Vim syntax file for graph dot language is here: http://www.ocaml.info/vim/syntax/dot.vim (This is more up-to-date than the one at http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/vim/vim-10/vim/runtime/syntax/dot.vim ). Add this to your ~/.vim/ftdetect/dot.vim for file type detection: augroup dot autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.gv set filetype=dot autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.dot set filetype=dot augroup END

The K-combinator "manufactures constant functions: (K x) is the function which, for any argument, returns x". I wanted to add some logging in the middle of a series of transforms of a Scala collection, and this seemed like the right way to do it. For Rubyists, it works like Object#tap.

scala> import Functional._

import Functional._

scala> List(1, 2, 3, 4, 5).k(println).map(_*2).k(println).filter(_>4).k(println)

List(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

List(2, 4, 6, 8, 10)

List(6, 8, 10)

res0: List[Int] = List(6, 8, 10)

Throw { x => logger.log("Something interesting about x"+x.interestingFact) } in there instead of just (println) and you can see an example of more advanced usage.

In Scala, you can test that two Lists are the same with sameElements:

List(1, 2, 3) sameElements List(1, 2, 3) // true
List(1, 2, 3) sameElements List(3, 2, 1) // false
List(1, 2, 3) sameElements List(1, 2, 3, 4) // false

So I wrote a test using Specs that was supposed to test that two lists had the same elements in the same order.

import org.specs.Specification
class FooSpec extends Specification {
    "these lists" should {
        "be the same" in {
            List(1, 2, 3) must have sameElementsAs(List(1, 2, 3)) // Pass, as expected.
            List(1, 2, 3) must have sameElementsAs(List(1, 2, 3, 4)) // Fail, as expected.
            List(1, 2, 3) must have sameElementsAs(List(3, 2, 1)) // ---> Pass, unexpected!!! <---
        }
    }
}

The trick is to use beTheSameSeqAs:

List(1, 2, 3) must beTheSameSeqAs(List(3, 2, 1)) // Fails, as expected :)

Windows users, have you seen this error when trying to open a picture from Outlook?

Cannot create file: photo.JPG Right click the folder you want to

create the file in and then check properties on the shortcut menu to check your permissions for this folder.

The problem is that your “temporary internet files” folder is filled to capacity. Right-click on “My Computer”, click “Disk Cleanup”, and make sure the temporary folders are checked. Click Okay and a progress bar will pop up showing the status of the files being deleted. Double-click the picture in Outlook again and it will open!

(This is the significantly easier version of the same solution that I’ve seen on the interwebs, that says to open regedit and find the OutlookSecureTempFolder and to clear it yourself.)

In which I finally enable 1996-era functionality.

This has bothered me for a long time and I just figured it out. I started using MacVim a while ago but was unable to actually select and copy text like normal. I have had this mapping for ages:

vmap  "*y

which allows me to copy visual-mode-selected text to the system clipboard using Control-c (I haven’t been able to map the actually Command key). MacVim is supposed to give me that ability expect using the mouse and Command-C like every other Mac application. This never worked for me; instead it either did nothing (actually made some seemingly random text disappear because it was really just like hitting “c” in normal mode). Then I discovered this setting:

set mouse=a

That actually enables mouse support in any terminal that supports it, and MacVim is no exception. Just adding that simple set mouse=a gives me the expected mouse copy-paste. Finally I have caught up to 1996!

TrueCrypt requires the MacFUSE filesystem extension. Unfortunately, the latest officially released version (2.0.3) is way out of date. It will install just fine, but after you try to open an encrypted volume in TrueCrypt, it will fail with an error like Failed to load /Library/Filesystems/fusefs.fs/Support/fusefs.kext - (libkern/kext) link error or Can't load kext com.google.filesystems.fusefs.