Monthly Archives: August 2006

getItemValueString and Domino 6.5.5 and 7.0 (Show’n Tell Thursday)

Posted on by

The return value of the Java method getItemValueString has been changed in Lotus Domino 6.5.5, Lotus Domino 7.0 and later releases. Before 6.5.5 the method getItemValueString returns null if the item is empty or if the item does not exist. In 6.5.5, 7.0 and later releases getItemValueString returns the empty string (“”) instead.

I upgraded three servers from 6.5.4 to 6.5.5 and found out the hard way when the application didn’t work as expected. Conditions checking getItemValueString for null values were never met so lots of logic was skipped.

So if you plan to upgrade to 6.5.5 og 7.0 or later then check your Java code for the use of getItemValueString.

Update: I have added this post to the Lotus Notes and Domino Blogging Community Show’n Tell Thursday series.

Open Source Windows OS

Posted on by

ReactOS is a free open source operating system based on the Microsoft Windows architecture. ReactOS 0.3 was released yesterday.

A very interesting project that tries to be an open source alternative for Windows users that does not want to switch to a new operating system such as Linux.

The ReactOS homepage has links to reviews of the operating system if you are interested.

If you want to try it out in an easy way then download the VMware image of ReactOS 0.3 and try it out using the free VMware Player.

Happy 25

Posted on by

Today the IBM PC turns 25 years.

“Computer firm IBM made technological history on 12 August 1981 with the announcement of a personal computer – the IBM 5150” – more at BBC.

“August 12, 1981 marks the birth of the IBM PC, the computer that single-handedly turned personal computing to the business market” – more at Low End Mac with comments on OSNews and Slashdot.

I had my first PC in 1993 (running Windows 3.1 and OS/2 Warp when it was released in 1994).

The IBM Archives has more on the IBM 5150 and the first ten years of personal computing from 1981 to 1991.

Free "SOA for Dummies" book!

Posted on by

IBM is was giving away a free copy of “SOA for Dummies“. Go ahead and order your copy.

Aug. 9 update from Bobby Woolf: “The IBM offering is not the full book, it’s a subset aimed at businesspeople. The full book is 384 pages; the free IBM version is 66 pages, focusing on the business aspects and fundamentals of the architecture but not the technology details”

Sept. 21 update: The offer has expired. Due to the overwhelming success of the ordering of the free SOA for Dummies books, IBM has run out of supply. IBM has shipped 10,000 books around the world.

[Via Bobby Woolf]