Comments on: Visualisation of parties in the Dáil 1918-2002 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/ An Irish Community weblog about everything Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:08:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Keith http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132251 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 19:08:58 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132251 Well, I already know JS, and AS is based on JS anyway. Fear isn't exactly something that strikes me when it comes to programming languages: I taught myself C++ from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201700735/" rel="nofollow">Stroustrup</a> before I went to college and have written my own wireless networking stack. Now <em>that</em>'s hardcore. :-) What annoys me about Flash, at least the previous times I've thought I'd sit down and learn it, is that the interface doesn't appear very programmer friendly, and frustratingly so. I'd love if, like Eclipse, it was possible to construct various <em>perspectives</em> specific to the task you're undertaking at the time and switch between them rapidly. But there's not really anything that can be done with Flash that can't be done with Java, and after so many years of coding Java, I'm familiar enough with the requisite parts AWT, Swing, and Java2D to be able to do it all as fast in Java as I would in Flash. It's quite possible to do everything that the Google Finance applet does in Java and I'm happy enough with it. I really can't see any good reason to port it over beside the fact that Flash's font rendering looks better, though that'll change when <a href="https://mustang.dev.java.net/" rel="nofollow">Java 1.6</a> comes out shortly and it'll support proper subpixel antialiasing. Well, I already know JS, and AS is based on JS anyway. Fear isn’t exactly something that strikes me when it comes to programming languages: I taught myself C++ from Stroustrup before I went to college and have written my own wireless networking stack. Now that’s hardcore. :-)

What annoys me about Flash, at least the previous times I’ve thought I’d sit down and learn it, is that the interface doesn’t appear very programmer friendly, and frustratingly so. I’d love if, like Eclipse, it was possible to construct various perspectives specific to the task you’re undertaking at the time and switch between them rapidly.

But there’s not really anything that can be done with Flash that can’t be done with Java, and after so many years of coding Java, I’m familiar enough with the requisite parts AWT, Swing, and Java2D to be able to do it all as fast in Java as I would in Flash. It’s quite possible to do everything that the Google Finance applet does in Java and I’m happy enough with it.

I really can’t see any good reason to port it over beside the fact that Flash’s font rendering looks better, though that’ll change when Java 1.6 comes out shortly and it’ll support proper subpixel antialiasing.

]]> by: tim http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132162 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:11:00 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132162 Nice one Keith. Hope to see your finished version soon! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actionscript" rel="nofollow">Flash AS2.0</a> looks alot like Java so don't be too afraid of it! <a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=google&#38;hl=en" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> a good idea of what you might expect flash to do for you. Nice one Keith. Hope to see your finished version soon! Flash AS2.0 looks alot like Java so don’t be too afraid of it! Here’s a good idea of what you might expect flash to do for you.

]]> by: Keith http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132040 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 13:10:10 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132040 It's not done yet either. I'm reworking the charts right now. I <em>could</em> convert it to Flash and I have a copy of it lying around here somewhere, but I'd need to learn Flash first. Java, on the other hand, I already know. Anyway, the only real difference in the end would be that it'd have nicer anti-aliasing on the text. It’s not done yet either. I’m reworking the charts right now.

I could convert it to Flash and I have a copy of it lying around here somewhere, but I’d need to learn Flash first. Java, on the other hand, I already know. Anyway, the only real difference in the end would be that it’d have nicer anti-aliasing on the text.

]]> by: tim http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132037 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:58:11 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/06/23/visualisation-of-parties-in-the-dail-1918-2002/#comment-132037 Lovely. Would be nice to see a flash version. Lovely. Would be nice to see a flash version.

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