QuickFIXJ FieldnotFound exception

Question: In my application I am receiving a huge FIX messages. Should I check the tag is present for all the tags I retrieving. If I am not checking the presence of a tag, I get FieldNotFound exception in case the tag is not exist in the message. Is there way to bypass the isSetField(Field) method for checking for the tag is present in the message. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bibin
Answer: You should switch on message validation within your quickfix/j settings
This will mean that you no longer need to do an explicit isSet check on any tag that is deemed mandatory, as any message missing such a tag would be rejected.
Once you've done this, you would still need to do an isSet for tags that are optional in your messages.
Answer: Check out the FIX data dictionary documentation : http://www.quickfixn.org/tutorial/custom-fields-groups-and-messages

QuickFIXJ FieldnotFound exception


GFCI has no power

Question: Three years ago, I installed two GFCI outlets under an outdoor shade, but this morning, when I was using an air fryer with one of them, the power went out. I went to the main electrical panel and it didn't seem to be tripped. Press "Test" and hear a sound. But "Reset" cannot be pressed. "Test" no longer responded after the first try. I used the circuit tester, it indicated that both outlets were out of power. If the circuit has not been tripped, why were the GFCIs out of power?
Comment: Just to clarify: you say these are GFCI outlets but then you went to the panel.  Are the outlets GFCI, the breaker GFCI, or both?  If the outlet is GFCI, can you confirm you reset the outlet?
Comment: Are the outlets rated for outdoor installation?
Comment: Did you reset ALL the outlets?
Answer: Never trust a breaker is not tripped just by looking.  After a few years dust and grit accumulates in breakers and many times the handle will not move when it trips.  I will generally run a finger down all the breakers, pressing them lightly towards the off position.  If one has tripped, it usually will pop into position when you touch it.  And any time there is doubt, a quick off-on never hurts.
But, if breaker has not tripped, then your GFCI died. It is very common for these to stop working at any time. Some don't last a year, some have worked for decades.  After resetting breaker, if reset on outlet still won't engage, it's time to replace.  If you have a non contact voltage detector, you can pull off wall plate and check for voltage on the right hand side of outlet. If you have voltage there, it is for sure a dead GFCI. If no voltage there, it's in the breaker.
Comment: +1 I just replaced 6 of these in a move-out. 3 had failed, exactly the condition described in this answer, and displayed the exact behavior that the OP describes. I suspect (but have no actual evidence) that many contractor bulk models fail quicker on average than what one picks off the shelf at the big box.
Answer: You might have a third GFCI upstream of these that has tripped, somewhere in the house, between the breaker and these.
Also try turning the breaker off and back on even if it does not look tripped.

GFCI has no power


How to test two identical process with different scheduling policy and their cpu usage

Question: what would be the best approach to compare usage of the processor (in  %) for two identical processes with different scheduling policy in for example one-minute time frame.
I'm pretty new to the linux and I'm testing some things... but it's pretty hard for me so I will be glad for any answer.
Answer: Some extra details could have been useful to give you a better answer.
To monitor the CPU activity, you can use the sar command like this :
sar [interval] [count]

So you'll get a short report of CPU usage every interval seconds, up to count reports.
For example :
$ sar 1 3
Linux 4.19.0-0.bpo.4-amd64 (caramba)    05/14/2019      _x86_64_        (2 CPU)

05:18:33 PM     CPU     %user     %nice   %system   %iowait    %steal     %idle
05:18:34 PM     all      3.06      0.00      2.55      0.51      0.00     93.88
05:18:35 PM     all      2.07      0.00      2.59      0.00      0.00     95.34
05:18:36 PM     all      1.03      0.00      1.54      0.00      0.00     97.44
Average:        all      2.05      0.00      2.23      0.17      0.00     95.55

The manual page (as well as online docs - there are plenty) may put you on track.
Answer: You can use pidstat [interval][count] -p processID to monitor specific process. sysstat pack provides this and some other tools for monitoring.


Hey guys, anyone use Auto-Rig pro

Question: I need something to rig a hand, just a hand not a whole arm, so I found this tool, but I am not sure if it could rig just the hand for me, or it only works for full body meshes. Anyone knows how to use it?
Answer: You can use Rigify: add an human metarig, delete in edit mode all bones except arm, forearm, hand, fingers.
Then set all bones in the appropriate location.
Back in object mode click the create rig button, hide the metarig, in edit mode enable all bone layers and select and delete all bones relative to arm and forearm.
A couple of little bones are unselectable, so you'll have to toggle the selectability arrow in the outliner and toggle their selectability property.
You can also delete root bone, if unnecessary.
Comment: From what I've read in the ARP documention, it is not recommended that you ever delete bones generated with Auto Rig Pro. It's said that it will break the addon's code. Instead, you're expected to disable any bones you don't need, and there is a way to do that while in the Reference Bone editing phase. Now, granted, it would seem a strange workflow to generate a whole body rig just to disable everything but the bones of one hand, but I'm guessing that could be done.
Comment: I just created an Auto Rig Pro chat room. Let me know if you would like to discuss things related to it there.
Comment: @ R-800, I would like too.
Comment: where is the chat related to auto rig pro? I would like to join to learn more and share my experience in unity with this feature.

Hey guys, anyone use Auto-Rig pro


Django custome values for foreign keys

Question: The thing I need to do seems quite simple, but I already spent quite a lot of time trying to solve it.... with no success.
So, I have a Template model defined:
class Template(models.Model):
    TYPE_CHOICES = (
                      ('campaign','Campaign email template'),
                      ('system','System email template'),
                      )
    Name = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    Type = models.CharField(max_length=255, verbose_name='Template type', choices=TYPE_CHOICES)
    Content  = models.TextField(max_length=3000)
    def __unicode__(self):
        return self.Name

And I have my System Email model defined like this:
class SystemEmail(models.Model):
    Name = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    Template = models.ForeignKey(Template,null=True)
    Subject  = models.CharField(max_length=255,help_text='Shortcodes are allowed (see bottom of the page)')
    Content  = models.TextField(max_length=3000,)

So the Template fields in my System email model is a foreign key which will be represented by a drop down. However, I do not wish ALL Template records to appear in that dropdown, but just the ones that have type='system'
So, how should I tell Django to do this?
Answer: limit_choices_to:
template = models.ForeignKey(Template, null=True, limit_choices_to={'type': 'system'})

(Please, use lower case names for your fields.)

Django custome values for foreign keys


how i can set default value in mysql field to be NULL

Question: hello all i have problem with mysql...i have field  user can save value in it or leave it empty so should i set default value for this field NULL? isnt it...ok how i do it?
Answer: That is the default value in most cases. Just don't specify a default and of course don't specify NOT NULL for that field when defining the table schema.
Answer: There is no need for a field to be NULL, yuo can just enter an empty value. This is often better as NULL means "no information present" not "field empty". A user might intentionally leave a field empty because he has nothing to fill it with (e.g. "personal website") but this IS an information, while NULL means "we don't know".


Namespaces and objective C

Question: In c# I use namespaces in java I use packages.  Is there a way to keep classnames short in objective c?
Answer: Objective-C only has one, single global namespace. That is why you often see classes called SBJsonParser, so that the class name doesn't collide with other JsonParsers out there.
The general recommendation I have seen is to prefix your classes with either your initials or with a few initials for the project you are working on, the class name, then (sometimes) what "type" of class they are (as is the apparent convention for view controllers).
Honestly, I am right there with you Mel, I would be absolutely exhilarated for Objective-C to add some sort of namespacing feature, at least something to sort out classes a bit more (and a bit easier).
Comment: +1. Though, I'm a bad, bad boy and I prefix only classes that I bundle in a library (classes in my apps aren't usually prefixed).
Comment: Even if it's only syntactic sugar around prefixes... `@namespace Cocoa = NS; @namespace CoreAnimation = CA; Cocoa::Object *obj = [CoreAnimation::Transition animation];` anybody?
Comment: @zneak Yeah, I only prefix classes that I plan to reuse elsewhere. If its staying in that particular app, then I'll settle for simplicity, thank you. @Jonathan The prefixes, themselves, don't bother me. I just would rather have at least a minimal amount of namespacing. Even un-nestable namespaces would be awesome (one tier deep). That would even avoid the .NET namespace soup!

Namespaces and objective C


Custom fields do not show for AssociatedLocation

Question: I have split my metadata into multiple sub-directories (I'll call them 'tiers' here) with each properly described in my sfdx-project.json
I just successfully deployed 4 of the 5 tiers using sfdx force:source:push --wait=90 -f.

The fifth tier failed due to some dependencies on custom fields defined on the AssociatedLocation object (all my 'objects' are in the 4th tier, which as I said, deploys successfully to my shape-based scratch org)
When I go into my scratch org's Setup > Object Manager, I can see various custom fields I deployed on the Account object.. I can see completely new custom objects that I added into the org.. but why can't I see the custom fields that I added to my 'successfully deployed' AssociatedLocation object?

Invalid field:AddressName__c in related list:AssociatedLocations

One additional wrinkle:
All the custom fields we added to AssociatedLocation are calculated - i.e. they have a formula. Not sure if that is important, but they do have this in common.
Answer: OK - well.. answering my own question:
These are the dumb things that happen when you forget to check .forceignore first
Yes, a prior developer marked this object to be ignored. Thus, it merely had the appearance of a successful deployment.


VMware view for Remote Non Admin Users

Question: Has anyone came up with a way that I can connect to a view enviroment and not have to copy files or install software yet? I have heard of virtualizing the client. I would like to see it work similar to connecting to a view enviroment using a Linux machine. Where the desktop is launched through the browser.
Comment: Is this question about the "VMware View" product (http://www.vmware.com/products/view/)? Or is it about "viewing VMware"?
Answer: In order to help you, we'll need some details about your environment.  Are you running ESX/ESXi or Virtual Center / vSphere? (or VMWare Server or VMWare Workstation?)
We're running Virtual Center 2 with ESX 3.5 hosts, so I'll give you those instructions (which will work against either the Virtual Center server or a standalone ESX host):
Add the restricted user as a Virtual Machine Operator:

Open the Virtual Infrastructure Client
selecting the Virtual Machine you wish to grant access, and going to the Permissions tab.
Right click inside the window and choose Add..
From here you can add a user on the local host (or from an AD or LDAP if you've integrated).
Choose Virtual Machine User as the role

Instructions for opening the guest as the restricted user:

Browse to the server's address, where you should be presented with a login page (there will probably be an ssl cert prompt first)
Select a guest VM and open the console.
There is a prompt to run an ActiveX control in order to be able to see the desktop.
I haven't tried from a Linux desktop, so I can't tell you how that works.

VMware view for Remote Non Admin Users


Is it OK with the Stack Overflow rules to create an account for an "organisation"?

Question: Say the developers of the open source project Foo create a Stack Overflow account "Foo Community". They use this account to post on Stack Overflow questions they often get from the community as "Foo Community" and then post answers to those questions with their own personal account. Assuming the questions follow all the Stack Overflow rules, is this considered to be an accepted use of Stack Overflow?
Comment: It would feel a little dirty if you use the Foo account to vote up the personal account.
Comment: @oberlies Not really. That link is about asking questions only, but here, the "community" account could also provide official or canonical answers to ("real") questions relating to its project/product/community, though that isn't explicitlty mentioned in this question. The scopes are also different: an entire SE site, versus a particular product / project on topic for some SE site(s). Finally, that question suggests the new account should be functionally similar to the community wiki account, but this question states simply that it would be a standard SO user.
Comment: +1 -- it's been a while since we had a question explained so clear and to the point.
Comment: @jjnguy, I agree, using one account you own to vote up another account you own would certainly be dishonest, and this is not what I am suggesting, or thinking about doing.
Comment: then I'd say "Go for it!"
Comment: The exactly same use case is covered by the question [Can we get the ability to ask questions as a Community User?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/68987/can-we-get-the-ability-to-ask-questions-as-a-community-user) - the answers include better options than shadow accounts.
Comment: I proposed a different approach for asking questions from the community on stackoverflow: [Can we get a new question type for "forwarded questions"?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/144929/191131)
Answer: As long as the questions remain in good faith (and aren't an overt marketing effort), I'm certainly in favor of it.
However, the answers shall also come from the organizational account and not your personal account. This makes everything more transparent.
Comment: I don't like this solution: only the questions are from the communtiy; the answers are my own and so I want to earn reputation for them if they are good.
Answer: An alternative would be to direct the originators of the question to post them on Stack Overflow and then answer using your personal accounts but make it clear you are answering on behalf of "Foo Community".
Comment: I have thinking about this way of doing it. The drawback with asking people who posted a question elsewhere to "please report this on Stack Overflow" is the burden you put on them, and the additional time it will take before they can get an answer. So I am thinking that for questions that fit well on Stack Overflow, if the question is short and can be easily paraphrased, I repost it on Stack Overflow as "Foo Community", and if it is too  long, ask authors to please repost it themselves.
Answer: (Updated:) From what I could find elsewhere (blog, meta question 1, meta question 2), it is okay to ask questions on stackoverflow just to provide good answers to them. So but how to get the question you want to answer into the system?
Generally, I agree that having an account for a community is a promising solution. However this account should be limited to what you are entitled to do on behalf of the community. IMHO the "community account" must not be used to vote or accept answers. As long as such a policy cannot be technically enforced on an account, "community accounts" have the potential for abuse and should therefore not be encouraged on stackoverflow.
Instead, you should use anonymous accounts for asking community questions. These do feature the limitations mentioned above and hence are not prone to misuse.
In summary: Don't create an account that allows you to do things you are not entitled to do
Comment: As far as I understood this, there would only be questioned asked which have definitive answers. Much like a "featured questions from the Foo community" feature-stuffy-thingy. And if they use a dedicated account...who cares about badges or reputation they get for that?
Comment: @Waffelized Bobby: The problem is that the secondary account might be misused to generate reputation on your primary account, which is why I believe that secondary accounts should be discouraged.
Comment: That's true...and would not survive long, too.
Answer: I think as long as the answers "disclose your affiliation with the product" as stated in the SO FAQ I think it's fine and ultimately serves the goal of the site.


Dark Souls 2: What is the largest weapon?

Question: Does anyone know what the largest weapon in the game is? By largest I mean physically largest, not highest damage or anything like that.
Answer: Usually Greatswords (my personal favorite kind of weapon) are the biggest category and are large. Like the other above, the biggest one probably is the Smelter Hammer.
Answer: From watching a bunch of Youtube videos I'd say it's the Smelter Hammer from Crown of the Iron King.


Parametric Plotting

Question: I am trying to make a parametric plot of the x and y displacements of a vibration problem.  When trying to plot the parametric curve won't show up.
Comment: Please post code, not just images.
Comment: Could you enter your problem using some [formatting](http://mathematica.stackexchange.com/help/formatting) so it can be copied for testing?
Comment: Welcome to Mathematica.SE! I suggest the following: 1) As you receive help, try to give it too, by **answering questions** in your area of expertise. 2) Read the [faq]! 3) When you see good questions and answers, vote them up by [clicking the gray triangles](http://tinyurl.com/ch98nrh), because the credibility of the system is based on the reputation gained by users sharing their knowledge. Also, please remember to accept the answer, if any, that solves your problem, [by clicking the checkmark sign](http://tinyurl.com/4srwe2t)!
Answer: For example:
<code>solx = NDSolve[{x''[t] == -x[t], x[0] == 0, x'[0] == 1}, x, {t, 0, 2 Pi}]
soly = NDSolve[{y''[t] == -y[t], y[0] == 2, y'[0] == 1}, y, {t, 0, 2 Pi}]
ParametricPlot[{x[t] /. solx[[1]], y[t] /. soly[[1]]}, {t, 0, 2 Pi}]
</code>

Parametric Plotting


Command-Line File Content Search

Question: The Windows FIND and FINDSTR commands are ok for searching within certain types of files for matching string values, but neither of these works against newer MS-Office formats like DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX.  Is there another way to search within these files from a command line?  This would be on Windows Vista and Windows 7 computers only.
Answer: Under Windows 7, you can add new file types to the index (Control Panel -> Indexing Options -> Advanced Options -> File Types). Don't forget to rebuild your index.
Some users also reported that they reinstalled MS Office 2007 and rebuild their index and after that content search of MS Office file types was OK.

Command-Line File Content Search


Are there any theories about computing speed propotional to object amount?

Question: If I want to calculate the movements of each moving objects driven by regular algorithm, then how can I measure required computing power? Is required computing power proportional to the quantity of the objects?
Comment: Your most useful measurements are going to be timing or profiling with actual instruments, not estimating by calculation.  There are many, many factors that will confound a performance calculation, including cache size, processor speed and compiler optimizations, to name just a few.
Comment: To Robert Harvey, actually I haven't enough knowledge to remind many other professional things which is intimately related with your comment, sorry, actually I'm a layman, it's my fault, I'm sorry, "There are many factors that will confound a performance calculation", so It's insufficient simply to calculate performance calculation, do I understand correctly? I'm so sorry, I've been let you down, but I really haven't enough knowledge. I'm so sorry. but thank you for proofread my question, and your lively comment. Thank you!
Comment: It might be worth understanding that commonly objects aren't copied around, the references to them are. Why move my house to where you can find it rather than just give you my home address?
Comment: Also, I'm not sure the problem here is that you're a layman so much as we're left unsure what it is you're trying to do. You might have a very good question that is simply poorly expressed. We need questions that are useful to others and gather objective answers. It's OK to learn as we go here. For example, I have no idea what a "regular algorithm" is. But I think asking if the number of objects used in a design impacts its performance efficiency is an awesome question. Its unfortunately big enough to write a textbook about.  So we'd need a more focused question. Feel free to edit.
Comment: Dear.  CandiedOrange, Thank you and sorry for late reply, at this time I was foolish. I asked a question without any other background knowledge,  I acted with reckless bravado(although I was really curious about question  I asked).  Thank you very much for your sincere effort and kind consideration and words of encouragement regardless of my foolish act. have a nice day!
Answer: Have a look at Big-O Notation.
The core of an answer is already part of your question:
"... the movements of each moving objects driven by regular algorithm ...". So, if you have N objects, then the computation power needed is N times the computation power needed by the "algorithm".
Does the algorithm depend on other objects? Maybe because of collision detection or so? Then the computation power needed will typically increase more than linear with N.
If you don't have the years of experience so you can estimate the required computation power in advance, then implement your program and measure its performance.
Comment: Thank you very much, actually I felt my question seems bombastic, but I didn't know how to describe what I was thinking. but you magically pointed out what i was thinking(even in case of collision.). thank you very much, I can feel your warm kindness in what you wrote.
thank you!


Name of an exercise machine in the gym

Question: Can somebody tell me what do you call in English the exercise/machine in the gym, which is in a way similar to back squat, but you do lying on your back and pushing the platform upward doing relatively the same movement as in a back squat?
Comment: What's a back squat? Is that the same as a standing squat with the barbell balanced evenly at the base of your neck? I used to perform a squat of sorts while on my back, and I called it a leg press. Hence, the apparatus would be called a leg-press machine. Actually, there are at least two such machines. One has you lying flat on your back with the weight situated directly above you, and you push the weight straight up. The other has you seated on your buttocks at an angle in such a way that you push the weight up at, say, a 45-degree angle. The latter is called an incline leg-press machine(?).
Answer: This machine is called a "leg press machine" of which there appear to be two varieties - inclined (to rhetorician's point) and vertical:

Comment: Wow! Do you do that?
Comment: @WS2, maybe the inclined one - definitely not the vertical one - especially with all those weights! lol!

Name of an exercise machine in the gym


Do the words "in relation to" imply relativism?

Question: Do the words "in relation to" imply any relativism?  For example: "The earth is small in relation to the Sun", or "I am good in relation to mathematics", or "He is morally bad in relation to her (with her), but not morally bad in relation to me (with me)", or "The kitchen is small in relation to the room".  Is it a relativism or objectivism? Or is it just a way of specifying an objective concept to something relative?
Comment: Relativity and relativism are two different things. Many attributes are non-controversially relative, such as "big" and "small", for example. Specifying what they are taken relative to is just common sense and does not imply any philosophy in particular. [Relativism](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/) is a global claim that truth as such is relative to a point of view, culture, etc.
Comment: Isn't the Earth objectively smaller than the Sun ? If you had a criterion for moral goodness/badness as clear cut as we have for size, with a notion of order so that you can compare any individual to any other without ambiguity, I.e. If morality was entirely objective, you could still say "Bob is worse than Alice". "I am good in relation to Math" means completely something else, and is in fact grammatically dubious (I let native English speaker correct me)
Answer: One way to differentiate relations from properties is to differentiate between monadic and polyadic predicates. A relation is then any predicate more than one-place in its argument (input). Now relativism would then be the claim that some one-place predicate is better conceived of as at least two-place, over the "relative to" predicate itself ultimately.
In ethics, for example, we might say, "X is good," is incomplete, and we need to relativize it as, "X is good for Y," or (more in line with the common usage), "X is good according to Y," where Y is a culture, society, or some similar thing (a civilization, maybe?). "X is good only in relation to some Y," is the most general such sentiment, then.
Note that objectivity and relativity are not opposites. A chair can be to the left of something, and this is a two-place predicate; but it is not to the left of something just in case I am conscious of or believe that it is, or whatever along this line. The quasi-opposite of relativity is absoluteness (I say "quasi-" because sometimes we talk of things being absolute "for" a restricted domain, and anyway "absolute" means "in all relations," so it isn't quite contrary to "is relative to" simpliciter but a limited relativity).
Answer: Not necessarily. "in relation to" is a much more general relational concept and usually employed to clarify the two compared objects or specify some background context. It can be used in any situations when you need. Relativism is a much more restricted philosophical doctrine terminology which is usually concerned with one's morality, ethics, culture, and epistemology. Of course they both share same underlying semantic meaning of perspective dependence. For example, in philosophy of science we have a certain doctrine called "Space Relationalism", never called "Space Relativism" as it's concerned with physics not morality or culture, at least upon first glance...
Another often-heard term is "Relativity" which is a famous purely scientific physics theory thus can be validated by experiments in many ways. It further explores motion and spacetime relations under extreme speed or mass distribution conditions and somehow favors above said space relationalism doctrine in some modern improved way.


Does a significant turnover of homeowners in my neighborhood directly affect property value?

Question: I've recently noticed lots of "For Sale" signs in my neighborhood, I'd venture to guess as high as 10%, which seems like a significant turnover. Aside from efforts by sellers to increase curb appeal (keep lawn manicured, painting, pressure-wash), does high turn over significantly affect neighboring property values?
Comment: Turnover per SE, no. If the houses are selling for significantly more. That matters. If they're selling remarkably quickly, that suggests you're in a good location which may get a better than average price. Of course either of both of these may already be factored into the price you paid and/or the appraisal.
Answer: I think Keshlam is on the right track.  House prices are set by demand and supply.  When you see a lot of for sale prices, you are only observing the supply, not the demand.  You need to take a look at actual sales to see how these changes are affecting you.
Case 1: Lots of houses are on the market and staying on the market or reducing prices.  This means there is more supply of than demand for houses.  This will drive your house price down. If you intend to sell soon, this is a bad thing.  Otherwise it shouldn't bother you too much (it might reduce your property tax bill).
Case 2: Lots of turnover.  Houses are going onto the market quickly and selling just as quickly.  This is a good thing for you potentially because it means there is high liquidity in your market.  It means if you want to sell you can pretty much get a good price even if you are in a rush to do so.
The last case is that lots of people want to move to your neighborhood and there aren't many houses up for sale.  This would be great for you but doesn't seem to be the case based on your question.
You can get an idea of what the trend is and how frequently houses are reducing prices by taking a look at Zillow or other similar services.


Profiling heap memory usage on perl programs

Question: I have written a perl program to operate on huge datasets. I am trying to profile its excution in terms of its memory usage. Tried using valgrind on small datasets, but it slows down the execution dramatically. I am looking for just heap profiling.
Could you guys suggest some ways ?
Answer: When I used Google and the search term 'perl memory profile', one of the first items points to the Perl module Devel::Size as one way of spotting memory usage.  There are also memory leak detector modules lurking around.
Answer: The new Devel::SizeMe module provides detailed visibility into the heap memory usage of a perl program or data structure. There's a blog post introducing Devel::SizeMe, including links to talk slides and screencast.
Answer: use Memchmark.
Answer: We used Devel::Leak. To work fully, you need a debugging compiled Perl, but even without that, you can count and log the number of allocated scalars, hashes, and arrays, as your code runs, at various key points. That was enough to pin down the leaks we had.


Why is the jquery_update module not supporting the latest jQuery version?

Question: The recommended jquery_update module only supports 1.10. Why recent jQuery security version 3.4.1 not updated?
https://jquery.com/download/
So is it recommended to make my Drupal site to update with latest jQuery version for security reasons?
When I try to make the module to support latest jquery version, I am facing issues with other jQuery UI files. What are the additional UI files need to be addressed to work with latest jQuery version?
Thanks,
Answer: You'll want to use the latest dev version of jQuery update, 7.x-3.x-dev to get the latest version of jQuery, or at least jQuery 3.1.  See this drupal issue for more insight.
You can see in the 7.x-3.x dev branch, it has jQuery 3.1.
Note, there is also a patch for jQuery 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 against the 7.x-2.7 branch.


How can a foreign national get a fishing/hunting license in the South Carolina?

Question: My brother-in-law is going to come and visit us for a couple of weeks.
I'd like to take him to fish with me, but he is Mexican, and the last time I got my fishing license in my state, I was asked for my SSN.
Obviously, he doesn't have a social security number, so I'd like to know if it is even possible for tourists to fish/hunt legally in the US in public lakes.
Answer: According to the web site of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, either a SSN or an alien identification card is required:

Social Security Number: The disclosure of your social security number or alien identification number is required to obtain SC hunting and fishing licenses. This complies with SC Code of Laws Section 63-14-1080 and Federal law 42 USCA 666(a) (13), which requires a licensing agency to provide this information to the Child Support Enforcement Unit of the Department of Social Services to establish, modify and enforce child support orders.

There is a non-resident license application for mail-in applications, but it requests a US address.
It is unclear to me whether non-resident licenses are available only to US residents (who live outside of SC), or to anyone, including US non-residents, but it appears (based on the above quote about US Federal Law, and the application form) that a licence likely is not available to non-US residents.
To be sure, you may need to contact the office directly.
Another option might be to find a private lake/pond where you can fish without a license.
Comment: @AlanChavez If/when you do call SC DNR, please come back and add an answer yourself (you can even accept your own answer as THE answer). That way we'll all know.
Comment: Interesting, according to USCIS an Alien number is a number given to noncitizens. My brother-in-law visa has an Alien number on it. I guess I'll have to call SC DNR and ask them directly. Will report back with my findings. Thanks!
Comment: @pnuts Admittedly, that was the line of my thinking from when this was first asked. Why would any locality that has a licensing scheme for hunting/fishing **ever** deny licenses to foreigners? At the very least charge them more. More income to support wildlife management.
Comment: yah, seems the license is available only to US residents with a US ID card or passport (iow, US citizens). His best bet may be to get something like the licenses organisers of fishing trips for tourists get, and that could well be a rather expensive option.
Comment: @CGCampbell: To have an Alien ID number you must be a US legal resident, though, which is what jwenting said.
Comment: @CGCampbell: I don't know what the rules are in SC, but in Kansas, if a body of water is entirely on your land (not just bordering it), then you don't need a license.


Can I use "war event" in this context?

Question: I'm writing a text about children who have experienced war in some form. In my own language, we have an umbrella term for any situation involving war in some sense, and when I look it up in a dictionary, I get the translation "war event", but when I google "war event", it seems to appear more or less exclusively in a gaming context. So, now I'm wondering whether I can nevertheless use this in "my" context, or whether there's another word or phrase I should use.
Comment: Out of interest, what is the term in your language?
Comment: @James K It's *krigshändelser*; *krig* = 'war', and *händelser* = 'events' or 'incidents'. (I have no idea why we add an *s* in the middle; I'm sure there's a linguistic explanation for it, but I don't know what it is)
Comment: To give you a solid answer, we'd need a fuller context of what you're actually talking about, like some examples.
Answer: It may be wise to define it upfront, but I don't think you're going to find a better term.
Possibly "war experience"?
Answer: "War event" is valid English, but it is not a particularly usual or familiar phrase in general English. If you use it in the way you describe, you may well want to define or explain your usage at or ner the start of your text.
Other phrases you might want to consider:

experience of war
war experiences
encounter with war
experience of combat
affected by war

None of these is a set phrase, as it seems the phrase in your native language is, and you may be able to come up with a better choice.
Answer: I'd suggest "Wartime events/incidents" as a generic translation. I think that "war events" sounds like "events that are wars" more than "events during wars".  Using "wartime" avoids this sense.
Your google isn't my google. When I google "war events" I get links to "Cold war events" or "Korean war events".
In your particular context, a different translation may be appropriate.  It may well be better to rephrase as, for example:

Children witness many terrible things that happen during wars.

Instead of

Children witness many terrible war events.
Comment: That is a reasonable analysis.  That is why I think "wartime incidents" is a better general translation.  But idiomatically you would probably not use the same phrasing in English as  in Swedish.
Comment: Thanks for your answer! Interesting about google; I guess it may be because I've got a whole herd of kids who often use my computer to show me things involving the games that they play :)) Having said this though, I think "Cold war events" and Korean war events" aren't really instances of an underlying concept WAR EVENT, which are modified by "cold" and "Korean" respectively, are they? Rather, these are instances of EVENT, which are modified by "Cold war" and "Korean war", wouldn't you say?
Comment: Or, put another way: COLD WAR and KOREAN WAR are unitlike concepts, so here we're no longer talking about WAR, but of two specific historical 'things' (which happened to be wars)  (or, well not even that, because the Cold war wasn't really a war in the normal sense)
Comment: Very true - we wouldn't :)

Can I use "war event" in this context?


OLPC development choices

Question: What are my options for developing a piece of software for the OLPC project. From looking at the various sites and wikis, I can honestly say that I am still totally confused. Is it to be sugar, c++, smalltalk or python? HELP!
Thanks,
Answer: First, the short answer:  You want to use Python, and you want to make your python programs "sugarized".
Sugar is not a programming language or development toolkit.  It's a GUI environment and "activity" framework.  The applications that kids use on OLPC laptops are called "activities", and Sugar provides a bunch of tools for them to use so that they can store their information in the versioned object database (the "journal" from the user's perspective), can show up in the list of available activities, etc.
To make sugarized applications, you write them in python, using the pygtk and/or pygames APIs for graphical work and the Sugar APIs for other Sugar services (like storage, access to the camera, mic, the very cool networking stuff, etc.).  You also use a Sugar API to make the program available as a Sugar activity.
You can write C++ code for the OLPC, but Python is the preferred language.
As for Smalltalk, the OLPC project does provide a Squeak environment, but it's intended primarily for kids to play with Smalltalk programming, rather than as a tool for building activities intended to be distributed for use on the OLPC.  Not that you couldn't use it that way (I think sugarization of Smalltalk apps is possible -- not sure), but it would be a memory hog.  Smalltalk isn't inherently more memory-hungry than Python, but the OLPC devs have done some clever things to optimize Python memory usage.  Basically, nearly all of the memory consumed by the Python interpreter is shared among all Python-based activities.  Adding a Smalltalk activity to the mix would mean running another interpreter.
You can find lots of activities to look at (with source code) at http://activities.sugarlabs.org.  If you develop anything for the OLPC, it's highly recommended that you get a Sugarlabs account and use their git infrastructure (http://git.sugarlabs.org).
I'd also highly recommend that you join the Sugar development mailing list.  It's intended primarily for discussion of development of the Sugar platform, but there are very helpful and very knowledgeable people there who can answer questions and point you to the right resources. http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/sugar-devel
EDIT:  Another useful resource for getting started is:
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Development_Team/Quickstart
Answer: Faisal Anwar and JediErik developed the excellent Sugar Almanac, which covers a lot of what you need to know to develop for Sugar.  It has library descriptions and sample code for topics such as

creating a valid Sugar activity bundle
handling presence, threading and internationalization
interfacing with the Journal and other Sugar-specific system-wide features.
handling mouse, video, and other inputs
Answer: Swillden's post is excellent.  I will just add a few more points:
People have successfully created Sugarized Squeak activities (see several games from Potsdam University as well as the work by OLE Nepal).  OLE Nepal credits the rapid-prototyping aspects of the Squeak environment for their ability to quickly create a curriculum satisfying the desires of the Nepal teachers.  I believe that these activities take longer to load, though; as Swillden points out, they lack the "home field" advantage of Python.
I recommend using Python, unless you are significantly more comfortable with the Squeak environment.  The approach I used when I developed a Sugar activity (Implode) was to first develop the activity as an application using just Python/pygtk on a standard desktop (Windows or Ubuntu), then port it to Sugar.  The code/debug cycle is faster on the desktop since you don't have to switch to an emulator or check error messages in the "Log" activity.  If you architect the code right, you can isolate most of the desktop/Sugar differences to a couple modules, so that you can continue to develop and test in both environments.  I wrote a pygtk activity, but I expect a pygame-based activity could be created in a similar manner.  Of course, if your activity relies on access to certain Sugar-specific features -- like speech synthesis or mesh networking -- this approach may not work as well.
If you want to code in C or C++, whether for performance-critical or legacy code, I recommend writing it as a Python extension module called from a Python-based activity.  I believe this is how the Write activity (wrapping Abiword) and Browse activity (wrapping Firefox) are implemented.  If you have an existing X application in C/C++, it is possible to make it run under Sugar (see the SimCity, Etoys, and XaoS activities), but it will lack the look and feel of the other Sugar activities.
Finally, I've found the easiest way to add some particular functionality to a Sugar activity is to first find an existing activity that already does it, then read the code to find out how they did it.  The Sugar system is not particularly well-documented yet; in some cases the only documentation is the code itself.  As Swillden points out, the code for most activities -- as well as for Sugar itself -- is available in the SugarLabs git repository.

OLPC development choices


WinRT SQLite Encryption

Question: I'm building a Windows Store application that uses SQLite for data storage. I have found out, that the database is easily accessible through User's local folder (actually all apps have all data publicly exposed). Is there a way to at least weakly protect the database from access?
Answer: you need to look at ProtectedData class
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.security.cryptography.dataprotection.dataprotectionprovider.aspx
It exposes easy to use Protect / Unprotect methods that can be used to encrypt / decrypt that at app level. Encrypt data before writing to db and unencrypt before consuming
Comment: Good answer, any ideas of the performance hit from the encryption/decryption process?
Comment: there is always a performance hit.. however this is simpler form of encryption and shouldn't be as expensive as PKI.. you only encrypt sensitive data and not blanket encryption.
Answer: I also looking for the same solution and found sqlite-crypt at http://sqlite-crypt.com/download.htm
I don't know whether this one good enough or not. There is a trial version that limit passphrase to 6 characters and store it as plain text in the header. It won't be suitable if you want complete data protection. But for testing, maybe it's worth a try. I don't have a chance to  test it yet since I still working on the server side of my project. I'll update it when I've test it in the future.
EDIT: Ok. I've test the trial version and it's worked well with modificated version of SqliteWinRT wrapper on codeplex. Note that the trial is limited to 5-6 characters of passphrase and this phasephrase is stored in plain text, plus it's in x86 compiled binary, which means it won't work for actual product which need ARM support. You have to purchase the binary to get the production-ready binaries.

WinRT SQLite Encryption


tokyo cabinet & tyrant tutorial

Question: Can somebody refer a good tutorial on tokyo cabinet and tokyo tyrant
Answer: Besides the official homepages for Tokyo Cabinet and Tokyo Tyrant, I've found Ilya Grigorik's blog post quite informative, it also contains a link to his presentation on the subject.
Which language are you using with the Tokyo family btw?
Edit: James Edward Gray II's blog has these two interesting posts as well: Tokyo Cabinet as a Key-Value Store and Tokyo Cabinet's Key-Value Database Types
Edit: The first two links are no longer valid.
Answer: A nice overview is given by Mikio Hirabayashi, the author of Tokyo Cabinet, here.
It is worth to have look at it to get an owerview over the variety of databases Tokyo Cabinet offers.

tokyo cabinet & tyrant tutorial


HyperV-2012R2 Storage Migration cannot migrate entire VM in FCM

Question: I am new to HyperV and currently moving our setup from esix4.1 to 2012R2 HyperV. We were testing out the storage migration and it is pretty cool but I could not figure this out:
- If the VM is not in a Fail Over cluster then we can initiate the migration from HyperV Manager, a wizard comes up and provides a way to move the entire VM (including vhdx etc.). This works fine

If the VM is in a failover cluster then when you try to initiate the migration from HyperV-manager, it throws up an error saying you need to do this from FCM. Now, the FCM move provides a drag/drop interface and it only allows the VHDX file to be move and not the entire VM folder. So essentially the data moves over but the smaller files which actually make the VM work cannot be moved.

Am I missing something here or this is by design?
Thanks
Answer: No you just drag the VM without expanding the VM(which lists the individual files) and it moves all the files for you.


ORA-00905: missing keyword when trying to create a synonym

Question: I have a problem when I try to create a synonym like this:
CREATE SYNONYM B2H.BILLING_USER_ACTIVITY@PACOMNET
 FOR firstname.lastname@example.com;

Why does this happen and how can I correct it?
Comment: As the [documentation](http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/statements_7001.htm) says, you can create sysnonyms in the current DB only.  So the first `@PACOMNET` in the sysnonym name is unnecessary (and causing the error).
Comment: As an aside, you should probably sort your DB link names and sqlnet config out too.
Answer: As the documentation says implicitly, you can create synonyms in the current DB only. So the first @PACOMNET in the synonym name is unnecessary (and causing the error). You should instead connect to the PACOMNET database and run
CREATE SYNONYM B2H.BILLING_USER_ACTIVITY
FOR firstname.lastname@example.com;

Answer: In Oracle, DDL on remote database is not permitted. One likely reason is that a distributed transaction commit can not be initiated at the remote site (you can't COMMIT@remote) and since DDL statements include a commit they are not permitted.
You would get an ORA-02021 with other DDL statements:

DDL operations are not allowed on a remote database

You can create the database link by connecting directly to the remote database.
As suggested in the askTom discussion, you can also use DBMS_JOB@remote or DBMS_SCHEDULER@remote to create a distinct remote transaction that can initiate the DDL statement.
Answer: if one enters the statement in sqlplus (Oracle10.2, Solaris 5.10) I get the following is displayed:

SQL> CREATE SYNONYM BILLING_USER_ACTIVITY@PACOMNET
  2   FOR email@example.com;
CREATE SYNONYM BILLING_USER_ACTIVITY@PACOMNET
                                    *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00905: missing keyword

After the statement the failing line is printed and below the failing line an asteriks (*) marks the character where the sql parser has located the problem. So the problem is located at the '@' character. The syntax diagram of the 'create synonym' statement can be found in the manual

CREATE [ OR REPLACE ] [ PUBLIC ] SYNONYM
   [ schema. ] synonym
   FOR [ schema. ] object [ @ dblink ] ;

In contrast to the object specification after the 'FOR' the synonym specification before the for does not contain a '@dblinK'.
For syntax problems you should use an appropriate tool (e.g. sqlplus) that displays the exact position of the error where the statement fails.


Definition of the cyberpunk genre?

Question: How is the cyberpunk genre defined?
Wikipedia says:

Some musicians and acts have been classified as cyberpunk due to their aesthetic style and musical content. Often dealing with dystopian visions of the future or biomechanical themes, some fit more squarely in the category than others.

I understand that a song belongs to the cyberpunk genre if its lyrics are about cyberpunk topics, but what about the actual music, e.g. instrumental works? What is this "aesthetic style"? How does cyberpunk sound?
Answer: 'Cyberpunk' is a primarily a visual and literary genre, and cyberpunk music (as you mentioned) could be any music that displays synergies with cyberpunk's key topics of technology, industry and 'griminess', alternative culture, dysfunctional society, and so on.
Because of the technological aspect, a large swathe of techno / electronica music could be considered 'cyberpunk' as soon as someone chose to draw the association. The griminess/social breakdown aspect also encourages incorporation of industrial and other techno-influenced rock bands. Such 'human-fronted' acts also have an obvious parallel with one focus of cyberpunk : The effect of technology on people.
So musically, 'cyberpunk' is (for now) a catch-all term for a range of existing genres, particularly techno, industrial, and industrial rock.
Answer: When I was really into the cyberpunk thing in 94-97ish there was never a section in the record store called 'cyberpunk', but me and all my leather clad, cyberpunk novel reading friends (we just called ourselves punks, or rivet-heads, not cyberpunks) were really into industrial music which at the time included bands like Babyland, Front 242, Chemlab, and of course Front Line Assembly. Also some older industrial stuff like Einstürzende Neubauten and Nurse with Wound.
Front Line Assembly really defined 'cyberpunk' to me. Check out this album, I mean it's called Tactical Neural Implant, it's like a line right out of a Gibson novel.
Comment: upvoted for the mention of TNI alone. It doesn't have any 'punkish' sound (you can rather check the more aggressive previous album 'Caustic Grip' for this) but if you want to listen to something which comes close to  'Cyberpunk', FLA in gerneral is a good example
Answer: Cyberpunk isn't a musical genre but it is an visual/dress aesthetic that might be selected when going to a punk bar or a rave.  Cyberpunk does have its origins in Western Canada so bands from Vancouver were the first to really grok the themes behind William Gibson's works.  That included Skinny Puppy (who were more interested in exploring body horror) and Front Line Assembly (who definitely characterised the sound of cyberpunk musically.)
Body horror is a significant field of exploration so while punk is often associated with hard and fast music, Skinny Puppy, Moev and FLA went the route of Suicide: slow, brooding, disoriented, depressed and rebellion within that trapping.  That said, the main field of exploration is cyberspace and digital interfaces.  So while industrial rock deals with body horror, its treatment of interfacing with cyberspace occurs much less.
Very good album to look at:
Sect - Telekinetic [1994] (side project of FLA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbOPT4mFVXo
Answer: Music wise it is very hard to categorise, as it can vary significantly, it has techno, rock, industrial elements, dirt futuristic punk with attitude or emotions.
This is a cyberpunk song

Definition of the cyberpunk genre?


Validate attachments for file size?

Question: Does anyone know if it's possible to validate the size of an attachment for Sprout Forms file upload? I'd like to limit attachments to a maximum file size.
Answer: I'm not sure if that's possible since I never used Sproud Forms but you can easily create a custom field type with the additional validation rule.

Create a Plugin you can use Pluginfactory.io for that and install it
Create a new Field
Just extend the basic AssetsFieldType
class myNewAssetField extends AssetsFieldType{

}

Take a look at the default validation rules for BaseElementFieldType
public function validate($value)
{
    $errors = array();

    if ($this->allowLimit && ($limit = $this->getSettings()->limit) && is_array($value) && count($value) > $limit)
    {
        if ($limit == 1)
        {
            $errors[] = Craft::t('There can't be more than one selection.');
        }
        else
        {
            $errors[] = Craft::t('There can't be more than {limit} selections.', array('limit' => $limit));
        }
    }

    if ($errors)
    {
        return $errors;
    }
    else
    {
        return true;
    }
}

Copy the function above in your new class and include something like this somewhere
foreach ($value as $assetId){
    $asset = craft()->assets->getFileById($assetId);
    if($asset->size >= 10){ // insert your size here
        $errors[] = Craft::t('Your file is too large');
    }
}

It took me about 5 minutes to create this new field type to allow the validation of file sizes
If you want to make it look pretty and create a setting to dynamically set the individual max file size for each field you can include the function getSettingsHtml in your new class and change add your new value (for example maxSize) you can then grab the new size with $this->getSettings()->maxSize

Validate attachments for file size?


CNN training evaluation

Question:

I tried to train CNN with very closely similar images for classification. Batch Normalization and dropout of 0.25 is used to overcome overfitting. This is the result I found.How can I interpret this result?  Overfit, underfit or good fit?
Answer: I know its a very late response. But its a classical overfitting example. The point at which your training error decreases but validation error increases is where overfitting starts. I would suggest the following

I would suggest a more stronger dropout(maybe 0.5) and/or batch norm after at every layer to avoid overfitting (or) you should do an early stopping if you see overfitting even after increasing dropout.
Remove FC layers and try FCN network with Network-in-network architecture.

CNN training evaluation


Privacy with Chromium?

Question: How private is Chromium for Windows, Linux and Android? Will a standard Chromium installation contain code that will phone home to Google or otherwise send out identifying information? Are there other possible privacy implications with Chromium / things to consider on a fresh installation?
Comment: This is a pretty easy question to research. "Chromium phone home" returns a ton of results. Each saying clearly that it does phone home. Did you have a more specific question?
Comment: @mikkalm can you edit the question and add the same point there?
Comment: @schroeder: I agree I could have been more specific, and I agree that it returns a ton of results. The thing is, these results are for the most part outdated (more than 2 years old for a browser, which might all be completely irrelevant today), and/or from unreliable sources / people with no knowledge of the subject. A lot of people also are talking about Chrome and not Chromium, just like the other person that answered here. My question is if I can achieve privacy (by this I mean, stop the calling home from sending user-sensitive information to Google) easily with settings on Win/Lin/Android
Comment: great point about the old notices; i often see folks on here referring to bugs that were patched 5 years ago, which is a lifetime in web years, considering the 16 week dev cycle.
Comment: According to PrivacyTools, Chromium does not preserve privacy. For instance, there is no way to prevent WebRTC leak. https://www.privacytools.io/#browser
Comment: from your comment above it looks like you could just google "how to stop chrome phoning home?" and apply every tip you can find, if its relevant or not you will find out really fast
Answer: According to Chromium's official webpage:

The Google Chrome Privacy Notice describes the privacy practices that are specific to the Google Chrome family of products

This means, that as Chromium is part of the family of products of Google Chrome, the same privacy notices apply.
Furthermore the webpage also says:

If you want to learn more about Google Chrome's privacy features you can also check out the Google Chrome Privacy landing page and the Google Chrome Privacy Whitepaper which describes what information is transmitted to Google and why, as well as how to disable certain features in Google Chrome which affect your privacy.

As we previously learned that the same privacy notices apply to all of Google Chrome family of products, this 2 also apply to Chromium.
After further research, I founally found this:

Browser modes
  You don't need to provide any personal information to use Chrome, but Chrome has different modes that you can use to change or improve your browsing experience. Privacy practices are different depending on the mode that you're using.

And:

The basic browser mode stores information locally on your system. This information might include:

Browsing History Information. For example, Chrome stores the URLs of pages that you visit, a cache of text,
  images and other resources from those pages and, if the network
  actions prediction feature is turned on, a list of some of the IP
  addresses linked from those pages.
Personal information and passwords, to help you fill out forms or sign in to sites you visit.
A list of permissions that you have granted to websites.
Thumbnail-sized screenshots of pages that you visit most often.
Cookies or data from websites that you visit. Data saved by add-ons.
A record of what you downloaded from websites.

This also might be useful:

Information for website operators: Sites that you visit using Chrome will automatically receive standard log information, including your system's IP address and data from cookies or similar technologies. In general, the fact that you use Chrome to access Google services, such as Gmail, does not cause Google to receive any additional personally identifying information about you. On Google websites and other websites that opt in, if Chrome detects signs that you are being actively attacked by someone on the network (a "man in the middle attack"), Chrome may send information about that connection to Google or the website that you visited to help determine the extent of the attack and how the attack functions. Google provides participating website owners with reports about attacks occurring on their sites.

In conclusion, yes. Chromium in fact does share your information with Google.

Privacy with Chromium?


Tag Merge/Synonym Request: legibility -> readability

Question: legibility has 3 questions, while readability has 24. They appear to be covering the same topics, and "readability" is something that I have heard more often in terms of how easy it is to read and understand code (also evidenced by the usage here, being 8 times more common).
Answer: Legibility != readability
From wikipedia (empasis mine):

Legibility is the degree to which glyphs (individual characters) in text are understandable or recognizable based on appearance.
Legibility is different from readability which refers to entire words, sentences, and paragraphs.

I think we should just retag the legibility questions to readability, as they are all on readability really, and add a wiki summary for legibility to underline the difference.

update: but as Mark notes, a tag wiki may not be the best thing for a tag without questions.
Comment: Although the words have different meanings in the English language, their context here is the same - how easy is it to read code. One might argue that legibility should include questions about fonts and color schemes while readability is about structure and style, but I don't think there's sufficient need to have two tags for such closely related concepts. It would be better to group them under the same umbrella. Once there are no questions tagged legibility, the tag gets removed in a few days. I'm not sure if having a tag wiki prevents that (I don't think it does, but I can't be sure).
Comment: If all the currently-tagged legibility questions are actually readability questions, then retagging is all that's needed. But creating a tag wiki for a tag that has no questions would be a bad thing; the legibility tag will die off after a day, leaving an orphan tag wiki.
Comment: @ThomasOwens Legibility and readability aren't the same thing though: they aren't synonyms. If there's a chance in the future that there would be questions about one and not the other, creating a synonym would be harmful. There have only been 3 questions that have been tagged with [tag:legibility]: let's let the tag die and if it comes up again, we can see whether a synonym makes sense.
Comment: @Mark so just manually retag at some point and let the tag die? It just seems like a good candidate for synonymizing (is that what it's called), since they are similar concepts and I can see some people using one over the other.
Comment: @Mark If you post your two comments as an answer, I can accept to denote the "right thing to do", if you want.
Answer: I retagged legibility -> readability and added a first stab at a tag wiki for readability. Feel free to edit it from there.
Thanks for bringing this up!


howt to access COM port via script

Question: I need to access COM port (console) via script to access our DSL modem.
It should access in such a way that I can read all the messages printed on the console and i should also send commands to the console via script .
Please let me know if it is possible in TCL or php .
Platform : Windows XP.
Also is there any way I can access the com port through script and console software such as teraterm simultaneously ?
Regards,
Mithun
Answer: It is possible to use TCL to access a serial (COM) port using the standard TCL input and output commands.  The main ones that you need to look at are the open and fconfigure commands.  A google search for 'tcl open com1' will bring back lots of examples.
One thing worth noting is that the open and fconfigure commands changed in recent versions of TCL, TCL 8.5 I think, so depending on the version of TCL and age of the example some rework might be needed.
Answer: You just need to open the com1: device and fconfigure it to use the communications settings that the other side expects. For example:
set fd [open "com1:" r+]
fconfigure $fd -mode 9600,n,8,1

Be aware that it can be messy to use event-driven IO with serial ports on all platforms.
Answer: Sounds like a job for Expect.

howt to access COM port via script


When we entered, he had been there

Question: So I heard this sentence and also few contradictions about that.
Does it mean that when they entered, he was already gone because he had there been before them?
Or he just was there before them and still is..
Answer: It looks as if something has been left out from this sentence, the meaning isn't clear as it is. It would look natural like this:
When we entered, we realised he had already been there.(Meaning: he went there and left before we did.)
I suppose it is the choice of the verbs used in the initial sentence that doesn't make the meaning clear. If you want to express that he was there before we went to the particular place, then you should say "When we entered he had already arrived" or "When we entered he was already there."
Comment: The missing part could also be a duration: *When we entered, he had been there for ten minutes already.*  That wouldn't require rearranging the sentence to make it sound natural.
Comment: I was having difficulty deciphering whether this was past perfect or past perfect continuous myself. The problem I have always had with the word "had" is it always seems somewhat vague without context. Perhaps I need lessons as well. Although I believe anyone who attempts to speak this language is doomed.
Comment: @MT_Head: Good point, it didn't occur to me.
Comment: On the other hand, that mystery could be useful if it is intended. I need context with my captain crunch. Actually, I may go grab some cereal and hit the blanket show.
Answer: In general any place that you have been to is a place where you no longer are. So:

I've been to the bank

implies I went the bank and am now back. Similarly:

I've been there

implies that I am no longer wherever there is.
If, however, a time adverbial is added to the sentence, then the verb to be probably no longer has the meaning of going to and returning from a place but simply of being in a place. In such a case,

When we arrived, he had been there for 10 minutes

is, by itself, ambiguous. It could mean he was still there, or that he had been there and was now gone - although the former is more likely.
Comment: I'm not sure the second meaning of your last example is even possible.  It would have to be something like *we realized he had previously been there for ten minutes*, precisely because of the time clause.
Answer: The statement on its own is ambiguous, but it read to me as when we entered, we saw evidence that he had been there but was now gone. That's how I would read it without further information.

When we entered, he had been there


Question on Conway tilings

Question: Conway in http://olympiads.mccme.ru/lktg/2009/4/articles/conway.pdf provided some elegant techniques for identifying tiling of simply connected regions. Are there similar techniques for regions that are not simply connected such as torus in higher dimensions (in the sense that the tiles can be conformal shaped based on their position on the torus)?
Answer: The short answer is "no, not really".  In general, there are virtually no positive 3- (and higher) dimensional results on tilings, see my old survey, section 8 on a few sporadic results.  Instead, most results are negative, proving hardness of tilebility (see e.g. our recent 3-dim domino paper).
Comment: Is there a positive result for tiling on $2$-dimensional surface of torus in $\Bbb R^3$? Is there a reference for negative result?
Comment: @J.A Presumably you would be more interested in the flat torus (obtained by abstractly identifying opposite edges of a parallelogram, or from the Clifford embedding in $\mathbb{R}^4$) rather than the (non-uniform) surface of a doughnut?

Question on Conway tilings


Is it possible to create dynamic Tor website?

Question: Why do all Tor hidden services websites are static with poor graphic and simple coding? Does the Tor network support all coding languages?
Comment: I conclude that "Tor websites" refers to websites hosted at .onion domains. Is that correct?
Answer: First of all the Tor network itself doesn't support any coding languages it just moves data back and forth.
The performance on Tor and especially on hidden services is not the best, therefore hidden service operators may use low resolution images/graphics as they are easier to distribute over Tor.
I'm not sure what websites make use of .onion domains and if scripting would make any sense for those, but the simpler something is the less room for failure there is.
Hidden services may not make use of any or extensive scripting, so their users can keep JavaScript disabled and still use the website without having to worry all that much about browser exploits that make use of JavaScript.
It's a shame that so many websites in the regular Internet don't work at all or properly without JavaScript.
To answer the question, yes, one could create a dynamic website behind a hidden service.
Answer: Yes, of course you can use dynamic languages. Almost all forums, markets, wikis etc, on hidden services use them (often PHP, I've noticed).
Operators of hidden sites might be wary of using server-side scripts, because they can be attacked anonymously, and it's difficult to block individual attackers.
On a clearnet site,  attackers can be blocked and rate-limited by source IP address (or ranges, AS numbers, country code, etc). On Tor hidden services, there's nothing anyone can do.
So someone can attack your hidden service all day and you can't block them without affecting legitimate users.


A word describes things that can be used only once

Question: I am wondering if there is a single word that describes things that can be used only once. My focus is links that usually sent to our emails in order to activate accounts or reset passwords. However, I do not mind to find a word for all kind of items that can be used only one time (e.g. Bullets, bombs, diapers, baby wipes, pads ... etc.
Comment: Disposable? Expendable?
Comment: @DopeGhoti means you can dispose but you can keep. I am looking for a word that the item is useless after first use
Comment: They're hyphenated and not actual single words, but 'one-time' or 'single-use'?
Comment: @ DopeGhoti: I'd upvote this, but consider that hyphenated words _are_ single words. Pullum considers that there may even be some words-with-spaces in existence. Perhaps 'multi-word polyseme' would be a better term.
Comment: @EdwinAshworth Or is that *polyword multi-seme*? :)
Answer: Single-use

adjective: single-use
1. designed to be used once and then disposed of or destroyed.
  "billions of single-use cups are thrown into landfill sites every year"

The expression is also the de facto industry standard for that meaning.

ISO 15223: Medical Devices and EN 980 cite that single use instruments or devices be labelled as such on their packaging with a universally recognized symbol to denote "do not re-use," "single use," or "use only once". This symbol is the numeral 2, within a circle with a 45° line through it. (WP)
Answer: per @bye:
'Nonce' (nahnts) means "A word intended for a single use". A nonce word is a word which is created to suit a specific communication need, and which is not expected to be used again. It's not the technical term for that kind of link, but it is an excellent metaphor for it.
'Consumable' is used for things which have a distinctly finite number of uses. I don't think there is a widely used word that means specifically something which is single-use, although I might also suggest 'Ephemeral', meaning "Lasting for only a brief period; Transient"
I also think there is a case to be made for "Disposable". While it can refer to things which may optionally be disposed, it also refers to things which must be disposed after use--a disposable diaper is not something which "can be disposed or kept".
Comment: The term for the specific instance heading the question is *nonce*; you might want to find a way to edit that into your already good answer.
Answer: It doesn't fit all of your examples, but throwaway?
It means "denoting or relating to products that are intended to be discarded after being used once or a few times".
Answer: ephemeral: 'lasting for a very short time.'
Comment: Welcome to EL&U. Your answer would be improved by linking to a dictionary definition or other suitable reference; the [help center](http://english.stackexchange.com/help) may be of interest as well.
Answer: Shockingly, the word mono-use is (literally) unfindable in Google.
In Italian it's monouso, do I need to explain its meaning? Isn't it self-explanatory? You use it one time
But someone has caught on and given the name mono-use in their patent for a hypodermic syringe

Mono-use syringe for hypodermic injections
The invention relates to syringes suited for hypodermic injections and
more particularly to mono-use syringes for hypodermic injections.
The use of mono-use "throw-away" syringes is known. Typically,
"throw-away" syringes are packaged singularly in hermetically sealed
wrappers. This simple type of packaging is practical and guarantees
sterility of the syringe up until the moment that the syringe is used.
A problem associated with "throw-away" syringes is the possibility of
reuse of the syringe for further injections. Because there is no
assurance of hygienic conditions, repeated use of "throw-away"
syringes increases risk of transmission of various types of diseases.
The problems associated with the repeated use of "throw-away" syringes
has been well documented in the case of intravenous drug abusers who
commonly use syringes previously used by others.
The use of mono-use syringes having various mechanisms to render the
syringe inoperable after a single use is also known.

You could extend the use of mono and tag it onto almost anything e.g. "mono-user account" for those who wish to open a temporary account which would expire after a limited period. And  "mono-use link" could be shortened to mono-link which is easier to pronounce than "single-use link".   It could catch on.


How to generate NACK on STM32F407

Question: Is there a way to send a NACK on I2C on STM32F407? There is no way to do that using the HAL, and the datasheet says nothing about it.
Answer: It is described in the Reference Manual, not in the datasheet. A NACK is sent when the I2C_CR1_ACK bit in I2C->CR1 is set to 0 before receiving the last byte.
HAL should manage this bit automatically according to the transfer size in the HAL_I2C_..._Receive... functions.
Comment: There is no generation of a NACK on STM32F407.. please double check and you will see that.
Comment: @andreahmed Sure, have it your way. But why did you ask it then, if you are so sure it's not possible?
Comment: I'm just making sure if it's possible or no, can you answer me please ? is it really possible or not at all.
Comment: @berendi the ACK bit of I2C_CR1 controls the sending of an ACK. Not sending an ACK is the same as sending a NACK.
Comment: @SteveG +1 you are correct, this doesn't answer my question
Comment: @andreahmed Yes, it's really possible.
Answer: I think the following section explains how to generate the NACK. In order to send the NACK signal, the software must clear the ACK bit after reading second last byte. Hope this will help.

(Image source: STM32F407 Reference Manual RM0090, Section 27.3.3, page 849 in revision 18 of the manual)
Answer: Sending a NAK by itself is pointless. The whole purpose of HAL is to handle the protocol for you, will generate a NAK or ACK bit when necessary. And surely the reference manual gives details how to make the I2C peripheral to transmit ACK or NAK after a byte transfer.
Comment: There is no generation of a NACK on STM32F407.. please double check and you will see that
Comment: All my STM32 have been able to respond correctly with a NACK when necessary in all situations where I have needed it, or the I2C protocol would not work at all. What are you trying to do and how? Is your STM32 a slave or master? Are you using the HAL correctly?

How to generate NACK on STM32F407


Would a planet with stronger winds create more interesting landforms through weathering?

Question: If I design a planet with stronger winds (maybe on average 40 mph, rather than the 7 mph average winds we have here), would interesting land formations be more common due to increased wind erosion, or would the winds wear the landscapes down to be flat and boring?
Comment: more wind means more thermal difference which means faster erosion of all kinds which means more muted landforms
Answer: Wind is only one cause of weathering. Atmospheric density contributes a bit as a thinner atmosphere won't have the force behind it to do at much damage as thicker air. Thin air travels much faster as less energy is needed to move it and it loses less energy to impacts, but it has little force behind it. Rain, snow, ice, glacial movement, water erosion, atmospheric composition, and even gravity all play important roles in weathering. Weathering is countered by geological upheaval (rising mountain ranges, volcanic activity, etc.). Plants provide protection against weathering by holding topsoil in place and deflecting wind. The removal of prairie grass to grow wheat is what caused the Oklahoma dust bowl due to the much shallower root system of the wheat plant. Making your planet's rain more acidic would also cause increased weathering. Mildly acidic rain would increase the acidity of your bodies of water which would erode the landscape more quickly.
If you want your planet to have interesting land formations you can play with some of the forces which cause/prevent erosion. As long as they balance out in the end, you can get your results. Just pay attention to secondary effects. Increasing geologic activity would increase the rate of earthquakes which also cause tsunamis. A thicker atmosphere means that storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes will cause more damage. Changing a single aspect of a complex system can cause a ripple effect.
Answer: Landforms created mostly by wind are called aeolian landforms and such landforms are common in arid places (water is more effective at shaping land than wind, so the effects of wind on landforms tends to be overshadowed in places that have lots of rain).
Some of these are pretty cool, for example, you get "mushroom rocks":

Sand dunes are the most common aeolian landform.
These features are found on Mars and Pluto in addition to Earth.
Answer: My gut (sorry I don't have any better source than that) tells me such a world would end up looking pretty similar to Earth. Strange looking wind-eroded rock formations would be created more quickly, but would also then be eroded away more quickly too, ultimately cancelling the effect out.
Answer: Nifty land formations are on display because they exist where it's arid, where once is was not. The substrate being sandstone is the most important, followed by there being enough water and carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonic acid, but not so much that either too much is formed, or it is subject to substantial water erosion. Lastly, the wind comes along and blows away the dust, further facilitating what is largely a chemical process.
It doesn't get any "more interesting" than the Delicate Arch, and while the wind certainly isn't helping it be any less delicate, water and carbon dioxide are its main enemies, followed by its 1.6M annual visitors.

Geological processes that occurred over 300 million years ago caused a salt bed to be deposited, which today lies beneath the landscape of Arches National Park.[11] Overtime, the salt bed was covered with sediments that eventually compressed into rock layers that have since been named Entrada Standstone.

Rock layers surrounding the edge of the salt bed continued to erode and shift into vertical sandstone walls called fins. Sand collected between vertical walls of the fins, then slightly acidic rain combined with carbon dioxide in the air allowed for the chemical formation of carbonic acid within the trapped sand. Overtime, the carbonic acid dissolved the calcium carbonate that held the sandstone together.[12] Many of the rock formations have weaker layers of rock on bottom that are holding stronger layers on top.

The weaker layers would dissolve first, creating openings in the rock. Gravity caused pieces of the stronger rock layer to fall piece by piece into an arch shape. Arches form within rock fins at points of intense fracturing localization, or weak points in the rocks formation, caused by horizontal and vertical discontinuities.[13] Lastly, water, wind, and time continued this erosion process and ultimately created the arches of Arches National Park

Wind and water attacked these fins until, in some, the cementing material gave way and chunks of rock tumbled out. Many damaged fins collapsed. Others, with the right degree of hardness and balance, survived despite their missing sections. These became the famous arches.


flex spending when transitioning from full time to perdiem

Question: I am moving from a full time position with health benefits and $2500 in flex spending to a perdiem position. I gave my notice to decrease from full time to perdiem without benefits as of 7/6/15. How does the flex spending work? What happens if I submit a claim with flex spending for more than I have contributed thus far? Will the company continue to bill me for the flex spending amount after my 7/6 change of status date? Can I submit claims for services prior to my change of status date of 7/6 even if I have given notice?
Comment: Where will you be getting insurance from? Other job, spouse's insurance, insurance market place?
Answer: Bottom line up front: ask your employer. This is also to make sure that they handle this correctly. You and they don't want to get this wrong.

What happens if I submit a claim with flex spending for more than I
  have contributed thus far?

With a flex spending arrangement (FSA) for medical you can submit a claim for more than the current balance, and they can pay it/distribute it up to the amount you are supposed to be contributing this year.

Will the company continue to bill me for the flex spending amount
  after my 7/6 change of status date?

If you were leaving the company the answer would be simple, when you leave the company The plan would come to an end, and you would no longer be making contributions. (see next section about claims).
If you were deciding to go with a plan offered outside this job while remaining in a status eligible for the company sponsored health insurance it appears the company could decide if the FSA could continue.
But if you are changing your status to be ineligible for health insurance though your company  the Affordable care act may make it impossible for the FSA to remain.

Keeping health FSAs as excepted benefits
Prior to this guidance, assuring a health Flexible Spending Account
  (FSA) was classified as an excepted benefit for purposes of HIPAA was
  important for two primary reasons: so COBRA continuation was not
  offered when the account was "overspent" and to avoid HIPAA
  portability requirements. But now, in addition to assuring Health FSAs
  are not swept into the W-2 reporting rules, FSA plans must also meet
  HIPAA excepted benefit rules to be offered in compliance with the new
  Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements.
Generally, this means health FSAs must meet two conditions to be
  offered:

Only individuals eligible for employer-provided major medical coverage can be offered
  the health FSA. Employers with health FSAs
  must have an underlying ACA-compliant group health insurance plan. As
  an example, XYZ Co. offers a health FSA to full-time employees and
  part-time employees. However; the part-time employee population is not
  eligible to enroll in XYZ Co.'s major medical plan. Under this
  scenario, part-time employees can no longer enroll in an FSA. An
  amendment is required to XYZ Co.'s Plan Document to remove this group
  as eligible employees under the FSA.
In addition, the health FSA must limit the maximum payable to 2 times the participant's salary reduction or, if greater, the
  participant's salary reduction plus $500. What does this mean? Simply
  that health FSAs can include employer contributions of $500 or up to a
  dollar for dollar match of each participant's election.

If the health FSA fails either of these conditions, it is subject to
  ACA's market reforms, such as no cost sharing for preventive services
  and the prohibition against annual and lifetime limits. By definition,
  the health FSA will not meet these ACA requirements.

The linked document also mentions Treasury notice 2013-54 if you want to get even more information.

Can I submit claims for services prior to my change of status date of
  7/6 even if I have given notice?

If they stop your contributions and your insurance on July 5th or 6th you can continue to submit claims for expenses that happened between January 1st and and the end of the Insurance and FSA.  If they do continue to make deductions for the FSA after your switch to part time you should expect to be able to continue to make claims.


How do I install the Flash debug player in Chrome?

Question: Chrome comes bundled with Flash now… Great, but how do I install the Flash debug player?
Answer: Disable the bundled plugin on about:plugins and then install the debug version.
EDIT: be sure to click on "[+] Details", and only disable the version of Flash that is based on the Chrome directory (the 'built-in' one). (Thanks @zeh for that additional hint in your comment)
Comment: It does work. Go to `about:plugins`, **be sure to click on "[+] Details"**, and only disable the version of Flash that is based on the Chrome directory (the 'built-in' one). Then it'll use the plugin you have installed normally (the debug one) and is shared with Firefox.
Comment: As of the latest version of Chrome on Mac at this time (v43, 64-bit), this no longer works. The plugin must be manually replaced after each browser update (as per Justin Ohms' suggestion below: http://stackoverflow.com/a/29711345/171599)
Comment: Nope, that doesn't work. It's like the installer doesn't know about Chrome, since it did ask me to force close FireFox, but not Chrome. `about:plugins` doesn't show a new Flash plugin either.
Comment: Ok, I see. It seems there are just debug player available for ie and mozilla based browser :(
Answer:
Open the Google Chrome plugin settings (enter "chrome://plugins/" in the URL and hit enter) and find the Flash player plugin. Click on the details link to expand the plugin details.

Plugin Screen !
Plugin Screen showing Details
2A. If it says "Flash (2 files)" then check the location property of each entry and disable the one that resides in the Applications directory/Google Chrome/... directory (usually the first entry) by clicking the Disable link button. This is the disable button next to the "MIME Types" value not the Disable button aligned to the far left of the page (which disables both plugins).
2B. If there is only one entry, ie it doesn't say "Flash (2 files)", then download and install the newest Flash Player content debugger version here. The Flash Player installer will require you to close any browsers before installation can complete. After installation is complete restart Chrome and go to step 1.
Your plugin screen should look similar to the Plugin Screen showing Details image shown above.
Answer: As of April 2015 the NPAPI plugins won't work in Chrome.  And for some reason I was not able to get the Adobe  "Install Adobe Pepper Flash Player Debugger.app" installer to correctly update Chrome on OSX.  The installer would run but would not update Chrome.
If you find yourself in this situation you might try the following...
My hacky solution (after much frustration) was just to end-run around the installer and chrome to manually copy the installed plugin from where the installer was putting it, into the place chrome was expecting it.
The installer was placing here:
 /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlashPlayer/PepperFlashPlayer.plugin

Chrome was looking for it here:
/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/42.0.2311.90/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlash/PepperFlashPlayer.plugin

All I did was replace the bundled installed non-debug version of pepper flash  with the one debug version installed by the player.  This seemed to fix the problem.
YMMV
Comment: I have observed that FlashPlayer 220.127.116.11 PPAPI Debug Version for OSX does not install properly in Chrome.  This answer worked for me.  I am assuming when Chrome updates itself we will have to manually replace the plugin again.
Comment: @BrodyRobertson  I am assuming the same thing.
Answer: Now it changed once again

download Flash Player content debugger for Opera and Chromium from Adobe debug flash downloads
run/install this
find which flash plugin used

open chrome://plugins/
expand details
get something like C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\47.0.2526.106\PepperFlash\pepflashplayer.dll

replace this file with renamed one from

64 bit OS version

C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\pepflashplayer64_[some actual version].dll

32 bit OS version

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\pepflashplayer64_[some actual version].dll

This worked for win 7 x64, other Wins-s should be almost same
To get flash logs for Chrome you need

create mm.cfg file in
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Pepper Data\Shockwave Flash\System

ErrorReportingEnable=1
TraceOutputFileEnable=1

restart Chrome
logs stored in different, than FF location -
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Pepper Data\Shockwave Flash\WritableRoot\Logs
Comment: plugin cannot be loaded for me on win10 64bit
Comment: @fideldonson, do you need it _per se_ or for webdriver?
With new 57th Chrome there are changes, which I not checked yet, but works like a charm for chromedriver (sometimes you need to add a param with version _--ppapi-flash-version_ flag)
Comment: I went with another solution (firefox...) - thanks for getting back to me though
Answer:
Please make sure your Chrome auto updates are on.
Open the Chrome browser and type "chrome://plugins/" in the URL and then you should be able to see two plugins listed under "Adobe Flash Player" section.
Disable the "PPAPI" one, to allow the Windows version of FP to take over the precedence.
Still Facing issues:
Can't find the "NPAPI" = "C:\windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32_14_0_0_145.dll
" version i.e., there is only one version listed there "PPAPI" one.
Solution:
Then need to kill all the Chrome process(Plugins) running post/pre installation.
Windows Task Manager Kill all Chrome processes.
Check again in: chrome://plugins/ Now it should be listed there.
Answer: In current Chrome (version 47) you don't see installed debug flash player version. You will see only bundled flash player that goes with the browser.
Replacing file as replied here by @dimkin is working. But during update, Chrome will overwrite files and you need to repeat it once in a while.
If you create shortcut for Chrome with command line argument --disable-bundled-ppapi-flash, it will ignore bundled flash player. And if you have Debug version installed, Chrome will use it. You will see it in chrome://plugins/:


Need help with a difficult MS SQL query - Selecting back metro area counts

Question: I am working with a fairly large data set (1.2 million records). I am trying to identify the top 25 US Cities in my data set (most number of records per city).
So I wrote this query to select back the list.
<code>Select PHY_CITY, PHY_STATE, count(*) as counter
from tblMyData
group by PHY_CITY, PHY_STATE
Order by counter desc, PHY_CITY, PHY_STATE
</code>
After analyzing this data I have come to realize that although this returns solid numbers, it is not what I am looking for. I have limited my results to only records within the immediate physical city limits of a city. For example, the actual city limits of Atlanta GA has a very small footprint, only 540K+ residents. However, what is considered the metropolitan area of Atlanta, consists of 28 counties and has a population exceeding 5.4 million residents!
I do have Zip Codes in my data set but I do not have county or metro region as a field. Is there any data source out there that takes all the zip codes or city names in the Us and defines them by metropolitan region?
What I really want is to know the top 25 metropolitan areas in my data, not just proper city limits.
Answer: There are some excel files with Metro areas by zip on the bottom of this census page. Perhaps you could import and use that with your data:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/metroarea.html


What is a safe height for a 8 week old kitten to fall from?

Question: I want to know if it's dangerous for kittens to be playing on tables that are about waist height, or on someone's shoulder or head?
Answer: I don't know that there is a safe height. Falling wrong from a very low height can have fatal consequences.
That being said, kittens are fairly low mass and their bones are actually pretty flexible. It would not surprise me to hear people tell stories of seeing a kitten fall from 10 feet (3.048 m) or more without any ill effects.
However that is not the same as saying it is safe for a kitten to fall from 10 feet (3.048 m). If a kitten fell from height but seemed to walk away with no lasting effects, I would not worry about it. But I also would not go encouraging a kitten to jump off a balcony or dropping one, except in case of an emergency where the alternative is certain death.
Comment: Agreed - kittens can be very resilient and fearless, but that doesn't mean they can't injure themselves from a fall. It all depends on whether they manage to land well.
Comment: The very first night I had my kitten Julius he was in a safe room upstairs. I was rather ill, and hadn't covered the upstairs railing.  Going into his room he ran out past me and tried to circle outside the bannister rail and fell to the tile, some 12-15 feet.  Shocked but unharmed.  Years later got some new kittens and put cardboard over all the bannisters and halfway down the stairs and one *climbed the cardboard* and fell.  Also unhurt.  Sometimes you can't win with the little stinkers.
Answer: As a very conservative rule, kittens can safely jump down from the same height they can jump up to. Anything higher, i.e. requiring climbing rather than jumping, may be unsafe. Even minor injuries in a kitten that young aren't good and could have lasting effects (and expensive vet bills).
My most recent kitten taught himself to climb up onto my bed, but he sprained one of his front paws jumping back down—onto carpet! Once he recovered, I made him some steps (stacked cardboard boxes) to get up and down safely.


How to convert VMDK file to fixed VHD

Question: Now I am going to convert VMDK to VHD .but I won't know how to convert this file and, I already tried using winimage and HyperV but,
I need this VHD file for Azure Template Deployment and as per Azure recommendation azure only need Fixed VHD.
Any suggestion please let me know.
Comment: VMDK IS VMWare VHD is the legacy Microsoft virtual disk file format.  You want to covert to VHDX not VHD
Answer: Try out starwind v2v converter:
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/converter
It supports practically all well known formats, performs fast and, as the saying goes, it just works.
Answer: You want to look into a tool called qemu-img.  It's sole purpose is converting between virtual hard disk image formats.  It's command-line only, but it is reasonably fast, and very memory efficient.  Documentation can be found here.

How to convert VMDK file to fixed VHD


CEL? OBD? OBD-II? Error codes?

Question: What's the best tag to use for questions with a specific CEL (Check Engine Light) code? I've seen various terms for them on other forums and sites.
more info
Comment: and how do we enforce the usage of the correct tag?
Answer: OBD-II means something specific: it's a (US) government standard that started in 1996. The other terms are the same concept, but more generic. If someone says OBD-I, then I know they are talking about pre-96. If they say OBD/CEL/Error code/etc, it's ambiguous.
Before the standardization in '96, Honda's code for misfire may have been X102, and Ford's code for misfire may have been 0x35. The OBD-II code for random misfire is P0300 whether it is a Ford or Honda.
Usually manufacturers don't want a different engine computer for every country, so I believe OBD-II is known around the world.
I'm not sure how useful OBD-II is as a tag. I suppose someone may want to peruse and answer OBD-II specific questions. The actual code (e.g. P0300) should work well as a tag. Over time, code P0300 may have 100 answers, and a professional could see what all diagnostic steps were taken for a wide range of vehicles for that specific code.
Comment: yeah, so just tagging with the specific code then, that makes sense
Answer: MIL - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is the official acronym to refer to the check engine light.
I cannot find the reference for that right now and will edit the question with it later. It may only be a USA standardization, but I am pretty sure it's international.
Comment: MIL is indeed the official acronym for a "Malfunction Indicator Light", but Travis is actually referring to a "specific CEL Code" these codes are officially called "Diagnostic Trouble Codes" or DTCs.
MIL refers purely to the light. The term 'MIL Status' is also often used and this simply refers to the whether the MIL is on or off, this allows tracking of "Distance travelled with MIL on".
I realise none of this really makes much difference, particularly if we simply use the DTC as the tag for the question, but I just thought I'd mention it in case someone comes across this in the future.
Comment: interesting, I haven't heard of that one before

CEL? OBD? OBD-II? Error codes?