Proposal for Boyer-Moore String Pattern Search Algorithm Optimization

I first encountered the Boyer-Moore string search algorithm in mid-1990s when it was mentioned in a local computer magazine discussing virus detection mechanisms and referred to Cormen's Introduction to Algorithms for more details.

Back then, DOS was king and Microsoft was omnipotent, with computer viruses as nuances in one's computing experience, the holy grail of computer programming enthusiasts in my former university (but my college alma mater is here) was anti-virus programming.

The paradox is that to learn how to create an anti-virus you have to create a virus against which it should work. Mark Ludwig's bookwas a coveted possession but the only one I got my hands on was Ralf Burger's work and I learned how to make a functional computer virus then. To fix the problem, you have to find it (fast!); this is where virus detection becomes critical, and Boyer-Moore string search algorithm is one of the best algorithms known then for this purpose.

The Odd Encounter with jQuery, jQuery UI and Input Validation

I recently had a web app project that in the beginning simply had to have a form that will submit something to some recipient as a particular format. We won't delve into what format it is but with my brief encounter with the modus operandi of the orchestrated effort of jQuery and jQuery UI on input validation.

Quest for the Home Office Essentials: The Adventure with Ubuntu 10.04LTS and Canon Pixma MP140

My youngest sister handed down to me her Canon Pixma MP140 printer from UK, one of those multi-function device, it can print, scan and copy printed documents and pictures. Checking with OpenPrinting indicated possible disappointment since it's not listed as supported there.

Previously, GNU/Linux's reputation as a desktop computer platform was spotty, but this has not deterred me from settling for it as our desktop of choice at home with Ubuntu 10.04LTS. I document here the experience I had setting up the Canon Pixma MP140 printer with Ubuntu 10.04LTS, what pleasant surprises I encountered and drawbacks that almost made me look for something else.

The Woe and Wow of Mozilla Firefox 4 Downgrade

When I got into work today (yes I still have a day job), I read an advisory that we should not yet upgrade to the newest Firefox 4 web browser. I looked into this and found it was because of Selenium, the PHP application testing goes quirky, it works, but there were some functionalities that just doesn't work as expected (our OS is <gasp!> Windows 7 Professional).

Poke URL with PHP for Response and Stay Sane

I recently had a project to parse the response of a web URL using PHP and based on that, to perform an action. The confusing part isn't which action to take once the URL is processed, but how to obtain the response from the URL, when the response is merely 0 (zero/false) or 1 (one/true).