Syntax Rebels 'N More

Preparing Yucca for the Next Year

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:52:00 +0000

In the final Yucca update for this year, I have added another necessary feature for all those countries that are converting to the Euro currency tomorrow. In Malta for example, businesses are required to keep accepting payments in Maltese Liri until the end of January, but need to give the change in Euros.

No problem with this Yucca update. Apart from selecting the invoice currency as before, now the cashier has the option to select a different currency for giving change to clients.

As usual, the download can be found at Yucca Online website at http://yucca.syntaxrebels.com/

Wish you all a happy and prosperous new year!

Easter Crisis Sure is Popular

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Just received from 123 Free Download:

"We are happy to announce that your software, 'Easter Crisis 1.0', are more popular than 76% of another software, represented on our site. This indicator is calculated with help of the special formulas, which are our know-how. You can place the indicator of popularity of the your software product on your site. At this moment the indicator of popularity for your software will be the following:

This indicator is the dynamic. It reflects the state of your indicator of popularity for 'Easter Crisis 1.0' in the current situation."

Better than 76% of other software can't be bad for our freeware game. If you haven't already go and download the game and play Easter Crisis in Christmas!

Computing Theory: A Java Program to Convert Digital Numbers Into Binary

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:55:00 +0000

As part of my Computing and Information Systems degree I have made some programs to help me out with my studies, which I will now be sharing with you a bit at a time.

For the first post, I have done a quick program in Java to convert a decimal number into binary. In effect this touches three of the first year subjects of Mathematics, Computing and Java programming from the University of London curriculum.

Here is the full source code:

/**
* @(#)dec2bin.java
*
* @author Edward Vela
* @version 1.00 2007/12/15
*/
import java.io.*;

public class dec2bin {

public static int getDecimal(){
System.out.print("Input a positive integer ");
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
int decNum = 0;
try{
decNum = Integer.parseInt(in.readLine());
}
catch (Exception e) {
}
return decNum;
}

public static String dec2Bin (int dec){
int remainder = dec % 2;
int quotient = dec/2;
if (dec > 0){
return ("" + dec2Bin(quotient) + remainder);
} else {
return ("" );
}
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
int decNum;
String binNum;
decNum = getDecimal();
binNum = dec2Bin(decNum);
System.out.println(decNum + " converted to binary = " + binNum);
}
}

We start with the getDecimal() function. This function just asks the user to type in a number from the keyboard and returns it as an integer. No fancy error handling for our first program, but Java beginners can note that to get input from the keyboard we have to first add the import java.io.*; line at the top of our code. Then we can read from the keyboard BufferedReader object using the in.readLine() method. This is then passed to the Integer.parseInt() method which handily converts for us the String we got from the keyboard into an integer. There is a form of error trapping though, as every input that is not an integer is trapped and the program just acts as the user just typed in a 0.

Our second function (dec2Bin) is short and sweet, but does a lot of work as it calculates the binary number recursively. Remember that in mathematics, we obtain the binary number by keeping on dividing the original number by 2 and taking note of the remainder, which can be either 0 or 1. Then when we can divide no more, we read the remainders from the bottom up to end with the binary number. This is what we are doing in this function. If you think in a recursive way, all we are doing in maths is to take the first number and divide it by 2. Then we divide the answer by 2, then the second answer by 2 and so on. So a function that calls itself will keep on dividing the number by 2 until the answer is zero.

Finally, with the support of the previous functions, the main method becomes very easy to tie everything up together. We just declare the variables decNum and binNum, call the getDecimal() function to get the user's input and pass this value along to the dec2Bin() function which will convert the number into binary which we then display nicely to the user.

As an exercise for you, there are some improvements that can be done on this program. Note that there is no output if the user enters 0 or a wrong input. The easiest improvement is to display the binary number 0 when a 0 input is entered. The second improvement is to re-ask the user for the number if it is not a positive integer.

New Yucca for The New Year

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:30:00 +0000

In view of the fast approaching deadline for businesses in some European countries to start trading with the Euro currency as from 1st January 2008, we have released a new version of Yucca Accounts Manager that will allow you to make the changeover a lot easier than you could ever imagine.

Yucca Version 2.8.0 has a new function to change the reference currency with the click of a button whilst keeping information on additional currencies that your business might have used in the past. So this year you can party too come new year's eve instead of working overtime to change the prices on your products.

You can download this update right now by visiting the software's page at http://www.syntaxrebels.com/yucca/index.htm

New Feedback Forum

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 09:58:00 +0000

I have just finished installing our new feedback forum and want to invite you all to share your toughts about everything of interest.

This forum is far better than our older one, which I will be removing soon. So start registering now and you can start enjoying the nice feeling that you have after you remove something from your mind and post it for everyone to read.

Syntax Rebels Gets New Look

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:19:00 +0000

Syntax Rebels announced today the launch of its new logo and website. The simple yet elegant design that will allow more content to be available on the Syntax Rebels website is the result of a year-long rebranding exercise.

Curiously, the logo is always pointing towards the way forward.

"With this effort we are notifying our customers that we are changing", said Syntax Rebels founder Edward Vella. "For the better of course! This is just the start, and the first step is to attract your attention to tell you to prepare yourself to get interactive with our upcoming Web 2.0 website", he continued.

In fact, the next announced step is to give the user a new level of interaction with the Syntax Rebels website and software products. A new forum to ask questions, and a wiki for each software product so that clients themselves can teach others how they are using the sofware are an example of things to come.

Bernard Gatt, Syntax Rebels' other founder, said "We will be celebrating our fourth birthday soon. As the company matures and our user base grows we want to let everyone participate collectively for the benefit of all involved. The new logo is synonymous with user collaboration on a professional level."

The announced changes will appear within the coming months, so you can expect a lot of activity on the website soon. "Prepare yourselves to join the action!" concluded Mr. Gatt.

Syntax Rebels Pulls Yucca Version 2.7 Out

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:43:00 +0000

We have been going full blast on the development of Yucca Accounts Manager this week. And we have done enough changes to warrant a 2.7.0 release.

This time, you really have to upgrade!

There aren't any major changes with this version, mind you. However, there are a lot of little interface changes or new features that have been requested by yourselves. I have personally taken care to see that we have included as much as possible. So now you have another Yucca download, which is highly polished and freely available to current clients. Don't forget that if you purchase the full version of Yucca Accounts Manager, you will be eligible for free lifetime updates.

The software can be downloaded from here

Now for a summary of the new features in this upgraded version:

Fixed bug which was crashing POS on an empty database

Added option to print comment either before or after price on price labels

Modified wording in Supplier Detailed Totals to accomodate more figures in sum

Added date column in Client Detailed Transaction Grid

If a printout in POS is done from an already saved invoice, consistency checks are now disabled since user has already accepted inconsistencies during saving

Added printout of second currency in POS invoice as required by EU during Euro currency change-over

Added currency selection in POS so that invoice can be transacted in a different currency at the counter

Added Export function to Detailed Item Information window

In Purchasing, tax rate is automatically inserted on screen clear

Added cash drawer control with the option to set the control codes

Added facility to select country from drop-down list in clients, supplier and location modules

Minor Yucca Upgrade

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:41:00 +0000

I have had some reports that Yucca Accounts Manager version 2.6.1 (released two days ago) is bringing up an error when saving stock transfers. Upon further investigation, I found that there was a bug where the program would get lost and not know where to save a record after successfully upgrading from a previous database version.

In short, you do not need to upgrade if you just installed Yucca for the first time.

The bug, although not easy to find a solution for, has now been corrected. A new version of Yucca Accounts Manager, labeled v2.6.2, is available for downloading at http://www.syntaxrebels.com/yucca/install_yucca.exe.

As an added bonus in the latest version, today I also had some time to re-implement the 'search by invoice' function in the Item Database module. We originally had to remove it from our design when we started working on Yucca version 2 due to the database format used. However after a number of requests, I have been thinking on a way to beat this limitation for some weeks now and have successfully got it right this morning. So now we can all rejoice, I think!

Syntax Rebels Announces Latest Yucca Accounts Manager Update

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:20:00 +0000

After completion of testing on Yucca Accounts Manager version 2.6.x, Syntax Rebels is happy to announce the immediate release of the latest version 2.6.1 on our website at www.syntaxrebels.com. This is another big update available for free to all international clients.

This time we have focused on improving reports.

In fact, the report module has been rehashed to display all reports into an easily accessible single screen, with the added introduction of a completely new profit/loss report. This new report provides an instant view of revenues, costs and profit, which can be split into yearly, monthly, weekly and even daily outcomes. It is also the first report inside Yucca Accounts Manager that also shows the data plotted on a chart which gives an idea of the profit/loss trend at a glance.

A little but important tweak to the detailed report, which supplies a list of all products sold, is the addition of the client name to the client account number. No doubt, this makes it easier to understand where the products are going.

As the number of networked Yucca Accounts Manager usage is increasing, Syntax Rebels is also improving the way that the program works across the local area network. In this view, the program settings, which were previously stored in a single file, are now split into two separate locations. This lets the common company data and settings be stored in a centralised database and the user preferences inside each user's computer to provide quicker access to the database even while the software is being installed.

Other additions include: User Setup lets additional program users to be added, display of end user price (including taxes) in Item Database, and support for label roll printing. For a complete list of changes, please consult the Official Version History.

Useful links: Yucca Accounts Manager home page
Latest software download
Check for any taxes/shipping rates that may apply

Get A Helping Hand In Time Management

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 09:29:00 +0000

Regular readers of this blog will remember that I was looking for an idea to implement into a small program that Syntax Rebels will sell at a small cost next year. Well that idea is here and I have built a prototype to prove it. The idea comes from the need I currently have of allocating my time for different projects.

The concept is not to use the common timetable solution, but to allocate the time to a single project until it is finished. So the way that I am looking at this is to do pending jobs as a stack would do it. One after each other, with the result that the user will follow a task through and not end up with many loose ends in his hand.

The design is still in its initial phase although there are some features already, like job priorities of course, recurring tasks and multiple stacks for different levels of importance. Reports will appear in the next design stage, although as we did succesfully before with other programs, some features will be added to the software after the first release, and offered as free updates when they are ready.

Now all I have to do is find some time to allocate to this project. By the way, I have been already using the program a lot as it is, and I am sure that many will find it useful.

Building Pages for Google Analytics With Mass Text Replacer

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 06:16:00 +0000

Google Analytics is a powerful online tool that lets you check your website visitors' behaviour and their demographics. In order to track visitors effectively, you have to insert a piece of HTML code in each of your website pages. This is where Mass Text Replacer comes in. This downloadable Windows program's feature to change HTML code throughout the whole website is just what we need here.

So open your browser and go to http://www.google.com/analytics/. Create an account if you have not already done so, log in and add a new website profile. You should see the details as on the screenshot below. Now press the Check Status link to get your Google Analytics tracking code.

It is now time to start Mass Text Replacer, so go to the Program Files> Syntax Rebels menu and click on the Mass Text Replacer icon. If you have not installed the software yet, you can get a 15-day trial version from http://www.syntaxrebels.com/mtr/index.htm.

To configure Mass Text Replacer, first select the drive and folder of your website files on your local computer. Secondly select the 'Scan Subfolders' option to include all the files on your website's subfolders. Thirdly you have to filter the HTML files only, so click on the File Filter button and select the .htm extension as displayed here.

Now click on the Add All button to tag the files for modification. If you do not want to track the entire website, you will have to select your files one by one here and then click on the Add Selection button instead.

We are nearly there! Go back to Google Analytics and copy the whole code as given.

And paste it inside Mass Text Replacer into the Replace With box.

Google suggests that you insert the code at the end of the pages just before the ending body tag </body>. So that is the final setting that you have to do. Type </body> into the Text to Find box

and select the Replace Before action mode.

If you still feel that you need to get to grips with Mass Text Replacer, I suggest that you switch the Backup Modified Files option on. In that way if you make a mistake and damage your files, you can go back and use the backed-up original ones.

Now click on Mass Text Replacer's Start button and you can sit back while your pages are being updated with Google's tracking code. When the process is ready, upload the modified files onto your web server and after a couple of days you will have some interesting statistics such as the following to look at.

Syntax Rebels Software Programs Tested Successfully With Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:43:00 +0000

After downloading and installing the latest version of Windows Vista RC1, my interest was to test the range of Syntax Rebels' software programs on the new OS. For my and presumably your joy, the outcome is that since Beta 2 there has been much progress to get current software working with the latest Windows release.

Let me start with the programs that work immediately out of the box. As you can see, Nifty Photo Publisher runs and performs just as reliably as it always did, plus it adopts the new graphical enhancements of the Windows Vista interface.

Also simply working out of the box are DeskAds and Wwwallpaper. I was under the impression that Windows Vista would complain and not let programs that change the user's desktop do so easily. But I was mistaken, both of our desktop updating programs are working wonderfully on Vista.

The Start Menu is also working correctly now. Windows Vista Beta 2 used to mess up all the links after installing the software, but now I can happily say that the links are all in place after installing our programs on RC1.

Next in line in my compatibility test are Yucca Accounts Manager and Mass Text Replacer. These programs are also working as in the cases above, but in some instances during my tests, I had to find a turnaround to make them work after having installed them. The solution is to make the program Run as administrator the first time that it is executed even though I was using an administrator account. I suspect that this problem can be solved completely by using a newer installer to package with these two programs.

Finally, I must also mention the programs that are not yet working with Windows Vista. The first one of those is SWFter, and although it isn't the program itself that cannot run, its dependency on Shockwave Flash is its downfall.

SWFter needs Flash installed on the system. The problem is that after SWFter identified that Flash was not installed on the Vista system, I tried to install it, but Vista was always complaining about rights and so far I have not been able to make this work out.

The remaining program is Easter Crisis. Although the game runs normally and the controls are working, there is a noticable graphical glitch that makes the game unplayable. However I suspect that this may be a driver problem between the display board and the Windows Vista OS. In previous releases of Vista this game was not working at all and now it is without any changes, and so I hope that as Vista approaches its official release, graphic problems of this kind will have become obsolete.

So there you go. The majority of our programs are already working with the next generation Windows Operating System, and the remaining two can hopefully be tweaked to work successfully before Vista gets its official release.

Girls Sport Syntax Rebels Tattoos On Various Parts of Their Body

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:55:00 +0000

I know that there are a lot of Syntax Rebels fans out there who like our products, especially our best-selling Mass Text Replacer. But I never thought to have fans expressing their loyalty in the way that this young lady does.

Have fun with this link, just something to brighten your Monday morning.

End of Summer Update From Syntax Rebels HQ

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:31:00 +0000

Today is a holiday in Malta, and so I have some free time to tell you what I am doing while offline. I still have to attend to a lecture later, but this morning I will try to sort out some of the backlog that I have waiting on my computer. A brief update to our online users is of the highest priority.

Last week I have started studying for my Degree in Computing and Information Systems with the University of London. It will take four years until graduation which may seem a bit long right now, but I'm sure that I'll come out a better man due to the knowledge that I am already experiencing.

But let's change the subject to Syntax Rebels now. During the slow summer months where online sales have been dwindling, we have been working on local software projects that we were commissioned to develop. With the last one of them almost finished, we are planning to return to focus on our online community. Most probably we will start by making some changes to the website. You can also expect another update for Yucca Accounts Manager before the year's end, also because legislation in Malta forces businesses to display their prices in Euros as well as the Maltese currency from the start of 2007.

Mass Text Replacer is planned to be completely rewritten for Windows Vista, but you will have to wait until next year for that. Suggestions are still very much welcome though, as I can never stop saying that our best selling software is always getting better because of your feedback.

What about completely new software for 2007? So far we have agreed to publish a productivity tool which will be priced around $50 and a game aimed for the casual games player that will build upon our experience from Easter Crisis. I still wish to find an idea for a small program that will retail for the low-budget $15 market like Nifty Photo Publisher and SWFter, but so far nothing has materialised to be our next killer application.

Mass Text Replacer v1.6.0 Released

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:57:00 +0000

After a time of testing, some last minute additions and then more testing, Mass Text Replacer is officially available for download from our website as from today.

The changes to this latest version are:

Bug where Between function was not working correctly in previous version fixed

When program asks to overwrite read-only files there are two new options: Yes to All, No to All

New option to view summary list of changed files which will then let you copy the list to the clipboard or export it to a file

MTT extension in registry is now attributed to Mass Text Replacer

New variables inserted:
- %mtrtab% for TAB string
- %mtrnewline% for CRLF
- %mtrcr% for CR
- %mtrlf% LF
- %mtrnull% null
File lists have also maximise buttons now

Selected Files list can be double clicked to remove files from list.

Buy Nifty Photo Publisher with SWFter and save 30%

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 18:05:00 +0000

Both Nifty Photo Publisher and SWFter have been described as affordable graphic tools by the Internet press, and both are equally our second best selling software programs so far. While we celebrate this, now you can take advantage of our latest offer and get a 30% discount if you buy them both together.

Version 1.6.0 of Mass Text Replacer To Begin Development Soon

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:26:00 +0000

We have scheduled a software development phase for a new update of Mass Text Replacer due to begin next month. As usual we are accepting user suggestions, so any ideas you have may make it into version 1.6.0 of the program. Just remember that existing users of Mass Text Replacer will keep getting their updates free of charge, so you don't have to wait until the next release to buy your own version.

Yucca Version 2.3.0 Released Officially

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:14:00 +0000

Good evening everyone, I just wanted you to know that the latest update of Yucca Accounts Manager, numbered 2.3.0, is now officially available on our website for download. Trial version and our unmissable special offer are still in effect as usual.

For those interested in what the update contains, here's the lowdown:

Added Tax number to options and POS printout

Fixed bug which was occasionally crashing program when closing Locations module

Fixed bug which was suffixing a 0 when editing Purchase invoices

Added buying price calculation options too: manual, average, last purchased

Added function to enter stock re-order level in item database

Item cells in Item Database are coloured red or green according to current/re-order level

Editable cells are now coloured light blue in Item Database

List report of items sold to client was not being sorted - fixed

New Program Behaviour - If price entry is set to manual, the user is asked if he wants to change price whenever a new one is detected during saving in Purchase module

New Program Behaviour - When selling price and buying price are set to manual and the currently purchased item is new, it is saved with the entered price

For more information, visit yucca.syntaxrebels.com

85% off Yucca Accounts Manager during Summer '06

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:01:00 +0000

The sun has gone up to our heads again and so our crazy summer sale is back. This year, the software from our catalog that gets an 85% discount during the three months of summer is none other than Yucca Accounts Manager. That means that starting from the 21st of June you can buy Yucca Accounts Manager for $89.70 instead of the usual price of $597.99! That is a total saving of $508.29.

That also means that you still have enough time to download the trial version, try it out and then purchase the full version before the end of the summer is over.

The coupon code to claim this discount is CRAZYSUMMER2006. Remember to enter it at checkout. Finally, I would like to wish all of you to have a great summer, which can prove to be more enjoyable if you know that you will have a great inventory and invoicing accounts software to work with when you return to your business after the holidays are over.

Worms 3D Complete Strategy Guide Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 08 May 2006 13:20:00 +0000

Are you stuck in a particular level of your favourite game and don't know what to do? We have the solution! Download the Worms 3D Complete Strategy Guide and you can read this e-book from the comfort of your computer right now.

This book is a gameplay guide that will first give you some general tips to use on your way to victory, and then show you how to go through each level of the popular Worms 3D game. In-game screenshots are provided to accompany the text and show you what to do in the critical moments of each level. And for USD$5.77 it will prove to be your best gaming investment ever.

Add Worms 3D Complete Strategy Guide to your shopping cart right away!

A Sincere Welcome to Our Friends in The Czech Republic

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 20:50:00 +0000

Since posting the free download page of Easter Crisis on our website, we have noticed a surge in our online visitors, particularly from the Czech Republic. The main culprits of this traffic increase are these two websites; Hrej! and freegame.cz. Both are websites dedicated to taking computer gaming seriously, so we thank these sites for their enthusiasm, as well as all those users who have played the game and took the time to leave their comments. Although we did not understand everything, we appreciate that!

Next, something for business users. The next version of Yucca Accounts Manager is nearly ready and should appear on our website soon. This time we have focused on making the software more compliant with sales tax laws over the world and the setting of even more price calculation options. I'm sure these much wanted updates will bring a happy face to those users who were spending too much time to set their prices and will now be able to do it very easily.

Last but not least, we are happy to announce that we now have a section for games and entertainment where you can download Easter Crisis and in the future other games and related stuff that we will be putting here as time goes by. Now, I think that that level of Easter Crisis is calling once again. Everyone grab their mice and play!

Easter Crisis Gets Its Own Download Page

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 21:47:00 +0000

You may be glad to know that Syntax Rebels' arcade puzzler Easter Crisis has been released today on our website as freeware. So what are you waiting for? Just download and start playing, then come back to leave your comments.

Link: http://syntaxrebels.com/eastercrisis/

Wwwallpapering again

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:16:00 +0000

We have noticed that since Yahoo! changed their page format last week, the random news function in Wwwallpaper is not working. The good news is that we have solved the problem by gettimg our data from Yahoo!'s RSS feeds, practically preventing the problem from appearing again in the future when their page style is changed again.

There is a new download of Wwwallpaper available on our website, versioned 1.1.0. If you are still having problems with pictures of Breakout appearing on your desktop, you can download the fix now at: http://www.syntaxrebels.com/wwwallpaper

What's New Inside the Next Release of Yucca

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 13:49:00 +0000

The soon-to-be released update of Yucca has been focused around giving the same options to the buying price setting as we did with the selling price previously. This has led us to also change the looks inside the Item Database, with the ability to modify some values(coloured in blue).

A function to enter the stock reorder levels is also a new feature of the same window, with stock coloured in red or green according to the current stock level.

It is now also possible to enter your company's tax registration window and have it displayed in your invoice printouts.

Finally, as regards bug fixes, the problems where the program was crashing during synchronisation and an additional zero was being added to the selling price when editing purchases were both solved.

Easter Crisis Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (edvella) — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:32:00 +0000

Today was the contest deadline for the Caiman Easter Freeware Game Competition. We have submitted our entry, Easter Crisis, which you can now view at the compo website.

We wish all the other participants good luck. Meanwhile, as we wait for the results, you all have over hundred new free games to play. Isn't that great or what?