hayden Penn is day-to-day with a mild sprain of his left ankle. He noted sig- nificant improvement Tuesday. Frank Torre update: Former major leaguer Frank Torre could undergo a kidney transplant in the next couple of months after tests determined two of his children are a match for the procedure. The brother of NewYorik Yankees manager Joe Torre needs the operation because of medication he's taken since receiving a'new heart more than a decade ago. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. / SIMPLE MATH. $ PER-MONTH 36 MONTHS $2,169 due at lease signing. Includes security deposit, down payment excludes tax and Ucense (for well-qualified customers) Acura TL Subject to limited availability. Through February 28, 2007, to approved lessees by American Honda Finance Corp. Closed-end lease for 2007 TL automatic transmission (Model #UA6627JW), For well-qualified lessees. Not all lessees will qualify. Higher lease rates apply for lessees with lower credit ratings. MSRP $34,295 (includes destination). Actual net capitalized cost $31,613.05. Dealer participation may affect actual payment. Taxes, license, title fees, options and insurance extra. Total monthly payments $13,284. Option to purchase at lease end $20,919.95. Lessee responsible for maintenance, excessive wear/tear and 20 10,000 miles/year See dealer for complete details. 2007 Acura.Acura, TL. HandsFreeLink and Acura/ELS Surround Sound System aie trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 6B I WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 INTERNATIONAL EDITION HOCKEY HOCKEY GENE J. PUSKAR/AP OLD DEVILISH TRICKS: Ryan Malone, right, of the Penguins can't get a second-period shot past Devils goalie Martin Brodeur as Colin White, left, and John Madden (11) help defend. Brodeur made 31 saves for his NHL-leading 12th shutout, and his second against Pittsburgh this season. The Devils now lead the Penguins by *11 points in the Atlantic Division. Brodeur blanks Penguins again From Miami Herald Wire Services PITTSBURGH Martin Brodeur made 31 saves for his NHL-leading 12th shutout of the season, and Jamie Langen- brunner scored as the New Jersey Devils beat the Pitts- burgh Penguins 1-0 on Tues- day night. Brodeur set a new career high for shutouts in a season with the 92nd of his career. He's third on the career list, two behind George Haines- worth. SENATORS 4, HURRICANES 2 RALEIGH, N.C. Wade Redden scored the go-ahead goal with 4:48 left to lead the Senators. Dany Heatley and Anton Volchenkov also scored and Jason Spezza had an empty-net goal and two assists for the Senators, who scored three third-period goals to win their seventh in eight games. RANGERS 4, CANADIENS 0 NEW YORK Marcel Hossa scored two goals for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves in his third shut- out this season. Hossa found the net twice in the second period, giving the emerging left winger eight goals in 11 games. Playing on a line with cap- tain Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander, in the absence of injured forwards Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan, Hossa matched his career high of 10 goals set last season. PANTHERS 6, CAPITALS 5 (SO) WASHINGTON Olli Jokinen scored three goals, and the Panthers won their first shootout of the season on goals by Jozef Stumpel and Ville Peltonen. The Panthers were 0-7 in shootouts and 1-13 in games that extended beyond regula- tion. STARS 2, LIGHTNING 1 (OT) TAMPA, Fla. Ladislav Nagy scored with 3:25 left in overtime to give the Stars a victory. Nagy scored from the slot off a pass from Mike Ribeiro, who was positioned behind the net. Jere Lehtinen had the other Dallas goal and Marty Turco made 19 saves. The Stars have won eight in a row at Tampa Bay. Brad Richards scored for the Lightning, who are still 17-2-5 over their past 24 games. SABRES 6, MAPLE LEAFS 1 TORONTO Jochen Hecht scored twice and had an assist to lead the Sabres in the rout. Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, Derek Roy and Clarke MacArthur also scored for the Eastern Conference- leading Sabres, who com- pleted four trades to bolster an injury-wracked lineup. ISLANDERS 6, FLYERS 5 (OT) UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Trent Hunter scored his sec- ond goal on a power play with 30.7 seconds left in overtime to lift the Islanders. Hunter took the puck in the slot and beat Antero Niitty- maki for his 19th goal, as the Islanders moved into a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with Montreal. RED WINGS 4, BLACKHAWKS 1 CHICAGO Tomas Holmstrom scored two goals and Dominik Hasek made 24 saves to lead the Red Wings to the victory. Kyle Calder had a goal and an assist in his first game with Detroit, which is 10-2-2 in its past 14 games. Johan Franzen also had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who improved to 5-0-0 against Chicago this season and are 11-1-1 against the Black- hawks over the past two years. BLUES 3, CANUCKS 1 ST. LOUIS Doug Weight scored twice in the third period, getting the game-win- ner on a breakaway and lead- ing the Blues to the victory. TRADE DEADLINE REPORT The New York Islanders kept their leading scorer and stole the one that makes the Edmonton Oilers go. Just minutes before the NHL trading deadline expired on Tuesday, the Islanders plucked Ryan Smyth away SOUTHEAST Tampa Bay Atlanta Carolina Florida Washington ATLANTIC New Jersey Pittsburgh N.Y. Islanders N.Y. Rangers Philadelphia NORTHEAST Buffalo Ottawa Montreal Toronto Boston CENTRAL Nashville Detroit St. Louis Columbus Chicago NORTHWEST Vancouver Minnesota Calgary Edmonton Colorado PACIFIC Anaheim Dallas San Jose Phoenix Los Angeles Tuesday's results Florida 6, Washington 5 (SO) Ottawa 4, Carolina 2 Rangers 4, Montreal 0 Buffalo 6, Toronto 1 Dallas 2, Tampa Bay I (OT) New Jersey 1, Pittsburgh 0 Islanders 6, Phil. 5 (OT) St. Louis 3, Vancouver 1 Detroit 4, Chicago 1 Colorado 3, Columbus 2 Phoenix at Edmonton, late SL PTS GF 1 76 207 3 74 196 4 71 195 7 63 186 9 59 193 SL PTS GF 6 86 171 5 75 211 4 72 189 3 66 184 5 42 166 SL PTS GF 3 89 240 2 78 219 5 72 191 6 69 203 3 64 180 SL PTS 2 88 4 88 4 63 5 55 7 55 SL PTS 3 77 4 75 5 75 3 66 3 65 SL PTS 7 84 3 79 1 77 1 55 5 52 Tonight's games Carolina at Ottawa, 7:30 Minnesota at Calgary, 10 Nashville at San Jose, 10:30 HOME 18-14-1-0 14-10-4-2 16-13-1-3 17-10-3-1 14-13-1-5 HOME 22-7-0-4 18-9-2-2 18-10-3-1 13-14-3-1 5-18-3-4 HOME 22-7-1-2 20-11-1-1 19-12-0-3 12-14-2-3 16-13-0-2 HOME 23-5-2-2 22-3-1-3 16-15-2-1 14-15-1-3 12-15-1-3 HOME 19-9-1-1 22-5-1-3 26-6-0-1 18-11-1-1 18-14-1-2 HOME 19-5-2-5 21-9-0-1 18-12-0-1 14-13-2-0 12-13-4-4 AWAY 18-11-2-1 18-13-3-1 16-13-2-1 8-16-3-6 10-16-1-4 AWAY 18-11-0-2 15-11-2-3 14-13-1-3 17-13-0-2 11-19-2-1 AWAY 20-9-1-1 17-11-1-1 14-15-1-2 18-11-1-3 14-15-1-1 AWAY 19-13-0-0 18-13-3-1 11-12-3-3 10-18-1-2 11-16-1-4 AWAY 17-13-1-2 13-18-0-1 7-15-4-4 12-16-2-2 12-15-1-1 AWAY 18-12-1-2 17-12-0-2 20-12-0-0 12-20-0-1 9-19-1-1 Monday's results Atlanta 3, Boston 2 Montreal 5, Toronto 4 Calgary 5, Phoenix 2 Anaheim 3, San Jose 2 Through Monday SCORING Player, team GP G A Pts Crosby, Pit 58 26 71 97 St. Louis, TB 64 38 47 85 Lecavalier, TB 64 41 43 84 Savard,Bos 62 21 61 82 Hossa, Atl 65 36 44 80 Thornton, SJ 63 16 64 80 Heatley, Ott 62 36 43 79 Briere, Buf 62 27 50 77 from the Oilers after deciding to hold onto Jason Blake. The big deal trumped those made earlier in the day that sent Bill Guerin from the St. Louis Blues to the San Jose Sharks, Todd Bertuzzi from Florida to Detroit, and long- time Kings captain Mattias Norstrom from Los Angeles to Dallas. Player, team Ninie, -Ch, Caron, CHI-ANA Smith, Oal Hasek, Det Brodeur, N.J. Giguere, Ana Backstron, Minn Mason, N'ville GOALIES GP 4 2 16 45 60 45 S25 34 GA AVG 5 1.24 2 1.36 27 1.98 92 2.07 127 2.10 97 2 2(1 52 2.28 76 2.31 True to foim, the final deal ing day of the season was very busy. The 25 trades made in the final six hours before the dead line matched last year for the most active in NHL history The 30 clubs moved 44 play ers, two shy of the mark set in 2003. Smyth leaves Edmonton DIV 15-7-1-0 13-5-5-1 14-7-0-2 7-11-2-1 8-11-1-3 DIV 19-5-0-1 15-7-1-1 12-9-2-0 9-11-0-2 4-14-2-4 DIV 14-9-1-2 16-9-0-2 11-8-0-4 10-11-2-2 12-12-0-1 DIV 19-5-1-0 14-4-2-1 11-13-2-2 7-13-0-4 11-14-1-0 DIV 13-11-0-1 11-6-1-2 12-7-1-2 9-13-1-0 11-10-1-0 DIV 16-6-0-2 18-6-0-0 12-12-0-1 7-13-2-1 7-14-0-3. The Sharks sent Finnish left wing Ville Nieminen to the rebuilding Blues. Bertuzzi was traded by the Florida Panthers after playing only seven games with them in an injury-plagued season, and none since back surgery in November. The Panthers acquired forward Shawn Mat- thias and up to two conditional draft picks in the deal. The Buffalo Sabres took a big step toward replenishing their injury-ravaged lineup by making four deadline-day deals. The biggest brought Lithuanian forward Dainius Zubrus to town from Wash- ington. The Sabres also dealt backup goalie Martin Biron to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick and then acquired Columbus Blue Jack- ets backup goalie Ty Conklin for a fifth-round pick in this year's draft. Along with Zubrus, a con- sistent offensive forward, Buf- falo also landed prospect and Swiss defenseman Timo Helbling The Sabres dealt rookie Czech forward Tin Novotny who's ready to return trom a high-ankle sprain, and a first-round pick to the Capitals. The Sabres then traded a fourth-round draft pick to Nashville for minor league Finnish defenseman Mikko Lehtonen. Sweden's Norstrom, the Kings captain since 2002, was sent with Kazakh right wing Konstantin Pushkarev and two draft picks to the Dallas Stars for Czech defenseman Jaroslav Modry and three draft choices. The New York Rangers sent Aaron Ward to the Bos- ton Bruins for fellow defense- man Paul Mara, and traded newly acquired forward Pascal Dupuis to the Atlanta Thrash- ers for a third-round draft pick and prospect Alex Bourret. The Pittsburgh Penguins took steps to win now, adding veteran leadership and muscle to their young forward lineup. Joining blossoming, stars Sidney Crosby and E ,geni Malkin are 40-year-old ,ary Roberts and noted f.gh-er Georges Laraque. To land Roberts, who waived a no-trade clause, , Pittsburgh sent defenseman Noah Welch to Florida. For- ward prospect Daniel Carcillo and a 2008 third-round pick were shipped to Phoenix for , Laraque. The Penguins then , dealt Dominic Moore to Min- , nesota for a third-round pick and acquired defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski from Florida for a fourth-round choice. Among other deals: Chicago sent left winger Karl Stewart and a sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft to Tampa Bay for right wing Nikita Alexeev. Phoenix sent Russian left winger Oleg Saprykin and a seventh-round draft choice to Ottawa for a second-round pick next year. OILERS HONOR MESSIER. EDMONTON night, Messier took a final lap of the ice in the old building where he helped turn the Oilers into a dynasty. The sold-out crowd roared loud enough to shake the arena. Messier captured six Stan- ley Cups five with Edmon- ton -- two Hart Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy. LATE MONDAY Ducks 3, Sharks 2: Teemu Selanne scored the go- ahead goal midway through , the third period to lift visiting . Anaheim. Flames 5, Coyotes 2: Wayne Primeau scored his first two goals since coming to ,Calgary, leading the host Flames to victory. EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE Note: Two points for a win, one point for a tie and overtime loss RESULTS AND SCHEDULES I d I ~ ~L C I I I I ~raRnn~n~ph~,Lc_ MiamiHerald.com i THE MIAMI HERALD i O, all a ' INTERNATIONAL EDITION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 1 7B BASKETBALL PRO BASKETBALL Marvelous Mavs win again From Miami Herald Wire Services MINNEAPOLIS Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Josh Howard bounced back from a sprained ankle the night before, leading the Dallas Mavericks to their 13th consecutive victory, 91-65 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Howard scored 17 points. Jason Terry added 18 points and seven assists for Dallas, which improved to a league-best 48-9. The Mavs, who never trailed in this one, are 11-0 on the second night of back-to-back games. Kevin Garnett led the lethargic Timber- wolves with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Ricky Davis scored 15 points, and Mark Blount added 10 points. They shot a franchise-worst 29.6 percent from the field (24-for-81). Howard, injured against the Altanta Hawks when he landed on the foot of Atlan- ta's Joe Johnson while following through on a jump shot, helped the Mavericks sail through the first half. They took a 42-27 lead, and Howard had 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting. NETS 113, WIZARDS 101 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Jason Kidd had 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Nets hit a franchise-record 16 3-pointers. Vince Carter added 27 points and Bostjan Nachbar came off the bench to score 23 as the Nets won their third in a row and handed the Wizards their third consecutive loss. Gilbert Arenas had 26 points on 7-of-25 shooting for the Wizards, who played with- out All-Star forward Caron Butler (back spasms) for the second game in a row and Antawn Jamison, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since late January. CAVALIERS 97, HORNETS 89 CLEVELAND LeBron James scored 35 points, hitting two 3-pointers in the last min- ute to finally put New Orleans away. James knocked down a 25-footer with 49.9 seconds left, then nailed another 3 from 26 feet with 24.2 seconds to go, helping the Cavaliers outscore the Hornets 11-6 over the final 4 minutes. David West had 25 points for the Hornets. SUNS 103, PACERS 92 INDIANAPOLIS Steve Nash had 25 points and 11 assists, and the Suns rallied from 18 points down in the third quarter. Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Suns, and Shawn Marion added 22 points. EASTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHEAST Washington Orlando Miami Atlanta Charlotte ATLANTIC Toronto New Jersey New York Philadelphia Boston CENTRAL Detroit Cleveland Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Pet. GB .564 .483 42 .482 4/z .386 10 ,386 10 Pet. GB 544 - .483 3, .448 51/2 .333 12 .250 16'/ Pct. GB ,655 - .579 4 .542 6 .518 7/2 362 16'!' L10 Str. Home Away 4-6 L-3 21-7 10-17 3-7 W-1 18-12 10-18 6-4 L-1 16-10 11-19 4-6 L-2 10-17 12-18 4-6 L-2 13-16 9-19 L10 Str. Home Away 7-3 I -1 20-8 11-18 6-4 W-3 17 14 11 16 6-4 W-I 16-13 10-19 4-6 W-1 11 15 8-23 2-8 W-1 521 9-21 L10 Str. Home Away 9-1 W-4 19-10 17-9 64 W-1 21-8 12-16 4-6 L-2 22-8 10-19 4,6 L 3 18 12 11-15 3 7 W-2 1 12 8-25 Conf 20-12 16-20 14-16 12-21 14-21 Conf 22-11 21-14 16-20 13-20 9-24 Conf 26 10 19-16 23-12 20 14 10 24 WESTERN CONFERENCE THAT'S A STRETCH ... Devin Harris of the Mavericks leans hard as he drives to the hoop in the third quarter. The Mavs won 91-65, posting their 13th victory in a row. Hernaube O'Neal led Indiana with 28 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots and tied his career high with seven assists. BUCKS 122, WARRIORS 101 MILWAUKEE Michael Redd scored 31 points, with six 3-pointers, to lead the Bucks. Charlie Bell added 20 points and Mo Wil- liams had 16 and a season-high 13 assists. Monta Ellis scored 17 points for the War- riors, and Al Harrington added 15. LATE MONDAY Mavericks 110, Hawks 87: Dirk Now- itzki had 27 points and eight rebounds, and the Mavericks extended their franchise- record home winning streak to 20 games. Josh Howard had 20 points for the Mavs before leaving in the fourth quarter because of a sprained right ankle. X-rays were nega- tive, and he was listed as day-to-day. Clippers 100, Bobcats 93: Corey Maggette scored a season-high 25 points and Los Angeles won at home after losing point guard Shaun Livingston in the first quarter with a dislocated left kneecap. Livingston was injured while driving to the basket on a fast break. He missed a layup, then crumpled to the floor in severe pain. He could miss eight to 12 months. Celtics 77, Rockets 72: Paul Pierce scored 28 points, and Boston rallied from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to end a 12-game skid on the road. Tracy McGrady, who was ill, did not play for the Rockets. Lakers 102, Jazz 94: Kobe Bryant scored 35 points, making 21 of 24 free throws, for Los Angeles. The host Jazz played with- out guard Deron Williams (strained groin). Magic 94, Bulls 87: Dwight Howard had 21 points and had 16 rebounds, and Darko Milicic added 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, as Orlando won in Chicago. '*' o Sonics 97, Trail Blazers 73: Rashard Lewis scored 29 points and grabbed seven abounds, and host Seattle never trailed. SOUTHWEST W Dallas 41 San Antonio 39 Houston 3' New Orleans 2, Memphis 1! NORTHWEST W Utah 3 Denver 27 Minnesota 21 Portland 24 Seattle 22 PACIFIC V Phoenix 4' L.A. Lakers 33 L:A. Clippers 27 Golden State 21 Sacramento 2' RE Tuesday's results Pho. 103, Ind. 92 Cle. 97, N.O. 89 N.J. 113, Was. 101 Dal. 91, Min. 65 Mil. 122, G.S. 101 / L 7. 19 1 28 6 31 4 34 2 34 Pet. GB .842 684 9 625 12'z ,474 21 ,259 33i% Pct GB .b1b 491 9'2 .456 1112 .414 14 .393 15 Pct. GB .772 - 569 11'2 482 16'W, .448 18 .429 19'/2 L10 Sht Home Away Conf 10-0 W-13 2- 3 21-6 32-6 13 Wu t', b 2010 23.11 64 1 1 208 15b13. 19-17 6.4 1I 18-11 9 19 16-19 -7/ LI 11J-18 4-25 9 28 L10 Str Home Away Conf 8-2 L 1 22-1 15-12 21-12 4.6 W 1. 4 15 13 13 12-20 4-6 1 1 17 12 9-19 15-21 4 6 1.2 13 15 11-19 15-19 5-5 WI 16-13 6-21 11-22 L10 Str. Home Away Conf 7-3 W-5 21-6 23-7 21-10 4-6 W 3 20-9 13-16 19-11 3 / W 2 19 10 8-19 15-18 4 6 L- 20-10 6-22 14-19 4-6 L-I 16-12 8.20 12-21 RESULTS AND SCHEDULES Tonight's games Monday's results Miami at Was., 7 N.Y. 99, Miami 93 Pho. at Phi., 7 Phil. 89, Sac. 82 N.Y. at Bos.. 7:30 Denver 111, Mem. 107 Utah at Mem., 8 S.A. 107, Toronto 91 Atl. vs. N.O., 8 Orlando 94, Chi. 87 Tor. at Hou., 8:30 Boston 77, Houston 72 G.S. at Chi., 8:30 Dallas 110, Atlanta 87 Orl. at Den., 9 L.A.L 102, Utah 94 Cha. at Sac., 10 Seattle 97, Port. 73 Sea. at L.A.C., 10:30 L.A.C 100, Char. 93 Through Monday SCORING G FG FT PTS AVG Anthony, Den. 40 458 286 1224 30.6 Arenas, Wash. 54 496 436 1579 29.2 Bryant, LAL 54 512 447 1564 29.0 Wade, Mia. 46 445 413 1324 28.8 Iverson, Den. 39 367 324 1097 28.1 Redd, Mil. 37 335 260 1007 27.2 Allen, Sea. 46 425 233 1221 26.5 James, Clev. 54 518 328 1431 26.5 Nowitzki, Dall. 55 481 387 1402 25.5 Carter, N.J. 57 511 314 1445 25.4 FIELD GOALS FG FGA PCT Biedrins, G.S. 259 422 .614 Lee, N.Y. 237 391 .606 Howard, Orl. 378 632 .598 Stoudemire, Phoe. 4b3 696 .593, I, .,,....:, ,.r-,' - 427 'W l .569 REBOUNDING GOFF DEF TOT AVG Garnett, Minn. 55 146 556 702 12.8 Chandler, NOk. 54 230 442 672 12.4 Howard, Orl. 58 200 506 706 12.2 Camby. Den. 46 111 434 545 11.8 Okafor, Char. 56 228 429 657 11.7 Boozer, Utah 48 147 406 553 11.5 Jefferson, Bos, 49 173 365 538 11.0 Duncan, S.A. 57 163 451 614 10.8 Lee. N.Y. 55 191 398 589 10.7 Wallace, Chi. 56 224 360 584 10.4 ASSISTS G AST AVG Nash, Phoe. 50 595 11.9 Williams, Utah 54 502 9.3 Kidd, N.J. 55 492 8.9 Davis, G.5. 43 372 8.7 Paul, NOk. 39 337 8.6 Miller, Phil. 55 447 8.1 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Pittsburgh routs WVU; Michigan helps its cause From Miami Herald Wire Services Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall wore down West Vir- ginia with their inside scoring and rebounding, and No. 12 Pittsburgh remained in con- tention for the Big East reg- ular-season title, beating the visiting Mountaineers 80-66 on Tuesday night behind a dominating second half. Gray, hampered by a badly- sprained ankle for 10 days and not much of a factor in a 61-53 loss at now-No. 9 Georgetown on Saturday, keyed a 9-0 run at the start of the second half that reversed a three-point half- time deficit and put the Pan- thers up 38-32. Gray scored the first four points of the run, which was finished off by Lev- ance Fields' 3-pointer. West Virginia got to within three points, at 54-51, with about 8 minutes remaining, but Mike Cook hit a 3-pointer and two free throws and Fields made another off-balance 3-pointer while nearly falling out of bounds during another 9-0 run that gave Pitt (25-5, 12-3 Big East) its first double- digit lead. The Panthers never looked back. The Mountaineers (20-8, 8-7) dropped their fourth in six games and might need to win at least once during the Big East tournament to land an NCAA Tournament bid - prompting some Pitt fans to chant "NIT! NIT!" as the game came to a close. Michigan 67, Michigan State 56: Dion Harris scored 24 points, including 10 in a row during a pivotal first-half run, to lead the host Wolverines. Michigan (20-10, 8-7 Big Ten) kept its hopes alive for making the NCAA Tourna- ment for the first time since 1998 with its fourth victory in six games. The Wolverines play No. 1 Ohio State on Satur- day at home in the regular- season finale before next week's Big Ten tournament. KEITH SRAKOCIC/AP ONE TOO MANY HANDS: Aaron Gray of Pitt goes up for a dunk, draws a foul by Alex Ruoff of West Virginia. The Spartans (21-9, 8-7) had won four games in a row, including a victory over then-No. 1 Wisconsin, to improve their chances of mak- ing the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive year. Oklahoma State 84, Kansas State 70: Terrel Har- ris scored 16 of his career-high 22 points in the second half, leading the Cowboys at home. Harris matched his career- high with four 3-pointers as Oklahoma State (20-9, 6-8 Big 12) snapped a four-game losing streak and took the first step toward salvaging any remain- ing NCAA Tournament hopes. JamesOn Curry snapped out of a two-game shooting slump and also scored 22 points for the Cowboys, and Mario Boggan added 17. It was only the second vic- tory in the past month for Oklahoma State, which had lost six of its previous seven games to plummet all the way out of the top 10. Cartier Martin scored 19 of his 25 points during the second half to lead the Wildcats, who fell to 20-10 (9-6 Big 12). BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT Winthrop 72, Charles- ton Southern 42: Craig Brad- shaw scored 20 points, leading the top-seeded Eagles to vic- tory at home in the tourna- ment quarterfinals. Winthrop (26-4) won its 16th game in a row overall and advanced to play No. 5 seed North Carolina-Asheville in the semifinals Thursday night. The Eagles whose only losses this season were against North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin and Texas A&M - led by three with 15 minutes left in the first half before going on a 15-2 run over the next 4 minutes that put the Eagles ahead 24-8. Winthrop was up 42-24 at halftime and led by at least 16 points the rest of the way. The Eagles shot 52 percent (26-of-50) from the field, com- pared with only 34 percent (18-of-53) for the Buccaneers (8-22). Winthrop outrebounded Charleston Southern 36-24 to extend its home winning streak to 21 games. Dwayne Jackson led the Buccaneers with 16 points; Donnell Covington added seven points and six rebounds. Torrell Martin scored 15 points for the Eagles. N.C.-Asheville 77, Coastal Carolina 64: K.J. Garland scored 19 points and added seven assists, leading the visiting Bulldogs (12-18) to their fourth victory in a row. The two teams were tied at 30 at at halftime, but Asheville opened the second half on a 20-8 run to take a 50-38 lead. The Chanticleers (15-15) scored seven consecutive points to cut the deficit to 50-45, but the Bulldogs answered with seven points in a row and led by at least 10 points the rest of the way. Ie! Awni Good Housekeeping ^'TProaTIsd . AWNINGS Enjoy Instant Shade & Comfort All Summer and SAVE $200! Keeping your deck or patio cool and . comfortable this sumnlei just got a LOT more affordable! Because if you act now you can get a $200 Discount Certificate, good toward any SunSetter Retractable Awning America's #1 best-selling awning. For as Iltle as $398, you can add a gor.i-.-' . SunSetter Awning to your home and enjoy the outdoors so much more! A SunSetter keeps your deck about 20 degrees cooler II op.1n mlid closes in undei 60 seconds, p vikling instant protection against hot sun, light show- ers, and 99% of harmful UV rays. With a SunSetter, you'll never have to worry about the weather ruining your outdoor plans again. 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I -~ I - L III THE MIAMI HERALD I MiamiHerald.com NBA STANbING PAGE 8E, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 TRIBUNE SPORTS WEDNESDAY EVENING n WPBT 0 WFOR 0 WTVJ 7:30 8:00 8:30 -NETWOI-K3 America's Ballroom Challenge The top four couples compete in all four dance styles. (N) (CC) Jericho Jake, Johnston, Dale and Heather search for equipment to fix the local windmill. (N) A (CC) Friday Night Lights Buddy finds himself in he doghouse when his affair is discovered. (N) A (CC) Wild Florida 'Florida's Ani- mals" n ICC) The Insider (N) n (CC) Access Holly- wood (N) (CC) FEBRUARY 28, 2007 FEBRUR 28 200 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 Great Performances "South Pacific in Concert From Carnegie Hall" A concert based on "South Pacific." ( (CC) Criminal Minds "Jones" The team travels to New Orleans to track a serial killer. (N) f (CC) Deal or No Deal (iTV) A returning contestant gets encouragement from Jason Giambi, (N) ft (CC) CSI: NY Two of an illusionist's crew members are found dead in ways that mimic his tricks. (N) ft Medium "We Had a Dream" A psy- chic serial-killer escapes from prison with revenge on his mind. SDeco Drive American Idol The top 10 female contestants. (N) fh Are You Smarter News (CC) S WSVN (CC) Than a 5th Grader? (N) Jeopardy! (N) George Lopez The Knights of According to In Case of Emer- Lost Finding an old, wrecked car on 1 WPLG (CC) (N) (CC) Prosperity The Jim "Dino-Mite" agency "Oh, Hen- the island leads Hurley on a mission next target. (N) (N) fA (CC) ry!" of hope. (N) n (CC) (:00) CS: Mia: Miai: Miami "Deadline" A newspaper The Sopranos "Guy Walks Into a The Sopranos "Do Not Resuscitate A& E VWannabe" n reporter witnesses a murder in Mia- Psychiatrists Office Tony adjusts to Tony tries to fix a labor dispute at a (CC) mi's drug district. (CC) his life as a new boss. construction company. Hardtalk BBC News World Business BBC News Fast Track BBC News World Business BBCI (Latenight). Report (Latenight). (Latenight). Report Access Granted The Parkers A The Parkers A Girlfriends it Girlfriends Girlfriends ,t Girlfriends ft BET (N) (CC) (CC) (CC) (CC) (CC) (CC) Marketplace (N) Little Mosque on Halifax Comedy CBC News: the fifth estate (CC) CBC News: The National (CC) CBC (CC) the Prairie Fest (CC) : 00) On the Fast Money 1 vs. 100 One contestant battles The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch CNBC Money 100 to win $1 million. ft (CC) S 00)OOThemSitua- Paula Zahn Now (CC) Larry King Live (CC) Anderson Cooper 360 (CC) CNN tion Room Scrubs "My Men- The Daily Show The Colbert Re- Chappelle's; South Park "Best South Park (CC) The Naked COM toT f (CC) With Jon Stew- port Dr. Craig Show Clip show. Friends Forever" Trucker and T- art (CC) Venter. (CC) (CC) (CC) Bones Show (N) Cops"Albu- Most Shocking "Dangerous Dri- Forensic Files Forensic Files Dominick Dunne: Power, Privilege COURT querque" (CC) vers" "In Her Bones" & Justice "Koslow" (N) (CC) The Suite Life of ** THE EVEN STEVENS MOVIE (2003, Comedy) Shia LaBeouf, Nick Life With Derek Phil of the Fu- DISN Zack & Cody Spano, Tom Virtue. The Stevens family's free vacation turns into a night- Casey and Sam ture The family Game show. t) mare. f( (CC) break up. (CC) can go home. This Old House Wasted Spaces DIY to the Res- Wasted Spaces Wasted Spaces Finders Fixers Finders Fixers DIY n (CC) Laundry room. cue "Valet Cabinet" (N) In Focus (Ger- Journal: Made in Ger- Journal: In Euromaxx Journal: Im Focus DW man). Tagestema many Depth Tagestema The Daily 10 (N) Glamour's 50 Biggest Fashion Fashion Police: The 2007 Acade- The Girls Next The Girls Next E! Dos and Don'ts my Awards Door Door :00) College Basketball Villanova at Connecticut. College Basketball Maryland at Duke. (Live) (CC) ESPN (Live) (CC) Auto Racing: Super Bowl XLI 360 From Miami. College Basketball Maryland at Duke. (Live) (CC) ESPNI Rally Recap (N) EWTN Daily Mass: Our EWTN Live Super Saints The Holy Rosary Padre Plo: The Last Mass EW N Lady i:00) Cardio The Gym Low-calorie dinner party. Buff Brides: The Bridal Challenge FitTV's Housecalls The trainers FIT TV last n (CC) n (CC) "Manisha & Alison" (CC) help Blaine become more fit. (CC) Fox Report- The O'Reilly Factor (Live) (CC) Hannity & Colmes (Live) (CC) On the Record With Greta Van FOX-NC Shepard Smith Susteren (Live) (CC) SPoker- Learn College Basketball Georgia at Kentucky. (Live) Women's College Basketball FSNFL From the Pros Teams TBA. n0r[ r 00) Golf Cen- VII: Reunion 19th Hole Top 10 (N) Natalie Gulbis I* ._ Show GSN ao ,.. de a iiionalie v dnty One n (CC) Chain Reaction I've Got a Secret GSN (CC) (CC) (CC) (:00) Attack of X-Play (N) X-Play "X-Play: Star Trek: The Next Generatlon Cops "Coast to Cops "Coast to G4Tech the Showl (N) The Musicarl The Wounde' n (CC) Coast n (CC) jCoast" r (CC) :00) Walker, Walker, Texas Ranger A corrupt HIDDEN PLACES (2006, Drama) Shirley Jones, Tom Bosley, Jason , HALL Texas Ranger sheriff uses fear andviolence to Gedrick. A drifter tries to help a widow save her apple orchard. (CC) SA (CC) control townspeople. ,t (CC) Buy Me "Virginia" Big City Broker National Open Property Virgins Location, Loca- House Hunters Buy Me "Penny HGTV Country home. Toronto s hot- House'' (CC) Property search. tion, Location Town house. t & Bayard" n n (CC) "550". (N) (CC); ,(CC) ft (CC) (CC) INSP Morris Cerullo Breakthrough ,,Zola Levitt Pre- Inspiration To- Life Today (CC) This Is Your Day The Gospel INSP (CC) sents (CC) day (CC) Truth Reba "Don't My Wife and According to According to Friends Rachel Everybody Everybody KTLA Mess With Taxes" Kids "Calvin Jim Jim's friend Jim Jim buys and Ross go on Loves Raymond Loves Raymond (CC) Goes to Work" gets cold feet kids costly gift. blind dates. nA (CC) (I (CC) Still Standing Reba 11 (CC) Reba Cheyenne NO ONE WOULD TELL (1996, Drama) Candace Cameron, Fred Savage, LIFE "Still Bonding" n hides her mom- Michelle Phillips. A high-school girl suffers abuse from a popular student. (CC) ing sickness. f, (CC) (:00) Hardball Countdown With Keith Olber- Scarborough Country Lost Innocence Two separate trials MSNBC CC) mann occur for a single murder. Jimmy Neutron: SpongeBob Full House 1, Growing Pains Growing Pains Roseanne ) Roseanne C1 NICK Boy Genius SquarePants I (CC) f' "Be a Man" tA (CC) (CC) NTV :00) 24 (N) n Bones "The Woman in the Garden" Deal or No Deal (iTV) (N) n (CC) News t) (CC) News NTV p _^_PA) n _(CC) nSPEED Pinks Forza Motorsport Showdown Pinks Pinks (N) Unique Whips Customizing NBA SPEED star AI Harrington's ESV. (N) (00) Billy Gra- Behind the Grant Jeffrey Ancient Secrets Jack Van Impe Praise the Lord (CC) TBN ham Classic Scenes (CC) of the Bible Presents (CC) Crusades Everybody Everybody Everybody Everybody Everybody The King of The King of TBS Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Queens Fixer Queens f (CC) n (CC) t (CC) "Ray's on TV" t (CC) "High School" Upper" f (CC) Mostly True Sto- The Day I Grew Up Unexpected Children of Waco (N) Most Evil: Murderous Women (N) TLC ries: Urban Leg- events alter lives and force people ends to mature. (:00) Without a Without a Trace "The Bus" A bus *** SEVEN (1995, Suspense) Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth TNT Trace "Fallout" carrying 13 students disappears on Paltrow. A killer dispatches his victims via the Seven Deadly Sins. (CC) (CC) thefirst day of school. Home for Imagi- Ed, Edd n Eddy Ed, Edd n Eddy Camp Lazlo Squirrel Boy My Gym Part- Futurama "I Dat- ITOON nary Friends ner's a Monkey ed a Robot" La Carte aux trisors Fite de famille Ecrans du TV5. monde SStorm Stories Abrams & Bettes Weather: Evening Edition (CC) i TWC (cc) (:00) Duelo de La Fea Mas Bella Lety es una niia Mundo de Fleras (N) Don Francisco Presenta Comedi- UNIV Pasiones dulce, rom6ntica e inteligente, pero antes Ruben Cerda, Luis Alcaraz. apenas atractiva. (N) (:00) Law & Or- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Criminal Intent Evi- USA der: Criminal in- Women are accused of assaulting a Stabler tries to pin another murder dence points toward ex-cops after a tent n (CC) male stripper. ft (CC) on a serial killer. f (CC) family is murdered. (CC) VH 1 ** FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986, Comedy) Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Surreal Life Fame Games "Pretty V H1 Sara. A brash teen and his friends have an adventure in Chicago. ft Women" f VSp Life in the Open The Huntley Benelli's Dream Best & Worst of Benelli's Amerl- Expedition Sa- Hunting Adven- VS Way Hunts (CC) Trod Barta can Safari far (CC) tures (C) (:00) Amerlca's Home Improve- Home Improve- Becker Becker Becker Becker WGN News at Nine ft (CC) WGN Funniest Home ment "The Naked ment A romantic fights malpractice faces a court trial. Videos n (CC) Truth" (CC) triangle. (CC) suit. (CC) (CC) Everybody America's Next Top Model The Girl Who Won't Stop Talking" (Season CW11 News at Ten With Kalty WPIX Loves Raymond Premiere) The 32 aspiring models immediately go to boot camp. (N) ft Tong, Jim Watklns (CC) f (CC) (COC) I__ Jeopardy! (N) Dr. Phil n (CC) Jeopardyl(CC) News Frasler Roz re- Frasler Frasier WS B K (CC) considers leaving hires a wonderful KCAL. (CC) new butler. S (:00) Real Sports Bastards of the Party An inactive street-gang member (45) Music and Real TimeWith Bill Maher Actor H BO-E A CC, -traces the evolution of gang culture in Los Angeles. f Lyrics: HBO* Steven Weber. A (CC) (CC) Fst Look (CC) (6:30)** * IN HER SHOES (2005, Comedy-Drama) Cameron Diaz, Toni Col- (:15) GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB HBO-P COMMAND- lette, Shirley MacLaine. A sexy partyer clashes with her serious-minded (2007) Some U.S. soldiers abuse in- MENTS (1997) sister. f 'PG-13' (CC) mates at an Iraqi prison.'NR' * * STAR WARS (1977, Science Fiction) Mark Hamill, Harrison (:45) Norbit: Real Sports f (CC) H BO-W Ford, Carrie Fisher. Luke Skywalker battles the evil Darth Vader. f 'PG' HBO First Look (CC) f (CC) (:00) * RANSOM (1996, Suspense) Mel Gibson, *** THE INTERPRETER (2005, Suspense) Nicole Kidman, Sean H BO-S Rene Russo, Gary Sinise. A wealthy executive turns Penn, Catherine Keener. A U.N. translator overhears an assassination the tables on his son's abductor N 'R' (CC) plot. f 'PG-13'(CC) (:00) Black Sun (:15) 1 GRANDMA'S BOY (2006, Comedy) Doris Roberts, Allen * SHE'S THE MAN (2006) MAX-E (N) f, Covert, Shirley Jones. A man must live with his grandmother and her two Amanda Bynes. A student poses as friends. f 'R (CC) her twin brother.'PG-13' (CC) (:10) *'i THE JACKET (2005, Science Fiction) **s PASSENGER 57 (1992, Action) Wesley Snipes, BEDTIME STO- MOMAX Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley. An amnesiac has flash- Bruce Payne. An airline security expert goes up RIES 4 (2000) backs and visions of the future. f 'R' (CC) against skyjackers. f 'R' (CC) ft 'NR' (CC) (6:30) *** * HUSTLE & FLOW (2005, Drama) Terrence Howard, Anthony An- The L Word "Lexington and Con- SHOW RIZE (2005) iTV. derson, Taryn Manning. iTV. A pimp wants to rap his way out of his dead- cord" (iTV) Jenny's revenge back- f 'PGC-13' CC end life. t 'R' (CC) fires. f (CC) TMC 40V -" t.~. 'I 4 p 'I ii * ,: / I k I .~ L et -I -i l ll li, B i I I ' l \S i A i I ', * .^ ,.'s iii '^ i.'i \ % *-'f ' l< -I |. . - B l \L; i >- l t1 'l, ,i l -,1 y\ Lh p| l- I '. I .^ '- (. L\ !,,| .l ] ,1 1 l 1 1l,,, ,. ~L i i i SII\ "* -~ I I 'I I1 I t L I Enjoy Great fod, Prizes aw Lost oi'm ov' i'm lovin' it I :15) sA-A BE COOL (20,Cmd)Jhn Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince A DOUBLE WHAMMY (201 aw. R' (CC) his attempt to stop a shooting. ~U .J, ; . I ~ ~ _~ __ I _I I I I 11 ,1 i . '. , I I I --t- - -t I 7-', w, l~ L( ____ I ____~__--------__-I-II TRIBUNE SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 9E Telephone 242 393 2007 FaK 242 393 1772 Internet INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT To the Shareholder of Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited Report on the balance sheet We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited ("the Bank") as of October 31, 2006, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes. management's responsibility for the balance sheet Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of this balance sheet in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. This responsibility includes: designing, implementing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the balance sheet balance sheet. The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the assessment of risks of material misstatement of the balance sheet, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity's preparation and fair presentation of the balance sheet. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion, the balance sheet presents fairly, in all material respects the financial position of Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited as of October 31, 2006 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The corresponding figures as of and for the year ended October 31, 2005 were audited by another firm of Chartered Accountants and their report thereon, dated February 22, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion. Chartered Accountants Nassau, Bahamas February 26, 2007 SCOTIABANK (BAHAMAS) LIMITED Balance Sheet October 31, 2006, with corresponding figures for 2005 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars) 2006 2005 Note ($'000s) ($'000s) Assets Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas 4 & 15 $ 54,858 86,643 Treasury bills 5.000 18,847 Loans and advances to banks 5 & 15 592,443 1,392,082 Investment securities 6 & 15 67,856 67,419 Loans and advances to customers, net 7, 8 & 15 1,399,682 1,134,980 Property and equipment 9 17,904 17,539 Receivables and other assets 10 49,483 31,715 $ 2,187,226 2,749,225 Liabilities and Equity Liabilities Deposits 11 & 15 $ 1,663,032 2,331,297 Payables and other liabilities 12 75,104 41,312 1,738,136 2,372,609 Equity Share capital 13 25,000 25,000 Share premium 14 40,000 40,000 Retained earnings 3 384,090 311,616 449,090 376,616 Commitment & contingencies 16 & 17 $ 2,187,226 2,749,225 See accompanying notes to balance sheet. This balance sheet was approved on behalf of the Board of Directors on February 26, 2007 by the / follow Director -e' L7 Directo ---- / r Notes to Balance Sheet October 31, 2006 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars) Limited ("the Parent"), a Bahamian company, also incorporated in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, pursuant to the merger of Scotia Subsidiaries Limited and the Parent on December 12, 2003. represents.. KPMG PO Box N 123 Montague Sterling Centre East Bay Street Nassau, Bahamas . "M / V7 .. -3 1 -' -~- 1 I~l~a~--r .;-, -~O"e~a~rL, ,,-- ,,,~~-,~pm~p ---II --lffT~ -~-~--I r. . (e) Foreign currency translation Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at (f) Financial assets and liabilities (i) Classification Financial assets that are loans and advances and accrued interest receivable are classified as loans and receivables originated by the Bank. Financial assets that are treasury bills and investment securities are classified as held- to-maturity investments. Financial assets that are derivative financial instruments are considered to be financial assets held-for-trading and are classified as investments at fair value through profit or loss. Financial liabilities that are not at fair value through profit or loss include deposits and financial assets and financial liabilities that are not at fair value through profit or loss, derivatives are valued at fair values. They are carried as assets when fair values are positive and as liabilities when fair values are negative.market observable prices exist, and valuation models;, ^,,<,i3,Bap ,uses widely, recognized valuation models for determining the fair value of common and more simple instruments like interest rate swaps. For these financial instruments, inputs into models are market observable. (iv) Measurement (continued) SDerivative instruments designated as "asset/liability management" are those used to manage The Bank's interest rate and foreign currency exposures. Bank, for management's judgement as to whether current economic and credit condition are such that the actual losses are likely to be greater or less than suggested by his )rical modeling. Default rates, loss rates and the expected timing of future recoveries are regularly benchmarked against actual outcomes to ensure that they remain appropriate.. (g) Loans and advances to customersreams. TRIBUNE SPORTS S- A W^ IU A-. J iiY I-I A ,\/ = /o, 0tf 7 P i3 10E, WEUNEUSDY, rFr3nTH2 5(.0Z, JUI Cost October 31, 2005 2,156 8,221 13,229 10,925 34,531 Additions 454 670 1,515 2,639 Disposals (15) (218) (233) Disposals through sale of unit (see note 3) (25) _70) (95) Accumulated depreciation October 31, 2005 4,376 7,247 5,369 16,992 Charge for the period 238 529 1.382 2,149 Disposals (21) (137) (158) Disposals through sale of unit (see note 3) (I 0) (35) (45) October 31, 2006 4,614 7,745 6,579 18,938 Net book value October 31, 2006 2,156 4.061 6.114 5,573 17,904 Net book value October 31, 2005 2,156 3.445 592 5,556 17539 The Bank owns and occupies eight buildings in The Bahamas. (i) Property and equipment Items of property and equipment are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and provisions for impairment losses. The estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are as follows: Land Nil Buildings 40 years Leasehold improvements Term of lease plus one renewal option period Furniture and equipment 3 to 10 years Property and equipment are periodically reviewed for impairment. Where the carrying value amount of an item of property and equipment is greater than its estimated recoverable amount, it is written down immediately to its recoverable amount. () Related parties A number of transactions are entered into with related parties in the normal course of business. Balances resulting from such transactions are described as balances with affiliates. 3.$'OOOs) Loans and advances to banks 1,917,198 Equipment 50 Other assets 2,546 Total assets 1,919,794 Deposits (1,903,599) Other liabilities (16,195) Book value of net assets sold The adjustment to equity was as follows: (US$'000s) Cash proceeds 2,000 Less: book value of net assets sold Equity adjustment (to retained earnings) 2,000 4. Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Cash (note 17) 22,045 18,803 Balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas unrestricted (note 17) 3,807 41,102 restricted 29,006 26,738 54,858 86,643 5. Loans and Advances to Banks 2006 2005 ($'OOOs) (S'OOOs) Loans and advances to banks affiliates 575,789 1,047,113 other (note 17) 16,654 344,969 592,443 1,392,082 6. Investment securities The following are securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of The Bahamas: 2006 2005 ($'OOOs) ($'000s) Bahamas Government Bonds 1,044 1,044 Bahamas Government Registered Stock 66.802 66,375 67,846 67,419 Other 10 - 67,856 67,419 7. Loans and advances to customers, net 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Mortgages 501,725 384,352 Personal loans 305,134 265,046 Business loans 595,939 487,986 1,402,798 1,137,384 Add: Accrued interest receivable 10,037 7,845 Less: Provision for credit losses (note 8) (13,153) (10,249) 1,399,682 1,134,980 The effective interest rate earned on the loan portfolio for the current year was 8.71% (2005 8.46%). 8. Provision for credit losses Specific Inherent Credit risk risk General 2006 2005 Provisions provisions Provision Total Total (S'OOOs) ($'000s) ($'O00s) ($'O00s) ($'O00s) Balance, beginning of year 2,840 7,409 10,249 11,471 Doubtful debt expense (678) 5,378 4,337 9,037 3,324 Write-offs (555) (5,578) (6,133) (4,546) Balance, end of year 1,607 7,209 4.337 13,153 10,249 The aggregate amount of non-performing loans on which interest was not being accrued amounted to approximately $40,784,000 (2005 $26,166,000). For the year ended October 31, 2006 amounts totaling $3,202,000 (2005 $3,677,000), which represent recoveries on loan balances written-off in prior years, were included in provision for credit losses, net of recoveries. During the year, a general provision was established to comply with the provisions of guidelines for the management of credit risk issued by The Central Bank of The Bahamas ("the Central Bank"). The general provision is expected to be 1% of the balance of the loan portfolio as defined by the Central Bank and is to be made in two installments, the first being before October 31, 2006 and the other in 2007. At October 31, 2006 the general provision was $4,337,000. The remaining portion of the general provision will be considered by management in assessing the adequacy of the total provisions for credit losses in 2007. Any excess provisions resulting from the additional general provisions will be accounted for as an appropriation of retained earnings with no impact on the statement of income. 9. Property and equipment Furniture Leasehold and Land Buildings Improvements Equipment Total ($000s) ($'000s) ($'COs) ($'OOOs) ($'000s) October 31, 2006 Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas Loans and advances to banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Deposits Undrawn commitments October 31, 2005 Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas Loans and advances to banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Deposits . Undrawn commitments 54,858 579,789 67,846 1.384,056 1,610.735 488.014 86,643 58,458. 67,419 1,115,823, 1,101,296 291,738 195,638 1.188 1,931 1,200 12,327 13,234 37.663 3.661 137,316 9,386 223,739 7,441 10 71 13,594 1,000,670 8.583 1,004,331 54,858 592,443 67,856 1,399,682 1,663,032 492,071 86,643 1,392,082 67,419 1,134,980 2.331,297 300.379 16. Lease commitments The Bank has obligations under long-term,operating leases for buildings. Future minimum lease payments for such commitments are as follows: 2006 ($'0OOs) 1 year or less 1,559 Over 1 year to 5 years 2,426 $ 3,985 17. Guarantees and Lines of Credit In the normal course of business various credit related arrangements are entered into toAneet the needs of customers and earn income. These financial instruments are subject to the Bank's standard credit policies and procedures. As of October 31, these credit related arrangements were as follows: 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Undrawn lines of credit and loan commitments $ 471,166 227,475 Guarantees and letters of credit 20,905 72,904 $ 492,071 300,379 18. Pension plan Substantially all of the Bank's employees are members of B, 2003 and based on that independent valuation, the plan was fully funded. An actuarial valuation is performed on the plan at least once every three years. All actuarial information relating to this scheme can be found in the consolidated financial statements of BNS. The Bank also participates in a contributory plan established by BNS covering some employees. As of October 31, 2006, this olan is also fully funded. 19. Global Employee Share Ownership Plan The Bank participates in the Global Employee Share Ownership Plan ("GESOP") of BNS, which allows employees of the Bank to contribute between 1% and 6% of their annual. 20. Related party transactions Key management personnel have transacted with the Bank during the year as follows: 2006 2005 ($000's) ($'OOOs) Loans and advances to customers $ 3,108 2,783 $ (869) (1,414) Deposits Interest rates charged on balances outstanding are a half of the rate that would be charged in an arm's length transaction for credit cards and at B$ prime rate for most mortgages. Most of the other sundry loans bear. periodic independent review by BNS. I I . AAG 10. Receivables and other assets 2006 2005 ($'OOOs) ($'000s) Accrued interest receivable 3,520 1,153 Cheques and other items in transit 38,344 23,149 Other 7,619 7,413 49,483 31,715 11. Deposits 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Customers 4 1,209,515 1,128,039 Deposits from affiliates 449,255 1,059,629 Deposits from other banks 4,262' 143,629 1,663,032 2,331,297 The effective interest rate paid on deposits for the current year was 2.46% (2005 2.12%). 12. Payables and other liabilities 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Accrued interest payable affiliate banks 4,224 6,061 Accrued interest payable other 2,851 4,854 Cheques and other items in transit 54,446 22,221 Other 13,583 8,176 75,104 41,312 13. Share capital 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) Authorized, issued and fully paid 25,000,000 ordinary shares of par value $1.00 each 25,000 25,000 14. Share premium 2006 2005 ($'000s) ($'000s) 25,000,000 shares issued at a premium of $1.60 each 40,000 40,000 15. Geographical Analysis of Assets and Liabilities Significant assets and liabilities at October 31 are classified by geographical area, based on the domicile of the counterpart, as follows: The North Bahamas Europe America Other Total ($'000s) ($'000s) (S'000s) ($'00s) ($'000s) krI f mmm 1 41 a, p, '4 4 @ t 6, 4. $' , I.' g4 F a f 4 | hi k. t. i'p 1.. .< 4 > 'f; A1 (i 5** 'i *j 4 IS 688 Credit risk (continued).. Interest rate risk Interest rate risk arises when there is a mismatch between positions, which are subject to interest rate adjustment within a specified period. Exposure is generally managed locally by currency and regularly reviewed on a consolidated basis by executive management. For the year ended October 31, 2006, the rates of interest, which approximate the effective yields of these balance sheet assets and liabilities, were as follows: Assets WEDNESUADY, I LBRUARY 28, 2007, PAGE 11E Cash and balances with the Central Bank of The Bahamas Treasury bills Loans and advances to banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Liabilities Customers deposits Deposits from affiliates Deposits from other banks Interest rate risk (continued) For the year ended October 31, 2005, the rates of interest, which approximate the effective yields of these balance sheet assets and liabilities, were as follows: Assets Cash and balances with the Central Bank of The Baharilas Treasury bills Loans and advances to banks .Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Liabilities 0.08% 1.68% 5.97% 4.69% 0.00% 1.77% 2.12% Customers deposits . Deposits from affiliates Deposits from other banks 0% - 0.30% - 4.50% - 6.43% - 17.23% - 3.93% - 3.83% - 3.64% Liqluidity. At October 31,2006 Assets Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas Treasury bills Loans and advances to banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Property and equipment vpto I. 54,858 5,000 316,862 1-3 .3- Months ` MoafuS ($'000) ($S'000) 244.700 2,022 1,-5, Sear Yei Over ($'000) ($'000s) Total ($'000s) 54,858 5,000 592,443 53,769 67,856 '30,881 1,000 361,896 27,511 51,236 384,510 574,529 1,399,682 1,694 16,210 17.904 2 1 020 22 142 830 49483Afl Storming start puts Man United on the path to FA Cup victory MAN( I itS I ER United's tb triei i ,4wl. r x& e( ,ttets after \cIrirng against Reading during their FA Cup 5th round replay soccer niatch at the Vi.d.ej ,ki Stadium in Reading, Tuesday, Feb. 27,2007. Unit- ed won 3-2 after scoring their three goals in the first six minutes. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Receivables avic othrassets 47, 63 1,U20 22 42 53U 4,4 Total assts 785,879 275;.3 8345 397411 645,338 2,187,226 Liabilities Deposits 1,300.544 239.465 116,446 6.577 1,663,032 Payables and other liabilities 71,755 2.185 1,059 105 -- 75,104 Total liabilities 1372,299 241,650 117505 6,682 1738,136 Net Liquidity gap (586,420) 33,603 (34,160) 390.729 645,338 449,090 October 31,2005 Total assets 1.028,873 224,037 253.785 713,465 529,065 2,749,225 Total liabilities 1,555,467 412.916 217.850 186.376 2.372.609 Net liquidity gap (526,594) (188879) 35935 527.089 529,065 376,616 Currency risk The Bank takes on exposure to the effects of fluctuations in the prevailing foreign currency exchange rates on its financial position and cash flows. The Board sets limits on the level of exposure by currency and in total for both overnight and intra-day positions, which are monitored on a daily basis. The table below summarises the Bank's exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk at October 31. Included in the table below are the Bank's assets and liabilities at carrying amounts, categorized by currency. BSD USD Other Total ($'O00s) ($'OOOs) ($'O00s) ($'000s) At October 31, 2006 Assets Cash and balances with The Central Bank of The Bahamas Treasury bills Loans and advances to banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers, net Property and equipment Receivables and other assets 49,783 5,000 4,000 67,846 950,153 17,904 23.041 4,959 521,243 433,187 20,798 116 67,200 10 16,342 5,644 54,858 5,000 592,443 67,856 1,399,682 17,904 S49,483 Total assets 1,117,727 980,187 89,312 2,187,226 Liabilities Deposits 726,783 857,974 78,275 1,663,032 Payables and other liabilities 22.244 32,017 20,843 75,104 Total liabilities 749,027 8891991 99,118 1,738,136 Net balance sheet position '368,700 90,196 (9,806) 449,090 Credit commitments 74,308. 417,602 161 492,071 At October 31, 2005 Total assets 974,161 1,736.439 38,625 2,749,225 Total liabilities 688,687 1,645,561 38,361 2.372,609 Net balance sheet position 285,474 90,878 264 376,616 Credit commitments 87,977 212.253 149 300,379 22.. The fair values of investment securities, loans and advances to banks and customers, and deposits approximate their carrying values, which are at amortisdd cost, due to their short term nature and interest rates earned or paid approximate rates otherwise available to the * Bank for similar facilities. * 23. Corresponding figures Certain corresponding figures have been reclassified to conform with the presentation adopted in the current year. I I . . '' Middlesbrough are spot on MIDDLESBROUGH'S Dutch njim1 iti ,. C(torge lhoiteng left, battles for tihe ball with West Bromwich Albion midfielder .hasonl Koum.is, nlitllg iheir liflih-round FA Cup reply at the Hawthorns. West Bromwich, England, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007. The match ended 1-1 with Middlesbrough win- ning the tie 5-4 on penalties. (AI' P'hoto/Simnon Dawswn) 0.11% 1.86% 5.97% 4.57% 2.52% 1.58% 3.05% 0% - 0.57% - 4.92% - 5.99% - 17.71% - 4.14% - 5.38% - 3.68% =Mal 7-T I I I:. '15 AL P I TRIBUNE SPORTS PAGE 12E WEDNESDAYFEB 2007 ."\.- SP-ORT *0 Two primary schools have a swinging time * BASEBALL & SOFTBALL By BRENTSTUBBS Senior Sports Reporter THERE were perfect runs through the Primary Schools Sports Association's boys and girls baseball and soft- ball tournament for Claridge and Columbus Primary Schools yesterday. Just across the road from the start of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association's Inter-School Track and Field Champi- onships at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, both teams were making their own waves at the Anthony McKenzie Lit- tle League Baseball Park. Claridge held off Thelma Gibson 5-3 to clinch the Lawrence Sweeting's Base- ball tournament title for boys, while Columbus Pri- mary nipped Garvin Tynes 5-4 for the Frederick Carey's Softball Tourna- ment crown for girls. "Winning the baseball was good," said Claridge's coach Nikkita Taylor. "We actual- ly thought we should have won it last year, but we came fourth. "This year, the boys came more prepared and they played much better than they did last year. We hard- ly allowed any of our oppo- nents to score that many runs." Taylor attributed his team's success to his defence, particularly his infield. But he was more than pleased with the per- formance of mainstay pitch- er Rommel Munroe, who went undefeated in seven games. Ali Bethel, coach of Thel- ma Gibson, said they played as well as they could, but Claridge wanted it a little more. "The boys had a big heart, but a few minor mistakes here and there caused us the game," said Bethel, who thanked Freedom Farm Baseball League for assist- ing his team. "Claridge just played better than we did." Shaprio Ebanks pitched a stellar tournament for Thel- ma Gibson up until they played in the final. Third baseman Rashad Thompson kept them in the game offensively. Lawrence Sweeting said his Columbus team certain- ly improved on their perfor- mance in softball. They were runners-up last year, but they went the extra step to win it all. "I'm quite proud of them," Sweeting stated. Patrice Ferguson, an all- around player, led the way for Columbus Primary at shortstop. Both Sweeting and Carey were being honoured by their association for their long-time service. Both coaches have hinted that they might be leaning towards retirement very, soon. For Sweeting, it was a thrill to be recognized in the way he was. "They like to give people things when they die, but it's good that they recognized me and Carey because we are the oldest members in the primary schools sports association," said Sweeting, who has been at Columbus for the past 24 years. Sweeting said he had hoped that his boys would make the final in baseball, but they were eliminated by Claridge. Carey, who showed up to officiate the gamines, said he was a little surprised when they informed him that he was being honoured. "I was surprised," he con- cluded. "I'm glad they did something for me before I quit." Carey has been the phys- ical education instructor for Uriah McPhee Primary School for the past 23 years. Dawn Knowles, who is in charge of the primary schools sports division at the Ministry of Education, said she was pleased with what occurred. "I want to congratulate all of the winners because I feel all my coaches are winners," she stated. "We had 23 teams and that's almost 100 per cent participation. "I've seen the improve- ment in baseball ever since we got it started. The skills are getting better and bet- ter, so 1 am very proud of all of the coaches." Up next on the primary schools' agenda is basket- ball, which is scheduled to be held at the end of March at the Kendal Isaacs Gym- nasium. RIGHT: Columbus Pri- mary School celebrate with their Frederick Carey girls softball championship tro- phies after they beat Garvin Tynes 5-4 in the final yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre. * BELOW: Claridge Pri- mary celebrate with their trophies after winning the Lawrence Sweeting boys baseball title with a 5-3 decision over Thelma Gib- son yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2011 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Powered by SobekCM | http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00084249/02831 | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | refinedweb | 71,072 | 59.13 |
A lambda expression in C# describes a pattern. It has the token => in an expression context. This is read as “goes to” operator and used when a lambda expression is declared.
The following is an example showing how to use lambda expressions in C# −
using System; using System.Collections.Generic; class Demo { static void Main() { List<int> list = new List<int>() { 21, 17, 40, 11, 9 }; int res = list.FindIndex(x => x % 2 == 0); Console.WriteLine("Index: "+res); } }
Index: 2
Above, we saw the usage of “goes to” operator to find the index of the even number −
list.FindIndex(x => x % 2 == 0);
The above example gives the following output.
Index: 2
Even number is at index 2 i.e. it is the 3rd element. | https://www.tutorialspoint.com/What-are-lambda-expressions-in-Chash | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | refinedweb | 125 | 68.36 |
Swift version: 5.1
If you're looking for text-to-speech conversion, it's baked right into iOS thanks to the
AVSpeechSynthesizer class and its friends. As you can tell from the "AV" part of its name, you'll need to add AVFoundation to your project, like this:
import AVFoundation
With that done, you can speak whatever you want. For example, to say "Hello world" in a very slow British accent, use this:
let utterance = AVSpeechUtterance(string: "Hello world") utterance.voice = AVSpeechSynthesisVoice(language: "en-GB") utterance.rate = 0.1 let synthesizer = AVSpeechSynthesizer() synthesizer.speak(utterance)
You can omit the
rate property entirely to have a natural-speed voice, or change the language to "en-US" (English, American accent), "en-IE" (English, Irish accent), "en-AU" (English, Australian accent) or whichever other accents Apple chooses to add in the future.. | https://www.hackingwithswift.com/example-code/media/how-to-convert-text-to-speech-using-avspeechsynthesizer-avspeechutterance-and-avspeechsynthesisvoice | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | refinedweb | 140 | 53.81 |
Hi, I am working with different quantized implementations of the same model, the main difference being the precision of the weights, biases, and activations. So I’d like to know how I can find the difference between the size of a model in MBs that’s in say 32-bit floating point, and one that’s in int8. I have the models saved in .PTH format, any suggestions will be great. Thanks in advance.
The function torch.finfo (torch.iinfo for integer) would be useful
import torch model = torch.nn.Linear(2, 3) model.bias.data = torch.tensor([1, 2, 3], dtype=torch.int8) size_model = 0 for param in model.parameters(): if param.data.is_floating_point(): size_model += param.numel() * torch.finfo(param.data.dtype).bits else: size_model += param.numel() * torch.iinfo(param.data.dtype).bits print(f"model size: {size_model} / bit | {size_model / 8e6:.2f} / MB")
Have a look at this Type Info — PyTorch 1.11.0 documentation
Thank you for replying. I had done almost exactly the same thing. However, I’m using a special quantization library which applies the quantizations and saves the model in a .pt form. Can you tell me how the same thing can be done using a .pt file, since the model loaded by a .pt doesn’t have a “parameters” attribute?
use torch.load to load the parameters in a dict, then do it the same way
import torch # checkpoint should be an OrderedDict type, # like {'weight': Tensor(...)} checkpoint = torch.load("yourfile.pth") size_model = 0 for param in checkpoint.values(): if param.is_floating_point(): size_model += param.numel() * torch.finfo(param.dtype).bits else: size_model += param.numel() * torch.iinfo(param.dtype).bits print(f"model size: {size_model} / bit | {size_model / 8e6:.2f} / MB")
This is what I get after running the script…
AttributeError: ‘collections.OrderedDict’ object has no attribute 'is_floating_point’
My example only works if you save the .pth file with an object returned by model.state_dict(). In practical, this depends on how you save your model .pth file.
You could have a look at the loaded object checkpoint. Whatever it is, just get the parameters to count the size of model. | https://discuss.pytorch.org/t/pytorch-model-size-in-mbs/149002 | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | refinedweb | 354 | 62.34 |
My dataset is divided into two groups. one is for training (with shape of [3850,5]) and the other is for testing (with shape of [1050,5]). I used this code for defining wave kernel (you can find it in this paper) function:
import numpy as np from scipy.spatial.distance import cdist from sklearn import svm import pandas as pd def wave_kernel(mat_v, mat_u): deg = 80 teta = np.deg2rad(deg) v = cdist(mat_v, mat_u, 'euclidean') return (teta/v) * np.sin(v/teta)
and use this code for predicting labels (and see how well kernel works):
data = pd.read_csv('data.csv') features = ['feat1', 'feat2', 'feat3', 'feat4', 'feat5'] X_train = data[features].iloc[:3850].values X_test = data[features].iloc[3850:].values y_train = data['label'].iloc[:3850].values y_test = data['label'].iloc[3850:].values def RE(y_true, y_pred): # Calculating Relative error return np.mean(np.abs((y_true - y_pred) / y_true)) svr = svm.SVR(kernel=wave_kernel) y_pred = svr.fit(X_train, y_train).predict(X_test) a = RE(y_test, y_pred) print(a)
After I run the code, the code encounters a Run Time Error which says:
RuntimeWarning: divide by zero encountered in true_divide
and another one following first one
RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in multiply
I really don't know what that error is for because it does not explicitly mention the line.
I have used the kernel function separately with matrices to see if the error happens inside the function but that worked fine.
I can't figure out what to do. please help me out! | https://techqa.club/v/q/why-divided-by-zero-error-happens-while-using-wave-kernel-in-svm-c3RhY2tvdmVyZmxvd3w1NTg1MzgwNw== | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | refinedweb | 249 | 59.4 |
Storage classes are used to specify the lifetime and scope of variables. How storage is allocated for variables and How variable is treated by complier depends on these storage classes.
These are basically divided into 5 different types:
These are defined at the starting , before all function bodies and are available throughout the program.
using namespace std; int globe; // Global variable void func(); int main() { ..... }
They are defined and are available within a particular scope. They are also called Automatic variable because they come into being when scope is entered and automatically go away when the scope ends.
The keyword auto is used, but by default all local variables are auto, so we don't have to explicitly add keyword auto before variable dedaration. Default value of such variable is garbage. are the variables which are initialized & allocated storage only once at the beginning of program execution, no matter how many times they are used and called in the program. A static variable retains its value until the end of program.
void fun() { static int i = 10; i++; cout << i; } int main() { fun(); // Output = 11 fun(); // Output = 12 fun(); // Output = 13 }
As,
i is static, hence it will retain its value through function calls, and is initialized only once at the beginning.
Static specifiers are also used in classes, but that we will learn later.
This keyword is used to access variable in a file which is declared & defined in some other file, that is the existence of a global variable in one file is declared using extern keyword in another file. | https://www.studytonight.com/cpp/storage-classes-in-cpp | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | refinedweb | 262 | 59.53 |
Convert Bytes to Int in Python 2.7 and 3.x
- Python 2.7 Bytes Data Type
- Convert Byte to Int in Python 2.7
- Python 3 Bytes Data Type
- Convert Bytes to Int in Python 3
Bytes data type has the value with a range from 0 to 255 (0x00 to 0xFF). One byte has 8 bits; that’s why its maximum value is 0xFF. In some circumstances, you need to convert bytes or bytes array to integers for further data processing. This short article introduces methods to convert byte to int in Python, like the
struct.unpack method in Python 2.7 and
int.from_bytes() in Python 3.x.
Python 2.7 Bytes Data Type Byte to Int in Python 2.7
Python internal module
struct could convert binary data (bytes) to integers. It could convert bytes or actually strings in Python 2.7 and integers in a bidirectional way.
struct.unpack(fmt, string) Convert the string according to the given format `fmt` to integers. The result is a tuple even if there is only one item inside.
struct Examples: Convert Byte to Int in Python 2.7
import struct testBytes = b'\x00\x01\x00\x02' testResult = struct.unpack('>HH', testBytes) print testResult
Output:
(1, 2)
The format string
>HH contains two parts.
>indicates the binary data is
big-endian, or in other words, the data is ordered from the big end (most significant bit). For example,
\x00\0x1means
\x00is the high byte, and
\x01is the low byte.
HHmeans there are two objects of
Htypes in the bytes string.
Hrepresents an
unsigned shortinteger that takes 2 bytes.
You could get different results from the same string if the assigned data format is different.
>>> testResult = struct.unpack('<HH', testBytes) >>> testResult (256, 512)
Here,
< indicates the endianess is
little-endian. Therefore
\x00\x01 becomes
00+1*256 = 256, not
0*256+1 = 1 anymore.
>>> testResult = struct.unpack('<BBBB', testBytes) >>> testResult (0, 1, 0, 2)
B means the data is
unsigned char taking 1 byte. Hence,
\x00\x01\x00\x02 will be converted to 4 values of
unsigned char, but not 2 values of
unsigned short anymore.
The data length represented by the format string shall be the same as the given data; otherwise, it reports an error.
>>> testResult = struct.unpack('<BBB', b'\x00\x01\x00\x02') Traceback (most recent call last): File "<pyshell#35>", line 1, in <module> testResult = struct.unpack('<BBB', b'\x00\x01\x00\x02') error: unpack requires a string argument of length 3
You could check the
struct module’s official document to get more information on format strings.
Python 3 Bytes Data Type
bytes is a built-in data type in Python 3; therefore, you could define bytes directly using the
bytes keyword.
>>> testByte = bytes(18) >>> type(testByte) <class 'bytes'>
You could also directly define a bytes or bytes array like below.
>>> testBytes = b'\x01\x21\31\41' >>> type(testBytes) <class 'bytes'>
Convert Bytes to Int in Python 3
Besides the
struct module as already introduced in Python 2.7, you could also use a new Python 3 built-in
int method to do the bytes-to-integers conversions, that is, the
int.from_bytes() method.
int.from_bytes() Examples: Convert Byte to Int
>>> testBytes = b'\xF1\x10' >>> int.from_bytes(testBytes, byteorder='big') 61712
The
byteorder option is similar to
struct.unpack() format byte order definition.
The bytes representation will be converted to one integer.
int.from_bytes() has a third option
signed to assign the integer type to be
signed or
unsigned.
>>> testBytes = b'\xF1\x10' >>> int.from_bytes(testBytes, byteorder='big', signed=True) -3824
Use
[] When Bytes Is
unsigned char
If the format of data has the format of
unsigned char containing only one byte, you could directly use object index to access and get the integer of the data.
>>> testBytes = b'\xF1\x10' >>> testBytes[0] 241 >>> testBytes[1] 16 | https://www.delftstack.com/howto/python/how-to-convert-bytes-to-integers/ | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | refinedweb | 642 | 66.94 |
Prim’s Spanning Tree Algorithm. This diagram illustrates the diagram above for a graph as follows. is an acyclic subset of that connects all the vertices in . The sum of the weights of the edges in T is minimized.
The diagram below.
 below. Prim’s algorithm is similar to Dijkstra’s algorithm in that they both use a priority queue to select the next vertex to add to the growing graph.
from collections import defaultdict import heapq def create_spanning_tree(graph, starting_vertex): mst = defaultdict(set) visited = set([starting_vertex]) edges = [ (cost, starting_vertex, to) for to, cost in graph[starting_vertex].items() ] heapq.heapify(edges) while edges: cost, frm, to = heapq.heappop(edges) if to not in visited: visited.add(to) mst[frm].add(to) for to_next, cost in graph[to].items(): if to_next not in visited: heapq.heappush(edges, (cost, to, to_next)) return mst example_graph = { 'A': {'B': 2, 'C': 3}, 'B': {'A': 2, 'C': 1, 'D': 1, 'E': 4}, 'C': {'A': 3, 'B': 1, 'F': 5}, 'D': {'B': 1, 'E': 1}, 'E': {'B': 4, 'D': 1, 'F': 1}, 'F': {'C': 5, 'E': 1, 'G': 1}, 'G': {'F': 1}, } dict(create_spanning_tree(example_graph, 'A')) # {'A': set(['B']), # 'B': set(['C', 'D']), # 'D': set(['E']), # 'E': set(['F']), # 'F': set(['G'])}
The following sequence of diagrams shows the algorithm in operation on our sample tree. We begin with the starting vertex as A. Looking at the neighbors of A we can update distances to two of the additional vertices B and C because the distances to B and C through A are less than infinite. We can then add B and C to the priority queue in the correct order..
| https://bradfieldcs.com/algos/graphs/prims-spanning-tree-algorithm/ | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | refinedweb | 286 | 63.9 |
Type: Posts; User: boburob
omg i just realised the problem...i am an idiot! I have been using the wrong variables, sorry for wasting all your time
Ok apologies, i have been working with swing, and its not showing the stats on swing however they are being uploaded! Im not sure why there not showing up on my swing program though
Okay, trans1 is definatly holding "6.0"
Heres my whole project:
So have a look yourself guys
loadFile...
Ok ive now tried this as well:
trans1.trim();
Float f = new Float(trans1);
winStat = f.floatValue();
Ok, im not sure i fully understand, ive tried this before:
Float f = new Float(trans1);
winStat = f;
This compiles but winStat remains empty, although trans1 holds the value "6.0"
Hi everyone.
I need help again lol, im trying to code a load function, ive got it to read the files and put the values into strings, but i need to convert these to float type and nothing i try...
Lol ignore my question! Once again im being stupid and forgetting basics!
if (source == menuStats)
{
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Statistics\nGames won:" + winCount);
}
...
Yes you were right, i was kinda trying to copy something straight out of my java book without thinking about it! Instead I just added one panel to another panel:)
Sorry but I have another...
Hey everyone, im writing a blackjack program with java swing and im having problems with setting the layout with panels and frames.
I want to apply a different layout to two different panels, add...
Sorry another quick question, how do i add text to the text area without deleting the rest, eg at the moment im using:
edit.setText(line);
Which just puts the last line of text on the...
Thanks alot for your help!
Completely forgot about moving that one!
Hey ive only been programming java for about a month now and im a little stuck:/
Basically im making a basic text editor in java, at the moment im trying to load text from a file to a text area...
Thank you for your quick reply:)
Hi, ive been making a blackjack program and current im trying to get it to save and load how much money you have. This is working but it looks like its saving the address of the variable instead of...
Thank you everyone for your help, it is now working:D
Lol ok i think now all the changes are made, the let array is working, but its just outputting whatever was in the last position of the decry array
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>...
Ive made all the changes , hopefully its easier to understand now, both the arrays are working but its only outputting whatevers at the end of the decry array
#include <iostream>
#include...
Sorry im fairly new at c++ so alot of the stuff you said i didnt get:/
for (int x = 0; x <= 512; x++){
if (code[x] >= 'a' && code[x] <= 'z') {
let[code[x]-'a']++;
}
}
Sorry, I had already made all the changes you said before, heres the new code
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
//This section of the code includes the libaries needed to run the...
Yes you were right, the let is working but the decry array is not, i have attatched a screenshot of what happens when its run, the first group of 26 is the let array and the second is the decry array
Ive changed my program and its running now but this section of code
for (int x = 0; x <= 512; x++){
if (code[x] >= 'a' && code[x] <= 'z') {
let[code[x]-'a']++;
}
}
Oh lol, sorry i was always told to do it like that
Thanks for your help, ill make the changes now.
Btw my let[25] array is 25 because an array starts from 0
Hi, im new to c++ and im trying to make a codebreaking program which works by reading a text file, working out which letter has the highest frequency and swapping it with e, etc.
Except i cant... | http://forums.codeguru.com/search.php?s=d7bbbe875ce0703dab1c9a77363a4d57&searchid=970877 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | refinedweb | 673 | 75.64 |
Hello,
I am doing the Computer Science course on Code Academy and am doing the Tower of Hanoi project. I got everything to work fine except that when I am playing the game I have to enter each input twice for it to work when I am selecting L M or R. Both when selecting the stack I am moving to and the stack I am moving from, I have to enter it twice. Can anyone provide any feedback on why that might be? I will post my code below:
from stack import Stack
#Get User Input – Problem must be in here
def get_input():
choices = [stack.get_name()[0] for stack in stacks]
while input() != choices:
for i in range(len(stacks)): name = stacks[i].get_name() letter = choices[i] print("Enter {0} for {1}".format(letter, name)) user_input = input("") if user_input in choices: for i in range(len(stacks)): if user_input == choices[i]: return stacks[i] | https://discuss.codecademy.com/t/tower-of-hanoi-struggling-with-the-input-function/556358 | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | refinedweb | 155 | 72.46 |
I'm read in a list of strings that represent numbers in vairious fromats
I'm parsing theres numbers to BigIntegers and sorting them.
I then print the numbers back out in their original format.
The problem is that I need to maintain the ordering of numbers that are even which is not happening in my current code.
import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.util.*;
class Solution{
public static void main(String []args){
//Input
Scanner sc= new Scanner(System.in);
int n=sc.nextInt();
String []s=new String[n+2];
for(int i=0;i<n;i++){
s[i]=sc.next();
}
sc.close(); for (int i = 0; i < n -1; i++) {
for (int k = (i + 1); k < n; k++) {
if (new BigDecimal(s[i]).compareTo(new BigDecimal(s[k])) < 0) {
String tempValue = s[i];
s[i] = s[k];
s[k] = tempValue;
}
}
}
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
for (int j = 1; j < (n - i); j++) {
String temp="";
if(new BigDecimal(s[j-1]).compareTo(new BigDecimal(s[j])) < 0) {
temp = s[j-1];
s[j-1] = s[j];
s[j] = temp;
}
}
The problem is that the selection sort algorithm you're using is not stable. That is, it doesn't sure that items with equal value maintain their relative order in the list. Consider this simple list of items:
[5.0, 5, 3, 6].
If you want to sort that in descending order, then after the first pass of selection sort, you'll have:
[6, 5, 3, 5.0]. The
5.0 got swapped with
6. The items
5.0 and
5 are now out of order, and they'll stay that way.
Insertion sort and bubble sort are stable algorithms, which maintain the relative order of equal items. I would suggest using one of those two algorithms in place of your selection sort. | https://codedump.io/share/QBY0VW2c7ENs/1/sort-a-list-of-bigintegers-parsed-from-strings--whil-maitaing-teh-order-of-numbers-where-the-values-are-even | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | refinedweb | 305 | 75 |
[
]
Michael McCandless resolved SOLR-3879.
--------------------------------------
Resolution: Fixed
Fix Version/s: 5.0
Thanks Roman!
> war file has javax.servlet-api jar bundled
> ------------------------------------------
>
> Key: SOLR-3879
> URL:
> Project: Solr
> Issue Type: Bug
> Components: Build
> Affects Versions: 4.0
> Reporter: Roman Shaposhnik
> Assignee: Michael McCandless
> Priority: Critical
> Fix For: 4.0, 5.0
>
> Attachments: SOLR-3879.patch, SOLR-3879.patch, SOLR-3879.patch.txt
>
>
> This is incorrect and can lead to deployment issues:
> {noformat}
> Servlet Spec 2.5
> SRV.9.7.2 Web Application Class Loader
> The class loader that a container uses to load a servlet in a WAR must
> allow the developer to load any resources contained in library JARs
> within the WAR following normal J2SE semantics using getResource. As
> described in the J2EE license agreement, servlet containers that are
> not part of a J2EE product should not allow the application to
> override J2SE platform classes, such as those in the java.* and
> javax.* namespaces, that J2SE does not allow to be modified. Also,
> servlet containers that are part of a J2EE product should not allow
> the application to override J2SE or J2EE platform classes, such as
> those in java.* and javax.* namespaces, that either J2SE or J2EE do
> not allow to be modified. The container should not allow applications
> to override or access the container’s implementation
> {noformat}
> The fix is pretty easy and it would be nice to include it in the upcoming release of
Solr | http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/lucene-dev/201209.mbox/%3C1027927229.125154.1348607408325.JavaMail.jiratomcat@arcas%3E | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | refinedweb | 238 | 55.74 |
Documentation
Liferay provides a rich store of resources and knowledge to help our community better use and work with our technology.
Running scripts from the control panel
To see a very simple example of the script console in action, log into the portal as an administrator and navigate to the control panel → Server Administration → Script. Change the script type to Groovy and modify the current code to look like the following: number = com.liferay.portal.service.UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsersCount(); out.println(number);
Click the execute button and check the console or the log for your output. Let's implement a more realistic example. We'll retrieve some user information from the database, make some changes, and then update the database with our changes. Our company has updated the terms of use and requires that everyone be presented with the updated terms of use on the next log in. When users agree to the terms of use, a boolean attribute called
agreedToTermsOfUse is set in their user records. As long as the boolean is
true, Liferay will not present the user with the terms of use. However, if we set this flag to
false for everyone, all users will have to agree to it again in order to use the site.
We'll again use Groovy, so ensure the script type is set to Groovy and execute the following code to check the status of the
agreedToTermsOfUse attribute:
import com.liferay.portal.service.UserLocalServiceUtil userCount = UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsersCount() users = UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsers(0, userCount) for (user in users) { println("User Name: " + user.getFullName() + " -- " + user.getAgreedToTermsOfUse()) }
Now we'll actually update each user in the system to set his or her
agreedToTermsOfUse attribute to false. We'll be sure to skip the default user as the default user is not required to agree to the Terms of Use. We'll also skip the admin user that's currently logged in and running the script. If you're logged in as somoene other than test@liferay.com, be sure to update the following script before running it.
import com.liferay.portal.service.UserLocalServiceUtil userCount = UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsersCount() users = UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsers(0, userCount) for (user in users){ if(!user.isDefaultUser() && !user.getEmailAddress().equalsIgnoreCase("test@liferay.com")) { user.setAgreedToTermsOfUse(false) UserLocalServiceUtil.updateUser(user) } }
To verify the script has updated the records, run the first script again and you should see that all users (except the default user and your ID) have been updated.
That's all that's needed to run scripts and to access the Liferay service layer. There are, however, some things to keep in mind when working with the script console:
- There is no undo
- There is no preview
- When using Local Services, no permissions checking is enforced
- Scripts are executed synchronously, so be careful with scripts that might take a long time to execute.
For these reasons, you want to use the script console with care, and test run your scripts on non-production systems before you run them on production.
Of course, the script engine has uses beyond the script console. One of the main uses of it is in designing workflows. | http://www.liferay.com/documentation/liferay-portal/6.1/user-guide/-/ai/running-scripts-from-the-control-panel | crawl-003 | refinedweb | 518 | 54.42 |
19 February 2008 11:55 [Source: ICIS news]
SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Co (PIC) plans to debottleneck its 120,000 tonne/year polypropylene (PP) plant in Shuaiba by up to 30,000 tonnes/year in September or October, a source close to the project said on Tuesday.?xml:namespace>
PIC would utilise propylene feedstock from the Equate cracker due to go on stream at the same time, the source added.
“There will be 30,000 tonnes/year of propylene available once the ethane cracker comes up, which can be used for the PP expansion,” the source said.
Dow Chemical and PIC each own a 42.5% stake in Equate, with Boubyan and Qurain holding the remaining 9% and 6% respectively. PIC is a fully owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Co | http://www.icis.com/Articles/2008/02/19/9101757/kuwaits-pic-plans-debottlenecking-at-pp-plant.html | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | refinedweb | 133 | 67.89 |
Starting IceStorm with iceboxnet.exe
in Help Center
Hello
What are the arguments to start IceStrom with iceboxnet.exe. I know that IceStorm can be started with icebox.exe with the following argument:
IceBox.Service.IceStorm=IceStormService,36:createIceStorm --Ice.Config=config.service
And I know that I have to start a service in iceboxnet.exe with the assembly path and namespace:
IceBox.Service.MyService="C:\Program Files\MyService\MyService.dll:MyServiceImpl"
But for IceStorm I do not know the correct assembly nor the correct namespace.
I found neither in the documentation nor in the demos any information for that case.
I am using ice version 3.6.2
Thanks
Aldo
0
IceStorm is a C++ service you need to use icebox.exe to start it, iceboxnet.exe is only for .NET services.
The CSharp IceStorm library only contains the APIs required to use the IceStorm services not the service itself.
In our application we use IceStorm and have own .net Icebox services. Do we need to start both icebox.exe for icestorm and iceboxnet.exe for our services? That means we have to handle two icebox instances.
Is it possible to start our .net services with icebox.exe? If yes, how?
You need to start both, icebox.exe cannot be use to start .NET services | https://forums.zeroc.com/discussion/46482/starting-icestorm-with-iceboxnet-exe | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | refinedweb | 216 | 63.56 |
Python Epistemology: PyCon Taiwan 2013
As I explained, the title is more grandiose than accurate. In general, epistemology is the theory of knowledge: how we know what we think we know, etc. This talk is mostly about what Python has taught me about programming, and how programming in Python has changed the way I learn and the way I think.
About programming, I wrote:
I gave an example using the Counter data structure to check for anagram
for char, count in self.items():
if other[char] < count:
return False
return True
Paul Graham, "Programming Bottom Up," 1993.
About programming, I wrote:
Programming is not about translating a well-known solution into code, it is about discovering solutions by writing code, and then creating the language to express them.
I gave an example using the Counter data structure to check for anagrams:
from collections import Counter
def is_anagram(word1, word2):
return Counter(word1) == Counter(word
is_subset:
class Multiset(Counter):
"""A set with repeated elements."""
def is_subset(self, other):
"""A set with repeated elements."""
def is_subset(self, other):
for char, count in self.items():
if other[char] < count:
return False
return True
Now we can write can_spell concisely:
def can_spell(word, tiles):
return Multiset(word).is_subset(Multiset(tiles))
return Multiset(word).is_subset(Multiset(tiles))
I summarized by quoting Paul Graham:
"... you don't just write your program down toward the language, you also build the language up toward your program.
"In the end your program will look as if the language had been designed for it. And ... you end up with code which is clear, small, and efficient."
Paul Graham, "Programming Bottom Up," 1993.
In the second half of the talk, I suggested that Python and other modern programming languages provide a new approach to solving problems. Traditionally, we tend to think and explore using natural language, do analysis and solve problems using mathematical notation, and then translate solutions from math notation into programming languages.
In some sense, we are always doing two translations, from natural language to math and from math to a computer program. With the previous generation of programming languages, this process was probably necessary (for reasons I explained), but I claim that it is less necessary now, and that it might be possible and advantageous to skip the intermediate mathematics and do analysis and problem-solving directly in programming languages.
After the talk, I got two interesting questions by email. Yung-Cheng Lin suggested that although programming languages are more precise than natural language, they might not be sufficiently precise to replace mathematical notation, and he asked if I think that using programming to teach mathematical concepts might cause misunderstandings for students.
I replied:
I understand what you mean when you say that programming languages are less rigorous that mathematical notation. I think many people have the same impression, but I wonder if it is a real difference or a bias we have.
I would argue that programming languages and math notation are similar in the sense that they are both formal languages designed by people to express particular ideas concisely and precisely.
There are some kinds of work that are easier to do in math notation, like algebraic manipulation, but other kinds of work that are easier in programming languages, like specifying computations, especially computations with state.
You asked if there is a danger that students might misunderstand mathematical ideas if they come to them through programming, rather than mathematical instruction. I'm sure it's possible, but I don't think the danger is specific to the programming approach.
And on the other side, I think a computational approach to mathematical topics creates opportunities for deeper understanding by running experiments, and (as I said in the talk) by getting your ideas out of your head and into a program so that, by debugging the program, you are also debugging your own understanding.
In response to some of my comments about pseudocode, A. T. Cheng wrote:
When we do algorithms or pseudocodes in the traditional way, we used to figure out the time complexity at the same time. But the Python examples you showed us, it seems not so easy to learn the time complexity in the first place. So, does it mean that when we think Python, we don't really care about the time complexity that much?
I replied:
You are right that it can be more difficult to analyze a Python program; you have to know a lot about how the Python data structures are implemented. And there are some gotchas; for example, it takes constant time to add elements to the end of a list, but linear time to add elements in the beginning or the middle.
It would be better if Python made these performance characteristics part of the interface, but they are not. In fact, some implementations have changed over time; for example, the += operator on lists used to create a new list. Now it is equivalent to append.
Thanks to both of my correspondents for these questions (and for permission to quote them). And thanks to the organizers of PyCon Taiwan, especially Albert Chun-Chieh Huang, for inviting me to speak. I really enjoyed it.
That's a really cool talk. Please let us know about the parrot!
Thanks for asking!
In general, the cover designers at O'Reilly don't take a lot of input from authors. They pick the animal -- you don't.
But they showed me a draft cover for Think Python, and the animal was... wait for it... a python.
I wrote back and said that would be fine, but just so you know, Python is named after Monty Python, not the snake (which is why my book is full of Monty Python references). So every time someone puts a python on the cover, they're not getting the joke.
They wrote back and said fine, so what's a good Monty Python animal? I suggested a dead parrot (see), ideally a Norwegian Blue.
They wrote back and said (1) there is no such thing as a Norwegian Blue parrot, and (2) they are not putting a dead parrot on the cover.
So the compromise solution is a live Carolina parrot.
Well played!
Incredible insights into the way we think, and how Python programming provides a new medium for expressing (and experimenting) with executable thoughts.
Thank you for your many contributions to open source, and to the betterment of others.
Sincerely,
Abe Usher
Thanks for your kind words! | http://allendowney.blogspot.com/2013/05/python-epistemology-at-pycon-taiwan.html | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | refinedweb | 1,082 | 61.26 |
GoÂ
net/http package, which will serve the HTML files. We will then go on to add support for web sockets through which our messages will flow.
In languages such as C#, Java, or Node.js, complex threading code and clever use of locks need to be employed in order to keep all clients in sync. As we will see, Go helps us enormously with its built-in channels and concurrency paradigms.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
Use theÂ
net/httppackage to serve HTTP requests
Deliver template-driven content to users' browsers
Satisfy a Go interface to build our ownÂ
http.Handlertypes
Use Go's goroutines to allow an application to perform multiple tasks concurrently
Use channels to share information between running goroutines
Upgrade HTTP requests to use modern features such as web sockets
Add tracing to the application to better understand its inner working
Write a complete Go package using test-driven development practices
Return unexported types through exported interfaces
Note
Complete source code for this project can be found atÂ. The source code was periodically committed so the history in GitHub actually follows the flow of this chapter too.
The first thing our chat application needs is a web server that has two main responsibilities:
Serving the HTML and JavaScript chat clients that run in the user's browser
Accepting web socket connections to allow the clients to communicate
Note
The
GOPATH environment variable is covered in detail in Appendix, Good Practices for a Stable Go environment. Be sure to read that first if you need help getting set up.
Create a
main.go file inside a new folder calledÂ
chat in yourÂ
GOPATH and add the following code:
package main import ( "log" "net/http" ) func main() { http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { w.Write([]byte(` <html> <head> <title>Chat</title> </head> <body> Let's chat! </body> </html> )) }) // start the web server if err := http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil); err != nil { log.Fatal("ListenAndServe:", err) } }
This is a complete, albeit simple, Go program that will:
Listen to the root path using theÂ
net/httppackage
Write out the hardcoded HTML when a request is made
Start a web server on portÂ
:8080using theÂ
ListenAndServemethod
TheÂ
http.HandleFunc function maps the path patternÂ
/ to the function we pass as the second argument, so when the user hitsÂ, the function will be executed. The function signature ofÂ
func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) is a common way of handling HTTP requests throughout the Go standard library.
Tip
We are usingÂ
package main because we want to build and run our program from the command line. However, if we were building a reusable chatting package, we might choose to use something different, such asÂ
package chat.
In a terminal, run the program by navigating to theÂ
main.go file you just created and execute the following command:
go run main.go
Tip
TheÂ
go run command is a helpful shortcut for running simple Go programs. It builds and executes a binary in one go. In the real world, you usually useÂ
go build yourself to create and distribute binaries. We will explore this later.
Open the browser and type to see the Let's chat! message.
Having the HTML code embedded within our Go code like this works, but it is pretty ugly and will only get worse as our projects grow. Next, we will see how templates can help us clean this up.
Templates allow us to blend generic text with specific text, for instance, injecting a user's name into a welcome message. For example, consider the following template:
Hello {{name}}, how are you?
We are able to replace the
{{name}} text in the preceding template with the real name of a person. So if Bruce signs in, he might see:
Hello Bruce, how are you?
The Go standard library has two main template packages: one calledÂ
text/template for text and one calledÂ
html/template for HTML. TheÂ
html/template package does the same as the text version except that it understands the context in which data will be injected into the template. This is useful because it avoids script injection attacks and resolves common issues such as having to encode special characters for URLs.
Initially, we just want to move the HTML code from inside our Go code to its own file, but won't blend any text just yet. The template packages make loading external files very easy, so it's a good choice for us.
Create a new folder under ourÂ
chat folder calledÂ
templates and create aÂ
chat.html file inside it. We will move the HTML fromÂ
main.go to this file, but we will make a minor change to ensure our changes have taken effect:
<html> <head> <title>Chat</title> </head> <body> Let's chat (from template) </body> </html>
Now, we have our external HTML file ready to go, but we need a way to compile the template and serve it to the user's browser.
Tip
Compiling a template is a process by which the source template is interpreted and prepared for blending with various data, which must happen before a template can be used but only needs to happen once.
We are going to write our ownÂ
struct type that is responsible for loading, compiling, and delivering our template. We will define a new type that will take aÂ
filename string, compile the template once (using theÂ
sync.Once type), keep the reference to the compiled template, and then respond to HTTP requests. You will need to import theÂ
text/template,Â
path/filepath, andÂ
sync packages in order to build your code.
InÂ
main.go, insert the following code above theÂ
func main() line:
// templ represents a single template type templateHandler struct { once sync.Once filename string templ *template.Template } // ServeHTTP handles the HTTP request. func (t *templateHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { t.once.Do(func() { t.templ = template.Must(template.ParseFiles(filepath.Join("templates", t.filename))) }) t.templ.Execute(w, nil) }
Tip
Did you know that you could automate the adding and removing of imported packages? See Appendix, Good Practices for a Stable Go Environment, on how to do this.
TheÂ
templateHandler type has a single method calledÂ
ServeHTTP whose signature looks suspiciously like the method we passed toÂ
http.HandleFunc earlier. This method will load the source file, compile the template and execute it, and write the output to the specified
http.ResponseWriter method. Because theÂ
ServeHTTP method satisfies theÂ
http.Handler interface, we can actually pass it directly toÂ
http.Handle.
Tip
A quick look at the Go standard library source code, which is located at, will reveal that the interface definition for
http.Handler specifies that only theÂ
ServeHTTP method need be present in order for a type to be used to serve HTTP requests by theÂ
net/http package.
We only need to compile the template once, and there are a few different ways to approach this in Go. The most obvious is to have aÂ
NewTemplateHandler function that creates the type and calls some initialization code to compile the template. If we were sure the function would be called by only one goroutine (probably the main one during the setup in theÂ
main function), this would be a perfectly acceptable approach. An alternative, which we have employed in the preceding section, is to compile the template once inside the
ServeHTTP method. TheÂ
sync.Once type guarantees that the function we pass as an argument will only be executed once, regardless of how many goroutines are callingÂ
ServeHTTP. This is helpful because web servers in Go are automatically concurrent and once our chat application takes the world by storm, we could very well expect to have many concurrent calls to theÂ
ServeHTTP method.
Compiling the template inside theÂ
ServeHTTP method also ensures that our code does not waste time doing work before it is definitely needed. This lazy initialization approach doesn't save us much in our present case, but in cases where the setup tasks are time- and resource-intensive and where the functionality is used less frequently, it's easy to see how this approach would come in handy.
To implement ourÂ
templateHandler type, we need to update theÂ
main body function so that it looks like this:
func main() { // root http.Handle("/", &templateHandler{filename: "chat.html"}) // start the web server if err := http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil); err != nil { log.Fatal("ListenAndServe:", err) } }
TheÂ
templateHandler structure is a validÂ
http.Handler type so we can pass it directly to theÂ
http.Handle function and ask it to handle requests that match the specified pattern. In the preceding code, we created a new object of the typeÂ
templateHandler, Â specifying the filename asÂ
chat.html that we then take the address of (using theÂ
& address of the operator) and pass it to theÂ
http.Handle function. We do not store a reference to our newly createdÂ
templateHandler type, but that's OK because we don't need to refer to it again.
In your terminal, exit the program by pressing Ctrl + C and re-run it, then refresh your browser and notice the addition of the (from template) text. Now our code is much simpler than an HTML code and free from its ugly blocks.
Running Go programs using aÂ
go run command is great when our code is made up of a singleÂ
main.go file. However, often we might quickly need to add other files. This requires us to properly build the whole package into an executable binary before running it. This is simple enough, and from now on, this is how you will build and run your programs in a terminal:
go build -o {name} ./{name}
TheÂ
go build command creates the output binary using all theÂ
.go files in the specified folder, and theÂ
-o flag indicates the name of the generated binary. You can then just run the program directly by calling it by name.
For example, in the case of our chat application, we could run:
go build -o chat ./chat
Since we are compiling templates the first time the page is served, we will need to restart your web server program every time anything changes in order to see the changes take effect.
All users (clients) of our chat application will automatically be placed in one big public room where everyone can chat with everyone else. TheÂ
room type will be responsible for managing client connections and routing messages in and out, while theÂ
client type represents the connection to a single client.
To manage our web sockets, we are going to use one of the most powerful aspects of the Go community open source third-party packages. Every day, new packages solving real-world problems are released, ready for you to use in your own projects, and they even allow you to add features, report and fix bugs, and get support.
Tip
It is often unwise to reinvent the wheel unless you have a very good reason. So before embarking on building a new package, it is worth searching for any existing projects that might have already solved your very problem. If you find one similar project that doesn't quite satisfy your needs, consider contributing to the project and adding features. Go has a particularly active open source community (remember that Go itself is open source) that is always ready to welcome new faces or avatars.
We are going to use Gorilla Project'sÂ
websocket package to handle our server-side sockets rather than write our own. If you're curious about how it works, head over to the project home page on GitHub,, and browse the open source code.
Create a new file calledÂ
client.go alongsideÂ
main.go in theÂ
chat folder and add the following code:
package main import ( "github.com/gorilla/websocket" ) // client represents a single chatting user. type client struct { // socket is the web socket for this client. socket *websocket.Conn // send is a channel on which messages are sent. send chan []byte // room is the room this client is chatting in. room *room }
In the preceding code,
socket will hold a reference to the web socket that will allow us to communicate with the client, and theÂ
send field is a buffered channel through which received messages are queued ready to be forwarded to the user's browser (via the socket). TheÂ
room field will keep a reference to the room that the client is chatting in this is required so that we can forward messages to everyone else in the room.
If you try to build this code, you will notice a few errors. You must ensure that you have calledÂ
go get to retrieve theÂ
websocket package, which is as easy as opening a terminal and typing the following:
go get github.com/gorilla/websocket
Building the code again will yield another error:
./client.go:17 undefined: room
The problem is that we have referred to aÂ
room type without defining it anywhere. To make the compiler happy, create a file calledÂ
room.go and insert the following placeholder code:
package main type room struct { // forward is a channel that holds incoming messages // that should be forwarded to the other clients. forward chan []byte }
We will improve this definition later once we know a little more about what our room needs to do, but for now, this will allow us to proceed. Later, theÂ
forward channel is what we will use to send the incoming messages to all other clients.
Note
You can think of channels as an in-memory thread-safe message queue where senders pass data and receivers read data in a non-blocking, thread-safe way.
In order for a client to do any work, we must define some methods that will do the actual reading and writing to and from the web socket. Adding the following code toÂ
client.go outside (underneath) theÂ
client struct will add two methods calledÂ
read andÂ
write to theÂ
client type:
func (c *client) read() { defer c.socket.Close() for { _, msg, err := c.socket.ReadMessage() if err != nil { return } c.room.forward <- msg } } func (c *client) write() { defer c.socket.Close() for msg := range c.send { err := c.socket.WriteMessage(websocket.TextMessage, msg) if err != nil { return } } }
TheÂ
read method allows our client to read from the socket via theÂ
ReadMessage method, continually sending any received messages to theÂ
forward channel on theÂ
room type. If it encounters an error (such asÂ
'the socket has died'), the loop will break and the socket will be closed. Similarly, theÂ
write method continually accepts messages from theÂ
send channel writing everything out of the socket via theÂ
WriteMessage method. If writing to the socket fails, theÂ
for loop is broken and the socket is closed. Build the package again to ensure everything compiles.
Note
In the preceding code, we introduced theÂ
defer keyword, which is worth exploring a little. We are asking Go to runÂ
c.socket.Close() when the function exits. It's extremely useful for when you need to do some tidying up in a function (such as closing a file or, as in our case, a socket) but aren't sure where the function will exit. As our code grows, if this function has multipleÂ
return statements, we won't need to add any more calls to close the socket, because this single
defer statement will catch them all.
Some people complain about the performance of using the
defer keyword, since it doesn't perform as well as typing the
close statement before every exit point in the function. You must weigh up the runtime performance cost against the code maintenance cost and potential bugs that may get introduced if you decide not to use defer. As a general rule of thumb, writing clean and clear code wins;Â after all, we can always come back and optimize any bits of code we feel is slowing our product down if we are lucky enough to have such success.
We need a way for clients to join and leave rooms in order to ensure that theÂ
c.room.forward <- msg code in the preceding section actually forwards the message to all the clients. To ensure that we are not trying to access the same data at the same time, a sensible approach is to use two channels: one that will add a client to the room and another that will remove it. Let's update ourÂ
room.go code to look like this:
package main }
We have added three fields: two channels and a map. TheÂ
join andÂ
leave channels exist simply to allow us to safely add and remove clients from theÂ
clients map. If we were to access the map directly, it is possible that two goroutines running concurrently might try to modify the map at the same time, resulting in corrupt memory or unpredictable state.
Now we get to use an extremely powerful feature of Go's concurrency offerings theÂ
select statement. We can useÂ
select statements whenever we need to synchronize or modify shared memory, or take different actions depending on the various activities within our channels.
Beneath theÂ
room structure, add the followingÂ
run method that contains threeÂ
select cases:
func (r *room) run() { for { select { case client := <-r.join: // joining r.clients[client] = true case client := <-r.leave: // leaving delete(r.clients, client) close(client.send) case msg := <-r.forward: // forward message to all clients for client := range r.clients { client.send <- msg } } } }
Although this might seem like a lot of code to digest, once we break it down a little, we will see that it is fairly simple, although extremely powerful. The topÂ
for loop indicates that this method will run forever, until the program is terminated. This might seem like a mistake, but remember, if we run this code as a goroutine, it will run in the background, which won't block the rest of our application. The preceding code will keep watching the three channels inside our room:Â
join,
leave, andÂ
forward. If a message is received on any of those channels, theÂ
select statement will run the code for that particular case.
Note
It is important to remember that it will only run one block of case code at a time. This is how we are able to synchronize to ensure that ourÂ
r.clients map is only ever modified by one thing at a time.
If we receive a message on theÂ
join channel, we simply update theÂ
r.clients map to keep a reference of the client that has joined the room. Notice that we are setting the value toÂ
true. We are using the map more like a slice, but do not have to worry about shrinking the slice as clients come and go through time setting the value to
true is just a handy, low-memory way of storing the reference.
If we receive a message on theÂ
leave channel, we simply delete theÂ
client type from the map, and close itsÂ
send channel. If we receive a message on theÂ
forward channel, we iterate over all the clients and add the message to each client'sÂ
send channel. Then, theÂ
write method of our client type will pick it up and send it down the socket to the browser.
Now we are going to turn ourÂ
room type into anÂ
http.Handler type like we did with the template handler earlier. As you will recall, to do this, we must simply add a method calledÂ
ServeHTTP with the appropriate signature.
Add the following code to the bottom of theÂ
room.go file:
const ( socketBufferSize = 1024 messageBufferSize = 256 ) var upgrader = &websocket.Upgrader{ReadBufferSize: socketBufferSize, WriteBufferSize: socketBufferSize} func (r *room) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) { socket, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, req, nil) if err != nil { log.Fatal("ServeHTTP:", err) return } client := &client{ socket: socket, send: make(chan []byte, messageBufferSize), room: r, } r.join <- client defer func() { r.leave <- client }() go client.write() client.read() }
TheÂ
ServeHTTP method means a room can now act as a handler. We will implement it shortly, but first let's have a look at what is going on in this snippet of code.
Tip
If you accessed the chat endpoint in a web browser, you would likely crash the program and see an error like ServeHTTPwebsocket: version != 13. This is because it is intended to be accessed via a web socket rather than a web browser.
In order to use web sockets, we must upgrade the HTTP connection using the
websocket.Upgrader type, which is reusable so we need only create one. Then, when a request comes in via theÂ
ServeHTTP method, we get the socket by calling theÂ
upgrader.Upgrade method. All being well, we then create our client and pass it into theÂ
join channel for the current room. We also defer the leaving operation for when the client is finished, which will ensure everything is tidied up after a user goes away.
TheÂ
write method for the client is then called as a goroutine, as indicated by the three characters at the beginning of the lineÂ
go (the word
go followed by a space character). This tells Go to run the method in a different thread or goroutine.
Note
Compare the amount of code needed to achieve multithreading or concurrency in other languages with the three key presses that achieve it in Go, and you will see why it has become a favorite among system developers.
Finally, we call theÂ
read method in the main thread, which will block operations (keeping the connection alive) until it's time to close it. Adding constants at the top of the snippet is a good practice for declaring values that would otherwise be hardcoded throughout the project. As these grow in number, you might consider putting them in a file of their own, or at least at the top of their respective files so they remain easy to read and modify.
Our room is almost ready to go, although in order for it to be of any use, the channels and map need to be created. As it is, this could be achieved by asking the developer to use the following code to be sure to do this:
r := &room{ forward: make(chan []byte), join: make(chan *client), leave: make(chan *client), clients: make(map[*client]bool), }
Another, slightly more elegant, solution is to instead provide aÂ
newRoom function that does this for us. This removes the need for others to know about exactly what needs to be done in order for our room to be useful. Underneath theÂ
type room struct definition, add this function:
// newRoom makes a new room. func newRoom() *room { return &room{ forward: make(chan []byte), join: make(chan *client), leave: make(chan *client), clients: make(map[*client]bool), } }
Now the users of our code need only call theÂ
newRoom function instead of the more verbose six lines of code.
Let's update ourÂ
main function inÂ
main.go to first create and then run a room for everybody to connect to:
func main() { r := newRoom() http.Handle("/", &templateHandler{filename: "chat.html"}) http.Handle("/room", r) // get the room going go r.run() // start the web server if err := http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil); err != nil { log.Fatal("ListenAndServe:", err) } }
We are running the room in a separate goroutine (notice theÂ
go keyword again) so that the chatting operations occur in the background, allowing our main goroutine to run the web server. Our server is now finished and successfully built, but remains useless without clients to interact with.
In order for the users of our chat application to interact with the server and therefore other users, we need to write some client-side code that makes use of the web sockets found in modern browsers. We are already delivering HTML content via the template when users hit the root of our application, so we can enhance that.
Update theÂ
chat.html file in theÂ
templates folder with the following markup:
<html> <head> <title>Chat</title> <style> input { display: block; } ul { list-style: none; } </style> </head> <body> <ul id="messages"></ul> <form id="chatbox"> <textarea></textarea> <input type="submit" value="Send" /> </form> </body> </html>
The preceding HTML will render a simple web form on the page containing a text area and a Send button this is how our users will submit messages to the server. TheÂ
messages element in the preceding code will contain the text of the chat messages so that all the users can see what is being said. Next, we need to add some JavaScript to add some functionality to our page. Underneath theÂ
form tag, above the closingÂ
</body> tag, insert the following code:
<script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.1/jquery.min.js"> </script> <script> $(function(){ var socket = null; var msgBox = $("#chatbox textarea"); var messages = $("#messages"); $("#chatbox").submit(function(){ if (!msgBox.val()) return false; if (!socket) { alert("Error: There is no socket connection."); return false; } socket.send(msgBox.val()); msgBox.val(""); return false; }); if (!window["WebSocket"]) { alert("Error: Your browser does not support web sockets.") } else { socket = new WebSocket("ws://localhost:8080/room"); socket.onclose = function() { alert("Connection has been closed."); } socket.onmessage = function(e) { messages.append($("<li>").text(e.data)); } } }); </script>
TheÂ
socket = new WebSocket("ws://localhost:8080/room") line is where we open the socket and add event handlers for two key events:Â
onclose andÂ
onmessage. When the socket receives a message, we use jQuery to append the message to the list element and thus present it to the user.
Submitting the HTML form triggers a call toÂ
socket.send, which is how we send messages to the server.
Build and run the program again to ensure the templates recompile so these changes are represented.
Navigate to in two separate browsers (or two tabs of the same browser) and play with the application. You will notice that messages sent from one client appear instantly in the other clients:
Currently, we are using templates to deliver static HTML, which is nice because it gives us a clean and simple way to separate the client code from the server code. However, templates are actually much more powerful, and we are going to tweak our application to make some more realistic use of them.
The host address of our application (
:8080) is hardcoded at two places at the moment. The first instance is inÂ
main.go where we start the web server:
if err := http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil); err != nil { log.Fatal("ListenAndServe:", err) }
The second time it is hardcoded in the JavaScript when we open the socket:
socket = new WebSocket("ws://localhost:8080/room");
Our chat application is pretty stubborn if it insists on only running locally on port
8080, so we are going to use command-line flags to make it configurable and then use the injection capabilities of templates to make sure our JavaScript knows the right host.
Update yourÂ
main function inÂ
main.go:
func main() { var addr = flag.String("addr", ":8080", "The addr of the application.") flag.Parse() // parse the flags r := newRoom() http.Handle("/", &templateHandler{filename: "chat.html"}) http.Handle("/room", r) // get the room going go r.run() // start the web server log.Println("Starting web server on", *addr) if err := http.ListenAndServe(*addr, nil); err != nil { log.Fatal("ListenAndServe:", err) } }
You will need to import theÂ
flag package in order for this code to build. The definition for theÂ
addr variable sets up our flag as a string that defaults toÂ
:8080 (with a short description of what the value is intended for). We must callÂ
flag.Parse() that parses the arguments and extracts the appropriate information. Then, we can reference the value of the host flag by usingÂ
*addr.
Note
The call toÂ
flag.String returns a type ofÂ
*string, which is to say it returns the address of a string variable where the value of the flag is stored. To get the value itself (and not the address of the value), we must use the pointer indirection operator,Â
*.
We also added aÂ
log.Println call to output the address in the terminal so we can be sure that our changes have taken effect.
We are going to modify the
templateHandler type we wrote so that it passes the details of the request as data into the template'sÂ
Execute method. InÂ
main.go, update theÂ
ServeHTTP function to pass the requestÂ
r as theÂ
data argument to theÂ
Execute method:
func (t *templateHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { t.once.Do(func() { t.templ = template.Must(template.ParseFiles(filepath.Join("templates", t.filename))) }) t.templ.Execute(w, r) }
This tells the template to render itself using data that can be extracted fromÂ
http.Request, which happens to include the host address that we need.
To use theÂ
Host value ofÂ
http.Request, we can then make use of the special template syntax that allows us to inject data. Update the line where we create our socket in theÂ
chat.html file:
socket = new WebSocket("ws://{{.Host}}/room");
The double curly braces represent an annotation and the way we tell our template source to inject data. TheÂ
{{.Host}} is essentially equivalent of telling it to replace the annotation with the value fromÂ
request.Host (since we passed the requestÂ
r object in as data).
Tip
We have only scratched the surface of the power of the templates built into Go's standard library. TheÂ
text/template package documentation is a great place to learn more about what you can achieve. You can find more about it at.
Rebuild and run the chat program again, but this time notice that the chatting operations no longer produce an error, whichever host we specify:
go build -o chat ./chat -addr=":3000"
View the source of the page in the browser and notice thatÂ
{{.Host}} has been replaced with the actual host of the application. Valid hosts aren't just port numbers; you can also specify the IP addresses or other hostnames provided they are allowed in your environment, for example,Â
-addr="192.168.0.1:3000".
The only way we will know that our application is working is by opening two or more browsers and using our UI to send messages. In other words, we are manually testing our code. This is fine for experimental projects such as our chat application or small projects that aren't expected to grow, but if our code is to have a longer life or be worked on by more than one person, manual testing of this kind becomes a liability. We are not going to tackle Test-driven Development (TDD) for our chat program, but we should explore another useful debugging technique called tracing.
Tracing is a practice by which we log or print key steps in the flow of a program to make what is going on under the covers visible. In the previous section, we added aÂ
log.Println call to output the address that the chat program was binding to. In this section, we are going to formalize this and write our own complete tracing package.
We are going to explore TDD practices when writing our tracing code because TDD is a perfect example of a package that we are likely to reuse, add to, share, and hopefully, even open source.
Packages in Go are organized into folders, with one package per folder. It is a build error to have differing package declarations within the same folder because all sibling files are expected to contribute to a single package. Go has no concept of subpackages, which means nested packages (in nested folders) exist only for aesthetic or informational reasons but do not inherit any functionality or visibility from super packages. In our chat application, all of our files contributed to the
main package because we wanted to build an executable tool. Our tracing package will never be run directly, so it can and should use a different package name. We will also need to think about the Application Programming Interface (API) of our package, considering how to model a package so that it remains as extensible and flexible as possible for users. This includes the fields, functions, methods, and types that should be exported (visible to the user) and remain hidden for simplicity's sake.
Note
Go uses capitalization of names to denote which items are exported such that names that begin with a capital letter (for example,Â
Tracer) are visible to users of a package, and names that begin with a lowercase letter (for example,Â
templateHandler) are hidden or private.
Create a new folder calledÂ
trace, which will be the name of our tracing package, alongside theÂ
chat folder so that the folder structure now looks like this:
/chat client.go main.go room.go /trace
Before we jump into code, let's agree on some design goals for our package by which we can measure success:
The package should be easy to use
Unit tests should cover the functionality
Users should have the flexibility to replace the tracer with their own implementation
Interfaces in Go are an extremely powerful language feature that allows us to define an API without being strict or specific on the implementation details. Wherever possible, describing the basic building blocks of your packages using interfaces usually ends up paying dividends down the road, and this is where we will start for our tracing package.
Create a new file calledÂ
tracer.go inside the
trace folder and write the following code:
package trace // Tracer is the interface that describes an object capable of // tracing events throughout code. type Tracer interface { Trace(...interface{}) }
The first thing to notice is that we have defined our package asÂ
trace.
Note
While it is a good practice to have the folder name match the package name, Go tools do not enforce it, which means you are free to name them differently if it makes sense. Remember, when people import your package, they will type the name of the folder, and if suddenly a package with a different name is imported, it could get confusing.
OurÂ
Tracer type (the capitalÂ
T means we intend this to be a publicly visible type) is an interface that describes a single method calledÂ
Trace. TheÂ
...interface{} argument type states that ourÂ
Trace method will accept zero or more arguments of any type. You might think that this is a redundant provision as the method should just take a single string (we want to just trace out some string of characters, don't we?). However, consider functions such asÂ
fmt.Sprint andÂ
log.Fatal, both of which follow a pattern littered throughout Go's standard library that provides a helpful shortcut when trying to communicate multiple things in one go. Wherever possible, we should follow such patterns and practices because we want our own APIs to be familiar and clear to the Go community.
We promised ourselves that we would follow test-driven practices, but interfaces are simply definitions that do not provide any implementation and so cannot be directly tested. But we are about to write a real implementation of aÂ
Tracer method, and we will indeed write the tests first.
Create a new file called
tracer_test.go in theÂ
trace folder and insert the following scaffold code:
package trace import ( "testing" ) func TestNew(t *testing.T) { t.Error("We haven't written our test yet") }
Testing was built into the Go tool chain from the very beginning, making writing automatable tests a first-class citizen. The test code lives alongside the production code in files suffixed withÂ
_test.go. The Go tools will treat any function that starts withÂ
Test (taking a singleÂ
*testing.T argument) as a unit test, and it will be executed when we run our tests. To run them for this package, navigate to the
trace folder in a terminal and do the following:
go test
You will see that our tests fail because of our call toÂ
t.Error in the body of our
TestNew function:
--- FAIL: TestNew (0.00 seconds) tracer_test.go:8: We haven't written our test yet FAIL exit status 1 FAIL trace 0.011s
Tip
Clearing the terminal before each test run is a great way to make sure you aren't confusing previous runs with the most recent one. On Windows, you can use theÂ
cls command; on Unix machines, theÂ
clear command does the same thing.
Obviously, we haven't properly written our test and we don't expect it to pass yet, so let's update theÂ
TestNew function:
func TestNew(t *testing.T) { var buf bytes.Buffer tracer := New(&buf) if tracer == nil { t.Error("Return from New should not be nil") } else { tracer.Trace("Hello trace package.") if buf.String() != "Hello trace package.\n" { t.Errorf("Trace should not write '%s'.", buf.String()) } } }
Most packages throughout the book are available from the Go standard library, so you can add anÂ
import statement for the appropriate package in order to access the package. Others are external, and that's when you need to use
go get to download them before they can be imported. For this case, you'll need to add
import "bytes" to the top of the file.
We have started designing our API by becoming the first user of it. We want to be able to capture the output of our tracer in aÂ
bytes.Buffer variable so that we can then ensure that the string in the buffer matches the expected value. If it does not, a call toÂ
t.Errorf will fail the test. Before that, we check to make sure the return from a made-upÂ
New function is notÂ
nil; again, if it is, the test will fail because of the call toÂ
t.Error.
RunningÂ
go test now actually produces an error; it complains that there is no
New function. We haven't made a mistake here; we are following a practice known as red-green testing. Red-green testing proposes that we first write a unit test, see it fail (or produce an error), write the minimum amount of code possible to make that test pass, and rinse and repeat it again. The key point here being that we want to make sure the code we add is actually doing something as well as ensuring that the test code we write is testing something meaningful.
Consider a meaningless test for a minute:
if true == true { t.Error("True should be true") }
It is logically impossible forÂ
true to not be  true (ifÂ
true ever equalsÂ
false, it's time to get a new computer), and so our test is pointless. If a test or claim cannot fail, there is no value whatsoever to be found in it.
ReplacingÂ
true with a variable that you expect to be set to
true under certain conditions would mean that such a test can indeed fail (like when the code being tested is misbehaving) at this point, you have a meaningful test that is worth contributing to the code base.
You can treat the output ofÂ
go test like a to-do list, solving only one problem at a time. Right now, the complaint about the missingÂ
New function is all we will address. In theÂ
trace.go file, let's add the minimum amount of code possible to progress with things; add the following snippet underneath the interface type definition:
func New() {}
RunningÂ
go test now shows us that things have indeed progressed, albeit not very far. We now have two errors:
./tracer_test.go:11: too many arguments in call to New ./tracer_test.go:11: New(&buf) used as value
The first error tells us that we are passing arguments to ourÂ
New function, but theÂ
New function doesn't accept any. The second error says that we are using the return of theÂ
New function as a value, but that theÂ
New function doesn't return anything. You might have seen this coming, and indeed as you gain more experience writing test-driven code, you will most likely jump over such trivial details. However, to properly illustrate the method, we are going to be pedantic for a while. Let's address the first error by updating ourÂ
New function to take in the expected argument:
func New(w io.Writer) {}
We are taking an argument that satisfies theÂ
io.Writer interface, which means that the specified object must have a suitableÂ
Write method.
Note
Using existing interfaces, especially ones found in the Go standard library, is an extremely powerful and often necessary way to ensure that your code is as flexible and elegant as possible.
AcceptingÂ
io.Writer means that the user can decide where the tracing output will be written. This output could be the standard output, a file, network socket,
bytes.Buffer as in our test case, or even some custom-made object, provided it can act like anÂ
io.Writer interface. Â
RunningÂ
go test again shows us that we have resolved the first error and we only need add a return type in order to progress past our second error:
func New(w io.Writer) Tracer {}
We are stating that ourÂ
New function will return aÂ
Tracer, but we do not return anything, whichÂ
go test happily complains about:
./tracer.go:13: missing return at end of function
Fixing this is easy; we can just returnÂ
nil from theÂ
New function:
func New(w io.Writer) Tracer { return nil }
Of course, our test code has asserted that the return should not beÂ
nil, soÂ
go test now gives us a failure message:
tracer_test.go:14: Return from New should not be nil
You can see how this hyper-strict adherence to the red-green principle can get a little tedious, but it is vital that we do not jump too far ahead. If we were to write a lot of implementation code in one go, we will very likely have code that is not covered by a unit test.
The ever-thoughtful core team has even solved this problem for us by providing code coverage statistics. The following command provides code statistics:
go test -cover
Provided that all tests pass, adding theÂ
-cover flag will tell us how much of our code was touched during the execution of the tests. Obviously, the closer we get to 100 percent the better.
To satisfy this test, we need something that we can properly return from theÂ
New method becauseÂ
Tracer is only an interface and we have to return something real. Let's add an implementation of a tracer to ourÂ
tracer.go file:
type tracer struct { out io.Writer } func (t *tracer) Trace(a ...interface{}) {}
Our implementation is extremely simple: theÂ
tracer type has anÂ
io.Writer field calledÂ
out which is where we will write the trace output to. And theÂ
Trace method exactly matches the method required by theÂ
Tracer interface, although it doesn't do anything yet.
Now we can finally fix theÂ
New method:
func New(w io.Writer) Tracer { return &tracer{out: w} }
RunningÂ
go test again shows us that our expectation was not met because nothing was written during our call toÂ
Trace:
tracer_test.go:18: Trace should not write ''.
Let's update ourÂ
Trace method to write the blended arguments to the specifiedÂ
io.Writer field:
func (t *tracer) Trace(a ...interface{}) { fmt.Fprint(t.out, a...) fmt.Fprintln(t.out) }
When the
Trace method is called, we useÂ
fmt.Fprint (andÂ
fmt.Fprintln) to format and write the trace details to theÂ
out writer.
Have we finally satisfied our test?
go test -cover PASS coverage: 100.0% of statements ok trace 0.011s
Congratulations! We have successfully passed our test and have 100 percent test coverage. Once we have finished our glass of champagne, we can take a minute to consider something very interesting about our implementation.
TheÂ
tracer struct type we wrote is unexported because it begins with a lowercaseÂ
t, so how is it that we are able to return it from the exportedÂ
New function? After all, doesn't the user receive the returned object? This is perfectly acceptable and valid Go code; the user will only ever see an object that satisfies the
Tracer interface and will never even know about our private
tracer type. Since they only interact with the interface anyway, it wouldn't matter if our
tracer implementation exposed other methods or fields; they would never be seen. This allows us to keep the public API of our package clean and simple.
This hidden implementation technique is used throughout the Go standard library; for example, theÂ
ioutil.NopCloser method is a function that turns a normal
io.Reader interface intoÂ
io.ReadCloser where theÂ
Close method does nothing (used for whenÂ
io.Reader objects that don't need to be closed are passed into functions that requireÂ
io.ReadCloser types). The method returnsÂ
io.ReadCloser as far as the user is concerned, but under the hood, there is a secretÂ
nopCloser type hiding the implementation details.
Note
To see this for yourself, browse the Go standard library source code at and search for theÂ
nopCloser struct.
Now that we have completed the first version of ourÂ
trace package, we can use it in our chat application in order to better understand what is going on when users send messages through the user interface.
InÂ
room.go, let's import our new package and make some calls to theÂ
Trace method. The path to theÂ
trace package we just wrote will depend on yourÂ
GOPATH environment variable because the import path is relative to theÂ
$GOPATH/src folder. So if you create yourÂ
trace package inÂ
$GOPATH/src/mycode/trace, then you would need to importÂ
mycode/trace.
Update theÂ
room type and theÂ
run() method like this: // tracer will receive trace information of activity // in the room. tracer trace.Tracer } func (r *room) run() { for { select { case client := <-r.join: // joining r.clients[client] = true r.tracer.Trace("New client joined") case client := <-r.leave: // leaving delete(r.clients, client) close(client.send) r.tracer.Trace("Client left") case msg := <-r.forward: r.tracer.Trace("Message received: ", string(msg)) // forward message to all clients for client := range r.clients { client.send <- msg r.tracer.Trace(" -- sent to client") } } } }
We added aÂ
trace.Tracer field to ourÂ
room type and then made periodic calls to theÂ
Trace method peppered throughout the code. If we run our program and try to send messages, you'll notice that the application panics because theÂ
tracer field is
nil. We can remedy this for now by making sure we create and assign an appropriate object when we create ourÂ
room type. Update theÂ
main.go file to do this:
r := newRoom() r.tracer = trace.New(os.Stdout)
We are using ourÂ
New method to create an object that will send the output to theÂ
os.Stdout standard output pipe (this is a technical way of saying we want it to print the output to our terminal).
Rebuild and run the program and use two browsers to play with the application, and notice that the terminal now has some interesting trace information for us:
Now we are able to use the debug information to get an insight into what the application is doing, which will assist us when developing and supporting our project.
Once the application is released, the sort of tracing information we are generating will be pretty useless if it's just printed out to some terminal somewhere, or even worse, if it creates a lot of noise for our system administrators. Also, remember that when we don't set a tracer for ourÂ
room type, our code panics, which isn't a very user-friendly situation. To resolve these two issues, we are going to enhance ourÂ
trace package with aÂ
trace.Off() method that will return an object that satisfies theÂ
Tracer interface but will not do anything when theÂ
Trace method is called.
Let's add a test that calls theÂ
Off function to get a silent tracer before making a call toÂ
Trace to ensure the code doesn't panic. Since the tracing won't happen, that's all we can do in our test code. Add the following test function to theÂ
tracer_test.go file:
func TestOff(t *testing.T) { var silentTracer Tracer = Off() silentTracer.Trace("something") }
To make it pass, add the following code to theÂ
tracer.go file:
type nilTracer struct{} func (t *nilTracer) Trace(a ...interface{}) {} // Off creates a Tracer that will ignore calls to Trace. func Off() Tracer { return &nilTracer{} }
OurÂ
nilTracer struct has defined aÂ
Trace method that does nothing, and a call to the
Off() method will create a newÂ
nilTracer struct and return it. Notice that ourÂ
nilTracer struct differs from ourÂ
tracer struct in that it doesn't take anÂ
io.Writer interface; it doesn't need one because it isn't going to write anything.
Now let's solve our second problem by updating ourÂ
newRoom method in the
room.go file:
func newRoom() *room { return &room{ forward: make(chan []byte), join: make(chan *client), leave: make(chan *client), clients: make(map[*client]bool), tracer: trace.Off(), } }
By default, ourÂ
room type will be created with aÂ
nilTracer struct and any calls to
Trace will just be ignored. You can try this out by removing theÂ
r.tracer = trace.New(os.Stdout) line from theÂ
main.go file: notice that nothing gets written to the terminal when you use the application and there is no panic.
A quick glance at the API (in this context, the exposed variables, methods, and types) for ourÂ
trace package highlights that a simple and obvious design has emerged:
TheÂ
New()- method-creates a new instance of a Tracer
TheÂ
Off()Â - method-gets a Tracer that does nothing
TheÂ
Tracerinterface - describes the methods Tracer objects will implement
I would be very confident to give this package to a Go programmer without any documentation or guidelines, and I'm pretty sure they would know what do to with it.
Note
In Go, adding documentation is as simple as adding comments to the line before each item. The blog post on the subject is a worthwhile read (), where you can see a copy of the hosted source code forÂ
tracer.go that is an example of how you might annotate theÂ
trace package. For more information, refer to.
In this chapter, we developed a complete concurrent chat application and our own simple package to trace the flow of our programs to help us better understand what is going on under the hood.
We used theÂ
net/http package to quickly build what turned out to be a very powerful concurrent HTTP web server. In one particular case, we then upgraded the connection to open a web socket between the client and server. This means that we can easily and quickly communicate messages to the user's web browser without having to write messy polling code. We explored how templates are useful to separate the code from the content as well as to allow us to inject data into our template source, which let us make the host address configurable. Command-line flags helped us give simple configuration control to the people hosting our application while also letting us specify sensible defaults.
Our chat application made use of Go's powerful concurrency capabilities that allowed us to write clear threaded code in just a few lines of idiomatic Go. By controlling the coming and going of clients through channels, we were able to set synchronization points in our code that prevented us from corrupting memory by attempting to modify the same objects at the same time.
We learned how interfaces such asÂ
http.Handler and our own
trace.Tracer interface allow us to provide disparate implementations without having to touch the code that makes use of them, and in some cases, without having to expose even the name of the implementation to our users. We saw how just by adding a
ServeHTTP method to ourÂ
room type, we turned our custom room concept into a valid HTTP handler object, which managed our web socket connections.
We aren't actually very far away from being able to properly release our application, except for one major oversight: you cannot see who sent each message. We have no concept of users or even usernames, and for a real chat application, this is not acceptable.
In the next chapter, we will add the names of the people responding to their messages in order to make them feel like they are having a real conversation with other humans. | https://www.packtpub.com/product/go-programming-blueprints-second-edition/9781786468949 | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | refinedweb | 8,851 | 62.17 |
Hi,
I have Unity 4.5.5p4 Pro and FMOD 1.05.05 Integration running on Mac 10.9.5. I successfully imported a MasterBank, added the Fmod Listener to the camera and reproduced the Event Asset with a FMODStudioEventEmitter.
But then I tried to follow the online guide to reproduce/start an event from script. No error is showing but also no audio or any kind of feedback (I also enabled FMOD_DEBUG).
My script is this:
public class testfmod : MonoBehaviour { FMOD.Studio.EventInstance laserEvt; FMOD.Studio.ParameterInstance pitchParam; private float pitchTest; // Use this for initialization void Start () { laserEvt = FMOD_StudioSystem.instance.GetEvent("event:/lasers"); FMOD.RESULT res = laserEvt.start(); laserEvt.getParameter("pitch", out pitchParam); } // Update is called once per frame void Update () { if( Input.GetKey (KeyCode.UpArrow)) { pitchParam.setValue(0.5f); } else { pitchParam.setValue(0.0f); } laserEvt.getPitch(out pitchTest); Debug.Log("Current Pitch is: " + pitchTest); } void OnDisable() { laserEvt.stop(FMOD.Studio.STOP_MODE.ALLOWFADEOUT); laserEvt.release(); } }
Anyone is getting the same issues? Any help?
- Erik Podetti asked 4 years ago
- Your code looks correct. The issue must lie somewhere else in the project. Maybe attach this script to a game object with a FMODStudioEventEmitter on it, and see if you can hear both events.
- You must login to post comments
Thanks Nicholas.
I have an update on it. After trying a little bit of everything I got it to work forcing the event.pause to false. Also I noticed that if the camera with FMODListener is too far from any emitter when scene starts it will be deaf for the rest of the execution. If the listener and the emitter are closer than I can move the emitter far away and the sound is still played.
So the line that did the trick for me was this
// Use this for initialization void Start () { Debug.Log ( laserAsset.path ); laserEvt = FMOD_StudioSystem.instance.GetEvent("event:/lasers"); FMOD.RESULT res = laserEvt.start(); laserEvt.setPaused(false); // <-- this line did the trick laserEvt.getParameter("pitch", out pitchParam); }
- Erik Podetti answered 4 years ago
- last edited 4 years ago
- Hi Erik, setPaused(false) shouldn't be needed. However, I briefly reproduced your issue and found setPaused fixed it. After I restarted the editor the issue disappeared in I could remove the setPaused call.
- Hi Nicholas. Correct, I noticed the same behaviour. After the first execution with setPaused(false) the issue disappeared and I could remove the line. Greetings and thanks for the interest and help. | http://www.fmod.org/questions/question/problem-with-reproducing-event-via-script/ | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | refinedweb | 408 | 60.92 |
This is the seventh of a series of articles on “Type Parameters and Type Members”. You may wish to start at the beginning; more specifically, this post is meant as a followup to the previous entry. However, in a first for this series, it stands on its own, as introductory matter.
A program is a system for converting data from one format to another, which we have endowed with the color of magic. In typed programming, we use a constellation of types to mediate this transformation; a function’s result can only be passed as another function’s argument to the extent to which those parts of the functions’ types unify.
We rely on the richness of our types in these descriptions. So it is
natural to want the types to change as you move to different parts of
the process; each change reflects the reality of what has just
happened. For example, when you parse a string into an AST, your
program’s state has changed types, from
String to
MyAST.
But, as we have just seen, due to decisions we have made to simplify our lives, values cannot change types, no matter how important it is to the sanity of our code. At the same time, we don’t want to give up the richness of using more than one type to describe our data.
Fortunately, there is a solution that satisfies these competing concerns: to change types, change values. You can’t do anything about the values you have, but you can create new ones of the right type, and use those instead.
In values with complex construction semantics, it is common to write
imperative programs that leave “holes” in the data structures using
the terrible
null misfeature of Java, Scala, and many other
languages. This looks something like this.
class Document(filename: Path) { // this structure has three parts: var text: String = null // ← a body of text, var wordIndex: Map[String, List[Int]] = null // ↑ an index of words to every // occurrence in the text, var mostPopular: List[(String, Int)] = null // ↑ the most frequently used words // in the text, and their number of // occurrences ...
Now, we must fill in these variables, by computing and assigning to each in turn. First, we compute the corpus text.
initText()
Then, we compute and fill in the word index. If we didn’t fill in
text first, this compiles, but crashes at runtime.
initWordIndex()
Finally, we figure out which words are most popular. If we didn’t
fill in
wordIndex first, this compiles, but crashes.
initMostPopular()
How do I know that? Well, I have to inspect the definitions of these three methods.
def initText(): Unit = text = Source.fromFile(filename.toFile).mkString def initWordIndex(): Unit = { val words = """\w+""".r findAllMatchIn text wordIndex = words.foldLeft(Map[String, List[Int]]()){ (m, mtch) => val word = mtch.matched val idx = mtch.start m + (word -> (idx :: m.getOrElse(word, Nil))) } } def initMostPopular(): Unit = mostPopular = wordIndex.mapValues(_.size).toList .sortBy(p => 0 - p._2).take(10)
This method of organizing object initialization is popular because, among other properties:
However! It has the tremendous drawback of preventing the compiler from helping you get the order of initialization correct. Go, look; see if you can spot why I said the latter two calls would crash if you don’t get the order exactly right. Now, I have four questions for you.
initfunctions?
Ironically, as your initialization becomes more complex, the compiler becomes less able to help you with uninitialized-variable warnings and the like. But, this is not the natural order of things; it is a consequence of using imperative variable initialization but not representing this variable refinement in the type system. By initializing in a different way, we can recover type safety.
Document
If we consider
Document as the simple product of its three state
variables, with some special functions associated with them as
whatever
Document methods we intend to support, we have a simple
3-tuple.
(String, Map[String, List[Int]], List[(String, Int)])
Let us no longer pretend that it is any more complicated than that.
But this cannot be mutated to fill these in as they are initialized, you say! Yes, that’s right, we want a type-changing transformation. By changing values, this is easy. There are three phases of initialization, so four states, including uninitialized.
Path String (String, Map[String, List[Int]]) (String, Map[String, List[Int]], List[(String, Int)])
For interesting phases, such as the final one, we might create a
case
class to hold its contents, instead. Let us call that class, for
this example,
Doc.
final case class Doc (text: String, wordIndex: Map[String, List[Int]], mostPopular: List[(String, Int)])
Finally, we can build 3 functions to take us through these steps. Each begins by taking one as an argument, and produces the next state as a return type.
def initText(filename: Path): String = Source.fromFile(filename.toFile).mkString def initWordIndex(text: String): (String, Map[String, List[Int]]) = { val words = """\w+""".r findAllMatchIn text (text, words.foldLeft(Map[String, List[Int]]()){ (m, mtch) => val word = mtch.matched val idx = mtch.start m + (word -> (idx :: m.getOrElse(word, Nil))) }) } def initMostPopular(twi: (String, Map[String, List[Int]])): Doc = { val (text, wordIndex) = twi Doc(text, wordIndex, wordIndex.mapValues(_.size).toList .sortBy(p => 0 - p._2).take(10)) }
If we have a
Path, we can get a
Doc by
(initText _) andThen
initWordIndex andThen initMostPopular: Path => Doc. But that hardly
replicates the rich runtime behavior of our imperative version, does
it? That is, we can do reordering of operations in a larger context
with
Document, but not
Doc. Let us see what that means.
Dealing with one document in isolation is one thing, but suppose we
have a structure of
Documents.
sealed abstract class DocumentTree final case class SingleDocument(id: Int, doc: Document) extends DocumentTree final case class DocumentCategory (name: String, members: List[DocumentTree]) extends DocumentTree
In the imperative mode, we can batch and reorder initialization. Say,
for example, we don’t initialize
Document when we create it. This
tree then contains
Documents that contain only
Paths. We can walk
the tree, doing step 1 for every
Document.
// add this to DocumentTree def foreach(f: Document => Unit): Unit = this match { case SingleDocument(_, d) => f(d) case DocumentCategory(_, dts) => dts foreach (_ foreach f) } // now we can initialize the text everywhere, // given some dtree: DocumentTree dtree foreach (_.initText())
The way software does, it got more complex. And we can be ever less sure that we’re doing things right, under this arrangement.
Our tree only supports one type of document. We could choose the
final one,
Doc, but there is no way to replicate more exotic
document tree initializations like the one above.
Instead, we want the type of the tree to adapt along with the document
changes. If we have four states, Foo, Bar, Baz, and Quux, we
want four different kinds of
DocumentTree to go along with them. In
a language with type parameters, this is easy: we can model those four
as
DocTree[Foo],
DocTree[Bar],
DocTree[Baz], and
DocTree[Quux], respectively, by adding a type parameter.
sealed abstract class DocTree[D] final case class SingleDoc[D](id: Int, doc: D) extends DocTree[D] final case class DocCategory[D] (name: String, members: List[DocTree[D]]) extends DocTree[D]
Now we need a replacement for the
foreach that we used with the
unparameterized
DocumentTree to perform each initialization step on
every
Document therein. Now that
DocTree is agnostic with respect
to the specific document type, this is a little more abstract, but
quite idiomatic.
// add this to DocTree def map[D2](f: D => D2): DocTree[D2] = this match { case SingleDoc(id, d) => SingleDoc(id, f(d)) case DocCategory(c, dts) => DocCategory(c, dts map (_ map f)) }
It’s worth comparing these side by side. Now we should be able to
step through initialization of
DocTree with
map, just as with
DocumentTree and
foreach.
scala> val dtp: DocTree[Path] = DocCategory("rt", List(SingleDoc(42, Paths.get("hello.md")))) dtp: tmtp7.DocTree[java.nio.file.Path] = DocCategory(rt,List(SingleDoc(42,hello.md))) scala> dtp map Doc.initText res3: tmtp7.DocTree[String] = DocCategory(rt,List(SingleDoc(42,contents of the hello.md file!)))
There is nothing magical about
DocTree that makes it especially
amenable to the introduction of a type parameter. This is not a
feature whose proper use is limited to highly abstract or
general-purpose data structures; with its
Strings and
Ints strewn
about, it is utterly domain-specific, “business” code.
In fact, if we were likely to annotate
Docs with more data,
Doc
would be a perfect place to add a type parameter!
// suppose we add some "extra" data final case class Doc[A] (text: String, wordIndex: Map[String, List[Int]], mostPopular: List[(String, Int)], extra: A)
You can use a type parameter to represent one simple slot in an otherwise concretely specified structure, as above. You can use one to represent 10 slots.
Parameterized types are the type system’s version of functions. They aren’t just for collections, abstract code, or highly general-purpose libraries: they’re for your code!
Unless you are going to suggest that functions are “too academic”. Or that functions have no place in “business logic”. Or perhaps that, while it would be nice to define functions to solve this, that, and sundry, you’ll just do the quick no-defining-functions hack for now and maybe come back to add some functions later when “paying off technical debt”. Then, I’m not sure what to say.
Now we are doing something very close to functional programming. Moreover, we were led here not by a desire for referential transparency, nor for purity, but merely for a way to represent the states of our program in a more well-typed way.
In this series of posts, I have deliberately avoided discussion of
functional programming until this section; my chosen subject is types,
not functional programming. But the features we have been considering
unavoidably coalesce here into an empirical argument for functional
programming. Type parameters let us elegantly lift transformations
from one part of our program to another; the intractable complexities
of imperative type-changing direct us to program more functionally, by
computing new values instead of changing old ones, if we want access
to these features. This, in turn, encourages ever more of our program
to be written in a functional style, just as the switch to different
Doc representations induced a switch to different document tree
representations,
map instead of
foreach.
Likewise, the use of functional programming style feeds back, in the aforementioned virtuous circle, to encourage the use of stronger types.
When we wanted stronger guarantees about the initialization of our documents, and thereby also of the larger structures incorporating them, we turned to the most powerful tool we have at our disposal for describing and ensuring such guarantees: the type system. In so doing, we induced an explosion of explicit data representations; where we had two, we now have eight, whose connections to each other are mediated by the types of functions involved.
With the increase in the number of explicit concepts in the code comes a greater need for an automatic method of keeping track of all these connections. The type system is ideally suited to this role.
Documenthas four stages of initialization, at each of which it exhibits different behavior. All we have done is expose this fact to the type system level, at which our usage can be checked.
As it is declared, the type-changing
DocTree#map has another
wonderful advantage over
DocumentTree#foreach.
Let us say that each category should also have a document of its own,
not just a list of subtrees. In refactoring, we adjust the
definitions of
DocumentCategory or
DocCategory.
// imperative version final case class DocumentCategory (name: String, doc: Document, members: List[DocumentTree]) extends DocumentTree // functional version final case class DocCategory[D] (name: String, doc: D, members: DocTree[D]) extends DocTree[D]
So far, so good. Next, neither
foreach nor
map compile anymore.
TmTp7.scala:70: wrong number of arguments for pattern ⤹ tmtp7.DocumentCategory(name: String,doc: tmtp7.Document, ⤹ members: List[tmtp7.DocumentTree]) case DocumentCategory(_, dts) => ^ TmTp7.scala:71: not found: value d f(d) ^ TmTp7.scala:91: wrong number of arguments for pattern ⤹ tmtp7.DocCategory[D](name: String,doc: D,members: List[tmtp7.DocTree[D]]) case DocCategory(c, dts) => ^ TmTp7.scala:92: not enough arguments for method ⤹ apply: (name: String, doc: D, members: List[tmtp7.DocTree[D]] ⤹ )tmtp7.DocCategory[D] in object DocCategory. Unspecified value parameter members. DocCategory(c, dts map (_ map f)) ^
So let us fix
foreach in the simplest way possible.
// added ↓ case DocumentCategory(_, _, dts) => ...
This compiles. It is wrong, and we can figure out exactly why by
trying the same shortcut with
map.
case DocCategory(c, d, dts) => DocCategory(c, d, dts map (_ map f))
We are treating the
d: D like the
name: String, just passing it
through. It is “ignored” in precisely the same way as the
foreach
ignores the new data. But this version does not compile!
TmTp7.scala:90: type mismatch; found : d.type (with underlying type D) required: D2 DocCategory(c, d, dts map (_ map f)) ^
More broadly,
map must return a
DocTree[D2]. By implication, the
second argument must be a
D2, not a
D. We can fix it by using
f.
DocCategory(c, f(d), dts map (_ map f))
Likewise, we should make a similar fix to
DocumentTree#foreach.
case DocumentCategory(_, d, dts) => f(d) dts foreach (_ foreach f)
But only in the case of
map did we get help from the compiler.
That’s because
DocumentTree is not the only thing to gain a type
parameter in this new design. When we made
DocTree take one, it was
only natural to define
map with one, too.
We can see how this works out by looking at both
foreach and
map
as the agents of our practical goal: transformation of the tree by
transforming the documents therein.
foreach works like this.
document transformer (Document => Unit) DocumentTree ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> DocumentTree ------------ ----------------- initial state final state (old tree) (same type, “new” but same tree)
The way
map looks at
DocTree is very similar, and we give it the
responsibilities that
foreach had, so it is unsurprising that the
“shape” we imagine for transformation is similar.
document transformer (D => D2) DocTree[D] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> DocTree[D2] ------------- ---------------- initial state final state (old tree) (changed type, changed value!)
The replacement of
D with
D2 also means that values of type
D
cannot occur anywhere in the result, as
D is abstract, so only
appears as
doc by virtue of being the type parameter passed to
DocTree and its data constructors (er, “subclasses”).
As our result type is
DocTree[D2], we have two options, considering
only the result type:
DocTreewith no
D2s in its representation, one role of
Noneand
Nilin
Optionand
Listrespectively, or
D2s from the
Ds in the
DocTree[D]we have in hand, by passing them to the ‘document transformer’
D => D2.
Similarly, no
DocTree[D] values can appear anywhere in the result.
As with the
Ds, they must all be transformed or dropped, with a
different ‘empty’
DocTree chosen.
Suppose we instead defined
map as follows.
def map(f: D => D): DocTree[D]
If you subscribe to the idea of type parameters being for wonky
academics, this is “simpler”. And it’s fine, I suppose, if you only
have one
D in mind, one document type in mind. Setting aside that
we have four, there is another problem. Let’s take a look at the
“shape” of this transformation.
document transformer (D => D) DocTree[D] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> DocTree[D] ------------- ---------------- initial state final state (old tree) (but no promise, same type!)
The problem with a
D => D transformer is that we can’t make promises
that all our data passed through it. After all, a source
d has the
same type as
f(d). We could even get away with
def map(f: D => D): DocTree[D] = this
map[D2] is strictly more general. Even if we have only one
D in
mind for
DocTree, it still pays to type-parameterize it and to add
‘type-changing’ extra type parameters like
D2.
Have you ever started getting a new bill, then missed a payment because you thought you were covered for the month?
Have you ever gone on vacation and, in your relief at having not left anything important at home, left something behind when packing for your return trip?
This kind of thing cannot be characterized in the manner of “well, I would just get a runtime error if I didn’t have a type checker, so it’s fine.” Yet it simply falls out of the system we have chosen; moreover, we have barely begun to consider the possibilities.
In this series, I have focused on existential types, which we can in
one sense consider merely abstract types that the compiler checks that
we treat as independent, like
D and
D2. Existential types are
only one natural outcome of the system of type abstraction brought to
us by type parameters; there are many more interesting conclusions,
like the ones described above.
Next, in “It’s existential on the inside”, we will see how deeply intertwined universal and existential types really are.
Unless otherwise noted, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.Back to blog | https://typelevel.org/blog/2015/09/21/change-values.html | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | refinedweb | 2,910 | 54.83 |
I really like tasksets. Those that like one taks per jar can do that
and those that want to have multiple taks per jar can do the same thing.
In particular all the basic core tasks will be in one jar and described
using XML the same way all other tasks are. No specials except
for the fact that the system preloads them.
And once tasks are described using XML, we could start using validating
parsers by describibg in the taskset the syntax for the tasks. Then one
could say:
<load taskset="compression" lib="z"/>
...
<z:zip ... >
and actually use namespaces for the different tasks. We could
always have parser validation as an option for ANT.
mpfoemme@ThoughtWorks.com wrote:
>
> The idea of deploying separate zip.jar and unzip.jar files seems wierd to
> me, since they'll obviously be using the same helper classes. How about
> this: we bundle them in one jar and put a "tasksets.xml" file in the jar
> that looks like:
>
> <taskset name="compression">
> <taskdef name="zip" classname="com.foo.Zip"/>
> <taskdef name="unzip" classname="com.foo.Unzip"/>
> ...
> </taskset>
>
> Now if we're using jdk1.2, we can put all of these jars in the classpath
> (as well as non-task jars like tools.jar) and call
> ClassLoader.findResources("tasksets.xml"), which will return an enumeration
> of all the tasksets.xml files in all the jars. If we're using JDK1.1, we'd
> have to search the classpath by hand. In any case, when we encounter
> something like this in the build file...
>
> <load taskset="compression"/>
>
> ...we can find the "compression" in one of the tasksets.xml files, and load
> all the tasks associated with it using Class.forName().
>
> So to install a set of tasks on a system, you'd just need to add the
> appropriate jar(s) to the classpath. To distribute a set of tasks, you need
> to write an xml file and include it in your jar. The downside is that
> you're loading all tasks from a single classloader, which might cause
> conflicts if different tasksets are using different versions of the same
> class...
>
> On the topic of managing versions, it might make sense to put version
> numbers on our tasksets, to give people some clue as to why the project
> they just downloaded won't build...
>
> <taskset name="compression" version="1.2">
> ...
> </taskset>
>
> If we assume that increases in the major digit are not backwards
> compatible, and increases to the minor digit are, then something like...
>
> <load taskset="compression" version="1.1"/>
>
> ... would check to make sure that we have version 1.x of the taskset
> installed on the system, where x >= 1. just a thought...
>
> Matt Foemmel
> ThoughtWorks, Inc.
>
>
> Stefan
> Bodewig To: ant-dev@jakarta.apache.org
> <bodewig@bost cc:
> .de> Subject: Re: Ant Principles (Taskdef
storage)
>
> 04/20/2000
> 03:41 AM
> Please
> respond to
> ant-dev
>
>
>
> >>>>> "KA" == Kuiper, Arnout <Arnout.Kuiper@nl.origin-it.com> writes:
>
> >> From: Thomas Haas [mailto:thomas.haas@softwired-inc.com]
>
> >> Where do classes go, which are used by several optional tasks,
> >> which are not part of the core?
>
> KA> 1. Scan the directories mentioned in the <taskdefs
> KA> path.
> KA> 2. Scan the $user.dir/ant/taskdefs directory.
> KA> 3. Scan the $install_dir/taskdefs directory.
> KA> 4. Scan the $install_dir/taskdefs/optional directory.
>
> KA> Note that an optional directory for 1. and 2. are not very
> KA> useful. Optional tasks have only meaning in the Ant distribution
> KA> itself.
>
> Either you have misunderstood Tom's question or I don't understand
> your answer.
>
> I think Tom is talking about something like a zip and an unzip
> task. Those would be in zip.jar and in unzip.jar in any one of the
> first three paths. Both share - say - ZipEntry.
>
> Where should that go? Put them into the CLASSPATH or into yet another
> ext-directory for "non task JARs"? The second one sounds like your 4.
> but I think it also applies to tasks not distributed with Ant.
>
> OK, my example is very simple. I'd say create a single zip task with
> an action attribute taking "store" and "extract" but I think you get
> the idea.
>
> Stefan | http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/ant-dev/200004.mbox/%3C390B7A6F.3F4A4190@us.oracle.com%3E | CC-MAIN-2014-52 | refinedweb | 697 | 77.64 |
Hi
I have updated my system to IOS 11. Visualstidio for Windows with all newest xamarin updates, Mac os Sierra is up to date and Xcode is the newest Version.
My Problem:
-Building on Real Device work
-Build on simulator not work:
Error error HE0046: Failed to install the app 'ch.ABC' on the device 'iOS 11.0 (15A372) - iPhone 6 Plus': lstat of /Users/administrator/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/ABC/a3481f272dab3f68e6e828203695f442/bin/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/ABC.app failed: No such file or directory
I even made the whole provisioning completely new. No effect.
Has anyone an idea what could be the problem here?
Edit: breakpoints do not work when debugging on the device...
thanks
Andreas
Answers
Having the same issue. I'll let you know if I find anything.
I'm having the same problem as well. I'll post a solution if I find one.
Edit: This is only happening to one iOS project. I have three other projects (and I just created a new iOS project for testing things) and they all work.
Ok, so I found a solution.
Go to the iOS Project Options (right click the project, select options), go to Output.
Change the output path to something else. I changed mine to /Users/tkostuch/test/
Hopefully that works for you guys too!
@ TylerKonstuch I have the path bin\iPhoneSimulator\Debug\ this is only the path on my local windows.. New Projects Work perfect, in the VS for Mac work this project perfect. Wehn i build in VS for windows and debug, terminate after a while with the No such file or directory error.. The file in /Users/administrator/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/ABC/a3481f272dab3f68e6e828203695f442/bin/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/ABC.app on the mac exist. wehn i move the .app file to the simulator (drag and drop) the app is installed normality. So I can try the app but not debug :-(
It seems like the framework with ios 11 would choose the wrong path..:
further from the build-log:
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: The file '/Users/administrator/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/ABC/a3481f272dab3f68e6e828203695f442/obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/build-signature/signature' was not found on the Mac (this file exist on the mac on this path)
File name: '/Users/administrator/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/ABC/a3481f272dab3f68e6e828203695f442/obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/build-signature/signature'
at Xamarin.Messaging.Ssh.MessagingFileManager.d__11.MoveNext() in C:\d\lanes\5126\bd7e3753\source\xamarinvs\src\Messaging\Xamarin.Messaging.Ssh\MessagingFileManager.cs:line 171
This is the exact same behavior for me. I tried changing the output path to something else in VS (Windows) and to no avail. I am getting the following in my logs...
Xamarin.Messaging.Exceptions.MonotouchException: error HE0046: Failed to install the app '' on the device 'iOS 11.0 (15A372) - iPhone SE': lstat of /Users//Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/My.Mobile.Apps..iOS/83cad2a171e1fe16878fe0e3efb5ddaa/bin/iPhSim/Debug/My.Mobile.Apps..iOS.app failed: No such file or directory
Help is much appreciated! I lost 11 hours on this on Friday.
TylerKostuch, PLease elaborate on how you solved this in your VS (Windows).
Xamarin Mods...Help Please!!
Also in the Xamarin Output I get the following...
Launching '' on 'iPhone SE iOS 11.0'...
The app has been terminated.
Launch failed. The app '' could not be launched on 'iPhone SE iOS 11.0'. Error: error HE0046: Failed to install the app '' on the device 'iOS 11.0 (15A372) - iPhone SE': lstat of /Users//Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds//83cad2a171e1fe16878fe0e3efb5ddaa/bin/iPhoneSumulator/Debug/.app failed: No such file or directory
. Please check the logs for more details.
The app has been terminated.
Please note the path is correct and the files do actually exist in that location. (I removed the appname from the post because my company won't allow me to post it)
@ jamocle
new Projects work?
I have now moved to visual studio for mac thats work for me. I hope xamarin fix this error soon as possible..
me to having the same problem. Old project not able to run in simulator
Xamarin, Your silence is deafening.
@ swizzy, My timeline is too tight to try to move to a new platform like VS for Mac.
@ jamocle
Install visual studio for mac, move the complete projectfolder to mac, open the project and run.
It's very simple. max 1-2h
Either you change or you make a downgrade. I do not think that a fix of xamarin will come soon...
@ swizzy, Why do you feel an update will not come soon from Xamarin? What is your insight here?
Hello All,
I'm not sure what is going on here when working in Visual Studio on Windows. To help gather more information, please upload and attach your diagnostic build logs. If they contain private information about your project name, please send it to me directly in a message (attach as a file, it's too long to paste). Please also include your version information to this thread so I can verify what is hitting this issue.
Please also make sure you have tried some basic steps like deleting the
binand
objfolders. Also, clear the cache on the Mac just to be sure it's not related to that (delete
~/Users/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds). Make sure the Mac and Windows machines are up-to-date with the latest Stable versions of Xamarin.iOS and Xcode 9.
CC @swizzy @jamocle @suriya @VictorJohnson
@JohnMiller Stupid question. How do I message you? Thank you for your help as my productivity has severely plummeted since Friday at 8:00AM when this all started with XCode and Xamarin upgrade
@jamocle,
Click my name above my portrait here to view my profile, then click the "Message" button on the upper right.
All, Fixed!!! I did what John suggested above which was to delete both cache's (Win and Mac). I believe deleting my OBJ's was probably what did it since I have cleaned my solution tons of times trying to fix this issue but that does not blitz the obj folder.
@ JohnMiller: I have sent my log via private message.
obj and bin folder delete has no effect.
I have started with the project a year ago and always have this and other problems when developing on visual studio (windows):
ect...
once I had to create a new project and copy-paste everything because nothing worked. So it worked again and now at the next update again a problem...
I have visual studio and xamarin completely re-installed on mac and windows. Now everything seems to work...
I've tried a complete uninstall (via the provided shell script) and a reinstall of vstudio mac. However, I'm still getting the "error HE0046: Failed to install the app" failure mode. I'd be very interested if there are other solutions to try...
(I've already tried renaming output path, etc. as described above without any effect.)
My temporary "fix" for this issue (after trying all suggestions above, building clean, manually deleting paths, and even a full uninstall/reinstall of vstudio mac...) was to go to XCode, Preferences, Components, and download the 10.3.1 simulator.
Launching with that in VStudio Mac allows my app to start/debug fine.
To be clear, a brand new wizard-generated project launches fine with iOS 11 simulator. I spent a long while comparing what might be different in my "real" project in the csproj and other project-related files. I tried changing several of the differences but couldn't change the broken behavior. I'm going to assume Xamarin will find/fix this issue at some point and stick with the 10.3.1 simulator for now.
After fighting with this for a week I finally resorted to @ScottColestock.9633's answer. As he states it is a workaround but it "fixed it" for me and got me going again.
@JohnMiller are you still looking for additional diagnostic build logs on this issue, or do you have what you need at this point ?
@ScottColestock.9633
No, I don't have enough to debug this yet. Feel free to send me your diagnostic logs and I can get an issue filed.
I solved the problem by fixing some directory names that still had my old app namespace after changing it a few months ago. Before the change, my folders were named something like
MyApp.Service/. Then I changed that to
App.Service/, but some of them still had the
MyApp.*/style. I updated the name of these folders on Git, also removed the
bin/and
obj/folders, closed and opened Visual Studio and that was it.
I also tried to run the app using the simulator with iOS 10.3 and it worked, but digging a bit further led me to discover these folder names inconsistencies.
I did clean the cache folder on Mac and it works like a charm
I'm also having this problem. I'm using Visual Studio for the mac, my OS and VS versions are up to date, the app runs fine on a device but it won't even deploy to a simulator. My Library/Caches/Xamarin folder only contained an "AppInsights" folder which I removed and still nothing. I removed bin and obj folders... nothing.
I am able to create a new app and run it on the simulators just fine but my existing applications (creating in xamarin studio about 2 years ago) do not run on the simulators. Any solution for this yet?
@TylerKostuch: AWESOME TIP, thanks mate!
I don't know why, but setting the output path somewhere else indeed worked. As soon as I restored the setting to the original, the failure was back. Removing the bin folder didn't help, it got successfully recreated by the build, but the failure was back as well.
I have then played with different paths hoping to get an idea why this happens, and I observed (reproducibly) that the app makes it to the simulator as soon as I move the output folder to somewhere outside the {Application Name}.iOS folder. This is odd, I know, and I hardly could believe it, but the effect was dual-checked and is backed by four-eye principle. As soon as I set the output folder to a subfolder of {Application Name}.iOS, I get this weird error.
It's also only one Xamarin solution out of approx. 10 which shows this odd failure, all other projects deploy properly with the Visual Studio default path settings.
To clarify (some six months later), I was experiencing this issue on Visual Studio for Mac OSX (not Windows).
Sorry @jamocle if this solution is not applicable to Windows (and for the very, very late reply. Be sure to use the @ sign next time.
)
@Nimral, glad it fixed your issue.
@Tyler: same here. Only the Mac is affected. And as I said, it is only one project (out of approx. 10) which shows the problem. It does so in a steady manner though. Since almost nobody believes me, that such a problem may possibly exist, I do occasionally show it around: set the output path to a subfolder of [projectname].ios --> no simulator, change the path to anywhere else and rebuild --> success.
If anyone from the development team is interested in looking at the problem live ... drop me a note and we can agree upon a remote session where the problem can be researched by someone more knowledgeable than me.
Example Xamarin University code also failing to run in iOS 11 or above simulators.
I'm new to Xamarin and working through the Xamarin University courses. They're great courses but for a newbie like me I found this problem irritating. It would be good if this problem could be rectified. See details below:
New install of Visual Studio for Mac (Community Edition) and Xcode to run the simulator.
Two cross-platform courses - "Xamarin University Mobile Training for Microsoft Visual Studio Dev Essentials" and "Introduction to Cross-Platform Mobile Development [XAM110]".
Both these courses have completed examples of the first exercise of 'MyTunes':
The Dev Essentials code will only run if I select -> MyTunes.IOS -> Debug | iPhoneSimulator -> iOS 10 device.
The XAM110 code examples work correctly.
As I said they're great courses but I expected the course material to run correctly.
Hi guys
For me, it worked by removing the xamarin cache on MAC OS.
How do (MAC OS):
-> in GO to the top bar, press TAB and select Library.
-> Select Caches -> Xamarin -> mtbs -> builds
-> Delete the folder of the your project
This worked for me after nothing else did.
Had this problem myself this morning (after an update to Xcode 10.1 & iOS 12.1) about 3 days ago, suddenly, no matter what I did, it kept telling me it
Failed to parse minimum OS version, which is required to launch application on connected device.
I just clobbered the entire contents of the
buildfolder (but left the
buildfolder alone), rebuilt the project, and everything worked.
What seemed to fix this for me was that in the project properties, I changed:
Linker Behavior: Link framework sdks only
to
Linker Behavior: Don't Link
NOTE: my issue was not due to an iOS upgrade. I simply was trying run an existing Xamarin iOS app in VS on my PC. It runs fine not to a simulator on the PC.
@PhillipSchuller I just ran into this one this morning (again!), and your solution fixed this for me too, thank you!
At some point I'd switched to using
<MtouchLink>SdkOnly</MtouchLink>one one of my other dev PCs ( probably because it wanted to use the iOS12 SDK and it wasn't installed on that one (it still has Xcode 9 on it with sdk 11.4)
Then pulling this change onto my original dev macbook (which has latests xcode, ios sdk 12.x) worked, until I deleted the app from the simulator (to try some app changes I'd made from a clean install).
No matter what I tried (including most of the solutions above), it gave the error about not being able to install it. It did actually push the package over to the simulator, but the icon was grayed out.
Clearing the obj & bin folders, changing to
<MtouchLink>None</MtouchLink>(i.e.
Linker Behavior: Don't Link) and rebuilding the iOS project from scratch then allowed me to deploy to the iOS simulator... AFTER I deleted the grayed-out version of the app again.
Not sure exactly, but it feels like it is a problem with the linker.
We had a similar issue when we added Firebase and MobileAds to a new project. On Windows the project would not compile and on Mac it would not deploy.
Once we added some code that references both Firebase and MobileAds we were able to compile and deploy. Try to add these two lines to the FinishedLaunching method
CompaNova LLC
Guys I am still experiencing the same issue I have tried all the above mentioned still no success does anyone have a different solution ?
Just rename folders OBJ and BIN in your NAMEAPP.IOS project and re-run emulator | https://forums.xamarin.com/discussion/comment/398289 | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | refinedweb | 2,525 | 66.03 |
note gildir Well, but .... (there is allways a 'but') :-) <P> Suppose I do not subclass XML::Parser. But then, how do I pass parameters to XML::Parser handler methods and collect results of their run <B>without</B> using global variables of XML::Parser package? Only class that I get to handler methods is expat itself and there is no place for any aditional parameters/results of handler methods. <P> And if I subclass XML::Parser, only advantage that I gain is using my own package namespace for global variables instead of XML::Parser's namespace. This do not looks to me like a good example of object oriented programming style. <P> Possible silution is the one [mirod] suggested using Non-Expat-Options but it is just a little bit less ugly than these two. <P> There best solution will be forcing XML::Parser to use my custom subclass of XML::Parser::Expat instead of XML::Parser::Expat itself. Is there some way how to do that? 62782 62785 | http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?displaytype=xml;node_id=62789 | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | refinedweb | 169 | 62.68 |
Introduction
The strategy design pattern is a useful pattern for pulling out frequently changing pieces of code and encapsulating them within individual classes. The strategy pattern allows us to reference these new classes in a loosely-coupled fashion, without directly referencing the concrete implementations. This gives us the powerful ability of choosing concrete classes dynamically at runtime, instead of hard-wiring them during code design. This article will show an example usage of the strategy design pattern in creating a basic RPG-style adventure game simulator. The idea for the simulator comes from the popular book Head First Design Patterns by O'Reilly.
Game Design
In this particular game design, we will have specific types of characters and weapons. This directly leads to two basic classes: Character and Weapon. All characters will inherit from an abstract Character class, which will contain the basic functions that all characters can perform, such as displaying themselves and attacking. The weapon class will contain information about the weapon and how it attacks. Since each weapon will attack differently, we will encapsulate the weapon algorithms into separate classes, through the use of the strategy design pattern.
Our First Interface IWeaponBehavior
We're going to start the design with our first interface, which represents the design of our weapon class. This is the core piece to the strategy pattern, in that it allows us to reference the interface, rather than the concrete implementations of each weapon's algorithm class. While you could certainly create an individual class for each weapon and include a concrete reference to that weapon in each character class, by pulling out the details of the weapon and referencing them with an interface, you keep the game design flexible, and easily modifable.
public interface IWeaponBehavior { void Display(); void UseWeapon(); }
Our interface contains two methods. One displays details about the weapon and the other executes an attack. We'll be defining the concrete implementations of each weapon shortly. However, everything we need to begin defining the character types is here in the interface.
We Can't Attack Without a Body
Moving on, we'll focus on the creation of the Character class, which is the base class for all character types. Our characters need to hold a weapon and display themselves. Since we're going to have several different types of characters, we want to utilize a base class and optimize code-reuse as much as possible.
public abstract class Character { private IWeaponBehavior weapon;
public IWeaponBehavior Weapon { get { return weapon; } set { weapon = value; } }
public Character(IWeaponBehavior _weapon) { Weapon = _weapon; }
public abstract void Display();
public void Fight() { Weapon.UseWeapon(); } }
What we have here is a character class. Notice that the class contains an instance member of the IWeaponBehavior interface. This, in effect, gives the character a weapon to hold. The details of the type of weapon or how it attacks are of no concern to the character class. The character class just knows that it needs to call Weapon.UseWeapon() when it wants to attack. The strategy design pattern will, in turn, call the appropriate concrete class which contains the details of the weapon.
Our character class also contains a public member of Weapon, to allow us to dynamically change the weapon at runtime. That is, when a character is instantiated, the constructor sets up the weapon type. This works fine, except that it sets in stone the type of weapon that this character can use. By including a means to change the weapon's concrete class (ie. the public Weapon object), we can change the weapon whenever we wish, at run-time.
Finally, our character class contains an abstract Display() method so we can look at our character. The concrete characters will fill in the body for this method.
As far as code-reuse, our character base class contains all code for handling the weapon, which will be shared amongst all concrete character classes.
Let the Army Come Forth
Now that we have a character base class setup, using the strategy design pattern, it's time to create some real characters. At the very least, we need a Barbarian and a Goblin. And well, what's a kingdom without a king? Also for good measure, throw in a Paladin.
public class Barbarian : Character { public Barbarian(IWeaponBehavior _weapon) : base(_weapon) { }
public override void Display() { Console.WriteLine("You are a strong, hulky barbarian."); } }
Our first concrete character, Barbarian, inherits from the Character class, bringing in all the strategy design pattern code for handling a weapon. The only real meat to this class that remains to be filled in is the Display() method. Our constructor takes a generic weapon as a parameter and passes that to the base class. This is what allows us to create any type of weapon for the Barbarian. The King, Paladin, and Goblin follow the same pattern.
public class King : Character { public King(IWeaponBehavior weapon) : base(weapon) { }
public override void Display() { Console.WriteLine("You are a rightous proud king."); } }
public class Paladin : Character { public Paladin(IWeaponBehavior weapon) : base(weapon) { }
public override void Display() { Console.WriteLine("You are a holy paladin, slayer of evil."); } }
public class Goblin : Character { public Goblin(IWeaponBehavior weapon) : base(weapon) { }
public override void Display() { Console.WriteLine("You are a nasty evil goblin."); } }
While the concrete characters seem quite simple, the important item to note about them is the usage of the strategy design pattern in accepting an interface to a weapon as input in the constructor. This is the key to creating loosely-coupled code.
Enough Characters Already, I Want to Fight
We have enough characters to start our small kingdom, so now it's time to give them some weapons. Since we already have an interface for our weapon, we can begin creating the concrete implementations. Each weapon will be different, but the Character class doesn't mind. Let's start with a Knife.
public class KnifeBehavior : IWeaponBehavior { #region IWeaponBehavior Members
public void Display() { Console.WriteLine("a dull knife."); }
public void UseWeapon() { Console.WriteLine("You stab wildly with your knife."); }
#endregion }
The KnifeBehavior class implements the IWeaponBehavior interface and defines a body for the Display() and UseWeapon() functions. The strategy design pattern will dictate, at run-time, which detailed weapon class gets executed. We can define a few more weapons using the same pattern.
public class SwordBehavior : IWeaponBehavior { #region IWeaponBehavior Members
public void Display() { Console.WriteLine("a long, sharp sword."); }
public void UseWeapon() { Console.WriteLine("You slash with your sword."); }
public class CrossbowBehavior : IWeaponBehavior { #region IWeaponBehavior Members
public void Display() { Console.WriteLine("a finely made crossbow."); }
public void UseWeapon() { Console.WriteLine("You fire a bolt from your crossbow."); }
Putting it All Together
Now that we have our characters and weapons, we can run a quick test to see how they work with the strategy design pattern.
static void Main(){ Character character = new Paladin(new SwordBehavior()); character.Display(); character.Fight();}
OutputYou are a holy paladin, slayer of evil.You slash with your sword.
Notice in the above code, we start with a generic character variable and instantiate a Paladin from it. By passing in the SwordBehavior class, the strategy design pattern gives the Paladin a sword to use. We can now display and attack by calling the generic character's Display() and Fight() methods. The Fight() method is particularly interesting, in that it calls the weapon interface, which in turn, calls the concrete weapon UseWeapon() method.
To demonstrate the power of the strategy design pattern in changing concrete classes at run-time, notice how we can change the Paladin's weapon on-the-fly:
static void Main(){ Character character = new Paladin(new SwordBehavior()); character.Display(); character.Fight();
// Change the Paladin's weapon at run-time. character.Weapon = new CrossbowBehavior(); character.Fight();}
OutputYou are a holy paladin, slayer of evil.You slash with your sword.You fire a bolt from your crossbow.
In the above examples, you can see how the strategy design pattern makes it easy to add new characters and weapons with no impact to the other classes.
Making the Adventure Simulator More Interactive
To really get a feel for how the strategy pattern works at run-time, we'll provide a few menus for the user to interact with to choose a character type, choose a weapon, look at himself, and attack. We'll also provide menu options to change the character type and weapon. Since our design uses the strategy pattern to implement the weapon behavior, we can easily interchange any type of weapon with our character class.
class Program { private static Character character;
static void Main(string[] args) { Console.WriteLine("AdventureSimulator With the Strategy Design Pattern"); Console.WriteLine("Press Q to quit."); Console.WriteLine("-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-");
Console.WriteLine(""); // Initialize the character. GetCharacter(); GetWeapon();
while (!ShowActions()) { } }
static bool ShowActions() { Console.WriteLine("Choose an action:"); Console.WriteLine("L - Look"); Console.WriteLine("A - Attack"); Console.WriteLine("C - Change Character"); Console.WriteLine("W - Change Weapon"); Console.WriteLine("Q - Quit"); Console.Write("Your selection> ");
bool done; bool quit = false;
do { done = true;
switch (Console.ReadKey().Key) { case ConsoleKey.L: Console.WriteLine(""); character.Display(); break; case ConsoleKey.A: Console.WriteLine(""); character.Fight(); break; case ConsoleKey.C: { // Remember our weapon. IWeaponBehavior weapon = character.Weapon;
Console.WriteLine(""); GetCharacter();
// Set our weapon. character.Weapon = weapon; } break; case ConsoleKey.W: Console.WriteLine(""); GetWeapon(); break; case ConsoleKey.Q: quit = true; break; default: done = false; break; } } while (!done);
return quit; }
static void GetCharacter() { Console.WriteLine("Choose a character:"); Console.WriteLine("A - King"); Console.WriteLine("B - Paladin"); Console.WriteLine("C - Goblin"); Console.WriteLine("D - Barbarian"); Console.Write("Your selection> ");
bool done;
do { done = true;
switch (Console.ReadKey().Key) { case ConsoleKey.A: character = new King(new KnifeBehavior()); break; case ConsoleKey.B: character = new Paladin(new SwordBehavior()); break; case ConsoleKey.C: character = new Goblin(new CrossbowBehavior()); break; case ConsoleKey.D: character = new Barbarian(new KnifeBehavior()); break; default: done = false; break; } } while (!done);
Console.WriteLine(""); character.Display(); }
static void GetWeapon() { Console.WriteLine("Choose a weapon:"); Console.WriteLine("A - Knife"); Console.WriteLine("B - Sword"); Console.WriteLine("C - Crossbow"); Console.Write("Your selection> ");
switch (Console.ReadKey().Key) { case ConsoleKey.A: character.Weapon = new KnifeBehavior(); break; case ConsoleKey.B: character.Weapon = new SwordBehavior(); break; case ConsoleKey.C: character.Weapon = new CrossbowBehavior(); break; default: done = false; break; } } while (!done);
Console.WriteLine(""); Console.Write("You pick up "); character.Weapon.Display(); } }
OutputAdventureTest With the Strategy Design PatternPress Q to quit.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Choose a character:A - KingB - PaladinC - GoblinD - BarbarianYour selection> CYou are a nasty evil goblin.Choose a weapon:A - KnifeB - SwordC - CrossbowYour selection> AYou pick up a dull knife.Choose an action:L - LookA - AttackC - Change CharacterW - Change WeaponQ - QuitYour selection> AYou stab wildly with your knife.Choose an action:L - LookA - AttackC - Change CharacterW - Change WeaponQ - QuitYour selection>Q
Conclusion
The strategy design pattern helps us remove frequently changing pieces of code and encapsulate them within individual classes (algorithms). By defering the decision on which type of concrete class to use, we can maintain loosely-coupled code that can dynamically change at run-time. The strategy design pattern also helps to foster code-reuse and maintainability of future code.
About the Author
This article was written by Kory Becker, founder and chief developer of Primary Objects, a software and web application development company. You can contact Primary Objects regarding your software development needs at | http://www.primaryobjects.com/CMS/Article83.aspx | crawl-002 | refinedweb | 1,866 | 51.24 |
C# Programming > Miscellaneous
Calling functions in C#.NET is one of the most basic aspects of programming .NET applications. C# developers extensively use C# functions to structure code and efficiently accomplish tasks.
However what many developers do not know is that there is more than one way to call a function.
The simplest and most common way to call a function in C# is to do so directly. Some functions return a value, some do not (or "return" void). Similarly some functions take parameters while others do not. Some example C# function calls:
showMessage(); int result = multiply(3, 4);
That is the most effective way to call a C# function in most cases. However more complex applications and more advanced implementations could require a different way to access functions.
The System.Reflection namespace holds a variety of classes and functions that takes C# programming to another level. Similarly to accessing properties by name, a C# function can be invoked from its string name.
For example, let's take showMessage from our example above. The function does not return a value and does not take parameters. To call it with .NET reflection it would be done something like so:
Type t = this.GetType(); MethodInfo method = t.GetMethod("showMessage"); method.Invoke(this, null);
A word of warning. If you get a null-object exception that means the method was not found. The method has to be public for it to be able to be invoked through reflection. Also obfuscating the C# application can potentially cause the name of the method to change, which will cause the code to fail. These are just things to keep in mind.
Now let's try to invoke the multiply function from the example above, which takes parameters and returns a value. The code is not all that different:
Type t = this.GetType(); MethodInfo method = t.GetMethod("multiply"); int result = (int)method.Invoke(this, new object[] { 3, 4 });
As always the best way to call a function in C# depends on each .NET application. Having different ways to call functions gives developers flexibility. | http://www.vcskicks.com/call-function.php | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | refinedweb | 346 | 59.09 |
On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 9:43 AM, Tom de Vries <Tom_deVries@mentor.com> wrote: > On 10/01/2011 05:46 PM, Tom de Vries wrote: >> On 09/30/2011 03:29 PM, Richard Guenther wrote: >>> On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 3:15 PM, Tom de Vries <Tom_deVries@mentor.com> wrote: >>>> On 09/28/2011 11:53 AM, Richard Guenther wrote: >>>>> On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 11:34 AM, Tom de Vries <Tom_deVries@mentor.com> wrote: >>>>>> Richard, >>>>>> >>>>>> I got a patch for PR50527. >>>>>> >>>>>> The patch prevents the alignment of vla-related allocas to be set to >>>>>> BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT in ccp. The alignment may turn out smaller after folding >>>>>> the alloca. >>>>>> >>>>>> Bootstrapped and regtested on x86_64. >>>>>> >>>>>> OK for trunk? >>>>> >>>>> Hmm. As gfortran with -fstack-arrays uses VLAs it's probably bad that >>>>> the vectorizer then will no longer see that the arrays are properly aligned. >>>>> >>>>> I'm not sure what the best thing to do is here, other than trying to record >>>>> the alignment requirement of the VLA somewhere. >>>>> >>>>> Forcing the alignment of the alloca replacement decl to BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT >>>>> has the issue that it will force stack-realignment which isn't free (and the >>>>> point was to make the decl cheaper than the alloca). But that might >>>>> possibly be the better choice. >>>>> >>>>> Any other thoughts? >>>> >>>> How about the approach in this (untested) patch? Using the DECL_ALIGN of the vla >>>> for the new array prevents stack realignment for folded vla-allocas, also for >>>> large vlas. >>>> >>>> This will not help in vectorizing large folded vla-allocas, but I think it's not >>>> reasonable to expect BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT when writing a vla (although that has >>>> been the case up until we started to fold). If you want to trigger vectorization >>>> for a vla, you can still use the aligned attribute on the declaration. >>>> >>>> Still, the unfolded vla-allocas will have BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT, also without using >>>> an attribute on the decl. This patch exploits this by setting it at the end of >>>> the 3rd pass_ccp, renamed to pass_ccp_last. This is not very effective in >>>> propagation though, because although the ptr_info of the lhs is propagated via >>>> copy_prop afterwards, it's not propagated anymore via ccp. >>>> >>>> Another way to do this would be to set BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT at the end of ccp2 and >>>> not fold during ccp3. >>> >>> Ugh, somehow I like this the least ;) >>> >>> How about lowering VLAs to >>> >>> p = __builtin_alloca (...); >>> p = __builtin_assume_aligned (p, DECL_ALIGN (vla)); >>> >>> and not assume anything for alloca itself if it feeds a >>> __builtin_assume_aligned? >>> >>> Or rather introduce a __builtin_alloca_with_align () and for VLAs do >>> >>> p = __builtin_alloca_with_align (..., DECL_ALIGN (vla)); >>> >>> that's less awkward to use? >>> >>> Sorry for not having a clear plan here ;) >>> >> >> Using assume_aligned is a more orthogonal way to represent this in gimple, but >> indeed harder to use. >> >> Another possibility is to add a 'tree vla_decl' field to struct >> gimple_statement_call, which is probably the easiest to implement. >> >> But I think __builtin_alloca_with_align might have a use beyond vlas, so I >> decided to try this one. Attached patch implements my first stab at this (now >> testing on x86_64). >> >> Is this an acceptable approach? >> > > bootstrapped and reg-tested (including ada) on x86_64. > > Ok for trunk? The idea is ok I think. But case BUILT_IN_ALLOCA: + case BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN: /* If the allocation stems from the declaration of a variable-sized object, it cannot accumulate. */ target = expand_builtin_alloca (exp, CALL_ALLOCA_FOR_VAR_P (exp)); if (target) return target; + if (DECL_FUNCTION_CODE (get_callee_fndecl (exp)) + == BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN) + { + tree new_call = build_call_expr_loc (EXPR_LOCATION (exp), + built_in_decls[BUILT_IN_ALLOCA], + 1, CALL_EXPR_ARG (exp, 0)); + CALL_ALLOCA_FOR_VAR_P (new_call) = CALL_ALLOCA_FOR_VAR_P (exp); + exp = new_call; + } Ick. Why can't the rest of the compiler not handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN the same as BUILT_IN_ALLOCA? (thus, arrange things so the assembler name of alloca-with-align is alloca?) I don't see why you still need the special late CCP pass. -static tree -fold_builtin_alloca_for_var (gimple stmt) +static bool +builtin_alloca_with_align_p (gimple stmt) { - unsigned HOST_WIDE_INT size, threshold, n_elem; - tree lhs, arg, block, var, elem_type, array_type; - unsigned int align; + tree fndecl; + if (!is_gimple_call (stmt)) + return false; + + fndecl = gimple_call_fndecl (stmt); + + return (fndecl != NULL_TREE + && DECL_FUNCTION_CODE (fndecl) == BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN); +} equivalent to gimple_call_builtin_p (stmt, BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN). + DECL_ALIGN (var) = TREE_INT_CST_LOW (gimple_call_arg (stmt, 1)); Now, users might call __builtin_alloca_with_align (8, align), thus use a non-constant alignment argument. You either need to reject this in c-family/c-common.c:check_builtin_function_arguments with an error or fall back to BIGGEST_ALIGNMENT (similarly during propagation I suppose). +DEF_BUILTIN_STUB (BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN, "alloca_with_align") Oh, I see you are not exposing this to users, so ignore the comments about non-constant align. Can you move this DEF down, near the other DEF_BUILTIN_STUBs and add a comment that this is used for VLAs? + build_int_cstu (size_type_node, + DECL_ALIGN (parm))); size_int (DECL_ALIGN (parm)), similar in other places. Let's see if there are comments from others on this - which I like. Thanks, Richard. > Thanks, > - Tom > > 2011-10-03 Tom de Vries <tom@codesourcery.com> > > PR middle-end/50527 > * tree.c (build_common_builtin_nodes): Add local_define_builtin for > BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > * builtins.c (expand_builtin_alloca): Handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN > arglist. > (expand_builtin): Handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. Expand > BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN as BUILT_IN_ALLOCA. > (is_inexpensive_builtin): Handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > * tree-pass.h (pass_ccp_last): Declare. > * passes.c (init_optimization_passes): Replace 3rd pass_ccp with > pass_ccp_last. > * gimplify.c (gimplify_vla_decl): Lower vla to > BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > * tree-ssa-ccp.c (cpp_last): Define. > (ccp_finalize): Improve align ptr_info for BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > (evaluate_stmt): Set align for BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > (builtin_alloca_with_align_p): New function. > (fold_builtin_alloca_with_align_p): New function, factored out of ... > (fold_builtin_alloca_for_var): Renamed to ... > (fold_builtin_alloca_with_align): Use fold_builtin_alloca_with_align_p. > Set DECL_ALIGN from BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN argument. > (ccp_fold_stmt): Try folding using fold_builtin_alloca_with_align if > builtin_alloca_with_align_p. > (do_ssa_ccp_last): New function. > (pass_ccp_last): Define. > (optimize_stack_restore): Handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > * builtins.def (BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN): Declare using > DEF_BUILTIN_STUB. > * ipa-pure-const.c (special_builtin_state): Handle > BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > * tree-ssa-alias.c (ref_maybe_used_by_call_p_1 > (call_may_clobber_ref_p_1): Same. > function.c (gimplify_parameters): Lower vla to > BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > cfgexpand.c (expand_call_stmt): Handle BUILT_IN_ALLOCA_WITH_ALIGN. > tree-mudflap.c (mf_xform_statements): Same. > tree-ssa-dce.c (mark_stmt_if_obviously_necessary) > (mark_all_reaching_defs_necessary_1, propagate_necessity): Same. > varasm.c (incorporeal_function_p): Same. > tree-object-size.c (alloc_object_size): Same. > gimple.c (gimple_build_call_from_tree): Same. > > * gcc.dg/pr50527.c: New test. > > > | https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2011-October/324469.html | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | refinedweb | 953 | 51.95 |
I’ve been enjoying <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:place w\
<st1:place w>
<description>Lights Out - A classic puzzle game</description>
<icons>
<icon height="48" width="48" src="icon.png" />
</icons>
<hosts>
<host name="sidebar">
<base type="HTML" apiVersion="1.0.0" src="LightsOut.html" />
<permissions>Full</permissions>
<platform minPlatformVersion="1.0" />
<defaultImage src="drag.png" />
</host>
</hosts>
</gadget>
The actual "guts" of a gadget are handled by standard javascripts or vbscripts, and the Gadget API. That terribly interesting, let's take a look at how javascript (or any IE supported scripting language) integrates with the Gadget API.
function loadSettings()
{
// Assign an event handler/function to the Gadget
// API onSettingsClosing event
System.Gadget.onSettingsClosing = settingsClosing;
//Reading settings using the Gadget API
if (System.Gadget.Settings.read("SettingExist") == true)
{
var index = System.Gadget.Settings.read("currentPuzzle");<BR> InitializeLayout(index);
ShowCurrent();
}
self.focus;
document.body.focus();
}
// Handles the API's settings closing event
function settingsClosing()
{
...
}
The code for the Gadget API can be run inline with your script as if it's an extension of the javascript or vbscript languages. The good news is that it makes writing gadget scripts very easy. The cost of ease, however, is that you can't develop the gadget is Windows XP. I ended up using XP for writing the initial script and drafting the images, then switching to Vista to finalize the settings and layout.The most important aspect of the API in this example is the way events are handled. The settings page close event, for example, is easily registered by setting the onSettingsClosing event property to a function within your script. This model is very useful for responding to events such as the settings page opening or closing, or the entire gadget being docked or undocked. In this Lights Out example, the settings page allows the user to visually select a level to play. If the user clicks the OK button, the main UI's script responds to the onSettingsClosed event in order to read the newly changed settings and load the appropriate level.
onSettingsClosing
On a side note, this gadget could have used a Flyout just as easily as a settings page. I just felt like using settings for this example since it's more commonly used.
The settings API contains for methods for storing runtime settings, and seems to work much like a standard .NET hashtable. The System.Gadget.Settings namespace contains for methods for settings management,
System.Gadget.Settings
read(<setting name>)
readString(<settingName>)
write(<setting name>, <setting value>)
writeString(<setting name>, <setting value>)
The down side to the settings is that they’re not persisted when the gadget is closed. Persisted settings are possible, but beyond the scope of this introductory article. Here's a sample of the settings page, also built on standard HTML and javascript.I hope you see now that a little HTML, javascript, and maybe some CSS are all you need to play with the Side Bar. It's reall is almot too simple.
The last step to creating a gadget is packaging it for deployment because, of course, you'll want to share your amazing creating with everyone. This is arguably the easiest step of the entire process. To create an installable gadget package you only need to do the following:
That's it! It's just a renamed zip file. Users simply execute the .gadget file, and Vista handles the rest of the installation including creating the correct folder, copying all the files, and adding a new instance of the gadget to the side bar (For those of you running Vista, the LightsOut.gadget file insize the source code download is fully functional).
There you have it! Creating gadgets is quick, easy, and requires almost no new learning. For those interested, I spend about 70% of the time for the Lights Out gadget creating the images. That’s saying quite a lot if you ask. | https://www.codeproject.com/kb/gadgets/lightsout.aspx | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | refinedweb | 653 | 56.86 |
just-salesforce 0.1.0
first release
Just Salesforce is a basic Salesforce.com REST API client built for Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.2 and 3.3. The goal is to provide a very low-level interface to the REST Resource and APEX authentication, records between 2013-10-20 to 2013-10-29 (datetimes are required to be in UTC):
import pytz import datetime end = datetime.datetime.now(pytz.UTC) # we need to use UTC as salesforce API requires this! sf.Contact.deleted(end - datetime.timedelta(days=10), end)
To retrieve a list of updated records between 2014-03-20 to 2014-03-22 (datetimes are required to be in UTC):
import pytz import datetime end = datetime.datetime.now(pytz.UTC) # we need to use UTC as salesforce API requires this sf.Contact.updated(end - datetime.timedelta(days=10), end): Zack Zhu
- Maintainer: Zack Zhu
- Download URL:
- Keywords: salesforce
- License: Apache 2.9
- Categories
- Package Index Owner: just-salesforce
- DOAP record: just-salesforce-0.1.0.xml | https://pypi.python.org/pypi/just-salesforce/0.1.0 | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | refinedweb | 169 | 57.37 |
OSError: Network card not available
- misterlisty last edited by
OSError: Network card not available What does this mean?
@livius Ah shoot, I thought I was enabling manual garbage collectin with gc.enable(). And the UART duplication is obviously a mistake. Thanks for pointing those out !
@soren
two things but i do not suppose that are releated to the issue:
you initialize twice
UARTand do
dupterm
uart = UART(0, 115200) os.dupterm(uart) print('starting up...') print(gc.mem_free()) gc.enable() uart = UART(0, 115200) os.dupterm(uart)
all above initialization can be ommited because
duptermis done in frozen
_boot.py
second, you have enabled automatic garbage collecion
gc.enable()
but then you use it manually
gc.collect()- of course you can do this but is this intentional?
@jmarcelino Yes of course. Strange thing is, after unplugging the power completely (hard reset was not enough), problem stopped for now. Anyway, if there's something fishy, this is my boot:
import machine import gc from machine import UART from network import WLAN import pycom import os uart = UART(0, 115200) os.dupterm(uart) print('starting up...') print(gc.mem_free()) gc.enable() uart = UART(0, 115200) os.dupterm(uart) pycom.heartbeat(False) pycom.rgbled(0x7f0000) # red wlan = WLAN() if machine.reset_cause() != machine.SOFT_RESET: print('setting wlan config...') wlan.init(mode=WLAN.STA) wlan.ifconfig(config=('10.42.0.14', '255.255.255.0', '10.42.0.1', '8.8.8.8')) if not wlan.isconnected(): print('looking for network...') wlan.connect('cooppifi', auth=(WLAN.WPA2, 'PasswordRemoved'), timeout=5000) while not wlan.isconnected(): machine.idle() print('connected to wifi!') print(gc.mem_free())
and this is my main. the issue happens where i send to the socket:
from network import Bluetooth import socket #from network import socket import pycom import gc import time import machine import binascii from machine import Timer pycom.heartbeat(False) pycom.rgbled(0x000000) # turn off led gc.enable() lopyID = 4 # set this unique to each lopy print('started! lopy id: ', lopyID) print("a") gc.collect() print(gc.mem_free()) bluetooth = Bluetooth() bluetooth.stop_scan() time.sleep(1) bluetooth.start_scan(-1) adv = None # bluetooth advertisementa time.sleep(1) s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM) pycom.rgbled(0x007f00) #print(gc.mem_free()) def sendToSocket(beaconID, rssi): print(gc.mem_free()) RSSIpositive = rssi * -1 string = str(lopyID) + "," + str(beaconID) + "," + str(RSSIpositive) + "," data = bytearray(string) addr = socket.getaddrinfo('10.42.0.1', 7007)[0][-1] s.sendto(data, addr) # new mac adresses: #C7:C3:83:EE:AA:A4 #FB:6F:11:25:79:9B #F7:F0:BB:A6:ED:F7 #C3:C7:E7:73:7C:3F while True: gc.collect() pycom.rgbled(0x007f00) advList = bluetooth.get_advertisements() for adv in advList: macRaw = adv[0] # binary mac address macReal = binascii.hexlify(macRaw) # convert to hexadecimal if macReal == b'fb6f1125799b': # old: b'f3bc0b6feb4c': print('beacon A rssi: ', adv[3]) # adv[3] is rssi sendToSocket(beaconID = 1, rssi = adv[3]) elif macReal == b'f7f0bba6edf7': # old: b'edbed48d0b87': print('beacon B rssi: ', adv[3]) sendToSocket(beaconID = 2, rssi = adv[3]) elif macReal == b'c7c383eeaaa4': # <-- old print('beacon C rssi: ', adv[3]) sendToSocket(beaconID = 3, rssi = adv[3]) elif macReal == b'c3c7e7737c3f': # old: b'cd87e6a38dc2': print('beacon D rssi: ', adv[3]) sendToSocket(beaconID = 4, rssi = adv[3]) # adv[3] gc.collect() s.close()
- jmarcelino last edited by jmarcelino
@soren
Can you post your code? or at least the network initialisation / sockets part.
Without more details it's impossible to help since you could be trying to initialise WiFi, LoRa, Sigfox...
@xykon i'm getting this error for no apparent reason... even though i'm doing a hard reset.
is there a dev who knows what's happening?
- Xykon administrators last edited by
The error is thrown when creating a socket but the esp32 cannot find a network card available to handle the request.
The error is thrown in modnetwork.c which is called by modsocket.c | https://forum.pycom.io/topic/2231/oserror-network-card-not-available/5 | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | refinedweb | 642 | 52.46 |
- 04 Apr, 2014 1 commit
- Jonathon Duerig authored
...bringing assign kicking and screaming into the century of the fruit).
- 10 Nov, 2010 1 commit
- 19 Aug, 2010 1 commit.
- 13 May, 2010 1 commit
Big commit with a lot of changes to add the rspec parser base class as well as for version 1 and version 2. These changes are not throughly tested yet, and the extension support hasn't yet been integrated into the main parser. The v1 and v2 support has.
- 20 May, 2009 1 commit
- 20 Oct, 2008 1 commit
- Ryan Jackson authored
If any of these changes break something, please fix it and let me know.
- 01 Mar, 2007 1 commit
4.x . Also, set things up so I only have to write the conditional in one place, port.
- 11 Aug, 2004 1 commit
branch.
- 08 Jun, 2004 1 commit
disambiguate from boost's random() function. But, for some reason, with 3.x, random() doesn't live in the std:: namespace. Macro-ize it.
- 03 Jun, 2004 1 commit.
- 15 Apr, 2004 1 commit
internal errors.
- 08 Mar, 2004 1 commit. */
- 28 Jan, 2004 1 commit
Do some scoring, not just violations, for stateful features and desires - this does a better job of nudging assign towards good solutions.
- 10 Oct, 2003 1 commit
they mean.
- 04 Sep, 2003 1 commit.
- 10 Jul, 2003 1 commit
- 26 Jun, 2003 1 commit
turns out that getting iterators to the STL hash_* data structures is really slow, so for some that won't be very big, use the non-hash version. Buys something like a 30% speedup for large topologies.
- 20 Jun, 2003 1 commit
some independant functionality off into new files, and reduce its use of globals, which can be very confusing to follow. I didn't get as far as I had hoped, but it's a good start.
-.
-.
-.
- 10 Jan, 2003 1 commit
-
-.
- 24 Apr, 2001 1 commit
- 25 Aug, 2000 1 commit | https://gitlab.flux.utah.edu/emulab/emulab-devel/commits/03eaec1ddae687d408f1470ec6a28766a349a99d/assign/common.h | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | refinedweb | 327 | 83.96 |
Executing JavaScript In The LESS CSS Precompiler
The other day, when I upgraded my LiveReload app, some of my LESS mixins started to break. During the debugging process, I discovered that some of the mixins were executing JavaScript code directly in the LESS CSS markup. I had no idea that this was even possible in LESS CSS; and so, as with all things JavaScript, I had to start experimenting. I have no concrete ideas on what I would use this for; but, here's what I found. Please note that this is all conjecture as there is zero documentation (that I could find) on the use of JavaScript in LESS CSS.
JavaScript can only be evaluated as part of an assignment. By this I mean that you can't simply execute JavaScript in LESS CSS. Instead, you have to execute the JavaScript and then assign the result to a LESS variable or a CSS property. Example:
@foo: `javascript` ;
To denote JavaScript, you have to wrap your code in backticks. When you do this, LESS will evaluate the expression and return the result as a String. It does so, "as is;" meaning, it leaves all your quotes in-place. If you want to remove the surrounding quotes, you can prepend the tilde operator:
@foo: ~`"surrounding quotes will be removed"`
That said, here's what I came up with. I defined an "API" object that holds my user-defined functions (UDFs). I then inject this API object into the global container which allows the "api" instance to be referenced in all the other JavaScript code blocks:
// Use the backtick character to run JavaScript directly in LESS CSS. We are using a // Function here because LESS calls (my theory) .toString() on the function and stores // the return value. It seems that only Functions returns their "source code" when // .toString() is called, which allows us to reuse the JavaScript in other JavaScript // code block instances. @api: `function(){ // Set up the API that we want to expose in other JavaScript contexts. var api = { // This is just me testing some JavaScript stuff. getContent: function() { return( "This is yo' content!" ); }, // When executing a JavaScript expression, you can only execute one expression // at a time (ie, no semi-colons). Unless, you are in a function. The point of // the run() function is to allow the calling context a way to enter a function // context and get access to the API at the same time. The API is injected as the // only argument to the given callback. // -- // NOTE: The callback MUST RETURN A VALUE so that LESS can get the value of it. run: function( callback ) { return( callback( api ) ); } }; // Return the public API. Since this JavaScript expression is return the parent // Function, it will have to invoked in a different JavaScript context to actually // get access to the API. return( api ); }` ; // I assign the API the global namespace, "api". This could have been done in the // previous JavaScript code block; but, I kind of liked the idea of breaking it out into // its own rsponsability. // -- // NOTE: I am using a self-invoking function here to help ensure that "this" points to // the global context and not to the context of the evaluation (if its different). @apiGlobalInjector: `(function() { // Inject the API and store it in the global object. this.api = (@{api})(); // The JavaScript HAS TO RETURN something so LESS CSS can assigne the variable value. return( "Injected in global" ); })()` ; // ---------------------------------------------------------- // // ---------------------------------------------------------- // h1 { content: `api.getContent()` ; } h2 { content: `api.run(function( api ) { return( api.getContent().toUpperCase() ); })` ; }
When you execute a JavaScript block, LESS CSS doesn't seem to like semi-colons; unless you are in side of a function. As such, I created a .run() method, which was just a way to create a function that self-injects the API. This way, you could run multiple statements and return a value.
Anyway, when you run the compile the above file, LESS CSS produces the following output:
h1 { content: "This is yo' content!"; } h2 { content: "THIS IS YO' CONTENT!"; }
Like I said before, I am not exactly sure how I would use this yet; but, it definitely tickles the imagination. If nothing else, it's inspired me to learn more about LESS CSS as a framework.
Want to use code from this post? Check out the license.
Reader Comments
Check the source code of lesshat mixins in github. They widely use javascript in less.
@Academo,
Thanks for the tip. I've not heard of LessHat before, but it looks interesting. It looks like they inline a ton of JavaScript. Very fun. I'll definitely be taking a closer look at this!
Hi Ben,
I went for a simple small example to test whether it really works or not, but it failed. The following is a small snippet I tried:
@test: `function( api ) { return( "test".toUpperCase() ); })`;
On executing my Less stylesheet is giving error.
Is this works for you?
@Maninder,
It looks like you have an extra ")" at the end. Try removing the last parens right after the last "}".
This is great, and fits a use case we have a specific need for... We want to define our standard color palette as a series of LESS variables, but we also want to use that palette to define the palette of our highchart implementations, without having to manually keep the CSS and JS versions in parity with each other... With something like this, I may be able to create some generic JS object map to be included as a module for highcharts purposes, and included as a JS-evaluated color map for LESS purposes... Since this only works for value assignments, we'd still have to make manual inclusions anytime a new piece of the color palette was added, but otherwise, any adjustments being made to the existing color palette entries should automatically be reflected in both the JS and CSS the next time the assets are built and deployed :)
@Richard,
It's funny you mention that - what you're describing sounds a little bit like a use-case that popped into my head. I tried to find some sort of file-read function in the Less CSS, but I couldn't. Meaning, I didn't see any way to read files from within the JavaScript context.
Then, I thought, maybe I can define a data structure in the JavaScript to then be used elsewhere in the Less. But I haven't played around with it too much. Right now, I'm just trying to learn all the angles in the feature set. It's exciting stuff. I can't believe I've been using Less CSS for like 2 years and didn't know half of what it did.
That said, for me at least, like 90% of the value comes from simply being able to nest rulesets :D
Interesting! Being able to read a js file would be indeed very useful!
wow! nice.
"I am not exactly sure how I would use this yet..."
OK. With a single html as a template and in-place tags, how about using dataset variables as the selector elements-and-values for insertion into the existing tags for on the fly device compatibility!?
I was just thinking about this to retrieve a systemjs config map of a jspm install path which contains a version number (github:username/reponame@~1.2.1).
This api setup will do nicely to get me started :)
I'll likely add something like:
@import `api.getModulePath('moduleName')` + '/mixins/_buttons'; | https://www.bennadel.com/blog/2638-executing-javascript-in-the-less-css-precompiler.htm | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | refinedweb | 1,245 | 72.16 |
Hi all, newb here ! I'm working on a project and having some problem. Once I can get rid of this prob I'll be in business !
I need to open a file named books.txt which contains a number of line we don't know. There's one information per line and each group of 6 lines forms a struct.
Right now the file is opened correctly and I'm able to read each line and print them in a new file. My problem is to insert each struct (which are made of 6 consecutive lines) as an item in my array.
Code:
for(i=0, j=0; c[i]!='\t'; i++, j++) {
/* this keeps looping until a tab character is reached */
books[num_books].title[j] = c[i];
}
/* add a null character to terminate string */
books[num_books].title[j] = '\0';
When reading a line in the file books.txt, this is how I currently assign a value to a field of the struct infoBook. Then, when the struct is completed (with the 6 fields having value), I need to add this struct to the array books, which I'm not able right now I'm not sure my structure is correct, but I tried regrouping all the info I learned so far...
Here's my function
Code:
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "stdio.h"
#include "stdlib.h"
struct book
{
char title[80];
char autor[40];
char editor[20];
char ISBN[10];
char subject[20];
int release;
};
typedef struct book bookInfo;
int main()
{
char x[50];
FILE *file; //file opened
infoLivre *books; // array of struct of undefined length
int num_books = 0;
int i, j;
file = fopen("books.txt", "r");
if(file==NULL) {
printf("Error: can't open file.\n");
return 1;
}
else {
while (!feof(file)){
if(num_books==0) {
books = calloc(1, sizeof(infoLivre));
}
else {
books = realloc(books, (num_books+1)*sizeof(bookInfo));
}
/* now try to store relevant info in our struct field.
can do it character at a time as sscanf won't work as
it falls apart with spaces between names */
for(i=0, j=0; c[i]!='\t'; i++, j++) {
/* this keeps looping until a tab character is reached */
books[num_books].title[j] = c[i];
}
/* add a null character to terminate string */
books[num_books].title[j] = '\0';
for(i++, j=0; c[i]!='\t'; i++, j++) {
books[num_books].autor[j] = c[i];
}
books[num_books].autor = '\0';
for(i++, j=0; c[i]!='\0' && c[i]!='\n'; i++, j++) {
/* store the gender but ignore the last newline character */
books[num_books].editor[j] = c[i];
}
books[num_books].editor[j] = '\0';
num_books++; /* keep track of how many we stored */
}
fclose(file); /* close file */
return 0;
}
} | https://cboard.cprogramming.com/c-programming/58214-poblem-reading-struct-file-printable-thread.html | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | refinedweb | 442 | 76.72 |
May 9, 2020 Single Round Match 785 Editorials
Did you know that, in addition to being the day of Europe, the 9th of May is also the world’s Moscato day *and* bellydance day? Well, neither did I, but had to open this editorial somehow, right? (Having this knowledge one cannot avoid wondering if it is a coincidence they are on the same day…)
Few minutes before the match people reported having problems logging into the arena (I also had such problems), but it was too late to do anything, so we decided to continue with the match. Hopefully, enough people managed to do so (with several tries it seemed to work)! We had a total of 829 registrants, among which 10 current targets. The match promised to be interesting!
Most people in Div1 started from the Easy (275) problem, but a few (approximately one in every 25 people or so) decided to go for the Medium (500) and Hard (950). Almost all of the Div2 participants, on the other hand, followed the usual solving pattern: Easy -> Medium -> Hard.
Around two minutes after the start of the competition, the first submissions in Div2 started pouring. Div1 participants needed more time to deal with their Easy, with the first submission coming around 4:30 into the match. Around 10 minutes after the start we saw the first submissions to Div2 Medium as well. Interestingly enough, the first submission to the Div1 Hard came just a couple of minutes later than the first submissions to the Medium – around 17 minutes into the match (however, had to re-submit later on). Around 5 minutes later, tourist opened the first problem. Around 38 minutes into the match lyrically submitted his final problem (going for Hard -> Easy -> Medium). Let’s see if they’ll pass!
Gennady (tourist) had a totally different strategy. Come fashionably late for the competition (start around 20 minutes later). Solve all three problems and become first. Well, seems to be a good strategy, for him at least.
Gennady (tourist) had a totally different strategy. Come fashionably late for the competition (start around 20 minutes later). Solve all three problems and become first. Well, seems to be a good strategy, for him at least. This seemed like a good strategy until he had to resubmit his solution to the Hard, then again 51 seconds before the end of the match. He did, however, pick up 3 successful challenges.
The challenge phase proved to be rather eventful, with many 275s and 950s falling in Div1, and also quite a few 500s in Div2.
Div2 250: EllysPalMulDiv2
EllysPalMulDiv2
Used as: Division Two – Level One:
The first problem in the SRM 785 set was, given an integer X to find another integer Y, such that the product X * Y is a palindrome. This was an easier version of Div1’s EllysPalMul the only difference being that the allowed range for Y was only [1, 1000]. Because of that it was quite feasible to simply try all values of Y and find the first one that makes X * Y a palindrome.
In terms of code we need a function to check if a number is a palindrome, which isn’t that hard (especially in Python), but in Java/C++ can be done using the following code:
boolean isPal(int num) { int rev = 0; for (int tmp = num; tmp > 0; tmp /= 10) rev = rev * 10 + tmp % 10; return num == rev; }
The rest of the problem is iterating all possible values for Y and find the first one that works (or return -1 if none of them do):
public int getMin(int X) { for (int Y = 1; Y <= 1000; Y++) { if (isPal(X * Y)) { return Y; } } return -1; }
See the Div1’s EllysPalMul for a harder version if you like mind challenges!
Div2 500: EllysConjectureDiv2
EllysConjectureDiv2
Used as: Division Two – Level Two:
There actually isn’t a Div1 version of this problem, but I wanted the naming to be consistent. The problem is as follows. First, it gives the following algorithm: start with a number X, and if is even divide it by two; if it is odd add three to it until getting to a number you’ve already had (which we call “the result” for this X). The task was to find the results for all starting numbers X in some interval [L, R] with L and R up to 1,000,000,000.
This time iterating over all X and simulating the process wouldn’t cut it – although simulating the procedure for any number is relatively fast, doing it for the whole interval [1, 1000000000] will be way too slow (taking around 10-15 minutes).
Although the Collatz conjecture is still unproven, Elly’s conjecture is much simpler to prove (By the way, the only difference from the original one is that in the odd case we multiply by 1 and add 3, instead of multiplying by 3 and adding 1). As the numbers in the Collatz conjecture can grow arbitrarily, the ones in Elly’s conjecture quickly become very small. In fact, starting from any X we can get to (at most) X + 3.
The main observation we should make is that in every two steps we do at least one division (thus, the number decreases roughly in half). Indeed, if the number is even, we have a division right away; if it is odd, we add 3 to it and make it even, forcing a division in the next step. So, starting with any X, we can find the result for this X in O(log(X)) steps.
Let’s see what are the possible results. We claim that the result can be at most 6. For any number 1…6 the only possibility to get out of this range is the number 5, which yields 8, which becomes 4 in the next step – and we get in the [1, 6] range again. Numbers larger than 6 strictly decrease in every two steps (that is true since we have at least one division in those two steps, and they can grow with at most 3) – thus, they eventually fall in the [1, 6] range as well.
Okay, having said that, the actual solution I expected from most participants was to print the answers for small values of X and find a pattern. The first 20 results (for X = 1…20) are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4. Do you see it? If we exclude the results for 1, 2, and 3, the results for numbers larger than 3 are the repeated pattern (4, 4, 6). Thus, for any X > 3 we have result(X) = 6 if X % 3 == 0 and result(X) = 4 otherwise. This is actually true for all X in [4, 1000000000].
One should take care handling the small cases (X = 1…3), as not doing so can easily lead to a failed problem (and, quite likely, +50 points for someone else).
public long getSum(int L, int R) { long ans = 0; for (; L <= R && (L < 6 || L % 3 != 0); L++) ans += L < 4 ? L : 4; long cnt6 = (R - L + 3) / 3; long cnt4 = (R - L + 1) - cnt6; return ans + cnt4 * 4 + cnt6 * 6; }
As you can see, the final code is even simpler than the one for the 250 — however, this does not include the code to print the results for small answers and find the pattern.
Coming up with a mathematical proof for this is one way to be sure our solution is correct. During time-constrained competitions, however, it is often quicker to have another approach – so let’s learn that instead!
First, you can verify your observation for all numbers lower than some bound you feel comfortable (say 1,000,000) which can be done quite quickly (few seconds) and submit. After that pesky timer has stopped decreasing your score, run for all numbers in [1, 1000000000] (which finishes in several minutes) to be sure it is correct – or have a very evil test case for the challenge phase if it isn’t.
Div2 1000: EllysNimDiv2
EllysNimDiv2
Used as: Division Two – Level Two:
This was also an easier (much easier) version of the Div1 hard problem. There were two differences: N was up to 50 (instead of 100) and all numbers Ai were up to 1000 (instead of 1,000,000,000). This allowed many things to work (like the backtrack-greedy solution which is described in the Div1’s EllysNim analysis). However, the expected most-common solution for this version of the problem was based on Dynamic Programming.
First things first, let’s decode the problem statement. In order for the second player to win in a “normal-play” Nim (which is what Elly and Kris are playing) the bitwise exclusive XOR of the numbers must be zero. In division 2 this will be a much bigger blocker than in Div1, as I expect many people will not know this (but can easily be found online as the game is Nim is *very* fundamental and popular).
With this knowledge, the problem statement could be stated as following: given a set of N numbers A[i], increment some (potentially none or all of them) such that their XOR is zero. Do this with the least possible total sum of increments.
We need a dynamic programming solution which keeps track of the following information (state):
- Which element of A we are currently at (we have decided by how much to increase all of the previous ones).
- What is the current XOR of all previous (already-decided) elements.
It doesn’t make sense to increment the elements too much – in fact, we can prove that none of them is increased by more than 1024 in an optimal solution. This follows from the fact that none of the input numbers has that bit (2**10) set in the initial configuration. If we increment any of the elements enough so it becomes 1, then we have zeroes in all of its lower bits. This allows us to have a solution with strictly less than 1024 for the rest of the problem, thus we don’t need to make the current element any larger (see Div1’s EllysNim analysis for why this is true).
Now that we know the maximum XOR we can get to in an optimal solution is less than or equal to 2024 (1000 + 1024) we can have a DP table with state [50][2048]. The first dimension is the index of the current number we change, and the second one is the XOR of the previous numbers. Please note that although the elements can be at most 2024, their XOR can be larger – up to 2047, inclusive.
Inside the DP function, we need to check all possible increments for the current number (0, 1, …, 1024) and call the DP further on with the next index and the updated XOR.
After the last element, we check if the XOR is zero – if it is, then the current configuration of increments is good and we return 0 (no more increments to do). If it is not, then the current configuration is not good and we return infinity (to indicate we cannot finish the task with a zero XOR).
In terms of code, the whole solution looks as follows:
public class EllysNimDiv2 { private final int LIM = 2048; int[] a; int[][] dyn; int recurse(int idx, int cur) { if (idx == a.length) return cur == 0 ? 0 : 1000000001; if (dyn[idx][cur] != -1) return dyn[idx][cur]; int ans = 1000000001; for (int add = 0; add <= 1024; add++) { ans = Math.min(ans, recurse(idx + 1, cur ^ (a[idx] + add)) + add); } return dyn[idx][cur] = ans; } public int getMin(int[] A) { a = A; dyn = new int[a.length][LIM]; for (int i = 0; i < a.length; i++) Arrays.fill(dyn[i], -1); return recurse(0, 0); } }
In terms of complexity, we have O(N * maxA) states, with O(maxA) operations for each state. Thus, the total complexity is O(N * maxA^2). In terms of operations, that is 50 * 2048 * 1024 = around 100 million operations – low enough to fit nicely in the time limit.
Div1 275: EllysPalMul
EllysPalMul
Used as: Division One – Level One:
The problem PalMul presented a meet-in-the-middle in a very simple form. Instead of iterating all 1 billion options for Y, we will exploit that X * Y should be a palindrome and palindromes are… well, we can kinda split them in the middle.
Since X is in [1, 100000] and Y should be in [1, 1000000000], the maximal palindrome we can get for *any* input is less than 100,000,000,000,000, thus having at most 14 digits. But since the palindromes are determined by the first half of their digits, we have no more than 10,000,000 palindromes which are potential answers for our X * Y value. Ten million isn’t that much, so we can try them all! For each candidate palindrome P we need to see if it is divisible by X, and if it is – whether P / X = Y is in the [1, 1000000000] interval. We find the lowest Y that does the trick and we are done!
In terms of code, this can be implemented in the following way:
public class EllysPalMul { private final int INF = 1000000001; private int tryPal(int x, int left, int right) { long pal = left; for (; right > 0; right /= 10) pal = pal * 10 + right % 10; if (pal % x == 0 && pal / x >= 1 && pal / x <= 1000000000) return (int)(pal / x); return INF; } public int getMin(int X) { int ans = INF; for (int half = 1; half <= 10000000; half++) { ans = Math.min(ans, tryPal(X, half, half)); ans = Math.min(ans, tryPal(X, half, half / 10)); } return ans == INF ? -1 : ans; } }
Div1 500: EllysTwoRatings
EllysTwoRatings
Used as: Division One – Level Two:
This was a relatively standard problem. Most people in Div1 should almost immediately recognize the dynamic programming in it. There was some optimization involved (both for time and memory), but other than that it was standard.
The problem, in short, is as follows: having two integers A and B between 1 and 1000, inclusive, start changing them (alternatingly) with at most 100 in either direction, but keeping them in the [1, 1000] range. Each new value has equal probability for being chosen. What is the chance (expected value) for them to become equal at some point over 2*N iterations?
The most trivial DP will have a state of [2*N][1000][1000]. The first dimension is which iteration we are at. The second dimension is the current value of A. The third dimension is the current value of B.
Since we need the answer with double precision, this requires around 800 megabytes of memory, which is over the allowed 256MB. Luckily, we always change the value in the first dimension by one (incrementing the current iteration), so an easy fix is to make the solution iterative and use a [2][1000][1000] state instead (re-using the memory for each sequential iteration).
For each of the 2 * N * 1000 * 1000 states we need to change either A or B to some new value, which is up to 100 away from the current one. We can do this with a for-loop; however, this would be too slow, as 2 * 52 * 1000 * 1000 * 200 is around 20 billion operations – way more than we can do in the 2 seconds we have (we can safely run around 100-200 million operations in that timeframe).
Okay, how to make it faster? Without loss of generality, let’s say at the current iteration we are changing A. To fill the DP table, for any value A in [1, 1000] (which we’ll call curA) we need to consider all values newA in [max(1, curA-100), min(1000, curA+100)]. For example:
- For curA = 123 we need the sum of DP[iter-1][newA][B] for all newA in [23, 223].
- For curA = 124 we need the sum of DP[iter-1][newA][B] for all newA in [24, 224].
But 198 of the elements in the intervals [23, 223] and [24, 224] overlap! We can surely re-use that. For curA = 1, 2, …, 499, 500, 501, … 999, 1000 we’ll have the intervals [1, 101], [1, 102], …, [399, 599], [400, 600], [401, 601], … [899, 1000], [900, 1000]. Instead of calculating these sums over and over again, we’ll start with the interval [1, 101] for curA = 1 and add/remove (up to) one element from the back/front each time we go to the next curA, completely removing the inner cycle.
With this optimization (“inner cycle optimization”) we achieve amortized constant complexity for each state, needing roughly 104,000,000 operations – fitting quite nicely in the time limit!
One implementation of this (sorry for my Java) is as follows:
public class EllysTwoRatings { final static private int RAT = 1001; public double getChance(int N, int A, int B) { double[] dp = new double[RAT * RAT * 2]; for (int i = 0; i < RAT; i++) dp[i * RAT + i] = dp[RAT * RAT + i * RAT + i] = 1.0; for (int rem = 1; rem <= N; rem++) { for (int who = 1; who >= 0; who--) { int whoOff = who == 0 ? RAT * RAT : 0; for (int other = 1; other < RAT; other++) { double sum = 0, cnt = 0; for (int r = 1; r <= 100; r++) { sum += dp[whoOff + other * RAT + r]; cnt += 1.0; } for (int my = 1; my < RAT; my++) { if (my - 101 >= 1) { sum -= dp[whoOff + other * RAT + my - 101]; cnt -= 1.0; } if (my + 100 < RAT) { sum += dp[whoOff + other * RAT + my + 100]; cnt += 1.0; } dp[who * RAT * RAT + my * RAT + other] = my == other ? 1.0 : sum / cnt; } } } } return Math.round(dp[A * RAT + B] * 1000000000000.0) / 1000000000000.0; } }
Please note that doing multi-dimensional array compression into a single dimension reduces runtime significantly in Java, thus the implementation.
Div1 950: EllysNim
EllysNim
Used as: Division One – Level Three:
This was an odd task. It seemed standard, then not. It seemed harder than it is, then much easier. In the end it turns out to be somewhere in the middle – after figuring out a very special set of test cases.
The first thing the contestants had to realize was that in order for the second player to be able to win in this version of Nim (“normal play”) the XOR of the number of stones in the piles had to be zero. This should be fairly well-known for people in Div1 so was more of a nuance (less so for Div2).
With this knowledge, the problem statement could be stated as following: given a set of N numbers A[i], increment some (potentially none or all of them) such that their XOR is zero. Do this with the least possible total sum of increments.
If the XOR of the given numbers is already zero we’re done and can return 0.
If it isn’t, then there is at least one bit which is set in an odd number of elements A[i]. Let’s take any element, which *doesn’t* have it set. We can increment that element until the bit becomes one, fixing the XOR for that bit. We potentially change the XOR of the less-significant bits, but don’t change the one of the more significant ones. Thus, if we start from the most-significant non-zero XOR bit going to less-significant ones, this will work to solve the problem. We still don’t guarantee this is the optimal solution, but it is a solution.
What happens, if there is more than one element of A which has zero in the respective bit? Which one to increment? It turns out that it is always optimal to choose the largest one, if we ignore all more-significant bits than the current one. This is the greedy part of the task. Why is this true? Let’s have two elements with values X and Y (ignoring highest bits), both of which have 0 at the current bit. In case X == Y it doesn’t matter which one we choose. Without loss of generality, let’s have X < Y. If we decide to increment X at some point it will become equal to Y. At that point we can continue from Y, achieving the same, but having changed X as well – which can be sub-optimal, since we no longer can change X to some other number K < Y at a later point (and also using more increments than we might have needed).
Finally, why we chose elements with zero in this bit – why not change elements which have a 1? Well, since we iterate and “fix” bits from most-significant to less-significant ones, all higher bits are already “okay” – there are even number of 1s in each more significant bit. If we increment one of the numbers with a 1 in the current bit so it becomes zero, then one (or more) of the higher bits becomes broken and have to be fixed again. There is always a way to achieve an optimal answer by never changing a 1 to 0 in the currently evaluated bit.
Or, at least, that would be true if N was even. If it is not, it is not *always* true – it is mostly true, except in the case when N is odd and there is a bit in which *all* numbers have a 1. This is the special set of cases which makes the problem much harder. In that case there is no element with a zero which we can increment. What to do then?
One option is (when facing a bit with all-ones with N being odd) to try changing each of the numbers to have this bit 0 and recursively solve with the same greedy+backtrack. This exploits one other observation – once we “fix” such an all-one bit then the element we fixed it with has zeroes in all of its lowest bits – thus, the same will not happen in *any* of the lowest bits – we’ll have an element with a zero in all of them!
The bad news is that it *can*, however, happen in more-significant bits. A specially- crafted test cases may make such backtracks exponential. For example:
253(10) = 11111101(2) 251(10) = 11111011(2) 247(10) = 11110111(2) 239(10) = 11101111(2) 223(10) = 11011111(2) 191(10) = 10111111(2) 127(10) = 01111111(2) () = represents the base
Although all more-significant bits have an even number of ones (and we don’t need to change), the least-significant bit is of the “the bad type” – has an odd number of ones and no zero to fix it with. No matter which of the numbers we choose, we create a more-significant bit of “the bad type”.
Okay, what to do then? We said that once we change a bit (no matter from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0) in an element, *all* of its less-significant bits become zero and we no longer have the nasty scenario with all-one bits there. We need to exploit that observation further. Since the initial XOR is not zero there is a most-significant bit we need to change. Well, if we use brute force for figuring out which that bit is (having O(N * log(1,000,000,000) options for that) then in the rest of the problem we either:
- Don’t have the nasty scenario, which we already know how to solve.
- We have the nasty scenario, which means the bit we changed is not the most-significant one and we can abandon it directly.
After all the thinking, the implementation turns out to be rather simple – we bruteforce all numbers and all bits for looking for the most-significant one we need to change, then run a simple greedy. Nice, right?
public class EllysNim { private long greedy(int[] A) { A = Arrays.copyOf(A, A.length); long ret = 0; for (int bit = 30; bit >= 0; bit--) { Arrays.sort(A); int idx = A.length - 1; while (idx >= 0 && (A[idx] & (1 << bit)) != 0) A[idx--] &= (1 << bit) - 1; if ((A.length - idx) % 2 == 0) { if (idx < 0) return 1000000000000000001L; ret += (1 << bit) - A[idx]; A[idx] = 0; } } return ret; } public long getMin(int[] A) { long ans = greedy(A); for (int i = 0; i < A.length; i++) { for (int bit = 0; bit <= 30; bit++) { if ((A[i] & (1 << bit)) == 0) { int add = (1 << bit) - (A[i] & ((1 << bit) - 1)); A[i] += add; ans = Math.min(ans, greedy(A) + add); A[i] -= add; } } } return ans; } }
We have O(N) for trying all numbers with O(log(Ai)) for each of its bits (this is the brute-force for the most-significant bit we need to change). Each of these creates an instance of the greedy. It can be implemented in several ways, but since we don’t care much for efficiency here, there is a relatively simple O(N * log(Ai)) implementation, with which the total complexity becomes O(N^2 * log^2(Ai)).
espr1t
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Revision history for UR 0.44 2015-06-30T21:21:44Z Added UR::Context::AutoUnloadPool - a mechanism for automatically unloading objects when a leaving a scope. Added methods to UR::Object::Type to introspect methods names relating to is_many properties. The MetaDB no longer tracks owner/schema. Classes using tables not in the default schema should have their table_name listed as "schema.table". Added copy() constructor to UR::Object Removed old, deprecated filter parser for turning text into a UR::BoolExpr within UR::Object::Command::List Meta-params like -order_by are now allowed in a delegated property's where clase. Retrieving values for doubly-delegated properties is more efficient. An id-by delegated property can point to a class with multiple ID properties. The linking value is the composite ID. Observers now have a 'once' property. Setting it to true ensures the callback will only ever fire one time. The Observer is deleted. Properties can have a 'calculated_default' subref. Works like default_value, but the return value from the subref is the default value rather than have a hardcoded default. Fixes to work with newer versions of SQLite Added __rollback__() to UR::Object, called when the base Context rolls-back. Subclasses can override this to provide special behavior during rollback. The override should also call SUPER::__rollback__(). 0.43 2014-07-03T14:13:27Z Set objects now have member_iterator() method. Data loaded from an RDBMS during the life of a program can be copied to an alternate database. Use the "C" collation with PostgreSQL when doing an order-by on a text-type column to match how UR will sort cached objects using perl's cmp. Singleton accessors can be called on the class as well as the instance. Class initializer is more strict about what is a valid property name; it must be a valid function name. Added UR::Value::JSON class. Its "id" is a JSON-encoded string of the instance's properties and values. Added UR::Context::Transaction::eval() and do() functions to wrap software transactions around blocks. Added UR::DataSource::RDBMSRetriableOperations mixin class to allow RDBMSs to control whether failed DB operations should be retried. Added signals for when a data source fails a query or commit, and when the handle is created or disconnected. Added signal to UR::Context for when synchronizing to the datasources has succeeded or failed. Added 'isa' operator to boolean expressions. Evaluates to true if the attribute isa the given class. Fixed a bug where a Set object's value for an aggregate would be incorrect if cached member objects' values change. Fixed a bug where UR objects frozen in boolean expressions could cause database rows to be deleted when thawed. UR's class browser (ur sys class-browser) is working again. 0.42 2014-06-26T22:12:56Z Test releases to try out our new release system with minilla 0.41 2013-03-18 above.pm now imports symbols into the caller's package Fix for database connections after fork() in the child process Fixes for command-line parsing, implied property metadata and database joins Many test updates to work on more architectures 0.40 2013-02-25 RDBMS data sources now have infrastructure for comparing text and non-text columns during a join. When a number or date column is joined with a text column, the non-text column is converted with the to_char() function in the Oracle data source. An object-type property's default_value can now be specified using a hashref of keys/values. Property definitions can now include example_values - a listref of values shown to the user in the autogenerated documentation. Documentation for the Object Lister base command is expanded. 0.392 2013-01-31 Changed the name for the Yapp driver package to avoid a CPAN warning about unauthorized use of their namespace 0.39 2013-01-30 Better support for PostgreSQL. It is now on par with Oracle. New datasource UR::DataSource::Filesystem. It obsoletes UR::DataSource::File and UR::DataSource::FileMux, and is more flexible. Classes can specify a query hint when they are used as the primary class of a get() or when they are involved in a join. BoolExprs with an or-clause now support hints and order-by correctly. Messaging methods (error_message(), status_message(), etc) now trigger observers of the same name. This means any number of message observers can be attached at any point in the class hierarchy. Using chained delegated properties with the dot-syntax (object.delegate.prop) is accepted in more places. Better support for queries using direct SQL. Many fixes for the Boolean Expression syntax parser. Besides fixing bugs, it now supports more operators and understands 'offset' and 'limit'. Support for defining a property that is an alias for another. Fixes for remaining connected to databases after fork(). Optimization for the case where a delegation goes through an abstract class with no data source and back to the original data source. It now does one query instead of many. Improvements to the Command API documentation. Removed some deps on XML-related modules. 0.38 2012-03-28 Bug fixes to support C3 inheritance on the Mac correctly. Rich extensions to primitive/value data-types for files, etc. Optimization for very large in-clauses. Database updates now infer table structure from class meta-data instead of leaning on database metadata when inserting (update and delete already do this). Bug fixes to the new boolean expression parser. Fixes to complex inheritance in RDBMS data. Fix to sorting issues in older Perl 5.8. Bug fixes to boolean expressions with values which are non-UR objects Smarter query plans when the join table is variable (not supported in SQL, but in the API), leading to multiple database queries where necessary. 0.37 2012-02-03 Added a proper parser for generating Boolean Expressions from text strings. The object lister commands (UR::Object::Command::List) use it to process the --filter, and it can be used directly through the method UR::BoolExpr::resolve_for_string(). See the UR::BoolExpr pod for more info. Or-type Boolean Expressions now support -order, and can be the filter for iterators. Important Bugfixes: * Better error messages when a module fails to load properly during autoloading. * Class methods called on Set instances are dispatched to the proper class instead of called on the Set's members. * Values in an SQL in-clause are escaped using DBI's quote() method. 0.36 2012-01-05 Fix for 'like' clause's escape string on PostgreSQL Speed improvement for class initialization by normalizing metadata more efficiently and only calculating the cached data for property_meta_for_name() once. Workaround for a bug in Perl 5.8 involving sorters by avoiding method calls inside some sort subs Fully deprecate the old Subscription API in favor of the new Observer api UR::Value classes use UR::DataSource::Default and the normal loading mechanism. Previously, UR::Values used a special codepath to get loaded into memory Add a json perspective for available views Allow descending sorts in order-by. For example: my @o = Some::Class->get(prop => 'value', -order => ['field1','-field2'] To get all objects where prop is equal to the string 'value', first sorted by field1 in ascending order, then by field2 in descending order Standardize sorting results on columns with NULLs by having NULL/undef always appears at the end for ascending sorts. Previously, the order depended on the data source's behavior. Oracle and PostgreSQL put them at the end, while MySQL, SQLite and cached get()s put them at the beginning. Fix exit code for 'ur test run' when the --lsf arg is used. It used always return a false value (1). Now it returns true (0) if all tests pass, and false (1) if any one test fails. UR::Object now implements the messaging API that used to be in Command (error_message, dump_error_messages, etc). The old messaging API is now deprecated. 0.35 2011-10-28 Queries with the -recurse option are suppored for all datasources, not just those that support recursive queries directly Make the object listers more user-friendly by implicitly putting '%' wildcards on either side of the user-supplied 'like' filter Update to the latest version of Getopt::Complete for command-line completion Object Set fixes (non-datasource expressable filters) Bugfixes for queries involving multiple joins to the same table with different join conditions Queries with -offset/-limit and -page are now supported. Query efficiency improvements: * id_by properties with a know data_type have special code in the bridging logic to handle them more efficiently * large in-clause testing uses a binary search instead of linear for cached objects * no longer indexing delegated properties results in fewer unnecessary queries during loading * remove unnecessary rule evaluations against loaded objects * When a query includes a filter or -hints for a calculated property, implicitly add its calculate_from properties to the -hints list * Rules in the query cache are always normalized, which makes many lookups faster * Fix a bug where rules in the query cache related to in-clause queries were malformed, resulting in fewer queries to the data source Command module fixes: * running with --help no longer emits error messages about other missing params * Help output only lists properties that are is_input or is_param Deleted objects hanging around as UR::DeletedRefs are recycled if the original object gets re-created 0.34 2011-07-26 New class (Command::SubCommandFactory) which can act as a factory for a tree of sub-commands Remove the distinction between older and newer versions of DBD::SQLite installed on the system. If you have SQLite databases (including MetaDBs) with names like "*sqlite3n*", they will need to be renamed to "*sqlite3*". Make the tests emit fewer messages to the terminal when run in the harness; improve coverage on non-Intel/Linux systems. 0.33 2011-06-30 New environment variable (UR_DBI_SUMMARIZE_SQL) to help find query optimization targets View aspects for objects' primitive values use the appropriate UR::Value View classes Query engine remembers cases where a left join matches nothing, and skips asking the datasource on subsequent similar queries Committing a software transaction now performs the same data consistancy checking as the top-level transaction. Improved document auto-generation for Command classes Improved SQLite Data Source schema introspection Updated database handling for Pg and mysql table case sensitivity UR's developer tools (ur command-line tool) can operate on non-standard source tree layouts, and can be forced to operate on a namespace with a command-line option Support for using a chain of properties in queries ('a.b.c like' => $v) Set operations normalized: min, max, sum, count Set-to-set relaying is now correctly lazy Objects previously loaded from the database, and later deleted from the database, are now detected as deleted and handled as another type of change to be merged with in-memory changes. 0.32 (skipped) 0.31 (skipped) 0.30 2011-03-07 re-package 0.29 with versions correctly set 0.29 2011-03-07 query/iteration engine now solves n+1 in the one-to-many case as well as many-to-one query optimization where the join table is variable across rows in a single resultset automated manual page creation for commands reduced deps (removed UR::Time) 0.28 2011-01-23 fix to the installer which caused a failure during docs generation improvements to man page generation 0.27 2011-01-22 updated build process autogenerates man pages 0.26 2011-01-16 yet another refactoring to ensure VERSION appears on all modules fixes for tests which fail only in the install harness faster compile faster query cache resolution leaner meta-data less build deps, build dep fixes hideable commands fixes for newer sqlite API revamped UR::BoolExpr API new command tree 0.18 2010-12-10 Bugfix for queries involving subclasses without tables Preliminary support for building debian packages Bugfixes for queries with the 'in' and 'not in' operators Object cache indexing sped up by replacing regexes with direct string comparisons 0.17 2010-11-10 Fixed bug with default datasources dumping debug info during queries. Deprecated old parts of the UR::Object API. Bugfixes for MySQL data sources with handling of between and like operators, and table/column name case sensitivity MySQL data sources will complain if the 'lower_case_table_names' setting is not set to 1 Bugfixes for FileMux data sources to return objects from iterators in correct sorted order File data sources remember their file offsets more often to improve seeking Bugfixes for handling is_many values passed in during create() New class for JSON-formatted Set views More consistent behavior during evaluation of BoolExprs with is_many values and undef/NULL values Bugfixes for handling observers during software transaction commit and rollback Addition of a new UR::Change type (external_change) to track non-UR entities that need undo-ing during a rollback 0.16 2010-09-27 File datasources build an on-the-fly index to improve its ability to seek within the file Initial support for classes to supply custom logic for loading data Compile-time speed improvements Bug fixes for SQL generation with indirect properties, and the object cache pruner 0.15 2010-08-03 Improved 'ur update classes' interaction with MySQL databases Integration with Getopt::Complete for bash command-line tab completion 0.14 2010-07-26 Metadata about data source entities (tables, columns, etc) is autodiscovered within commit() if it doesn't already exist in the MetaDB The new View API now has working default toolkits for HTML, Text, XML and XSL. The old Viewer API has been removed. Smarter property merging when the Context reloads an already cached object and the data in the data source has changed Added a built-in 'product' calculation property type Calculated properties can now be memoized subclassify_by for an abstract class can now be a regular, indirect or calculated property New environment variable UR_CONTEXT_MONITOR_QUERY for printing Context/query info to stdout SQLite data sources can initialize themselves even if the sqlite3 executable cannot be found Test harness improvements: --junit and --color options, control-C stops tests and reports results 'use lib' within an autoloaded module stays in effect after the module is loaded 0.13 2010-02-21 Circular foreign key constraints between tables are now handled smartly handled in UR::DataSource::RDBMS. New meta-property properties: id_class_by, order_by, specify_by. Updated autogenerated Command documentation. Formalized the __extend_namespace__ callback for dynamic class creation. New Command::DynamicSubCommands class makes command trees for a group of classes easy. The new view API is available. The old "viewer" API is still available in this release, but is deprecated. 0.12 2009-09-09 'ur test run' can now run tests in parallel and can submit tests as jobs to LSF Command modules now have support for Getopt::Complete for bash tab-completion Bugfixes related to saving objects to File data sources. Several more fixes for merging between database and in-memory objects. Property names beginning with an underscore are now handled properly during rule and object creation 0.11 2009-07-30 Fix bug in merge between database/in-memory data sets with changes. 0.10 2009-07-22 Updates to the UR::Object::Type MOP documentation. Other documentation cleanup and file cleanup. 0.9 2009-06-19 Additional build fixes. 0.8 2009-06-17 David's build fixes. 0.7 2009-06-10 Fix to build process: the distribution will work if you do not have Module::Install installed. 0.6 2009-06-07 Fixed to build process: actually install the "ur" executable. 0.5 2009-06-06 Updates to POD. Additional API updates to UR::Object. 0.4 2009-06-04 Updates to POD. Extensive API updates to UR::Object. 0.3 2009-05-29 Fixed memory leak in cache pruner, and added additional debugging environment variable. Additional laziness on file-based data-sources. Updated lots of POD. Switched to version numbers without zero padding! 0.02 2009-05-23 Cleanup of initial deployment issues. UR uses a non-default version of Class::Autouse. This is now a special file to prevent problems with the old version. Links to old DBIx::Class modules are now gone. Updated boolean expression API. 0.01 2009-05-07 First public release for Lambda Lounge language shootout. | https://metacpan.org/changes/distribution/UR | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | refinedweb | 2,714 | 54.32 |
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Nicaragua tourism is still very rough I must say. But the good point is the new operators are really trying to render their best services based on a quite basic foundation. From Asia we had a long travel to Central America and visited Costa Rica first. We were prepared ourselves for a "worse" Nicaragua. But we were wrong. The service was amazing to prove Nicaragua has got what Costa Rica cannot offer. That was thankful for our guide " Tiger" Antonio. I'll insist to have him again if we return ( and we will)!…
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Date of experience: May 2018
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travelwithwinny wrote a review May 2018
Melbourne, Australia1,000 contributions111 helpful votes
Went with Viva Nicaragua after hearing recommendations from backpacking forums. The email response by Rodolfo was fast and he was able to honor the promotional prices given to other travellers before which was USD$20pp per activity to either Masaya and the kayak around the islets. The vehicle used was really new and our guide "Tiger" Harrod was very knowledgeable, he made us felt like we made a friend in Nicaragua. Apparently this company is quite new, we highly recommend their services.…
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Date of experience: May 2018
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Awesome_Journeys_net wrote a review Apr 2018
Ulm, Germany42 contributions8 helpful votes
We did 3 tours with them (Granada Islets by boat, Mombacho & Masaya Volcano Night Tour) and all of them were awesome!
We did three different tours (Granada Islets by boat, Mombacho & Masaya Volcano Night Tour) with Viva Nicaragua Tours and had a awesome time! Our two guides Carlos and Cesar, were amazing. The were funny, friendly, helpful and had a lot of knowledge about the surrounding nature and animals as well as Nicaragua itself. Both spoke very good English, so that communication was no problem at all. Reasons, why we would choose Viva Nicaragua Tours again for our tours around Granada and Nicaragua: + Staff was very friendly and helpful + Everyone (Staff, Guides, Drivers, ...) were speaking great English + Transfer vehicles were in very perfect condition, some of them even seemed to be brand new + Driver was driving appropriate, so that we felt very safe the whole time + Their office is located in the center of Granada + Prices for the tours were very good We can recommend this tour company to everyone, who wants to explore beautiful Nicaragua! Thanks for the great time!…
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Date of experience: April 2018
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RemiMaggio wrote a review Apr 2018
Paris, France75 contributions7 helpful votes
We went there for the Granada islands tour by boat and we find it very good ! Our guide (Carlos ?) was very interesting and very nice with us making the tour almost perfect ! We saw monkeys and multiple birds. Recommend if you stay little time in Granada :)
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Date of experience: April 2018
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Excellent people who went out of their way to show you a good time on your tour. Very comfortable transportation. English speaking guide.
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Review collected in partnership with this attraction
Date of experience: April 2018
Helpful | https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g580113-d13279948-Reviews-IViva_Nicaragua_Tour_Company-Granada_Granada_Department.html | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | refinedweb | 524 | 69.52 |
('["\b\f\n\r\t\\\\\x00-\x1F]', 'i');
and replace it with this:Sys.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer._stringRegEx = new RegExp('["\\b\\f\\n\\r\\t\\\\\\x00-\\x1F]', 'i');('["\\b\\f\\n\\r\\t\\\\\\x00-\\x1.
Update: Changes were made for the final release of Visual Studio 2008 so that the providerOptions requires are included for new web applications.
There are a couple of issues and complexities with using partial trust in 'Orcas' beta 2.
Below is an article from the team that explains the issues for developers and provides workarounds. The issues and workarounds described apply only to .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2, and will be addressed in the final version of the product. The first explains what a developer must do to create partial trust applications in 'Orcas'. And the second explains what needs to be done on the server in order to host an ASP.NET application in partial trust that leverages LINQ.
When you use Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 to build a new ASP.NET Web application or website with .NET Framework 3.5, or migrate an existing ASP.NET application or website to .NET Framework 3.5, the resulting application will not run in medium trust or any other partial trust configuration. This issue affects all versions of Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2. A workaround is available below.
To enable support for new compiler features in .NET Framework 3.5, Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 inserts a new <system.codedom> section into the web.config file of every ASP.NET Web application. The configuration entry looks as follows:
<system.codedom>
">
<providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
</compiler>
<compiler language="vb;vbs;visualbasic;vbscript" extension=".vb" compilerOptions="/optioninfer+"
type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
</compilers>
</system.codedom>
This configuration entry contains a setting called compilerOptions that is not allowed under any partial trust configuration. When you run the application in medium trust or another partial trust setting, ASP.NET will raise an error noting that “the current trust level does not allow the use of the ‘compilerOptions’ attribute”. NOTE: Depending on the security settings of your server, this error message may or may not be visible to you.
To avoid this problem, you can remove the compilerOptions setting, as well as the warningLevel setting, from this configuration section in your application’s web.config file after you have created or migrated your application. After making the change, your <system.codedom> section should appear as follows:
<compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
<compiler language="vb;vbs;visualbasic;vbscript" extension=".vb" type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
The workaround above also has the following impact on your ASP.NET Web applications:
1. For websites built with Visual Basic, the workaround prevents using the new LINQ capabilities of .NET Framework 3.5 on an ASP.NET page. To fix this, users can add the following line to the beginning of their Visual Basic codebehind file, and any other Visual Basic code files that use LINQ:
Option Infer On
Inline Visual Basic inside the .aspx or .ascx page (within a <script runat=”server”> tag) will not be able to use LINQ with this workaround. Users should move this code to a codebehind file. Other ASP.NET page features that use LINQ, such as the LinqDataSource control, will continue to work normally.
2. For websites built with C#, compiler warnings will no longer show up in the Visual Studio errors pane on compilation.
By default, the LINQ features in .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2 cannot be used in medium trust or partial trust configurations. Enabling LINQ in these configurations requires a machine-level change to .NET Framework configuration.
In medium trust or partial trust configurations, the code permissions granted to an ASP.NET website are determined by a Code Access Security (CAS) policy file on the Web server. When .NET Framework 3.5 is installed on a Web server, websites continue to use the same CAS policy file as .NET Framework 2.0.
The LINQ feature set in .NET Framework 3.5 requires the CAS policy file to grant a new permission, called RestrictedMemberAccess, which is not granted by default on ASP.NET 2.0. To enable LINQ to work in medium or partial trust, you need to modify the CAS policy file to grant this additional policy.
NOTE: Making this change will also grant this policy to ASP.NET 2.0 websites running on the same server. We have determined this to be an acceptable change for hosted sites that run under medium trust. This change will have no impact on existing ASP.NET 2.0 websites that can run under medium or partial trust.
To enable LINQ for medium trust, please follow the steps below on the server:
1. Open a command prompt, and go to the directory that contains your ASP.NET 2.0 trust policy files. This can be found under the Windows directory, at
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\config
2. Determine which CAS policy file to modify. If you are using medium trust, this file will be web_mediumtrust.config.
3. Make a backup of the existing file.
4. Examine the <SecurityClasses> section of your CAS policy file. If the section does not contain an entry named ReflectionPermission, add a new entry as follows:
<SecurityClass Name="ReflectionPermission" Description="System.Security.Permissions.ReflectionPermission, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"/>
If you are using the default medium trust settings, you will need to add this entry. Depending upon your trust setting, your CAS policy file may already contain this entry.
5. Examine the <NamedPermissionSets> section of your CAS policy file. If the section does not contain an entry named ReflectionPermission, add a new entry as follows:
<IPermission
class="ReflectionPermission"
version="1"
Flags="RestrictedMemberAccess"
/>
If you are using the default medium trust settings, you will need to add this entry.
If you are using another trust configuration, and the section already contains an entry named ReflectionPermission, you can modify the Flags setting to add RestrictedMemberAccess permission. Flags should be separated by a comma. For example, if you are using the default high trust settings, you can modify this section as follows:
Flags="ReflectionEmit, RestrictedMemberAccess"
6. Save the file, and restart the Web server.
Well, I've been asked three times now why I haven't blogged about my book, so here it is. I worked with Dan Wahlin and Wrox to create a book about ASP.NET AJAX. The book covers the UpdatePanel, ScriptManager and other server controls, discusses how the Microsoft AJAX Library works and how you can more easily invoke web services, provide client-side event handlers, debug and deploy your AJAX application and write custom AJAX controls. Check it out at Amazon here.
The release on Windows Update that contains updates to enable the validator controls to work with the UpdatePanel has been delayed. However, you can download a HotFix that contains the changes.
I recently filmed an episode of the .NET Show with Brad Abrams () and Bertrand Le Roy (). Brad asked for suggestions of words to work into the interview before we did it (). I believe I won that challenge, but I can't be a participant and the judge as well.
Thanks to Robert Hess and the rest of those that have been working on the .NET Show. Here is a link to the episode .>
The ASP.NET AJAX Release Candidate is available here. A major change between beta2 and the RC is the switch from the Microsoft.Web.* namespace to the System.Web.* namespace. It's a straightforward update to exisiting code and should simplify things going forward into the next release of the .NET Framework. No other major changes are expected between now and the final release.
At this point, we are only taking high priority fixes and will release before too much longer. If you encounter problems, please let us know. And thanks to those who have provided feedback so far. It has helped us prioritize our work and while we haven't been able to include everything we would like for this release, I do think we have a solid release coming and am looking forward to adding more features in our next release.
At my TechEd whiteboard discussion, we talked about a couple of useful things for AJAX development. One is the WebDevHelper that a software architect, Nikhil Kothari, from the team provides. It is an add-in for Internet Explorer that will monitor the inbound and outbound traffic from the browser and log it for you. This can help greatly in seeing what is happening during asynchronous requests. His latest update and post about it are available here:
We also talked about the problem in AJAX development of the back button. The user can go along interacting with the application while state changes are happening asynchronously. The browser's understanding of the page navigation does not natively correspond to all of those asyncrhonous updates so when the user clicks the browser's Back button, they roll back in the history negating much more than what they anticipated of what they had done. And, they can't recover. Clicking forward again does not restore all of the asynchronous changes that occured after the page was navigated too. Nikhil has a prototype available for makring points in the browser's navigation history. Read more about it here:.
Here is one of the samples I was asked for at TechEd last week. How to access session state data from the browser. There are two C# methods in the page. One overrides the the OnLoad method and stores a value in session state for demonstration purposes. The other is a static method decorated with the WebMethod attribute that can be called from JavaScript. It retrieves the value for the given key from session state. Currently, only static methods are callable use the PageMethods object in the browser.
In the JavaScript code, there is a pageLoad method which will be called automatically by the ASP.NET AJAX script library. The PageMethods object is used to invoke the method on the server. It provides callbacks for success and error. The success callback just displays the value retrieved from session state on the server.
<%
[WebMethod]public static string Session(string key) { return (string)HttpContext.Current.Session[key];}</script><script type="text/javascript">function pageLoad(sender, arg) { PageMethods.Session("foo", OnCallComplete, OnCallError);}function OnCallComplete(result, userContext, methodName) { alert(result);}function OnCallError(error, userContext, methodName) { if(error !== null) { alert(error.get_message()); }}</script><form runat="server"><asp:scriptmanager</form>
As promised, the slides and code from my TechEd presentation are available here. I got some great feedback from people that have been using the ASP.NET AJAX beta as well as from those who have started looking at the Integrated Pipeline features of IIS7. I also have a few follow-up items to post:
1) details about a workaround for a problem with browser capabilities with some search engines.
2) some pointers to tools and samples
3) example code for a page method that accesses session data
Well,
While I have been preparing for my TechEd Europe presentation next week, I have been asked several times for the blog address where I will post my slides. Starting a blog has been on my list of things to do for some time, so I guess this is the forcing function. I am a Development Manager on the UI Framework and Services team, responsible for ASP.NET and ASP.NET AJAX among other things. My intent here is to share info about the technologies I work on, and respond to common inquiries about developing applications. Developer feedback is key for guiding our product decisions, so don't hesitate to send me your thoughts.
A quick note of background about me: I joined the IIS web server team at Microsoft in 1997 working on what is now generally referred to as "classic" ASP. I worked on the IIS5 release, shipped the Mobile Controls for v1.0 of the .NET Framework, and then helped deliver .NET Framework versions 1.1 and 2.0. Now we are working on the ASP.NET AJAX Extensions as well as the next release of the .NET Framework code-named "Orcas."
Trademarks |
Privacy Statement | http://blogs.msdn.com/mattgi/ | crawl-002 | refinedweb | 2,075 | 59.3 |
On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 5:13 PM, Chris Stockton
<chrisstocktonaz@gmail.com> wrote:
> _design/_foo for example is valid as of .10.0, but is that going to
> change?
Most interesting. The specific definitions we've used before are generally:
Underscore prefixes are reserved in the root of a document.
Underscore prefixes are reserved for document ids.
Seeing as the _foo is only internal to the document id, I'm not sure
if it should fall into the reserved scope or not. On the one hand, the
full docid is "_design/_foo" which is logically consistent, but "_foo"
is used internally in quite a few places. I can't think of an argument
for or against right now.
And as Andrew notes, if you're wanting to protect against user
property clashing then you should nest the user properties to avoid
spurious errors. Picking something like # or $ for an app's private
namespace should be fine otherwise.
Paul Davis | http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/incubator-couchdb-user/200910.mbox/%3Ce2111bbb0910291427o628c2fa6rb7e28e03260fdfeb@mail.gmail.com%3E | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | refinedweb | 161 | 64.71 |
I have an idea of how I want to tackle this but its hard for me to implement in code. I want the function to check each element and if it spots another one just like it, to do an incrementation. I need a nudge. I'm not sure how to take that first step. Any help as always is appreciated.
Code:#include <iostream> using namespace std; int mode(int a[],int size );//prototype int main() { const int size=10; int a[size]={1,2,-3,-4,-5,-6,7,8,-9,10}; mode(a,size);//call return 0; } int mode(int a[], int size) //returns mode element of array { int m=0; for(int i=0;i<size;i++){ if(i //???????? a[i]; } } | http://cboard.cprogramming.com/cplusplus-programming/54639-returning-mode-value-array.html | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | refinedweb | 124 | 72.16 |
That makes sense actually, but how would i go about doing that?
Type: Posts; User: bankoscarpa
That makes sense actually, but how would i go about doing that?
I have the array printing out just 0's. I am not sure what i have to input to make it output random digits. I want random digits 0-9, I am not sure what to do. This is the last program i need help...
the issue is now resolved. Thank you very much for your help. I ended up not using a second class. Thank you norm.
I have been trying to do that for the last few hours. :( It keeps giving me back errors.
I am not sure what you mean. Should i write the code where the main method has nothing in it and then separate it?
thank you Norm
Would i fix that by making a new class?
SOLVED!
This is what i have and I am not sure what i am doing wrong. It keeps giving me errors!
public class Swapper
I now have the tester down to this:
import java.util.Scanner;
public class CountSevens1Tester
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{ String s = "";
Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);...
I did what you said and i keep getting the same error. this is what i have in the tester class.[CODE]import java.util.Scanner;
public class CountSevens1Tester
{
public static void main(String[]...
I have this code: it works and it properly runs. I just do not know how to make it have 2 classes and make a call. Sorry for the beginner question. Thank you for your help.
import...
Hmm, i see what you mean and i just tried that in my code and it did not work. :( I am not sure what i am doing wrong.
This is the tester class.
import java.util.Scanner;
public class NumbersTester
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
String s = "";
Scanner in = new...
Issue is resolved! Thank you so much for you the help! :)
I see, well I have a specific way of being graded. (on wiley plus) That means I should probably stick to if/else statements. I do not get the part where i have two parameters in the get method. I...
That makes sense! I was not sure what I was doing wrong. When the code runs, it has no limit on what the day input is. If i put that the month is 2 and the day is 78, it will still return what i had...
I am in a low level class and I get stuck right after this:
This is my Tester class:import java.util.Scanner;
/**
This program calculates the season for a given month and day.
*/
public... | http://www.javaprogrammingforums.com/search.php?s=fc37a907315bd29feb8952ce58d69be3&searchid=685656 | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | refinedweb | 457 | 85.99 |
by Zoran Horvat
Feb 18, 2014
An array of integers is given, such that each number appears exactly three times in it with exception of one number which appears only once. Write a function returning number which appears once in the array.
Example: Suppose that array consists of numbers 2, 4, 5, 1, 1, 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 4, 2. The function should return value 3, because that is the number which appears only once. All other numbers appear three times.
For similar problem, please refer to exercise Finding a Number That Appears Once in Array of Duplicated Numbers.
Another variation of the problem is covered in exercise Finding Two Numbers That Appear Once in Array of Duplicated Numbers.
This problem resembles a similar problem where all numbers appear exactly twice, except one which appears once. Solution to this problem is explained in exercise Finding a Number That Appears Once in Array of Duplicated Numbers. Although solution is not directly applicable to problem were numbers appear three times each, we can still make use of it.
Suppose that we can isolate one particular bit in each of the numbers in the array. Now we can add values of that bit in all numbers and see whether the result is divisible by 3 or not. This test tells us about the number which appears once, because all other numbers either contribute with value 3 or with value 0. If sum is divisible with 3, then this bit in the number which appears once must be 0; otherwise it must be 1.
We can now proceed towards solving the problem by making modulo 3 sums for each of the bits in numbers in the array. But since summation modulo 3 has greatest value 2, it is obvious that intermediate results cannot be stored in one bit each. One efficient way is to keep intermediate sums in a pair of bits for each bit in the number. Alternative, we could use two integer numbers A and B, such that bits in B represent low-order bits of the modulo 3 sum, while bits in A represent high-order bits of the modulo 3 sum.
The operation then proceeds by analyzing what bitwise operations should be applied so that digits in base 3 represented by bits of A and B really resemble modulo 3 addition results. Suppose that A and B are just one bit long. In that case, when digit K (0 or 1) is added to two-bit number AB, the result of modulo 3 addition operation is given in the following table:
Values X in the output indicates values that are not important because inputs can never be reached in normal operation – namely, intermediate result can never be 11 (binary), which is 3 decimal because we are performing modulo 3 addition. To extract closed form functions for new A and B, we will use Karnaugh maps.
These expressions will give us the way to combine bits from all numbers in the array. Finally, each bit in the result which corresponds to AB=00 will be zero, otherwise 1. So, resulting number is just A OR B. Below is the pseudocode which implements this algorithm. Note that all Boolean operations in the code are bitwise operations.
function FindUniqueNumber(v, n) -- v – array of integers -- n – number of elements in a begin a = b = 0 for i = 1, n begin a’ = (a AND NOT v[i]) OR (b AND v[i]) b = (b AND NOT v[i]) OR (NOT a AND NOT b AND v[i]) a = a’ end return a OR b end
Quite an astonishing piece of code when you know how complicated it is to find which number appears exactly once.
Below is the C# console application which lets the user enter array of integers and then prints the number which appears once in the array.
using System; class Program { static int FindUniqueNumber(int[] array) { int a = 0; int b = 0; for (int i = 0; i < array.Length; i++) { int a1 = (a & ~array[i]) | (b & array[i]); b = (b & ~array[i]) | (~a & ~b & array[i]); a = a1; } return a | b; } static void Main() { while (true) { int[] a = ReadArray(); if (a.Length == 0) break; int unique = FindUniqueNumber(a); Console.WriteLine("Number appearing once is {0}.", unique); Console.WriteLine(); } } static int[] ReadArray() { Console.WriteLine("Enter array (ENTER to quit):"); string line = Console.ReadLine(); string[] parts = line.Split(new char[] { ' ' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries); int[] a = new int[parts.Length]; for (int i = 0; i < a.Length; i++) a[i] = int.Parse(parts[i]); return a; } }
When application above is run, it produces output like this:
Enter array (ENTER to quit): 2 4 5 1 1 4 1 2 3 5 5 4 2 Number appearing once is 3. Enter array (ENTER to quit): 3 8 5 6 2 8 6 4 7 9 7 6 5 9 1 5 9 4 3 3 1 1 7 8 4 Number appearing once is 2. Enter array . | http://codinghelmet.com/exercises/number-appearing-once-in-array-of-numbers-appearing-three-times | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | refinedweb | 833 | 60.65 |
8/2/18
Local Variable Type Inference in Java SE 10
By Kishori Sharan
What is Type Inference?
Suppose you want to store a person ID, say, 10, in a variable. You would declare the variable like
int personId = 10;
To store a list of person IDs, you would declare a variable like
ArrayList<Integer> personIdList = new ArrayList<Integer>();
How about rewriting these variable declarations as follows?
var personId = 10;
var personIdList = new ArrayList<Integer>();
You would say that this looks like JavaScript code, not Java code. That was correct until Java 10. In Java 10, you can use var to declare local variables with an initializer. The compiler will take care of inferring the correct type (sometimes, unintended incorrect type) for your variable. In Java 10, the previous snippet of code is the same as follows:
int personId = 10;
ArrayList<Integer> personIdList = new ArrayList<Integer>();
Does it mean that you do not need to use an explicit type to declare local variables in Java anymore? Does it mean that Java has become dynamically typed like JavaScript? No. None of these is true. Using var to declare local variable has limitations - some are technical and some are practical. Java is still a strongly and statically typed language. The examples you just saw are syntactic sugar added by the compiler. The compiler infers the type of the variables and generates the byte code, which is the same as before Java 10. The Java runtime never sees var!
Everything in Java revolves around types. Either you are declaring types like classes and interfaces or are using them. Every expression and value you use in your program has a type. For example, the value 10 is of int type, 10.67 is of double type, "Hello" is of String type, and the expression new Person() is of Person type.
Deriving type of a variable or an expression from the context of its use is called type inference. Java already has type interference, for example, in lambda expressions and in object creation expression for a generic type. The following statement uses type inference, which infers the diamond operator (<>) on the right-hand side as <Integer> by reading the ArrayList<Integer> from the left-hand-side:
ArrayList<Integer> personIdList = new ArrayList<>();
What is var?
Is var a keyword in Java 10? No. It is a restricted type name or a context sensitive keyword. It is a type name, which means it denotes a type (primitive type or reference type) like int, double, boolean, String, List, etc. Because var is a restricted type name, you can still use it as an identifier, except to define another type. That is, you can use var as variable names, method names, and package names. However, you cannot use it as the name of a class or an interface. Java coding standards recommend that the names of classes and interfaces start with an uppercase letter. If you did not follow the coding standards and used var as a class or interface name, your code will break in Java 10.
You can use var to declare local variables in the following three contexts. There are many restrictions to this list. I will cover them one- by-one.
· Local variables with initializers
· Index in for-each loops
· Indexes in for loops
The following are examples of using var to declare local variables with initializers:
// The type of birthYear is inferred as int
var birthYear = 1969;
// The type of promptMsg is inferred as String
var promptMsg = "Are you sure you want to proceed?";
// Assuming Person is a class, the type of john is inferred as Person
var john = new Person();
The compiler infers the type of the variable declared using var. If the compiler cannot infer the type, a compile-time error occurs. The compiler uses the type of the expression used as the initializer to infer the type of the variable being declared. Consider the previous variable declarations. In the first case, the compiler sees 1969, which is an integer literal of type int and infers type of the birthYear variable as int. When the source is compiled, the class file contains the statement:
// The compiler inferred the type of birthYear from 1969 and replaced var with int
// in the class file. The runtime sees the following statement as it did before Java 10.
int birthYear = 1969;
The same argument goes for the other two statements in which the type of the promptMsg and john variables are inferred as String and Person, respectively.
Looking at the previous examples, you may argue that why would you not write these statements using explicit types as the following?
int birthYear = 1969;
String promptMsg = "Are you sure you want to proceed?";
Person john = new Person();
You have a point. Except for saving a few key strokes, you really made the job of the readers of this code a little harder when you used var. When var is used, the reader must look at the initializer to know the type of the variable being declared. In simple expressions like the ones in our examples, it may not be very difficult to know the type of the initializer by just looking at it. One of the arguments made by the designer of the var type name is that using it to declare multiple variable at the same place makes the variable names easy to read because they all vertically align. Look at the following snippet of code:
var birthYear = 1969;
var promptMsg = "Are you sure you want to proceed?";
var john = new Person();
Compare the two previous snippets of code declaring the same set of variables. The latter is definably a little easier to read, but still a little harder to understand.
Let us consider the following variable declaration that uses a method call to initialize its value:
var personList = persons();
In this case, the compiler will infer the type of the personList variable based on the return type of the persons() method. For the readers of this statement, there is no way to tell the inferred type unless he looks at the declaration of the persons() method. I gave the variable a good name, personList, to indicate its type. However, it is still not clear whether it is a List<Person>, a Person[], or some other type.
Consider another example of a variable declaration:
Map<Integer,List<String>> personListByBirthMonth = new HashMap<Integer,List<String>>();
You can rewrite this statement as follows:
var personListByBirthMonth = new HashMap<Integer,List<String>>();
This time, the declaration looks much simpler and you may benefit from type inference offered by var, provided you keep the variable name intuitive enough to give a clue about its type.
You can mix var and explicit type names in the same section of the code (methods, constructors, static initializers, and instance initializers). Use var to declare variables whenever the types of the variables are clear to the readers, not just clear for the writer. If the reader of your code cannot figure out the variable types easily, use the explicit type names. Always choose clarity over brevity. It is very important that you use intuitive variable names when you use var. Consider the following variable declaration:
var x = 156.50;
The variable name x is terrible. If your method is a few lines long, using x as the variable name may be excused. However, if your method is big, the reader will have to scroll and look at the variable declaration to find what x means whenever x appears in the code. So, it is important to keep the variable name intuitive. Consider replacing the previous variable declaration with one such as follows:
var myWeightInPounds = 156.50;
No one reading the code that uses myWeightInPounds will have any doubts about its type.
A Quick Example
Listing 1 contains a test class to show you how to use the var restricted type name to declare local variables. I cover many more examples shortly. The comments in the code and the output make it obvious as to what is going on during the type inference. I do not explain the code any further.
Listing 1: Using the var Restricted Type Name to Declare Local Variables
// VarTest.java
package com.jdojo.java10.newfeatures;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Arrays;
public class VarTest {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// The inferred type of personId is int
var personId = 1001;
System.out.println("personID = " + personId);
// The inferred type of prompt is String
var prompt = "Enter a message:";
System.out.println("prompt = " + prompt);
// You can use methods of the String class on prompt as you did
// when you declared it as "String prompt = ..."
System.out.println("prompt.length() = " + prompt.length());
System.out.println("prompt.substring(0, 5) = " + prompt.substring(0, 5));
// Use an explicit type name, double
double salary = 1878.89;
System.out.println("salary = " + salary);
// The inferred type of luckyNumbers is List<Integer>
var luckyNumbers = List.of(9, 19, 1969);
System.out.println("luckyNumbers = " + luckyNumbers);
// The inferred type of cities is String[]
var cities = new String[]{"Altanta", "Patna", "Paris", "Gaya"};
System.out.println("cities = " + Arrays.toString(cities));
System.out.println("cities.getClass() = " + cities.getClass());
System.out.println("\nList of cities using a for loop:");
// The inferred type of the index, i, is int
for (var i = 0; i < cities.length; i++) {
System.out.println(cities[i]);
}
System.out.println("\nList of cities using a for-each loop:");
// The inferred type of the index, city, is String
for (var city : cities) {
System.out.println(city);
}
}
}
Output:
personID = 1001
prompt = Enter a message:
prompt.length() = 16
prompt.substring(0, 5) = Enter
salary = 1878.89
luckyNumbers = [9, 19, 1969]
cities = [Altanta, Patna, Paris, Gaya]
cities.getClass() = class [Ljava.lang.String;
List of cities using a for loop:
Altanta
Patna
Paris
Gaya
List of cities using a for-each loop:
Altanta
Patna
Paris
Gaya
I am sure you have many questions about local variable type inference covering different use-cases. I attempt to cover most use-cases in the next section with examples. I find the JShell tool, which is a command-line tool shipped with the JDK starting from JDK 9, invaluable to experiment with var. If you are not familiar with the JShell tool, refer to Chapter 23 of my book titled "Beginning Java 9 Fundaments (ISBN: 978-1484228432). I use JShell many times to show code snippets and results in next sections. Make sure to set the feedback mode to the JShell session to verbose, so JShell prints the variable declarations with inferred types when you use var. The following JShell session shows a few of the variable declarations used in the previous examples:
C:\Java10NewFeatures>jshell
| Welcome to JShell -- Version 10-ea
| For an introduction type: /help intro
jshell> /set feedback verbose
| Feedback mode: verbose
jshell> var personId = 1001;
personId ==> 1001
| created variable personId : int
jshell> var prompt = "Enter a message:";
prompt ==> "Enter a message:"
| created variable prompt : String
jshell> var luckyNumbers = List.of(9, 19, 1969);
luckyNumbers ==> [9, 19, 1969]
| created variable luckyNumbers : List<Integer>
jshell> var cities = new String[]{"Atlanta", "Patna", "Paris", "Gaya"};
cities ==> String[4] { "Atlanta", "Patna", "Paris", "Gaya" }
| created variable cities : String[]
jshell> /exit
| Goodbye
C:\Java10NewFeatures>
Rules of Using var
While reading these rules on using var in this section, keep in mind that there was only one objective in introducing var in Java 10 – making developers' life easier by keeping the rules of using var simple. I use JShell sessions in examples. If you need to declare a variable that needs to use features not allowed according to these rules, use an explicit type instead of var.
No Uninitialized Variables
You cannot use var to declare uninitialized variables. In such cases, the compiler has no expression to use to infer the type of the variable.
jshell> var personID;
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable personID
| (cannot use 'var' on variable without initializer)
| var personID;
| ^-----------^
This rule makes using var simple in your code and easy to diagnose errors. Assume that declaring uninitialized variables using var is allowed. You can declare a variable and assign it a value for the first time several lines later in your program, which would make the compiler infer the variable's type. If you get a compile-time error in another part, which tells you that you have assigned a value to your variable wrong type, you will need to look at the first assignment to the variable that decided the variable's type. This is called "action at a distance" inference error in which an action at one point may cause an error in another part later - making the developer's job harder to locate the error.
No null Type Initializers
You can assign null to any reference type variable. The compiler cannot infer the type of the variable if null is used as the initializer.
jshell> var personId = null;
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable personId
| (variable initializer is 'null')
| var personId = null;
| ^------------------^
No Multiple Variable Declarations
You cannot declare multiple variables in a single declaration using var.
jshell> var personId = 1001, days = 9;
| Error:
| 'var' is not allowed in a compound declaration
| var personId = 1001, days = 9;
| ^
Cannot Reference the Variable in the Initializer
When you use var, you cannot reference the variable being declared in the initializer. For example, the following declaration is invalid:
jshell> var x = (x = 1001);
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable x
| (cannot use 'var' on self-referencing variable)
| var x = (x = 1001);
However, the following declaration is valid when you use an explicit type:
// Declares x as an int and initializes it with 1001
int x = (x = 1001);
No Array Initializers by Themselves
Array initializer such as {10, 20} is a poly expression and its type depends on the left-hand-side of the assignment. You cannot use an array initializer with var. You must use an array creation expression with or without an array initializer such as new int[]{10, 20) or new int[2]. In such cases, the compiler infers the type of the variable the same as the type used in array creation expression. The following JShell session shows a few examples:
jshell> var evens = {2, 4, 6};
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable evens
| (array initializer needs an explicit target-type)
| var evens = {2, 4, 6};
| ^--------------------^
jshell> var evens = new int[]{2, 4, 6};
evens ==> int[3]{ 2, 4, 6 }
| created variable evens : int[]
jshell> var evens = new int[2];
evens ==> int[2] { 0, 0 }
| modified variable evens : int[]
| update overwrote variable evens : int[]
No Array Dimensions
While using var to declare a variable, you cannot use brackets ([]) after var or variable's name to specify the dimension of the array. The dimension of the array being declared is inferred from the initializer.
jshell> var[] cities = new String[3];
| Error:
| 'var' is not allowed as an element type of an array
| var[] cities = new String[3];
| ^
jshell> var cities = new String[3];
cities ==> String[3] { null, null, null }
| modified variable cities : String[]
| update overwrote variable cities : String[]
jshell> var points3D = new int[3][][];
points3D ==> int[3][][] { null, null, null }
| created variable points3D : int[][][]
No Poly Expressions as Initializers
Poly expressions need a target type to infer their types. No poly expressions such as lambda expressions and method references are allowed in initializers for variable declaration using var. Array initializers are poly expressions, which are also not allowed. You need to use explicit types with poly expressions. The following JShell session shows a few examples in which I use var to declare variables with poly expressions initializers, which generates errors. I also show using explicit types instead of var that does not generate errors.
jshell> var increment = x -> x + 1;
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable increment
| (lambda expression needs an explicit target-type)
| var increment = x -> x + 1;
| ^-------------------------^
jshell> Function<Integer,Integer> increment = x -> x + 1;
increment ==> $Lambda$13/2081853534@2a2d45ba
| created variable increment : Function<Integer, Integer>
jshell> var next = increment.apply(10);
next ==> 11
| created variable next : Integer
jshell> var intGenerator = new Random()::nextInt;
| Error:
| cannot infer type for local variable intGenerator
| (method reference needs an explicit target-type)
| var intGenerator = new Random()::nextInt;
| ^---------------------------------------^
jshell> Supplier<Integer> intGenerator = new Random()::nextInt;
intGenerator ==> $Lambda$14/1734161410@51565ec2
| created variable intGenerator : Supplier<Integer>
jshell> int nextInteger = intGenerator.get();
nextInteger ==> -2061949196
| created variable nextInteger : int
Inferring Types on Both Sides
In most cases, you get an error when the compiler cannot infer the type of the initializer and the variable. In some cases, Object is inferred as the type. Consider the following:
var list = new ArrayList<>();
The initializer uses a diamond operator, which makes the compiler to infer the type for ArrayList<> whereas, using var on the left-hand side makes the compiler to infer the type in ArrayList<>. You might expect an error in this case. However, the compiler replaces the previous declaration with the following:
ArrayList<Object> list = new ArrayList<>();
Consider the following snippet of code, which is also asking for inferring types on both sides:
public class NumberWrapper<E extends Number> {
// More code goes here
};
var wrapper = new NumberWrapper<>();
In this case, the inferred type is the upper bound of the type parameter "E extends Number", which is Number. The compiler will replace the previous variable declaration with the following
NumberWrapper<Number> wrapper = new NumberWrapper<>();
Inferring Non-Denotable Types
Using var to declare variables may lead the compiler to infer non-denotable types such as capture variable types, intersection types, and anonymous class types. Consider the following snippet of code, which uses an anonymous class. Note that an anonymous class does not have a name, so it is non-denotable.
class Template implements Serializable, Comparable {
@Override
public int compareTo(Object o) {
throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
}
// More code goes here
}
var myTemplate = new Template() {
// More code goes here
};
What would be the inferred type of the variable myTemplate? If you specified an explicit type for the myTemplate variable, you had the following four choices:
· Template myTemplate = ...
· Serializable myTemplate = ...
· Comparable myTemplate = ...
· Object myTemplate = ...
The compiler has a fifth choice, which is the non-denotable type of the anonymous class. In this case, compiler infers the non-denotable type of the anonymous class. When you add a new method to the anonymous class, which does not override any method in its superclass or superinterface, you cannot call that method statically. However, using var in anonymous class declaration allows you to do so, because your inferred variable type is compiler-generated non-denotable type of the anonymous class. The following JShell session demonstrates this:
jshell> var runnable = new Runnable() {
...> public void run() {
...> System.out.println("Inside run()...");
...> }
...>
...> public void test() {
...> System.out.println("Calling this method is possible because of var...");
...> }
...> };
runnable ==> $1@2a2d45ba
| created variable runnable : <anonymous class implementing Runnable>
jshell> runnable.run();
Inside run()...
jshell> runnable.test();
Calling this method is possible because of var...
Consider the following statement, where the return type of the getClass() method in the Object class is Class<?>:
// The inferred type of name is String
var name = "John";
// The inferred type of cls is Class<? extends String>
var cls = name.getClass();
In this case, the capture variable type in Class<?> has been projected upward to the supertype of the class of the name variable and the inferred type of cls is Class<? extends String> rather than Class<?>.
Here is the last example of the inferred non-denotable types:
var list = List.of(10, 20, 45.89);
What would be the inferred type of the list variable? This is a harder case to understand. The arguments to the List.of() method are of Integer and Double types. The Integer and Double class are declared as follows:
· final class Integer extends Number implements Comparable<Integer>
· final class Double extends Number implements Comparable<Double>
Both Integer and Double types implement the Comparable interface. In this case, the compiler projects the Integer and Double to their common supertype Number and uses an intersection of the Number and Comparable as the inferred type.
The previous variable declaration is equivalent to the following. Note that an intersection type is non-denotable, so you cannot use the following statement in your source code. I am showing it here just to show you the actual type being inferred. You can also use JShell to see this.
List<Number&Comparable<? extends Number&Comparable<?>>> list = List.of(10, 20, 45.89);
Using var to declare variables may become complex at the compiler-level. Use explicit types in such situations to make your intention clear. Remember: clarity is more important than brevity. You could rewrite the previous statement as follows:
List<Number> list = List.of(10, 20, 45.89);
Not Allowed in Fields and Methods Declarations
Using var to declare fields (instance and static), method's parameters, and method's return type is not allowed. Public fields and methods define the interface for a class. They are referenced in other classes. Making a subtle change in their declaration may need other classes to be recompiled. Using var in local variables has local effects. This is the reason that fields and methods are not supported by var. Private fields and methods were considered, but not supported, to keep the implementation of var simple.
Using final with var
You can declare a variable declared using var as final. The final modifier behaves the same as it did before the introduction of var. The following local variable declaration is valid:
// The inferred type of personId is int.
// personId is final. You cannot assign another value to it.
final var personId = 1001;
Backward Compatibility
If your existing code uses var as a class or interface name, your code will break in Java 10. Using it as method, package, and variable names are fine. It is very unlikely that you have named a class or interface as var because that would have been against the Java naming convention.
Future Enhancements
In JDK 10, var is not supported to declare formal parameters of implicitly typed lambda expressions. Consider the following statement, which uses an implicitly types lambda expression:
BiFunction<Integer,Integer,Long> adder = (x, y) -> (long) (x + y);
In this case, the types of both x and y parameters are inferred as Integer. In JDK 10, you cannot write like:
// A compile-time error in JDK 10
BiFunction<Integer,Integer,Long> adder = (var x, var y) -> (long) (x + y);
It is possible to write the previous statement in JDK 11, which will be released in September 2018. This code works in the early-access build of JDK 11, which you can download from.
Summary
Deriving type of a variable or an expression from the context of its use is called type inference. Java 10 introduced a restricted type name called var that can be used to declare local variables with initializes, and indexes for for-each and for loops. The type of the variable declared using var is inferred from the expression in the initializer. var is not a keyword; rather, it is a restricted type name, which means you cannot have a type such as a class or interface named as var. If you have a type named var in your existing code, your code will break when compiled in Java 10.
It is not always possible to infer the type of local variables from initializers. For example, if the initializer is null, it is not possible to inter the type. There are few limitations for using var to declare variables:
- Variable declarations without initializers are not supported.
- The initializer cannot be of the null type.
- Multiple variables in a single declaration are not supported.
- The initializer cannot reference the variable being declared.
- Array initializers by themselves are not supported.
- No array dimensions can be specified while declaring arrays.
- No poly expressions such as lambda expressions and method references are allowed in initializer.
- Instance and static fields are not supported.
About the Author
Kishori Sharan works as a senior software engineer lead at IndraSoft, Inc. He earned a master’s of science degree in computer information systems from Troy State University, Alabama. He is a Sun-certified Java 2 programmer and has over 20 years of experience in developing enterprise applications and providing training to professional developers using the Java platform. He has written several books on the Java platform ranging from Java SE 7 to Java SE 9/10 and JavaFX. His latest books on Java SE 9/10 are as follows:
This blog post was contributed by Kishori Sharan, the author of "Java Language Features: With Modules, Streams, Threads, I/O, and Lambda Expressions". | https://www.apress.com/us/blog/all-blog-posts/local-variable-type-inference-in-java-se-10/15991244 | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | refinedweb | 4,095 | 53 |
Adding a Custom Star-Field Background with three.js.
What is three.js ?
Three.js is a lightweight cross-browser JavaScript library/API used to create and display animated 3D computer graphics on a Web browser. Three.js scripts may be used in conjunction with the HTML5 canvas element, SVG or WebGL.
Add canvas tag : As I decided to use HTML5 canvas element, We need to add a
<canvas> tag in the HTML right after the
<body> tag [
<canvas id=”c”></canvas>] I also added a id with it to reference it in my JavaScript.
A bit CSS : this bit of css will make it span across the whole screen by applying
position: absolute; and
width:100%;height:100%;. Here it is relative to the
body of the HTML so
width:100%; will signify 100% width of the
body element and same for the height. a
z-index:-1; will place it behind all the HTML elements.
Also if noticed the
transition property it is there to make the background appear smoothly as it will require some amount of computation after the page and JavaScript is loaded, it will also give the low-end computers sometime to do the computations before rendering the first image.
#c {
display: block;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
opacity: 0;
transition: opacity 1500ms ease-out;
}
Wire-up the JS : We will make the
opacity:1; with the help of js
const canvas = document.getElementById("c");document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
canvas.style.opacity = 1;
});
Now lets stated with threejs first we need to import it in our project by
import THREE form “”
or we can simply link it with a script tag in our HTML
<script src=“”>
To threejs work on the canvas we defined in the HTML we need to pass it when creating the
renderer:
const starFieldBG = () =>{
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({canvas});
renderer.setClearColor(new THREE.Color("#1c1624")); ...
}
setClearColor() function set the color of canvas on which we will be drawing. renderer takes a
scene object and a
camera object as parameters to render it properly.
const scene = new THREE.Scene();const fov = 75, aspect = 2, near = 1.5, far = 5;
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(fov, aspect, near, far);renderer.render(scene, camera);
Here I have used PrespectiveCamera which gives a 3d view where things in the distance appear smaller than things up close.
fov is the Field Of View in degrees,
aspect is the width/height ratio and
near
far will determine how much space will be rendered.
To better understand about camera in three.js look at this live example at
At this point we wont be able to see anything as there is no light and no objects in the
scene. There are lots kinds of lights in the Three.js library like
AmbientLight,
AmbientLightProbe,
DirectionalLight,
PointLight etc. You can learn more about lights here. I’ve chosen to work with directional light as it creates light effects like the light is coming from sun.
// light source
const color = 0xffffff, intensity = 1;
const light = new THREE.DirectionalLight(color, intensity);
light.position.set(-1, 2, 4);
scene.add(light);
color &
intensity refers to the color of the light and how much it will enlighten the surface respectively.
position.set(x, y, z) sets the position of the light-source in the 3d space. Though the light source will not be rendered but its interaction with the objects will be rendered.
Now lets add a object so we can see at least something in the canvas. For that we need Mesh, it is combination of :
- A
Geometry— the shape of the object
- A
Material— how to draw the object, shiny or flat, what color, what texture to apply. Etc.
- The position, orientation, and scale of that object in the scene relative to its parent. In the code below that parent is the scene.
Lets first draw a cube : this will draw a cube with
BoxGeometry in the point(0, 0, 0) to see it we need to camera behind a bit with
camera.position.z = 2; Here I’m only changing the
z axis value, you can try
x or
y with some different unit too.
const boxWidth = 1, boxHeight = 1, boxDepth = 1;
const geometry = new THREE.BoxGeometry(boxWidth, boxHeight, boxDepth);const material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({color: 0x44aa88});const cube = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);scene.add(cube);
Make it responsive: Probably by now you might have problem visualizing the cube in your monitor or may be it is problematic when you resize your browser. To fix that we need to know when the window width and window height is changing and make adjustments according to it.
const resizeRendererToDisplaySize = (renderer) => {
const canvas = renderer.domElement;
const width = canvas.clientWidth;
const height = canvas.clientHeight;
const needResize = canvas.width !== width || canvas.height !== height;
// resize only when necessary
if (needResize) {
//3rd parameter `false` to change the internal canvas size
renderer.setSize(width, height, false);
}
return needResize;
};
This function will remove the scaling problem by resizing our canvas’ drawingbuffer size(canvas’s internal size, its resolution) with
renderer.setSize(). “drawingbuffer” of can be compared with
viewbox of a
<svg> element or image inside an
<img> tag (image dimension can differ from the dimension of the
<img> tag).
While calling this function inside our
main() we will utilizing its return statement to change the aspect ratio of the camera.
const render = (time) => {
if (resizeRendererToDisplaySize(renderer)) {
const canvas = renderer.domElement; // changing the camera aspect to remove the strechy problem
camera.aspect = canvas.clientWidth / canvas.clientHeight;
camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
} // Re-render the scene
renderer.render(scene, camera);
// loop
requestAnimationFrame(render);
};
requestAnimationFrame(render);
As we need keep tracking out window dimension and call this code block to make the canvas responsive across all screens, I enclosed this code block inside a function and made a recursive loop with
requestAnimationFrame() which is provided by our browser.
Add some interactivity: with mouse pointer position. To do that I’ve attached a
mousemove EventListener to the document and update two global variable
mouseX &
mouseY.
// mouse
let mouseX = 0;
let mouseY = 0;
document.addEventListener("mousemove", (e) => {
mouseX = e.clientX;
mouseY = e.clientY;
});
And now add two lines of code inside the
render() to change it rotation based on mouse movement.
const render = (time) => {
...
...
cube.rotation.x = mouseY * 0.005;
cube.rotation.y = mouseX * 0.005;
renderer.render(scene, camera);
// loop
requestAnimationFrame(render);
};
You will end up something like this.
Up till now I used a cube to make the responsive part easy to understand. But we don’t need a cube we need points so we’ll use
THREE.Points in the place of
THREE.Mesh and to make it work we need to use a different material too,
PointsMaterial now you’ll see 8 points in the 8 corners of the cube. Well need lot more points than that. Just like this:
Now use
size:0.05 to make it obvious
const material = new THREE.PointsMaterial({
size: 0.05,
color: 0x44aa88 // remove it if you want white points.
});
We also need lots of points box-geometry will not be much helpful in this case so we need use
BufferGeometry()
const geometry = new THREE.BufferGeometry();
BufferGeometry() doesn’t take parameters while creating the geometry but we need change some attributes to define our points location.
geometry.setAttribute(
"position",
new THREE.BufferAttribute(getRandomParticelPos(350), 3)
);
this part sets position by using a array of random float values which is returned by
getRandomParticelPos()which takes number of points as parameter.
BufferAttribute uses that array to set the position attribute by taking 3 values per point from the array.
const getRandomParticelPos = (particleCount) => {
const arr = new Float32Array(particleCount * 3);
for (let i = 0; i < particleCount; i++) {
arr[i] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 10;
}
return arr;
};
this will look something like this:
To change the hover effect a bit we need to change this two lines in the
render() and remove the
color property from the material to make it white.
...
const render = (time) => {
...
...
//cube.rotation.x = mouseY * 0.005;
//cube.rotation.y = mouseX * 0.005; cube.position.x = mouseY * 0.0001;
cube.position.y = mouseX * -0.0001;
renderer.render(scene, camera);
// loop
requestAnimationFrame(render);
};
...
Unfortunately we can’t make the points round or any shape like that. But we can use
texture to make them look like whatever we want. I made two PNG images in Figma to use as texture and uploaded them in a GitHub repo. To use textures we need
TextureLoader() , we also need to change the object we passed in to the
PointsMaterial() while creating the material.
const loader = new THREE.TextureLoader();
...const material = new THREE.PointsMaterial({
size: 0.05,
map: loader.load(
""
),
transparent: true
// color: 0x44aa88
});
loader.load() creates texture from the given PNG file and passes it as
map to make the points look like it but we also need
transparent:true to make the previously rendered white square disappear.
Phew We made it finally. This background only.
In the this final version I added two different texture with different no of points. This post is has become already very long I don’t want to make it more longer, So I’ll leave it to yourself to implement and get your hands dirty.(or just have a peak at my code 🤭)
Now who were following along from the previous post they should have this:
So we today learned :
- How to use threejs with canvas.
- We learned we need
sceneand
camerafor the
rendererrender our scene.
- Also we need to add
lightto the
sceneto see the objects we add to the
scene.
- We learned about creating
Meshwith
BoxGeometry&
MeshBasicMaterial.
- We made the image inside canvas Responsive by listening to window width and height.
- How lots of points can be rendered
BufferGeometry&
PointsMaterial.
- We learned a little bit about
texturesin threejs.
- And we also learned about two ways to make canvas element interactive. | https://medium.com/nerd-for-tech/adding-a-custom-star-field-background-with-three-js-79a1d18fd35d | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | refinedweb | 1,641 | 57.47 |
import string
def clean(user_input, allow=string.ascii_letters):
return "".join(c for c in user_input if c in allow)
tgoe wrote:Notice the brony.js attack was real.
limdis wrote:tgoe wrote:Notice the brony.js attack was real.
I was going to ask in the other thread but felt it would be a bit off topic to his site being pentested. What is a brony attack? All I am finding are crazy ponies. I feel like Im getting trolled harder the longer I try to figure it out lol. Please explain what the attack is lol
CheezHacker wrote:Try [url]projecteuler.net[/url] if you're in to math and/or problem solving. Problems range from 'That was hard-ish' to 'SHOOT ME'
Return to Interpreted Languages
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests | http://www.hackthissite.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=8301&p=66194 | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | refinedweb | 138 | 78.04 |
Today we will see in our website Kodlogs how in python we can find the unique value from the list.We can also find the unique value from the set function.we can also find the unique value by loop..
num = [1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3,4,4,5]
unique_num = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Using a set one way to go about it. A set is beneficial due to the fact it consists of special elements.
You can use a set to get the special elements. Then, flip the set into a list.Let’s seem to be at two procedures that use a set and a list. The first strategy is verbose, however it’s beneficial to see what’s occurring every step of the way.
numbers = [1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5 ,5,6,6,7,7]
def get_unique_numbers(Numbers):
list_of_unique_numbers = []
unique_numbers = set(Numbers)
for number in unique_numbers:
list_of_unique_numbers.append(Number)
return list_of_unique_numbers
print(get_unique_numbers(numbers))
[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
The foremost concept is to create an empty listing that’ll preserve special numbers. Then, use a for loop iterate over every range in the given list. If the range is already in the special list, then proceed on to the subsequent iteration. Otherwise, add the wide variety to it.
Let's seem at two methods to use new release to get the special values in a list, beginning with the extra verbose one.
numbers = [100, 100, 200, 300, 400]
def get_unique_numbers(numbers):
unique = []
for number in numbers:
if number in unique:
continue
else:
unique.append(number)
return unique
print(get_unique_numbers(numbers))
[100,200,300,400]
for number in numbers:
if number in unique:
continue
else:
unique.append(number) | https://kodlogs.com/blog/7998/python-find-unique-values-in-list | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | refinedweb | 287 | 65.01 |
compiling | disassembling | assembly language | syscalls | intel syntax | timing | executable formats | linkers and symbols | c | hardware integers | hardware floats | gpu
Compiling
Here is how to compile a C program to AT&T syntax assembly:
$ cat test.c int main(int argc, char** argv) { int x = 2; int y = 3; return(x + y); } $ gcc -S test.c
A file named test.s is created.
Disassembling
To disassemble an executable on Linux:
$ objdump -d /bin/ls
The -D flag will dissemble more sections.
This does not create something that can be assembled with gcc, though…
To disassemble an executable on Mac OS X:
$ otool -tV /bin/ls
Assembly Language
AT&T syntax assembly instructions usually consist of (1) a mnemonic for the op code, (2) the source, and (3) the destination. The destination is modified, but the source is not:
mov $5, %eax
Operands which start with a dollar sign $ refer to immediate values. These are read-only values; in the case of a mov instruction they cannot be used as the destination. Immediate values are integers. Decimal, octal, hex, or binary notation can be used: $42, $052, $0x2a, $0b101010. They can be negative: $-42.
Operands which start with a percent sign % refer to a register. If the operand is a source, the value is read from the register. If the operand is a destination, the value produced by the instruction is stored in the register.
The size of the operands is determined by the instruction suffix. If there is no instruction suffix, the size of the destination register is used. The suffixes are:
- b: byte (8 bits)
- w: word (32 bits)
- q: quad (64 bits)
- s: short/single (16 bit integer or 32 bit float)
- l: long (32 bit integer or 64 bit float)
- t: ten bytes (80 bit float)
Locations in memory are referred to using effective addresses, which have a offset(base) syntax. This instruction copies 8 bytes from the %rsi register to a location 16 bytes before the address in %rbp:
movq %rsi, -16(%rbp)
The op codes and registers that are available depend on the architecture of the processor. We assume an x64 architecture such as used on most modern desktops and laptops.
The Intel architectures are a series of mostly backwardly compatible architectures. Each new architecture expanded on the previous architecture by added new instructions and registers. Here are some of the instructions supported by the 80486 architecture.
The MOV instruction can copy data from a register, memory, or an immediate value to a register or memory. Thanks to the L1 cache, this can sometimes be done in a single clock cycle (that is about half a nanosecond) even when the source or the destination is memory. If the source is not in the L1 cache, then the CPU stalls while the data is fetched. If the data can be found in the L2 or L3 cache, the access time is about 7ns. If the data must be fetched from memory, the access time is about 100ns. Making a program or a section of code small enough to fit in the L2 cache (perhaps 256k to 8M) or better yet the L1 cache (maybe 64k) is way to guarantee fast performance.
It appears that the assembler will fail with an error when MOV operands are not of the correct size.
Lines which end with a semicolon are labels:
jmp foo movl $4, -24(%rbp) foo: movl -20(%rbp), %edi
One use of a label is as the argument of JMP, which transfer execution to the instruction after the label unconditionally. Presumably the linker replaces refererences to labels with the actually memory location. However, if you assemble the code and then run nm on it, the label names might still be there; the strip command can remove them. The start point for the executable is labeled _main. Other uses of labels are discussed below.
The basic registers are:
The second column registers are the lower 4 bytes of the third column registers.
In particular, the EAX register is the lower 4 bytes of the RAX register. The AX register is the lower 2 bytes of the EAX register, and AL and AH are the lower and upper bytes of AX.
Similarly for BX, BL, BH, CX, CL, CH, DX, DL, and DH.
On the x64 architecture, there are 8 additional 64-bit registers: R8, R9, …, R15.
The EAX, EBX, ECX, and EDX registers are mostly general purpose, though they are special to some instructions.
JCXZ, JECXZ, and JRCXZ are conditional jumps. The jump is performed if the CX, ECX, or RCX register, respectively, is zero.
The CPU has bits called flags which it can set to communicate information with a running program.
Jxx
strings MOVSB and SI, DI
PUSH, POP and SP, BP
Instructions that start with a period are assembler directives. They do not correspond to an instruction in the executable. Here are the GNU assembler directives.
The AT&T syntax supports # and /* */ style comments. Blank lines are ignored. Although the compiler and the disassembler use tabs when generating assembly, tabs can be replaced by spaces and leading whitespace on a line can be removed.
Syscalls
The traditional way to make an operating system call was to put an integer in %eax and then use the INT $0x80 instruction. INT is the interrupt instruction. It takes as an argument a byte, so there can be at most 256 types of interrupt. When the syscall returns, it puts the return value in %eax.
One must know the number of each syscall. Also, registers can be used to pass values to some of the syscalls. A chart of the syscalls as of the Linux 2.2 kernel is here:
Intel Syntax
On Linux, use the following command to generate Intel syntax assembly:
$ gcc -S -masm=intel test.c
On Mac OS X, use:
$ clang -S -mllvm --x86-asm-syntax=intel test.c
The main differences of Intel syntax are:
- no $ and % prefixes for immediate values and registers
- immediate values use h suffix for hex, o or q for octal, and b suffix for binary. d and t suffixes are optional for decimal.
- destination is first operand, source is second operand
- [base - offset] syntax refers to memory location offset bytes before base.
- semicolons ; start comments which go to the end of the line.
Timing
Executable Formats
One can use gcc to convert source code in assembly to an executable:
$ gcc -o test test.s
The original Unix executable format was called a.out. System V introduced the COFF format, which is also used by Windows, and later the ELF format, which is used by Linux and most other modern Unix variants, such as BSD and Solaris.
The PEF format was used by the classic Mac OS in its later years. The format was also supported by Mac OS X when running on a PowerPC. The standard format on Mac OS X is Mach-O, which it inherited from NeXTSTEP.
ELF
The ELF format consisted broadly of four sections: (1) the ELF (or file) header, (2) the program header table, (3) sections describing the text and data of the program, and (4) the section header table.
The ELF header is 64 bytes. To display it:
$ readelf -h /bin/ls
The lengths and offsets of the fields depend upon whether the format is 32-bit or 64-bit:
To display the program header table:
$ readelf -l /bin/ls
To display the section header table:
$ readelf -S /bin/ls
The sections are numbered starting from zero. To display section 29 in hex and to display the strings in section 29:
$ readelf -x 29 /bin/ls $ readelf -p 29 /bin/ls
Mach-O
OS X ABI Mach-O File Format
A Mach-O file consists of 3 parts: (1) the Mach-O header, (2) the load commands, and (3) the segments.
Show the Mach-O header:
$ otool -h /bin/ls
Show the load commands:
$ otool -l /bin/ls
Show the text and and data sections. The -V flag disassembles the text section:
$ otool -tV /bin/ls $ otool -d /bin/ls
Linkers and Symbols
A linker takes input files and produces an executable output file. The inputs and output are in executable formats, often the same type of format, though some linkers may support different formats. When the formats are ELF, the e_type is 1 for "relocatable", i.e. an object file, and 2 for "executable", i.e. the output file that can be run.
link editor command language; compiler drivers
Symbols can be displayed using the nm command or (on Linux) objdump -t:
$ nm /bin/ls $ objdump -t /bin/ls
nm uses single letters to indicate the type of symbol. These can vary between operating systems, but the following are common:
B/b: BSS section (i.e. uninitialized, statically allocated data)
D/d: data section
T/t: text section
U: undefined
Uppercase letters are global symbols; lowercase letters are local to an object.
Symbols are used by the linker and the debugger. If the final executable does not need to be debugged, the symbols can be removed. The following commands remove all symbols and just the debugger symbols on Linux:
$ strip -s foo $ strip -d foo
how symbols are represented in memory
If the code was compiled from C++, the names will be mangled. Mangling is used for (1) function overloading, (2) namespaces, and (3) templates.
The scheme used for mangling identifiers varies from compiler to compiler; we describe the scheme used by g++. First, how to see the original identifier:
$ c++filt __Z7reversePim reverse(int*, unsigned long)
The double underscore Z is a prefix used to avoid collisions with C code identifiers.
What follows are digits giving the length of the identifier for the function name.
After the function name are symbols for the types of the arguments: Pi for a pointer to an integer, and m for an unsigned long.
Here are the the letters used for primitive types:
c: char d: double f: float h: unsigned char i: int j: unsigned int l: long m: unsigned long x: long long y: unsigned long long
Here is an example of an identifier in a name space. The fully qualified identifier starts with an N and ends with an E. Each label in the fully qualified identifer starts with digits indicating the length of the symbol:
$ c++filt __ZN4util7reverseEPim util::reverse(int*, unsigned long)
A template symbol:
$ c++filt __ZN3FooIiEC1Ei Foo<int>::Foo(int)
C
calling the standard library CALL, RET
calling C standard library from assembly
calling assembly in a different translation unit from C
embedding assembly in C code
Hardware Integers
x64 architecture processors provide integer operations on 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit integers.
The integers can be signed or unsigned. Because the signed integers are represented using two's complement notation, the same instructions can be often be used on signed or unsigned operands.
In two's complement notation, the most significant bit determines the sign. If it is zero, the signed integer is zero or positive, otherwise the integer is negative.
For zero and positive signed integers, the interpretation is the same as for unsigned integers. 0b00001111 represents 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15.
For negative integers, one takes the value of the integer if the sign bit were not set and subtracts it from 2N-1, where N is the number of bits in the type. 0b10001111 represents 27 - (8 + 4 + 2 + 1) = 128 - 15 = 113.
The instructions INC and DEC can be used to increment or decrement a value in a register by one. They work for both signed and unsigned integers. Incrementing the largest possible unsigned integer produces zero.
Incrementing the largest possible positive signed integer produces the largest (in absolute magnitude) possible negative integer. This also sets the overflow flag. The JO and JNO op codes can be used to perform a conditional jump if the overflow flag is set or not set. The SETO sets the value of its operand to 1 if the overflow flag is set, otherwise 0. The SETNO instruction sets the value of its operand to 0 if the overflow flag is set, otherwise 1.
NEG
ADD SUB
MUL DIV
The result of a multiplication must be stored in two registers of the same size as the multiplicands. The data is written into AX:AL, DX:AX, or EDX:EAX when the multiplication is 8 bit, 16 bit, and 32 bit, respectively. One of the multiplicands must be in AL, AX, or EAX depending upon the size of the multiplication.
overflow flag, carry flag, borrow flag: OF, CF, BF
bit operations NOT AND OR XOR ROR ROL SHL SHR
Hardware Floats
The most recent standard for floating point arithmetic is IEEE 754-2008.
The first floating point arithmetic standard was IEEE 754-1985. The Intel 8087 coprocessor implemented the standard in 1980 well before it was adopted by the IEEE. The original IBM PC included a slot on the mother board so that an 8087 could be installed as an upgrade. With the 80486 chip Intel discontinued floating point coprocessors and integrated floating point instructions in the main CPU processor.
types of binary floats, half, single, double, quadruple (16, 32, 64, 128 bits)
10 byte (80 bit) floats
Floats are an approximation of real numbers. However, they can only represent a finite subset of the dyadic numbers accurately.
special values positive and negative zero, subnormal numbers, positive and negative infinity, and two varieties of NaN.
The layout for a 32 bit and 64 bit binary floats is:
- sign: 1 bit, 1 bit
- exponent: 8 bits, 11 bits
- significand: 23 bits, 52 bits
The exponent bits are all zeros for zeros and subnormal numbers. The exponent bits are all ones for infinity and NaN.
Otherwise it is the base two exponent of a non-zero, finite number: -126 to 127 (32-bit) or -1022 to 1023 (64 bit).
subnormal numbers
rounding rules
exceptions
using floats to represent integers
GPU
Installed CUDA 6.5 on my Mac.
$ export PATH=/Developer/NVIDIA/CUDA-6.5/bin:$PATH $ export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Developer/NVIDIA/CUDA-6.5/lib:$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH $ cd /Developer/NVIDIA/CUDA-6.5/samples $ make -C 0_Simple/vectorAdd $ ./bin/x86_64/darwin/release/vectorAdd | http://clarkgrubb.com/assembly | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | refinedweb | 2,372 | 61.77 |
Dart 2.6 is just around the corner. In fact, it may as well be out already as you're reading this. Dart has lived through a revival linked with the popularity of Flutter and people responsible for bringing new features into this language can't seem to stop working! There is one big feature which we were asking for all along and now it's here - extension members.
Set up Dart 2.6
As you're reading this, Dart 2.6 may already be officially released. In that case, you're good! Otherwise, install the Dart SDK from the UNSTABLE channel following these instructions. Then, to prevent any warnings about using features which aren't guaranteed to exist, update the
pubspec.yaml file.
pubspec.yaml
environment: sdk: '>=2.6.0 <3.0.0'
Why extensions? 🤔
Let's put it this way - every single language which supports extensions, benefits from them immensely. They allow you to get rid of utility classes littered with a bunch of static methods and turn them into a beautiful "work of art methods" instead. Imagine this legacy code:
main.dart
class StringUtil { static bool isValidEmail(String str) { final emailRegExp = RegExp(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9.][email protected][a-zA-Z0-9]+\.[a-zA-Z]+"); return emailRegExp.hasMatch(str); } } // Usage main() { StringUtil.isValidEmail('someString'); }
Using the
StringUtil class is redundant. Also, we're all spoiled by OOP to call methods on an instance directly and now we're passing the
String instance into a static method. What if we could write the following instead?
'someString'.isValidEmail;
Extension to the rescue! ⛑
Instead of defining a util class, you can define an
extension which will be applied
on a certain type. Then simply use
this to obtain the current instance as if you were inside a regular class member.
thiskeyword.
main.dart
extension StringExtensions on String { bool get isValidEmail { final emailRegExp = RegExp(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9.][email protected][a-zA-Z0-9]+\.[a-zA-Z]+"); return emailRegExp.hasMatch(this); } } // Usage main() { 'someString'.isValidEmail; }
More kinds of extensions
Obviously, extension methods are supported as well. What's a cool though, is that you can write operator extensions! Let's create two identical string extensions for concatenating with a space:
main.dart
extension StringExtensions on String { String concatWithSpace(String other) { return '$this $other'; } /// DOCUMENTATION IS SUPPORTED: Concatenates two strings with a space in between. String operator &(String other) => '$this $other'; }
Using these is straightforward. While I wouldn't recommend creating these kinds of silly operators, they may come in handy with some classes.
main.dart
main() { 'one'.concatWithSpace('two'); 'one' & 'two'; }
Issues with inheritance ⚠
Let's imagine you want to add extensions to an
int. Of course, doing so is simple...
main.dart
extension IntExtensions on int { int addTen() => this + 10; }
But then you realize that you also want to have an extension on a
double doing basically the same thing. So... is code duplication unavoidable?
main.dart
extension DoubleExtensions on double { double addTen() => this + 10; }
Of course that duplication can be avoided! After all,
double and
int are subclasses of
num. Let's define an extension for the base class and call it a day, right?
main.dart
extension NumExtensions on num { num addTen() => this + 10; }
We've accomplished one thing - all subclasses of
num now have the
addTen extension. But... no matter if we invoke it on an
int or on a
double, it always returns
num! This impacts compile-time error checking big time:
main.dart
main() { int anInt = 1.addTen(); // Run-time error! // Putting a 'num' which is really a 'double' into an 'int' variable int shouldBeDouble = 1.0.addTen(); }
TypeError: "type 'double' is not a subtype of type 'int'".
What if the return type of the extension method could be more specific? Behold then, because generic extensions are coming to the rescue!
Generic extensions
It turns out that specifying a generic constraint on a type parameter solves all the deficiencies described above. Namely, we'll get compile-time errors if we mess types up, which is a good thing.
The following extension will add the
addTen method to every type fulfilling the generic constraint (every subclass).
main.dart
extension NumGenericExtensions<T extends num> on T { T addTen() => this + 10; }
Generics then work as expected, not allowing the following code to even compile!
main.dart
main() { // Compile-time error! int shouldBeDouble = 1.0.addTen(); }
What you learned
Extension members are a powerful new feature of the Dart language. You learned how to create extension properties, extension methods and even extension operators. You also saw how solving code duplication by defining an extension on the base class may not always be the best option. In most cases, you should use generic extensions instead.
Hi Matt, first of all thank you so much for all the great work. It has really helped me.
Now, how do I get the following extension to work for both list and iterable?
import 'dart:math' as math;
extension iterableOfNumberMath <T extends Iterable> on T{
num get max => reduce(math.max);
num get min => reduce(math.min);
}
Right now I need to do one for each.
Eduard | https://resocoder.com/2019/10/31/dart-extension-methods-tutorial-incl-generic-extensions-properties-operators/ | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | refinedweb | 855 | 59.7 |
On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 7:45 PM, Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch> wrote:>> It might have been easier to simply write a classifier which maps pids> to classes. The interface could be as simple as two nested attributes,> ADD_MAPS, REMOVE_MAPS which both take lists of pid->class mappings to> either add or remove from the classifier.You mean as processes fork/exit or move between cgroups you have toupdate the pid->class mappings in the kernel's filter? That sounds waytoo fragile to me.>> I have been working on this over the past 2 weeks, it includes the> classifier as just stated, a cgroup module which sends notifications> about eventsWhat types of events? We discussed how to send cgroup notifications touserspace in the containers mini-summit on Tuesday. Netlink was one ofthe options discussed, but suffers from the problem that netlinksockets are tied to a particular network namespaces. The solution thatseemed most favoured was to have pollable cgroup control files thatrepresent events (and optionally support event data via a fifo).> as netlink messages and a daemon which creates qdiscs,> classes and filters on the fly according to the configured distribution.> It works both ingress (with some tricks) and egress.>> IMHO, there is no point in a cgroup interface if the user has to create> qdiscs, classes and filters manually anyway.>The user can use whatever middleware they want (e.g. your daemon,libcg, etc) to set up qdiscs and classes. I don't think that requiringany particular userspace implementation is the right way to go. Thepoint of this patch was to provide a minimal way to tagsockets/packets as belonging to a particular cgroup, in order to makeuse of the existing traffic controll APIs.Paul | https://lkml.org/lkml/2008/7/24/481 | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | refinedweb | 287 | 62.68 |
A class to do GID lookups. More...
#include <Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp>
A class to do GID lookups.
Processing user global IDs may require GID -> index look ups. Some T support generation of unique double hash keys for any value. Ordinals are an example. So do not, such as strings.
If double hash keys are supported, a hash table will be created. If not, a std::map will be created.
Definition at line 76 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp.
Constructor.
Definition at line 130 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp.
Construct an empty lookup helper.
Definition at line 124 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp.
the index of the global id in the
gidList passed into the constructor.
If duplicate gids appear in the list, it is the location of the first of these.
Definition at line 184 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp.
the number of unique gids in the list.
Definition at line 108 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp.
Return a list of the indices in gidList that were included in the lookup table (all if there were no duplicates.) Returns indices from lowest to highest.
Definition at line 212 of file Zoltan2_GidLookupHelper.hpp. | http://trilinos.sandia.gov/packages/docs/dev/packages/zoltan2/doc/html/classZoltan2_1_1GidLookupHelper.html | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | refinedweb | 186 | 70.9 |
Disable assignment via = in R
R allows for assignment via <- and =.
Whereas there a subtle differences between both assignment operators, there seems to be a broad consensus that <- is the better choice than =, as = is also used as operator mapping values to arguments and thus its use may lead to ambiguous statements. The following exemplifies this:
> system.time(x <- rnorm(10)) user system elapsed 0 0 0 > system.time(x = rnorm(10)) Error in system.time(x = rnorm(10)) : unused argument(s) (x = rnorm(10))
In fact, the Google style code disallows using = for assignment (see comments to this answer for a converse view).
I also almost exclusively use <- as assignment operator. However, the almost in the previous sentence is the reason for this question. When = acts as assignment operator in my code it is always accidental and if it leads to problems these are usually hard to spot.
I would like to know if there is a way to turn off assignment via = and let R throw an error any time = is used for assignment.
Optimally this behavior would only occur for code in the Global Environment, as there may well be code in attached namespaces that uses = for assignment and should not break.
(This question was inspired by a discussion with Jonathan Nelson)
Answers
Here's a candidate:
`=` <- function(...) stop("Assignment by = disabled, use <- instead") # seems to work a = 1 Error in a = 1 : Assignment by = disabled, use <- instead # appears not to break named arguments sum(1:2,na.rm=TRUE) [1] 3
I'm not sure, but maybe simply overwriting the assignment of = is enough for you. After all, `=` is a name like any other—almost.
> `=` <- function() { } > a = 3 Error in a = 3 : unused argument(s) (a, 3) > a <- 3 > data.frame(a = 3) a 1 3
So any use of = for assignment will result in an error, whereas using it to name arguments remains valid. Its use in functions might go unnoticed unless the line in question actually gets executed.
The lint package (CRAN) has a style check for that, so assuming you have your code in a file, you can run lint against it and it will warn you about those line numbers with = assignments.
Here is a basic example:
temp <- tempfile() write("foo = function(...) { good <- 0 bad = 1 sum(..., na.rm = TRUE) }", file = temp) library(lint) lint(file = temp, style = list(styles.assignment.noeq)) # Lint checking: C:\Users\flodel\AppData\Local\Temp\RtmpwF3pZ6\file19ac3b66b81 # Lint: Equal sign assignemnts: found on lines 1, 3
The lint package comes with a few more tests you may find interesting, including:
- warns against right assignments
- recommends spaces around =
- recommends spaces after commas
- recommends spaces between infixes (a.k.a. binary operators)
- warns against tabs
- possibility to warn against a max line width
- warns against assignments inside function calls
You can turn on or off any of the pre-defined style checks and you can write your own. However the package is still in its infancy: it comes with a few bugs () and the documentation is a bit hard to digest. The author is responsive though and slowly making improvements.
If you don't want to break existing code, something like this (printing a warning not an error) might work - you give the warning then assign to the parent.frame using <- (to avoid any recursion)
`=` <- function(...){ .what <- as.list(match.call()) .call <- sprintf('%s <- %s', deparse(.what[[2]]), deparse(.what[[3]])) mess <- 'Use <- instead of = for assigment ' if(getOption('warn_assign', default = T)) { stop (mess) } else { warning(mess) eval(parse(text =.call), envir = parent.frame()) } }
If you set options(warn_assign = F), then = will warn and assign. Anything else will throw an error and not assign.
examples in use
# with no option set z = 1 ## Error in z = 1 : Use <- instead of = for assigment options(warn_assign = T) z = 1 ## Error in z = 1 : Use <- instead of = for assigment options(warn_assign = F) z = 1 ## Warning message: ## In z = 1 : Use <- instead of = for assigment
Better options
I think formatR or lint and code formatting are better approaches.
Need Your Help
Slide down animation from display:none to display:block?
javascript jquery html css css-transitionsIs there a way to animate display:none to display:block using CSS so that the hidden div slides down instead of abruptly appearing, or should I go about this a different way?
exec: "gcc": executable file not found in %PATH% when trying go build
windows go build hyperledger-fabric cgoI am using Windows 10. When I tried to build Chaincode it reported this error | http://www.brokencontrollers.com/faq/12416030.shtml | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | refinedweb | 757 | 61.46 |
Back in July, I launched a handy web app called My Browser. The premise was simple: generate a detailed report about a user’s web browser and create a URL to make sharing that report easy. In less than two months, My Browser generated an impressive 25,000 reports. That’s an average of 1,250 uses a day!
It’s become much more successful than I ever imagined, but why? This wasn’t a particularly new idea. Similar products and websites exist, so what is it that made My Browser different? I believe the answer is progressive enhancement. I took a gamble when I changed up my build approach, and I’m very happy I did.
I’ve decided to share some of the useful things I’ve learned along the way, in the hope that you’ll benefit and feel inspired to consider progressive enhancement as a concept too.
Improvement by simplification
Without a doubt, building My Browser progressively paved the way towards a simpler future and longer lifespan for this app. Not only do I have a very maintainable codebase to work with, but I have one that can also grow very easily.
Building progressively means that I’ve avoided the need for a bunch of fixes and polyfills for older browsers. If something isn’t supported then the app provides a simpler method.
The above figure is often used to demonstrate a minimum viable product, but I think it can also be used to demonstrate a minimum viable experience. The skateboard may be a little slower, but it doesn’t stop the user getting to where they want to go. So, if the user’s browser doesn’t support JavaScript or modern CSS then it doesn’t break, it presents the default experience instead: a button which instructs the user to generate a report. The user will experience a very similar process, but has to perform one extra click..
It was crucial to have this default performance in place, because if this reporting tool refused to report, it would become totally useless. It needs to perform one job and to perform it well, and it needs to be supported in all browsers.
import { whoKnows } from ‘black-box’;
For some reason, the progressive enhancement approach seems to be surprisingly uncommon in our industry. So, for contrast, let’s explore a more popular but more prone-to-headaches build concept.
A much more common build approach is to throw dependencies at a project until the singular experience works on every browser. This can be very time consuming and frustrating, and often results in a proud declaration that you “no longer support IE!”, usually on Twitter.
Now, I can’t shame others without shaming myself — I’ve done that many times — and it’s only through experience and a solid foundation of skepticism for what’s “hot” that I’ve been kept on the fringes of that group.
I put it down to ever-increasing experience and associating myself with sensible, pragmatic figures in the industry that I’ve now begun to appreciate progressive enhancement as the de facto way to build things, instead of an evergreen approach.
A reminder that it’s okay to change your default
I’ve always been very skeptical of frameworks, especially heavy-duty ones. I appreciate that frameworks like React are very popular and useful but I think they should be used where necessary, rather than used by default.
Even Netflix, who are famously very into React, have talked about how rolling out a vanilla JavaScript homepage saw huge performance improvements. I single out React here because more commonly than not, the single default HTML element that’s rendered inside the
<body> tag is a
<div id="root"> element. This means that unless that big ol’ bundle arrives in one piece, you aren’t going to get any experience whatsoever.
Luckily there are methods such as server-side rendering, otherwise known as universal or isomorphic apps, that can help introduce a more progressive workflow.
Pixel perfection is becoming more difficult
As an industry, myself previously included, we are infatuated with this concept of pixel-perfect display for every browser. As Jeremy Keith suggests in Resilient Web Design, this is in-fact a collective, consensual hallucination, an artefact of the PSD-to-HTML desktop-only era of web design. We often felt the need to painfully hand-craft our websites to look beautiful, even in IE6. The problem now is that there’s so much variation these days, not just with browsers, but with devices, operating systems and connection speeds, so it’s impossible to be pixel perfect every time.
Another thing we seem to forget is that there’s a huge amount of fragmentation, particularly in the most popular mobile operating system around — Android — which, at the time of writing, has over 70% of the mobile market share.
We throw so much weight at trying to make our websites look the same in every browser that a lot of unnecessary bloat hangs around for way longer than it should. Tools like AutoPrefixer, heavy-duty resets and 960px 12 column grid systems have become bloat, just when newer, native, dedicated solutions like CSS Grid drop with massive support and no vendor prefixes (if you ignore Microsoft’s early prototype).
A modern approach to CSS
I decided to make a big change in my own approach to CSS for My Browser. I wanted to reduce weight and complexity. I chose to go completely ‘vanilla’, which differs to my usual preference of using Sass.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Sass and periodically write about it, but I’ve had a theory that it produces extra weight in the code that I write, mainly due to laziness and/or mild over-engineering. I was certainly made very aware of what was being output when forced to write the actual output code.
Writing vanilla CSS seemed to help me with progressive enhancement a lot. I don’t know if there’s an exact science there, but I definitely felt more aware. It’s also incredibly powerful compared to the CSS we had when Sass first arrived.
With ever-increasing support for Custom Properties, a lot of the most common use-cases for Sass are already available to us and a progressive approach to these newer tools is handy to keep in mind too.
If you’re thinking “What even is progressively enhanced CSS?”. Let me show you:
This example of a CSS Grid powered layout will support 92% of browsers. The other 8% will get stacked columns. This snippet of CSS is tiny and there are no expensive polyfills and fallbacks. Not bad, eh?
This is the exact approach that was taken with My Browser and that, along with modern, vanilla JavaScript, means that the total page size currently sits at 85kb. It can probably also support browsers as far back as IE7.
A modern approach to JavaScript
Much like the approach with CSS, the JavaScript on My Browser is also completely vanilla. I work with JavaScript frameworks every day, so I admit, going back to vanilla JavaScript was a daunting concept. Luckily, I’ve been learning about JavaScript’s native approach to componentisation: Web Components, of which I have a separate learning journal.
Working with Web Components feels very similar to working with Vue in a lot of senses, but the main similarity is that you can put your default experience within your custom HTML element, which gives you progressive enhancement for free.
Check out this example where the default experience is a simple heading and some paragraphs. If Web Components are supported, it transforms into a fancy toggle panel thanks to the magic of
<slot>s and the Shadow DOM:
You can see the demo in action here and the source code here.
This approach to building My Browser allowed me to only have to write a bit more server-side code to accommodate both
fetch based requests and
form based requests. Again, the user will likely have no idea that their experience differs from another person’s. And it enabled me to ship not just code with no polyfills and hacks, but also non-transpiled ES6 code.
Thanks to the declarative nature of HTML, I know that if the JavaScript fails to execute then the default experience of a form-based, single click button will be available to the user.
The main usage of Web Components on My Browser is actually the report view. The default experience is a nicely styled representation of the JSON data that the app produces. If Web Components are fully supported though, the app automatically replaces this with a grid of nice looking icons and a more visually pleasing representation of the data. Again, this only required a few
if statements.
My Browser is a very small and simple app, but it wasn’t only the small size that made the progressive enhancement possible, it was a change in my mindset…
Let’s change how we think about Progressive Enhancement.
There’s a common approach of “build for the best possible devices and browsers, then apply heavy-handed fixes just before go-live”. This usually results in said tests and fixes only happening at initial launch, once the issues have already been seen by many and have slowed down the experience.
An industry full of Apple Macs and high-speed fibre broadband certainly doesn’t help change this mentality, I need to emphasise this point: by having a high-speed connection, you are part of a privileged few, not the many.
For the many!
A recent article by Addy Osmani (which I recommend that you read) brilliantly highlights how bloated JavaScript payloads can be a lot more detrimental than you think. Especially when you consider poor connections.
Shipping multiple megabytes of JavaScript can be incredibly damaging for low-powered devices because of the sheer amount of computing that’s required in order to parse and execute it. You may have guessed where I’m going with this — The progressive approach means that if your premium experience features lots of JavaScript, then at least your users will be able to interact with the default experience if their slow connection lets them down.
By creating a minimum viable experience, you’re creating a better experience for a lot more people than you might think you are.
Smaller tools are nearly always better
My Browser’s small size certainly helps. It’s very lightweight in that it only takes a few packets of data to fully load and it’s also progressive if those packets fail for some reason.
This has inspired me to release a new tool for managing state called Beedle, which I won’t dwell too much on, but it gives you a lot of power to manage state in your application and is only around 0.5kb in size.
We’re also working internally at No Divide on similar tools that will be equally as tiny. The micro-library approach is very appealing when you’re hyper-aware of your output bundle’s size — tiny tools can definitely be the way forward.
Popular frameworks like React and Vue are excellent for big applications, they are really helpful. We love Vue here at No Divide. This is certainly not a “don’t use big frameworks” post either, because as with most things in this industry, it depends on what you’re doing. You can also improve the performance of large frameworks with methods such as code-splitting. This excellent article by Jeremy Wagner gives you heaps of knowledge to get you started.
An approach I would recommend that you consider is to be very aware of your add-ons and extra dependencies. Tools such as Import Cost for VS Code can really help with the decision making process, and might encourage you to use smaller libraries that have slightly less features than their popular counterparts.
Another approach that’s worth considering is: if you’re building something simple, maybe a large framework isn’t necessary. Libraries such as Reef by Chris Ferdinandi are really handy. I also strongly recommend using Web Components.
At No Divide, we’re working on a small progressive web app to help people monitor their personal finances and that is being built in a progressively enhanced fashion with Web Components. We’re hoping it’ll be absolutely tiny and completely accessible to anyone!
Wrapping up
I hope that if you’ve not already started considering progressive enhancement, that this post has been a good source of inspiration for you. Changing your mindset is really hard and it’s something that we’re continually trying to improve at No Divide, constantly monitoring our own processes and improving them.
The benefits of progressive enhancement are incredible, so it’s really worth considering. Smaller, more considered payloads are only ever going to improve everyone’s experience, not just your own.
I love to talk about this over on Twitter where you can find me at @hankchizljaw. You can also find the No Divide team at @NoDivide. | https://medium.com/no-divide/the-power-of-progressive-enhancement-98738766b009?utm_source=CSS-Weekly&utm_campaign=Issue-328&utm_medium=web | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | refinedweb | 2,189 | 59.53 |
main index
This tutorial is part of a series that deal with the issues of programming cellular
automata (CA) for use with Maya. This tutorial presents two python classes that implement
the core functionality of a system that represents a 2D cellular automata.
The classes will require subclassing in order to create graphics of the type described in
Wikipedia's "Cellular Automaton".
Instances of the Cell class (listing 1) encapsulate the following data,
- the state of the cell ie. alive or dead,
- the previous state of the cell,
- the number of times the cell has been alive.
The initial state of a cell is decided by chance. Instances of the Cell class
do not maintain any information about their own graphical representation or the state of
their neighbors. It is left to subclasses of the Cell class to implement the code that
creates a Maya shape that will represent the cell and its state.
An instance of the Automata class is responsible for,
- creating multiple instances of the Cell class, or instances of a subclass of Cell,
- maintaining a two dimensional list of cell instances ie. a list of lists of cells,
- applying Conways "rules of life" to determine the state of each cell,
Like the Cell class, the Automata class must be subclassed in
order to create visually interesting results.
Cell
Automata
Listing 1 (AbstractAutomata.py)
import random
class Cell:
def __init__(self, chance):
self.prevState = 0
self.state = 0
self.lived = 0
if random.random() <= chance:
self.prevState = 1
self.state = 1
self.lived += 1
def getState(self):
return self.state
## Subclasses will override this method in order to
## update the appearance of the shape that represents
## a cell.
def setState(self, state):
self.state = state
if state == 1:
self.lived += 1
def getPrevState(self):
return self.prevState
def setPrevState(self, state):
self.prevState = state
def copyState(self):
self.prevState = self.state
def getNumLived(self):
return self.lived
#______________________________________________________________
class Automata:
def __init__(self, numcols, numrows, chanceOfLife):
self.rows = numrows
self.cols = numcols
self.numcells = numrows * numcols
self.cells = []
# Make a (column) list.
for i in range(numcols):
column = []
# Make a list of (row) cells for each column
for j in range(numrows):
cell = self.getACell(chanceOfLife)
column.append(cell)
self.cells.append(column)
self.initGraphics()
## Subclasses will override this method so that
## instances of their subclass of Cell will be used by
## the automata.
def getACell(self, chanceOfLife):
return Cell(chanceOfLife)
## Subclasses will override this method in order to
## position the shapes that represent the cells.
def initGraphics(self):
print("Warning: Automata.initGraphics() is not implemented!")
def getAllCells(self):
return self.cells
def countLiving(self):
numLiving = 0.0
for i in range(self.cols):
for j in range(self.rows):
numLiving += self.cells[i][j].getState()
return numLiving
def nextGeneration(self):
# Move to the "next" generation
for i in range(self.cols):
for j in range(self.rows):
self.cells[i][j].copyState()
for i in range(self.cols):
for j in range(self.rows):
numLive = 0
iprev = i - 1
inext = i + 1
jprev = j - 1
jnext = j + 1
# When a cell is at the outer edge we "wrap"
if i == 0: iprev = self.cols - 1
if j == 0: jprev = self.rows - 1
if i == self.cols - 1: inext = 0
if j == self.rows - 1: jnext = 0
# Query the state of the neighborhood.
# Cells those above___
numLive += self.cells[iprev][jprev].getPrevState()
numLive += self.cells[ i ][jprev].getPrevState()
numLive += self.cells[inext][jprev].getPrevState()
# Cells either side___
numLive += self.cells[iprev][ j ].getPrevState()
numLive += self.cells[inext][ j ].getPrevState()
# Cells below___
numLive += self.cells[iprev][jnext].getPrevState()
numLive += self.cells[ i ][jnext].getPrevState()
numLive += self.cells[inext][jnext].getPrevState()
prevState = self.cells[i][j].getPrevState()
currCell = self.cells[i][j]
Automata.applyRulesOfLife(self, currCell, numLive)
## Subclasses can override this method in order to apply
## their own custom rules of life.
def applyRulesOfLife(self, cell, liveNeighbors):
if cell.prevState == 1:
if liveNeighbors == 2 or liveNeighbors == 3:
cell.setState(1)
else:
cell.setState(0)
if cell.prevState == 0:
if liveNeighbors == 3:
cell.setState(1)
else:
cell.setState(0)
Save the contents of listing 1 in a file named AbstractAutomata.py. The file
should be saved in a directory that will be sourced by Maya. For example, it
could be saved in,
maya/scripts
Alternatively, if the reader has followed the suggestions outlined in
Maya: Setup for Python
the file should be saved in,
maya/projects/RMS_python
Listing 2 (TestAbstractClasses.py) provides the code for a script that will
test the Cell and
Automata classes. It should also be saved in the same directory as
AbstractAutomata.py. Open the script in Cutter and run
it by using the keyboard shortcut control + e, alt + e or apple + e. Cutter's Process Monitor should
show text similar to that displayed in figure 1.
Listing 2 (TestAbstractClasses.py)
import AbstractAutomata as abstract
automata = abstract.Automata(10, 10, 0.5)
for n in range(1):
num = automata.countLiving()
print("num living = %s" % num)
automata.nextGeneration()
Figure 1
The next tutorial, "Algorithmic Form: CA PolyPlanes"
demonstrates how Cell and Automata can be subclassed
and used by Maya to display an animation of the "interaction" of the cells of a
cellular automata. | http://fundza.com/algorithmic/form/automata/basic/index.html | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | refinedweb | 866 | 53.88 |
The django app will allow the site to run code in a cron job like manor without needing to setup a real cron job (Usefull for people hosting on windows or with Hosting companies that do not give you access to setup cron jobs).
To create a Cron Job you create a file called cron.py in your application directory that will contain the jobs you wish to run. Once you have your jobs created you need add two lines to your primary urls.py (Similar to what you need to do for the admin site)
import django_cron django_cron.autodiscover()
That will go though all your installed apps and see if they have a cron job to register
Example Cron Job included in the application
from django_cron import cronScheduler, Job # This is a function I wrote to check a feedback email address and add it to our database. Replace with your own imports from MyMailFunctions import check_feedback_mailbox class CheckMail(Job): """ Cron Job that checks the lgr users mailbox and adds any approved senders' attachments to the db """ # run every 300 seconds (5 minutes) run_every = 300 def job(self): # This will be executed every 5 minutes check_feedback_mailbox() cronScheduler.register(CheckMail) | http://code.google.com/p/django-cron/ | crawl-002 | refinedweb | 199 | 52.12 |
Use Euler's Number in Python
- Use
math.eto Get Euler’s Number in Python
- Use
math.exp()to Get Euler’s Number in Python
- Use
numpy.exp()to Get Euler’s Number in Python
Euler’s number or
e is one of the most fundamental constants in mathematics, much like pi.
e is the base of natural logarithmic functions. It is an irrational number representing the exponential constant.
This tutorial will demonstrate how to replicate the Euler’s number (
e) in Python.
There are three common ways to get the euler’s number and use it for an equation in Python.
- Using
math.e
- Using
math.exp()
- Uusing
numpy.exp()
Use
math.e to Get Euler’s Number in Python
The Python module
math contains a number of mathematical constants that can be used for equations. Euler’s number or
e is one of those constants that the
math module has.
from math import e print(e)
Output:
2.718281828459045
The output above is the base value of the
e constant.
As an example equation, let’s create a function get the value of
e^n or
e to the power of a number
n where
n = 3.
Also, note that the syntax for the power operation in Python is double asterisks
**.
from math import e def getExp(n): return e**n print(getExp(3))
Output:
20.085536923187664
If you prefer to have control over the number of decimal places the result has, a way to achieve this is by formatting the value as a string and printing it out after formatting it.
To format a float value to
n decimal places, we can use the
format() function over a string with this syntax
{:.nf} where
n is the number of decimal places to be displayed.
For example, using the same example above, format the output to 5 decimal places.
def getExp(n): return "{:.5f}".format(e**n); print(getExp(3))
Output:
20.08554
Use
math.exp() to Get Euler’s Number in Python
The module
math also has a function called
exp() that returns the value of
e to the power of the number. Compared to
math.e, the
exp() function performs considerably faster and includes code that validates the given number parameter.
For this example, try using a decimal number as a parameter.
import math print(math.exp(7.13))
Output:
1248.8769669132553
Another example would be getting the actual base value of
e by setting the parameter to
1 to determine the value.
import math print(math.exp(1))
Output:
2.718281828459045
The output is the actual value of
e set to 15 decimal places.
Use
numpy.exp() to Get Euler’s Number in Python
The
exp() function within the
numpy module also does the same operation and accepts the same parameter as
math.exp().
The difference is that it performs faster than both
math.e and
math.exp() and while
math.exp() only accepts scalar numbers,
numpy.exp() accepts scalar numbers as well as vectors such as arrays and collections.
For example, use the
numpy.exp() function to accept both an array of floating-point numbers and a single integer value.
import numpy as np int arr = [3., 5.9, 6.52, 7.13] int singleVal = 2 print(np.exp(arr)) print(np.exp(singleVal))
Output:
[20.08553692 365.03746787 678.57838534 1248.87696691] 7.38905609893065
If an array of numbers is used as a parameter, then it will return back an array of results of the
e constant raised to the power of all the values within the given array. If a single number is given as a parameter, then it will behave exactly like
math.exp().
In summary, to get the Euler’s number or
e in Python, use
math.e. Using
math.exp() will need a number as a parameter to serve as the exponent value and
e as its base value.
Using
exp() in calculating the exponent of
e over double asterisks,
** performs better than the latter, so if you are dealing with huge numbers, then it’s better to use
math.exp().
Another option is to use
numpy.exp(), which supports an array of numbers as a parameter and performs faster than both the solutions from the
math module. So if vectors are involved within the equation, use
numpy.exp() instead. | https://www.delftstack.com/howto/python/python-eulers-number/ | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | refinedweb | 721 | 67.86 |
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