Software Laboratory Articles http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/menu.cgi en Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Copyright 2009, Astral Consultancy Ltd HunBug RSS Generator A basic example of an Ajax request. The example should enable an Ajax beginner to get a first understanding of the principles. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11340 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11340 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT An XML request using Ajax to display data in a table format using reusable Javascript functions http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11350 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11350 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Javascript routine to rotate a background image on a daily basis. The selection is based on the date so that each image is displayed for a day, before the cycle restarts. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11500 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11500 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Javascript routine to rotate a background image on a sesonal basis. The selection is based on the date so that each image can be displayed for a particular season. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11520 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11520 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT How to use Javascript to add a countdown of the number of characters available for a text area http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11290 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11290 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to delay the execution of the onMouseOver function, using setTimeout. The execution of the function is cancelled if the cursor is moved out of the object before the delay period. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11570 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11570 Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Generating a prediction for the next draw. As calculations are based on the draw date rather than randomly generated, the prediction for each draw will always be the consistent http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11190 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11190 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Create a select drop down list with multi colored options using Javascript and CSS http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11580 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11580 Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Displays images from an array as a slideshow, fading each image in and out. The routine holds the image while the mouse is over, allowing the user to view. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11510 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11510 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Displays images from an array as a slideshow, merging the images during transition. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11530 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11530 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Drop the script code into your page for an animated image slideshow with next and previous buttons. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11560 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11560 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Using Microsoft.XMLDOM, in an HyperText Application, to validate an XML file against its DTD. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11360 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11360 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Bring simple and effective animation to a page using by fading your popup elements in and out using this Javascript function. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11450 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11450 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Append text or new elements to existing DOM elements dynamically, with a simple Javascript function http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11430 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11430 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Javascript functions to insert new elements dynamically, along with inner text, before or after an existing element http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11440 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11440 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Add and remove event handling functions, to give dynamic control of the Javascript events actions. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11460 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11460 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Create a modal popup effect that will grey out the main page, using an opaque layer, which disables the main page functionality and focuses the user on the popup. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11420 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11420 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Avoid browser popup blockers by creating a windows styled popup element. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11540 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11540 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT How to use cookies in Javascript, including creating persistent and session cookies, deleting cookies and reading the values http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11180 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11180 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to use system event triggers to audit database DDL changes http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11090 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11090 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Audit successful and unsuccessful connections to the database. The audit trail produces useful information for analysis of how the database is used, whilst providing a log of possible unauthorised attempts to gain access to your data http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11100 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11100 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Easily capture all of the changes to data in your key tables, logging old and new values, who made the changes and when http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11020 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11020 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT A walk through guide to convert a mod_plsql set up to the embedded plsql gateway, DBMS_EPG, which is new in Oracle 10g. Including scripts to easily create new DADs and view their settings. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11410 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11410 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Using CSV files located on the database server file system as external tables, allowing the data to be queried using standard select statements http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11210 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11210 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to display data from different records in a single column. Ideally used for displaying child record data against a single parent record. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11310 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11310 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT The pros and cons of using an autonomous transaction to avoid ORA-04091 mutating table errors http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11470 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11470 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT How to avoid ORA-04091 mutating table errors when inserting or updating data to a table. This solution, originally written in Oracle9i, captures the data using triggers and a package http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11010 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11010 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT How to replicate the standard replace built-in function for CLOBs http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11080 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11080 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Using mod_plsql to generate output reports in either Microsoft Word or Excel. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11270 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11270 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Executing operating system commands on the database server from PLSQL, using a Java class stored in the database http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11160 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11160 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Using a Java class, stored on the database, to write a BLOB column to the file system http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11120 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11120 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to load compiled Java into the database, allowing Java script source code content to remain private http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11150 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11150 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Using Oracle's password built-in security features to create a policy for a more secure password environment http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11140 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11140 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Use Oracle's wrap utility to encrypt your applications PLSQL source code, so it is unreadable http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11130 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11130 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to setup the Autotrace and Explain Plan tuning utilities, to see statement execution plans, for help with tuning http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11170 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11170 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Using an MD5 checksum, this solution checks the objects belonging to the schema. The checksum can then be compared with other schemas to ensure consistency. Ideal for comparing development, test and production schemas http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11050 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11050 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT A useful routine which displays all plsql errors for a schema. This little function is ideal for running after delivering updated to program units http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11110 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11110 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT A plsql database function that will allow you to kill a session that has been idle for longer than a specified period of time http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11490 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11490 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Windows server command script for cold database backups. Use the dynamically created restore script for restoring each backup http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11400 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11400 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Useful function to compile all the objects for a schema. Ideal for running after making changes to a plsql or Java program units http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11060 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11060 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT This procedure uses DBMS_METADATA to build a script of create statements for objects that exist in a current schema. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11300 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11300 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT This function takes a 7 character string, each character representing a day of the week, Y for included, N for not included and returns a string of the included days of the week in a readable format http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11590 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11590 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT A procedure, that can be added to existing code, which uses the call stack to determine the calling PLSQL object http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11250 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11250 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT How to output data from a CLOB column, to a file on the server using the UTL_FILE built-in package http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11070 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11070 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Display different language translations for alerts and messages depending on the users nls_lang parameter. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11380 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11380 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Using a table on the database to allow item prompts to be customised by users via the front end, with no need for users to have any knowledge of the items technical details. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11280 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11280 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Forms function to convert the date from the entered format to the displayed format http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11600 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11600 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Log environmental details to a table when an error occurs, making debugging problems much easier as you have the essential information immediately to hand. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11370 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11370 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT A MS-Windows command script to batch generate directories of forms and reports. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11390 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11390 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT How to set a Form as query only even when it is not called with the query only parameter http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11610 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11610 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Reference page for Perl built-in functions http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11220 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11220 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Beginners guide to file handling with Perl. Handy reference for everyone else. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11330 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11330 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Using a Perl cgi script to evaluate whether or not the website visitor is from a pre-specified country http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11260 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11260 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Reading parameter values from the URI in Perl. With examples of data being sent from an html form using the get method http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11240 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11240 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Reading parameter values from a calling html form, sent using the post method http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11230 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11230 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Convert Excel files into several ASCII formats, including CSV and Tab Delimited, using VB Script. An easily adapted script which can be modified to suit many Excel to text based requirements http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11030 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11030 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Extracting specific worksheets from an Excel workbook and creating comma separated or tab delimited ASCII files http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11320 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11320 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Use Excel to manually maintain sitemap information, giving you more control over the information. Sitemaps for Google and Yahoo can then be generated using the command script described http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11040 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11040 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT A VisualBasic function that accepts a CSV file name, returning the CSV data as an array, which can be used by the calling procedure http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11200 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11200 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Our ad rotation tool that will create a Javascript file to randomly rotate your ads, regardless of agency. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11480 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11480 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT An email address obscure tool, to make it more difficult for spam bots to harvest email addresses from your web pages. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11550 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11550 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Enables you to encrypt and decrypt text using a password, so that it can be sent and received more securely. http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11620 http://www.astral-consultancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/hunbug/doco.cgi?11620 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT