We will begin by discussing the positive effects of all traffic. Having good traffic, obviously, cannot hurt you. There is no way that comes to mind that I can think of in which good traffic will hurt your site; be it resale value or otherwise (thus its name, “good” traffic). If you’re getting tons of good traffic, your site is booming, and if you ever want to sell it, that raises it’s value!

Now, bad traffic can also have some (temporarily) “positive” effects. If you’re running a site which does not worry about visitor comments spam hits and robots shouldn’t be much of a problem for you. In fact, they may make your stats look great at first glance, and you may even be able to catch a gullible buyer and convincing him or her (by not saying anything more than to look at the visitor count) that the traffic is great! However, for those serious domainers, etc. they will check those stats down to the IP’s of the visits. When they track back all those IP’s to public proxies, and known spam bots they will throw the name back in your face and your sale will fall through.

So in the end, all traffic does not quite turn into good traffic. It is indeed a great factor for any sale of a site, but visitor turn around is what really matters. So when analyzing your own traffic, check as if you were buying your site up and take steps to minimize spam traffic!

Regards,
Dennis M.

As many of you may or may not know, Microsonic used to be a hosting company. From 2005-2008 I ran the site as “Microsonic Hosting.” In 2009, however, I decided to make it a more specialized place consisting of my thoughts and sharing my skills with others. Today, however, an idea ran across my head: re-open the hosting branch. So in this topic, I’ll take you through my head a bit more.

Well, what does this entail? The mere thought makes one wonder what would happen to the current site. Well, it would remain the same. As I mentioned, it would be a “branch” of Microsonic Development. I actually run “Microsonic Development” as a freelance programming company, so I may even revamp this to being much more than simply a blog! A hosting company that is not run by C/O’s who know very little about what they’re selling, but rather a professional selling services to another professional. Keeping in mind the reason I closed up shop in the first place, however, is also very important.

Due to lack of business and trying to keep prices low, costs built up and I ended up taking a loss on the whole project unfortunately. Not that I am in it to solely make a profit, but just like for everyone else, finances are tight. But then again, in retrospect it is important to think about what caused the collapse. My lack of advertising was the ultimate beast that did it in in the first place. All clients I had were extremely happy and very upset when I announced the initial closing of the company, however, had more people known about the satisfaction perhaps more members would have joined.

So now, as I continue to ponder my own thoughts, what are you personal thoughts? Perhaps I should specialize? Rather than web hosting, perhaps I will provide shell or VPS hosting? Let me know what you think! Your thoughts are, as usual, very helpful for me as they inspire my decisions about how to proceed in certain actions and what kinds of articles to write!

Regards,
Dennis M.

Server Maintenance. It’s a love-hate relationship really. One never knows how long it’s truly going to take, so you generally lose a lot of precious uptime due to it. On the other hand, it keeps the system running strong and fast so it can keep up with other servers.

This server even has some scheduled maintenance coming up very soon (I believe Sunday October, 11 at 9:00am CST, but I could be wrong). But it’s not always a thing to get angry about. In the time it takes to update the server, most people won’t lose any clients.

Most companies or users try to find a time (analyzing statistics) where their traffic is the lowest. During this time is when they normally try to schedule maintenance if it’s possible. This already minimizes the amount of clients lost. Also, maintenance normally lasts an hour or so (but I’ve had experiences with up to 24) and then you come back to a much faster working network.

So overall, this server maintenance thing is really a blessing in disguise. Although you will get some immediate frustration that you cannot access your site, you will be able to come back to a quick server. Not only quick (by way of RAM), but many times a quicker internet speed as well (a connection update!).

Regards,
Dennis M.

Vectors can be used for various things in C++, but they are for the more advanced programmer really. They are not really necessary if it is not a complex program, but this tutorial could serve useful for many I’m sure.

I myself was at first puzzled by the question. I had never thought of a reason to do this and so, frankly, I never have. After some thought, it wasn’t too bad, but still an interesting concept. I’ll post the code below and then explain further below that. Comments are in both English and Italian. The reason being is what I previously mentioned about the original reason I wrote this code.

/**
* String to Vector Tutorial by Dennis M.
*
* un tutorial di microsonic.org
*
*/

// Include files ~ Includere i file
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
// Declare Variables ~ Definire i varibili
string data = "one - uno";
vector<string> vect;

// Insert data into vector ~ Inserire l'informazione in il vector
vect.push_back(data);
data = "two - due";
vect.push_back(data);
data = "three - tre";
vect.push_back(data);

// Loop to view the contents of the vector ~ Loop per vedere i contenti di il vector
for(unsigned int i=0;i<vect.size();i++){
cout<< i << ": " << vect.at(i) << endl;
}

// Memory Management ~ Ci sicuriamo la memoria!
vect.clear();

return 0;
}


Now the code is pretty self-explanatory and the comments I think do a pretty good job. The only thing one may be perplexed about is where the functions and pointers come from. If you examine the documentation (header file?) for a vector, all is clearly defined. This example will also print the vector and clear it before it exits.

So I hope this post is of some service to someone and as usual, I have included the source and binaries in the post!

String to Vector Tutorial

Regards,
Dennis M.

So recently, I have just finished a project where one developer had started and then decided he could not finish the work, so I was hired to finish it. The natural thought to one who is inexperienced is, “This will be a cakewalk. Most of the programming is already done!” – wrong. The first thing that went through my mind was, “I wonder how bad this really is.” So, I accept the project (as I had only a few projects at the time) and take a look.

The code was atrocious to say the least. I felt as if this other developer had never learned how to use comments or his tab key/space bar to format. Most of the time on the project was bent around figuring out what the original developer had tried to do. It was a nightmare.

As I started digging through files and files of unnecessary sloppy code, I thought to myself, “I need to write something about this. This kind of work needs to stop.” I was not upset because of the amateur programming, nor the fact that it was undocumented and poorly written. What bugs me is the fact that someone paid for that kind of work. It looked like the developer copy/pasted everything from snippets he or she found online. That being said, one must learn the importance of structure and coding etiquette.

Structure is important for general organization. It keeps code neat and clean looking and much easier for anyone, to include yourself, to go back and fix errors/security holes. Most people see structural formatting as a simple aesthetic quality when in reality it is like formatting a letter. The structure keeps things organized and understandable on a more universal level.

Coding etiquette, on the other hand, is something learned over a long period of time. No new developer can simply logon and expect to program to the standards set right now, but at the same time should begin mimicking the styles of major developers. Examining the work of others is one of the best ways for any developer to learn, so studying (yes, just like in school) the work of past developers, and prominent works of today, one can easily understand how to program professionally. A simple example would be to write functions rather than hardcode functions multiple times. Or rather than using raw MySQL functions, create an SQL wrapper to execute the functions.

There are many resources on learning how to program professionally, and be neat, but it’s up to developers to use the tools. The vast majority of developers, I would say, hold to the standards. However, for those who do not, they are just ripping off their client in the long-run.

Regards,
Dennis M.

Well, I mainly use all this to transfer large amounts of separated data from function to function. In my most recent endeavor it was to split a specific type of file, parse it through 3 different functions (each function returned an array, but dealt with the data in strings which I will explain) then finally took all the information in the provided array and successfully dumped the data to a database. This is only one of the numerous reasons a person could/would use an array, but they help like one couldn’t imagine.

Let’s begin with the basics. For sake of example, we’ll keep things in PHP. The first example below just explains an array. No more, no less.

<?php
// Ways to add data to arrays!
$array1 = array("Entry 0","Entry 1","Entry 2","Entry 3"); // Just put data in
$array2 = array(
0 => "Entry 0",
2 => "Entry 2",
1 => "Entry 1"
); // Define arrays by opening and stating index.
$array3[0] = "Entry 0";
$array3[1] = "Entry 1"; // Enter directly into index

?>

Another way to build an array, more or less indirectly, is to use php’s “explode();” function. This will take text with a defined delimiter and separate each set of data (at the delimiter) into its own index. For example, consider the following.

<?php
$string = "This is a string where we will, use commas, for delimiting the text and to, split this into an, array!";
$array = explode(",",$string);
print "Original: ".$string."<br /><pre>Array: ";
print_r($array);
print "</pre>";
?>

To call these defined arrays we would use $array[INDEX]. Now, there are many ways to access this data and filter it. Let’s begin by calling one value from an array.

<?php
$array = ("Entry 0","Use this text","Entry 2","Entry 3","This text isn't being called either");
print $array[1];
?>

The script above with print “Use this text” because it is in the array at the index value 1. It is important to remember that indexes start at 0 unless defined otherwise. Now, we’ll explain some more intricate ways of getting all your values. The first way is iteration using the “for();” loop. Here goes:

<?php
$array = ("Test","Test2","Word3","Keep 'em coming!","white space next ","","No need for that","We <3 trim");

// Iterate.
for($i=0;$i<count($array);$i++){
print $i.") ".$array[$i]."<br />";
}
?>

Now this will just result similarly to the foreach(); which I am about to explain. However, sometimes iteration is more effective than foreach(); because it gives you more liberty. Most of the time I would recommend iteration for multi-dimensional arrays (arrays within arrays and so on), but usually two different ones. For example:

<?php
$array = array(array("Array in index","number 0"),array("Array in index","number 2"));

for($i=0;$i<count($array);$i++){
// Now, let's get our multidimensional values!
for($ii=0;$ii<count($array);$ii++){
print "[".$i."][".$ii."]: ".$array[$i][$ii]."<br />";
}
}
?>

Now, that will grab all the data within the arrays within the arrays. Wow, sounds confusing, but once you get a better grasp, it’s really quite simple, but I cannot lie; it all seems very daunting at first. Now we’ll explain the foreach(); function. This function basically does what we just did manually, but sometimes is easier and more effective. A lot of times, you will use the two in conjunction (even if for different purposes), so become friendly with both of them!

<?php
$array = array(
0 => "Entry 0",
1 => "Another entry",
2 => "Again...",
3 => "And finally "
);

foreach($array as $key => $value){
print "Key/Index: ".$key.": ".$value."<br />";
}
?>

From the code above, you can see that the foreach(); function has accomplished the same feat we did earlier with iteration. On a simple array such as this, it would be best to use foreach, but like I said: it may be necessary at times to use iteration.

As I mentioned earlier, both can be used in conjunction. Just a quick example (we won’t go through the actual coding of it) is if you have a multi-dimensional array where you feel the need to use foreach, you can use foreach($var[$i] as $key => $val){} and work it that way.

So all in all, everything boils down to: love iteration, love foreach(); on the programming languages it’s available, and above all LOVE arrays! They are right next to regex in the developer’s “most useful tools” section of his or her tool belt!

Regards,
Dennis M.

To begin, I’m going to assume everyone knows the basics of PHP. It’s fast, efficient, integrated with the webserver, etc. But for those of you completely unfamiliar with Ruby on Rails it is made by the “Ruby Core Team” (of the Ruby Programming Language). The format of the language is similar to Python if any are familiar with that. Ruby generally runs on its own server, separate from the general webserver-to my experience anyway.

So now that we have the basics down about each let’s go over the weak points in each and strong points. We will begin with the weak points to Ruby on Rails. Since it runs on it’s own server, it makes it more difficult to readily integrate with a site: obviously. Also, for those of us who prefer the nice C/C++ style programming, you can forget it with RoR. You will definitely end up using “end” much more than you would care to admit with this language. Compatibility across servers is more or less low. Most servers do not provide the RoR service, so that is also a downfall of RoR.

Likewise, PHP also has its faults. Since the language is so widely used and installed on practically every serer on the web, it allows for more holes to be more easily and quickly found. This means more frequent updates (which could be good if it does not become a nuisance) and since it is integrated with the web server, that also means long patch times. Depending on how you have setup PHP, you may even have to recompile the webserver. Normally it doesn’t cause a great problem for most servers because the old version doesn’t remove until the new version is finished compiling, but it greatly increases server load. For webhosts, this could cause a problem because this means that they have to go down for more server maintenance time. Also, unfortunately for PHP, every time one wants to add a new feature (example add ziplink support or something) they would have to recompile PHP.

Although both have their faults, both also have very strong points. Again, we’ll begin with RoR. RoR, again, since it’s not integrated means little downtime if it needs to be updated. Also, it is similar to Perl in the respect that it can download modules quickly and easily. Ruby, growing more popular, also is easier for users who are entering programming. It definitely scores an A+ on the entry level programming language level and pretty powerful with simple code.

PHP, on the otherhand, though a little more complex has its key aspects. There is mass compatibility with PHP. As mentioned earlier, pretty much every server on the web is PHP enabled. It has become the web standard over the years. Another benefit, since most open source software is programmed in PHP, is one who knows it can make their own program modifications and customizations to most open source programs. Above all, the support over the web is great because users all over the web have a deep understanding and knowledge of the language and are willing to offer free help on forums all over the web.

So all in all, both languages have their ups and downs. Ultimately, it is your choice to decide which you would rather learn/install on your server. Peronsally, I would go with PHP simply because it’s more available and there is a greater user base to help you. If you are looking for custom projects to be made, it may also be much easier to find a programmer to do work for you if you’re looking for PHP. But if you have never looked at programming before and cannot seem to grasp the concepts of PHP, Ruby may be a good alternative to start learning how programming should look and feel.

Regards,
Dennis M.

Regards,
Dennis M.

Well, really, there are many things users can do. With the recent boom of open source programs (and if you’re willing to invest, the paid programs normally are worth the extra bucks) you can open all different sorts of sites. If you’re not selling any particular product, you have to make your site appeal to the masses. The name of the game is traffic. It is the most important aspect to any successful site on the web. With no users, there is no revenue.

Let me explain. I write this blog to help people, however, I have ads. Now, they do not generate much money for me (hardly anything really), but for a site with major traffic (like myspace or facebook), these ads are generating thousands per month. The more traffic you receive, the greater than chance your ads will be clicked. The more clicks they receive, the more money you earn. That’s the basis to internet revenue if you’re not selling something.

Now, there are many great kinds of sites. Blogs are useful if you have unique content. Directories are nice if you can get your PR (Google Pagerank) up high (do this with backlinks).  But among the most effective traffic generators (not to mention the most CPU intensive and generally require a dedicated server of Virtual Private Server) are web proxies. People love these, so load these with ads and allow more or less unrestricted web access and you will probably be getting a nice chunk of change in return.

So I’ve been mainly discussing Google adsense and generally ad generating services, but do not forget keeping stats on your own (awstats is pretty good) is an always valuable technique. If you have proof (like the awstats page) of high traffic, you can sell ads directly to interested users. Say you have 1 million unique hits a month, you can sell a top banner ad for $X,XXX per month or more.

As I mentioned before, traffic is the name of the game. It bears repeating because it is the only reason for internet web site success, on all levels. Whether you are selling a product or just serving free content with some ads, the more users you get, the more products you will sell or ad clicks you will get. This means, however, you must invest time and money into advertising yourself to get your site known.

For those of you who would like to claim that advertising doesn’t really work, I challenge you to then explain to me what companies have the best sell quantities. The most heavily advertised businesses are simply among the most profitable due to the advertising and offering a (in most cases: fairly) decent product. So get out there, make sure your site is presentable, and get to advertising!

Regards,
Dennis M.

Let’s begin by going into the basics about the for(); loop. Well really, a lot depends on the programming language (I will provide both PHP and C++ examples in the source file). But more or less, the for(); loop is simply iteration. It will run until its defined limit is hit providing whatever results you wish. We’re going to do this in more standard languages (e.g.: C/C++ and Java) instead of PHP for mass compatibility. Just note, if you’re looking to do this for php, you do not need to define the type of variable, and your variable will just start with the “$” symbol. So for example, PHP would be for($i=0;…;…){}.

Now we’re going to write a sample program and break it down:

for(int i=0;i<=5;i++){
std::cout<< "This is line number "<< i << std::endl;
}

Now as most of you may have noticed, this is a C++ example, but will effectively explain how the loop works for ALL programming languages!

int i=0; – This simply defines the variable and starting place (0 in this case). In PHP you would simply use $i=0; and so on for the rest of the statements.
i<=5 – This tells the loop when to stop (This <= symbol means less than or equal to). When i>5, the loop will stop and proceed on to the rest of the code.
i++ – This tells what the loop should do after every time it is run. In this case, we’re using i++ which means to add 1 each time around.

Now those are the basics to the loop. What lies within is just simply the code to be executed, which could of course have conditionals and such within it as well (e.g.: if(), etc.). So now we’ll move on to a more complex example.

unsigned int choices=5;
char* choice = new char[choices];
for(int i=0;i<=choices;i++){
std::cout<<"Please enter a value: ";
std::cin>>choice[i];

if(!choice[i]){
std::cout<<"No value for choice "<< i<< std::endl;
}
}
for(int i=0;i<=choices;i++){
std::cout<<"Choice "<< i<<" was "<< choice[i] << std::endl;
}

This will store an array of choices and then after entering them, they will be printed back!

In the source below, all working examples will be provided!
For(); Loop Tutorial

So, that basically wraps everything up! If you need anymore clarification, just let me know.

Regards,
Dennis M.