Abhijeeti's Blog

At the start of career I used to work on Rich Internet Application using JFC Swing based java applets. I really liked kind of desktop user experience this application provided but at the cost of delayed startup. System was responsible for provisioning all the components of a distributed control switch. It was designed to give the network administrator all the necessary information to properly monitor and operate the system. It was supporting multiple aspects of system monitoring, including real-time alarms, call tracing and diagnostics, performance statistics and traffic reports and browsing of Call Detail Records.

Imagine providing all such real time functionality using traditional web applications. How will you support inline editing? How will you show real-time alarms? How will you show call trace graphs? For such systems RIAs are best choice rather than traditional web applications.

Macromedia coined the term Rich Internet Applications (RIA) in 2002. Macromedia defines RIAs as combining the best user interface functionality of desktop software applications with the broad reach and low-cost deployment of Web applications and the best of interactive, multimedia communication. The end result: an application providing a more intuitive, responsive, and effective user experience.

In simple terms Rich internet applications are web applications with features, functionality, responsiveness, and user experience similar to that of desktop applications.

Best of desktop includes providing interactive user interface, single page model with no page refresh, drag and drop kid of behaviors and the ability to run online and offline. Best of Web includes low-cost deployment and broad reach.

Creating RIA is latest trend. There are lot of methods and techniques available for developing RIAs. Very big players like Microsoft, Sun and Adobe are targeting RIA and new tools are arriving very fast.

Here is the list of important methods and techniques available

Ajax: Ajax is latest buzzword. Everybody knows Ajax now. It became popular when Google used it in there applications like Gmail and Google maps. Ajax is not a rocket science. Its just combination technologies like HTML, CSS, DOM, XMLHttpRequest objects and XML.

Adobe Flex: I am very impressed with this technology. This is flash based solution from adobe. Flex allows us to create rich flash user interfaces using MXML, a XML based interface description language and ActionScript. MXML and ActionScript get compiled in to Flash applications (SWF files) on the fly.

JavaFX: Sun has recently announced JavaFX at Java one as a family of products to create Rich Internet Application. Currently JavaFX consists of JavaFX script and JavaFX mobile.

Java: Java based RIA can be applets embedded in web browser or as a stand alone application via Java Web start technology. Most important advantage Java based RIAs can take is that they can full power of Java Platform like Swing, Java 2D etc

Microsoft Silverlight: It’s a runtime for browser based RIAs and has capabilities like animation and vector graphics. Version 1.1 of Silverlight includes .NET CLR that means Silverlight RIAs can be written any .NET language.

Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR): Adobe AIR, formerly code-named Apollo, is a cross-operating system runtime that allows developers to use their existing web development skills to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop.

Five years back when i came to pune for a job after completing my B.E. i had no idea how to use debit card in ATM to withdraw money. One of my good friend taught me to use the card for doing transaction.

Few days back i integrated ID Tech card reader in our system at work. It’s a Really Long Way Down.

This is how card reader works.

When you swipe the card, card reader reads all the data from card to the system. Tracks of data on the magnetic stripe include the cardholder’s name and other personal information, credit card number and security and verification codes.

Normally there are three tracks on magnetic strip on the back of the card.

Track1

This is the only track that can contain text data.Track one stores the primary account number, account holder’s name, card expiration date, service code, discretionary data (data to verify pin and security code) and the longitudinal redundancy check (LRC).

e.g.

%B4625555555555004^ABHIJEET IRAJ /^110310100524000000?

Track2

This track only allows for numbers and six other characters. This track stored the data mainly for banking industry.Track two stores primary account number, expiration date, service code, discretionary data and the LRC.

e.g.

;4633333333333304=1103104444524?

Track3

Track three is almost never used.Track1 and Track2 can only read data, Track3 allows for ‘write-back’ of information.

When you swipe the card, card reader reads the track data on magnetic stripe and is sent to the organization that actually authorizes purchases by authenticating the request. Using the data from the magnetic strip, the organization validates the request by making sure that the card has enough of the available limit to cover the purchase. It also checks to make sure that the card hasn’t been reported lost or stolen.The system comes back with an answer; either accepting or denying the request.

What a nice day to write my first blog!

Today is Ganesh chaturthi. It is celebrated as it is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi.