Posts from 2007
Posts from 2007
JNI to Win32 calls & invoking MS app functions using OLE objects
date: 15 Jun 2007
Feels good to learn something new - even if its been done by countless others.
Today I learnt to use JNI to make native Win32 api calls and learnt to build DLLs on the way.
Where Microsoft provides OLE objects for an application, you can use it to manipulate its functionality from your own custom application (automate things), for e.g. to read and send mail in Outlook by calling OLE functionality from within your own app.
Skit at the Office
date: 06 Jul 2007
New workplace - new joiners have to stage a skit.
Just one problem: no one in my batch of joinees had ever performed one. I suggested a theme as the group wasn’t forthcoming, and we wove in a bunch of ideas to form a coherent plot-line.
The tech writer, Mona Bharbaya, graciously agreed to help us and very creatively turned around the storyline into a good script. Thanks Mona!
Onto practice sessions.
It was a chase to get people to show up.
Towards the deadline we were reduced to five – I was the Narrator, Ajith the energetic Java programmer, Nikhil Shah from finance played the Indian friend, and doubled as one of the American colleagues, Saleem played the counsellor at the training institute, and Mohan who played the Project Manager with great style, and doubled as the bartender when our progammer was onsite.
We had anxious moments through our five practice sessions (three of which were on the day of the performance)! Dialogues not in place, mixing up the line delivery, missed cues and low energy…
Everyone contributed to the script though and we got a cool script by the end. With me and Mona directing the performance and pushing energy levels in the practice sessions.
I thought I discovered a new creative side to myself - directing skits (and perhaps if I were to be more ambitious, directing plays as well ;)
I enjoyed coaching the cast in matters of style of delivery for a particular dialogue, and the energy level required for a scene, and all the pep-talk and psycho-babble that I used to raise their energy levels.
Of course it was easier that I didn’t have to act it out myself ;)
It was a five-scene skit that was pretty well-received in the end and felt like a job well done. :D
The eponymous domain
date: 15 Nov 2007
Got myself a domain to match my name. As a kick just before I ventured off on my first intnl’ trip.
Chuffed about having my own space on the web.
Dashed out a couple of emails from my new domain to some folks – but nobody noticed the sender address (aghast).
Paid for by PayPal dollars, earned by submitting an online survey.