Let’s assume that you have a button with an ID of ‘button’. Let’s assume it does something useful like close a pop-up but it can do anything really.

e.g.

   1:  //listen for hash tag changes so we can remove the popup

   2:  $(window).bind('hashchange',

   3:      function(event){

   4:          //did we add or substract the hash?

   5:          var currentHash = window.location.hash;

   6:          currentHash = currentHash.slice(1);                    

   7:          if(window.console && debug){

   8:              console.log(['listings.js: hashchange event detected. currentHash is ', currentHash ].join(''));

   9:          } 

  10:   

  11:          if(currentHash === 'close' || currentHash === ''){

  12:              //remove event listener to prevent premature trigger

  13:              $(window).unbind('hashchange'); 

  14:              if(window.console && debug){

  15:                  console.log('listings.js: haschange event unbound ');

  16:                  console.log(['listings.js: haschange event.trigger is ',event.target].join(''));

  17:             } 

  18:   

  19:              $("#button").trigger('click');

  20:          } else {

  21:              if(window.console && debug){

  22:                  console.log('hash is not empty. doing nothing.');

  23:              } 

  24:          } 

  25:          event.preventDefault();

  26:      }

  27:  );

What’s with the Array.join(‘’) method?

Well I learnt from Google that this method is faster than concatenating a string with ‘+’. I’m always learning new ways to write better code.

Recommended reading

https://developer.mozilla.org/En/DOM/Window.location

Unfortunately, as with most frameworks, the binary installer doesn’t do EVERYTHING you need to get started. So noob-to-noob this is how I got myself started on Qt on Windows.

Install binaries

Get the Qt SDK and Qt Libraries 4.6.2 and install.

Set paths

Go to: Start menu > Computer (Right click) > Properties > Advanced properties > Environment variables

Add these to PATH (Path > Edit)
C:\Qt\2010.02\mingw\bin;
C:\Qt\4.6.2\bin;
C:\Qt\2010.02\mingw\mingw32\bin;
C:\Qt\4.6.2\qmake\generators\win32;

Add new for user
QMAKESPEC win32-g++
QTDIR C:\Qt\4.6.2

Edit classpath
C:\Qt\2010.02\mingw\bin;
C:\Qt\4.6.2\bin;

Log out and login or restart for changes to take effect

Build Qt Libraries

Go to: C:\Qt\4.6.2\bin

Open qtvars.bat
Save as qtvars.bak.txt
Edit qtvars.bat
Delete all lines that modify the PATH i.e. lines 6 – 17.

Open command window in C:\Qt\4.6.2\bin
Run: qtvars.bat compile_debug

Go to: Start > Programs > Qt by Nokia 4.6.2 > Qt 4.6.2 (Build debug libraries)

Sip coffee while you wait. . . wait . . . wait.

UPDATE

You don’t need to build the libraries to get the IDE to work.

If you get this error when you run a build (probably going through a tutorial like I did) -

C: \ Qt \ 2010.02.1 \ qt \ lib / libqtmaind.a (qtmain_win.o): In function `WinMain @ 16 ‘:
C: \ qt-greenhouse \ Trolltech \ Code_less_create_more \ Trolltech \ Code_less_create_more \ Troll \ 4.6 \ qt \ src \ winmain / qtmain_win.cpp: 131: undefined reference to `qMain (int, char **)

It’s because your function doesn’t have a main method. So try this –

   1:  int main(int argc, char **argv){

   2:    //code goes here

   3:  }

One problem that I keep running into writing JavaScript is trying to keep track of all the objects and variables. With other programming languages your IDE of choice helps you step in and out of functions, insert breakpoints and show you how your variables are being modified. What do you do if you are writing JavaScript which doesn’t have this level of support and you don’t want your console logs printing out on a live site?

I use -

   1:  if(window.console && debug){

   2:      console.log('my variables ');

   3:  }

   4:   

   5:  var debug = true;

What this statement does is check for an instance of a console. The console is a web development aid included most modern browsers, excluding Internet Explorer.  If it present, “window.console” is true which avoids IE throwing errors when it gets to “console.log”.

The next variable is “debug”. I set this to false once the code is ready.

The benefit is I can log the progress of my program(s) in JavaScript as I develop. If the code is sent back for modifications/improvements/troubleshooting I can turn on the logging and more quickly find out where the problem is. Most useful before 10:30 am and at around 3 pm.

Anyway – tried to loop a sound clip in Flash and it was a lot more painful than I expected so I made a note in my work diary that looked like this -

25 February 2009

To loop a sound clip in Flash using ActionScript 3 refer to –
http://doogog.com/music-looping-in-as3.html

The code I developed also has a method to stop the music using a button is -

   1:  //Stop at this frame

   2:  stop(); 

   3:   

   4:  //Create a new sound object

   5:  var music:Sound = new Sound()

   6:   

   7:  //Set location of sound file – if it is external – using a URLRequest object

   8:  var req:URLRequest = new URLRequest("audio/bongos.mp3");

   9:   

  10:  //Create a new SoundChannel object

  11:  var channel:SoundChannel; 

  12:   

  13:  //load music file – via url request object – into channel object

  14:  music.load(req);

  15:  playMusic(); 

  16:   

  17:  //Boolean checks if the sound is playing

  18:  var musicIsOn:Boolean = true;

  19:   

  20:  //An event listener for a button that stops the music

  21:  btnMusic.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, stopMusic); 

  22:   

  23:  function stopMusic(evt:Event):void {

  24:      if(musicIsOn)

  25:      {

  26:          trace("stop");

  27:          channel.stop();

  28:          musicIsOn = false;

  29:      } else {

  30:          playMusic();

  31:          musicIsOn = true;

  32:      }

  33:  } 

  34:   

  35:  function playMusic():void{

  36:      trace("play");

  37:   

  38:  //play music through the SoundChannel

  39:      channel = music.play();

  40:   

  41:  //add an event listener that reacts when the sound being played 

  42:  //is completed and repeats the sound

  43:      channel.addEventListener(Event.SOUND_COMPLETE, repeat);

  44:  } 

  45:   

  46:  function repeat(evt:Event):void {

  47:      if(channel != null)

  48:      {

  49:   

  50:  //without removing the event listener the sound clip will play only twice

  51:  //I am not sure why but it feels like the event listener gets disposed of

  52:  //once used by default.

  53:          channel.removeEventListener(Event.SOUND_COMPLETE, repeat);

  54:          playMusic();

  55:      }

  56:  }

I hope you found that useful.

1. From the menu bar select “Tools” followed by “External Tools”

   

2. From the “External Tools” menu, click on “Add” to make a new entry.
3. Enter the appropriate information for the new “External Tool”

Here are the settings for two external tools that I have added.

The first is for Windows Communication Foundation Test Client that allows you to test the host services that you create in Visual Studio. Be sure to select “Prompt for arguments” so you can enter the location of the service that you are testing.

Command = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\WcfTestClient.Exe

Next are the settings for the Visual Studio 2008 command prompt. This came in handy to enter some configuration commands for Visual Studio – more on that in another post.

Command = cmd.exe

Arguments = %comspec% /k “”H:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat”" x86

Initial directory = $(ProjectDir)

What external tools have you added?