Wednesday, May 30, 2012

SQL in a Nutshell-Mini tutorials -1


In this post I would like to revise the basic concepts of SQL: Structured Query Language. This would be based mainly on Oracle. Hope this mini tutorial would be useful as a quick guide.
                    DDL:  Data Definition Language:  This is a part of SQL which mainly defines the state of the database schema. There basically four commands:
“CADT”
Ø  Create: Used for creating database objects: tables, index, stored query, views etc.
Ø  Alter: Used to modify an existing db object.
Ø  Drop: Completely remove a DB object from the database
Ø  Truncate: Used to remove the data of the table, but retain the structure of the table.

Right now, we will generalize these commands for tables, though these can be used for any database objects, for convenience sake.

                     Syntax:
                     create:
                     Create table table_name (var datatype,….)



                          Alter:
alter table table_name add column_name datatype:




Similarly we can drop the added column using alter table table_name drop COLUMN column_name
Note the use of the keyword COLUMN in this case.

Drop:
As we have seen in the previous command, drop is used. Also drop can be used to remove the table/DB object completely from the database.

Drop table table_name;



Truncate:
Since we have not inserted any data into the table now, we would deal with truncate in later segment.







                           

Saturday, May 26, 2012

DOS Box Emulator.


DOS Box is an emulator which can be used to run programs of older platforms. Remember your favorite DOS games like Mario, Paratroopers etc. These can be run using DOS box. It can be updated from the site : www.dosbox.com . Just follow the below steps and get your games going!

1.       Mount the drive in which the programs are located.
                   mount d: c :\>
              Here c :\> is the local drive where the programs are present and d: is the name given (any alphabet can be given).
2.       Once its mounted change to the drive to the drive you have provided.

  3. Change the directory to the exact location and execute the programs/games. Sometimes we would require to increase the clock speed (as I had to while playing Mario. This is quite simple. Just press  CNTRL + F11 till you find the desired speed

The King of programming: C









I can't recall any difficulty in making the C language definition completely open - any discussion on the matter tended to mention languages whose inventors tried to keep tight control, and consequent ill fate.  –Dennis Ritchie.

C language is one of foremost and profound programming languages ever. With it's versatility and simplicity it has inspired several other languages. Dennis Ritchie, the brain behind the programming who passed away recently in 2011 left behind a legacy which can never be surpassed.


I personally feel the age Old Borland Compiler is still the best to learn C programming language at least for the beginners.


The compiler currently does not run on Windows 7 due to clock speed constraints and would require an Emulator. You can get the DOS Box , a free emulator and run the compiler through it.



Security features of Windows 8



Windows 8 is the next version of the Windows operating system currently being developed by Microsoft. Microsoft has made many changes to the new operating system. Many of these changes are a reflection of the changes in the way we use computers today. Apart from a new user interface, Microsoft has also added several new security features to Windows 8 to make it very secure. Security has been a main concern ever since Windows Vista. Windows 7 is very secure and hopefully Windows 8 would be even more secure.
Windows 8 will most probably be available in the month of November this year. When it goes on sale, users are most likely to observe the new user interface. There are also several changes to the core operating system which won't be so obvious. Microsoft has designed Windows 8 in such a way that it is more effective against viruses and spyware. We can only speculate but Windows 8 could be the most secure operating system to be developed by Microsoft in all these years.
Here are some of the most significant security features of Windows 8:
Inbuilt antivirus
Windows 8 is the first version of Windows to ship with an inbuilt antivirus application. It will ship with an updated version of Windows Defender which prevents viruses and spyware from infecting your computer. This version of Windows Defender looks very similar to Microsoft's Security Essentials which is a free antivirus application from Microsoft.
Windows Defender will prevent viruses and malware from infecting your computer and so a separate antivirus application is not required. However, if you are more security conscious, you can still install other antivirus software for added security.
Better Download Screening
Microsoft had recently added a new security feature to Internet Explorer called SmartScreen Filter. This feature prevents viruses from infecting your computer by blocking websites and files that contain them. In Windows 8, this feature is integrated into the operating system. Therefore, this feature will be available even if you use other browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox.
SmartScreen Filter screens downloaded files against a list of safe applications and alerts you if it finds something suspicious. When an alert pops up, you can check the file further and open it only confirming that it is not a malware.
Secure startup
Windows 8 will use a new secure startup system known as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). This not only makes the startup secure by preventing malware applications from infecting the computer during startup, but also makes it much faster. The startup time for Windows 8 is just 8 seconds.
New password systems
Windows 8 has introduced new password systems which can be used for login: a four digit pin and a picture password system. The picture password will consist of picture and three gestures that you have to make. These new password systems may take some time to get used to but Microsoft believes that security wise they are better than conventional passwords.
Other security features
Microsoft has also made several changes to the various components of the operating system for more security. Due to all these changes, Windows 8 may definitely be the most secure version of Windows ever.
About the author:
Aditya Venkatesh is a computer-enthusiast who is fascinated by computer technology, gadgets and the Internet. He writes frequently on computers and other topics on www.adiwebs.com. In the past, he worked as a technical writer at a leading web development company in Hyderabad, India. His other interests include photography and DIY projects

Sunday, May 20, 2012