How can I create a shortcut to zleaf to run experiments using ztree? - ztree

I am learning ztree (Zurich Toolbox for Readymade Economic Experiments) from scratch. Actually, I have no problems with understanding how those experiments are built and moreover, the programming is very basic. Unfortunately I struggle with creating a shortcut to zleaf, which is necessary to test the experiments on my own computer. Has anyone experiences with ztree/zleaf and may help me?

If you are using Windows, you can right click zleaf.exe and create shortcut there, like a regular windows executable. Then you can go to properties of it and add necessary parameters to run zleaf.
Alternatively you can use command line interface to run zleaf.exe with certain parameters, without creating a shortcut.

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Using IDE together with docker

I started looking into docker lately and I understand a lot of the benefits it offers I think, you can quickly create a docker container and run it on different machines. Building (compiling) is also relatively easy, you can download the maven image for example and just build your code. That works fine. So, building is easy, testing is easy and deploying (and running) in production is easy.
What I don't understand is how docker can make the development phase easier. And what I mean with the development phase is, starting up your IDE, reading code, quickly navigate through your methods definition using the methods the IDE provides, use intelliSense, etc. Then change something, run a unit test, try a different third party library, etc. All things you can do with your IDE. But I don't understand how to do this with a docker image. I've read a few posts about starting the IDE from within your docker container, but that requires setting things up with a windows manager and I am not sure if that's the way to go.
Of course I can set up my laptop in such a way that I can do all of this with my IDE, but that way I bypass all of the benefits docker should offer. I still have to download dependencies, set up environment variables, do a lot of manual settings etc. And not just me, but everyone in the team.
So, not a very concrete question, possibly a duplicate, but I just can't wrap my head around it, how to use an IDE together with docker?
Yeah it's hard. It also depends on what language/framework you're using. But the things you mention are all easy to accomplish. For example we use Ruby a lot and someone in my team uses RubyMine to work with his code. That source code is mapped onto the container so the changes are reflected immediately. If you want to run a test, I'm sure you can override the command your IDE brings by default with something custom like docker run --rm myapp ./run_tests.sh or similar. At least that's what I do with VIM.
Probably the most important missing part when doing dev with Docker is debugging. I think JetBrains is starting to add features to their IDE's but I'm not sure on the status of that.
Also, almost every IDE or good editor has an integrated console. You could maintain a docker exec sessions opened there and run all your app commands, like tests, generators or any other. Even do some basic debugging.
Hope it helps.

Alternative to dart-protoc-plugin for Windows

I want to implement dart-protobuf, but the dart-protoc-plugin (project to generate your Dart protobuf library from a proto definition) does not currently support Windows. I can not find an alternative to the plugin. Is there no other way to generate the definitions for Dart? Any suggestions appreciated.
As far as I know there is no other.
I think the easiest way would be to set up a Linux VM to run it.
I'm sure it would be easier to make it run on Windows than building a new one.

How to run two instances of GitBash on Windows 8?

so I'm going through the onemonthrails online classes, however I've run into a problem.
Unlike when using a Mac, It's not possible to create a separate 'tab' to continue working whilst the rails server is running or in general. So I've tried just opening another GitBash window like the tutorial suggests, from the programs/apps menu in Windows 8 (whilst the other one is running) but no luck.
Apologies if this is a dumb questions, but am I missing something obvious?
Once you have a GitBash tile in the taskbar, click it while holding Shift to open additional instances.
You should be able to open another app window. Maybe just make sure you're in desktop mode.
Though. If you're going to work on windows for a while, you better start setting up your environment correctly. Honestly, you don't want to use cmd.exe.
Instead, use Console2 wrapping a Powershell prompt. Console2 will allow you to use tabs like Unix prompts. There's a guide to setting this up correctly here: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Console2ABetterWindowsCommandPrompt.aspx
Also, as you'll now be using Powershell, customize your prompt! For this, I suggest you install Posh-git.
And! To install all this easily and be a windows awesome user, install Chocolatey and install these programs using it :)

How do you deal with situations where you can't use your preferred text editor?

I was originally going to frame this question around TextMate, which is by all accounts an amazing editor, but only available on OSX. I was curious how those who have spent time learning to use TextMate efficiently deal with the situation where they have to edit on a non-OSX platform. But it's really a more general question. How do people deal with situations where you can't use your preferred text editor?
I use gvim and vim primarily, and I know that these editors have a rather esoteric set of keybindings, so when I'm editing in another editor I'll often mistakenly type things I didn't want to type while trying to navigate. This can be very inefficient.
So how do people deal with these kinds of situations? Just swallow the inefficiency? Try to avoid the situation or go to great lengths to get the file that needs editing into your preferred editor? Do you have one or two editors you're proficient with that you can switch between without problems? Do you change the keybindings of other editors to more closely match your preferred editor?
I work as a support technician, which means I'm frequently working on customer systems remotely. The unfortunate side effect is that I rarely have any choice over what editor I get to use in those situations. Generally speaking there's not a whole lot you can do about it unless the situation is one where it's feasible for you to install a new editor or bring a USB thumb drive or something similar with your editor pre-installed on it. In such a situation, by all means, if you plan to be working for an extended time period, take advantage of the opportunity. You'll work faster and more efficiently and it will be less frustrating.
In an environment (e.g. webex/RDC) where you cannot install software or use temporary media, you have two choices: live with whatever editor they have, or copy files back and forth from your system. Typically if I'm doing very minor editing I just suck it up and use whatever editor is available. If I know I'm going to be doing an extensive amount of editing, I find a way to transfer the file I'm working on back and forth. This still stinks, forcing you to interrupt your editing flow with file transfers, but I find my sanity makes it worth not struggling with something like notepad to do real editing or programming.
The advantage of using either vim or emacs as an editor is precisely that it's available on virtually any decently configured Unix platform (and this includes more esoteric systems as well, e.g. Darwin/OS X). Combined with the fact that you can store your configuration online (e.g. Dotfiles) this makes for a very strong argument, because the problem you described simply doesn't exist.
Since I work primarily in a windows environment, I keep Notepad++ installed on a flash drive. That way I can just pop the usb drive into a machine and have a quality editor, without having to install anything.
On machines I'm using for longer periods, I use SciTE. I also use Dvorak keyboard. When guesting on machines, everything is different anyway as the keys are in illogical places. I just edit with what's there, or pass the file to source control and edit on my machine.
I resort to using notepad on win machines at client sites. Especially since I know that installing anything is not an option and I know that notepad will always be there.
For me the only time this happens is when I'm using someone else's system since I typically install a text editor that I am reasonably familiar with on each system that I own/use regularly. In that case, if I'm struggling too much, I move over and let the other person take the wheel (keyboard). FWIW, I use TextMate (sometimes vim) on OSX, TextPad (sometimes Notepad or even Edit on servers not under my direct control) on Windows, and vim on Linux.
I got comfortable with a couple different editors - vi, eclipse, and PFE. If I'm using some other editor short-term, I just deal with it. If it's longer term, Google is my friend, and I go download one I like.
On windows i convince everybody to install notepad++
On mac TextMate rules
On linux vim
I use vi under linux and Ultraedit under Windows.
Vi is a must if you are doing some linux administration or if
you are working directly in a shell.
A mouse oriented editor is useful if you are working under a
windowing system.
Anyway, I think you need to know the basics of both.
I work regularly on Linux and Windows, and occasionally on OS X. Having to switch editors between them is a pain, so the obvious solution would be using some cross-platform editor. Right now I'm experimenting with Komodo Edit, which looks pretty promising.
If there's no decent editor in the machine, it doesn't take long to download and install one.
If you are programming under windows you might want to take a look at e text editor its basically TextMate for windows and supports the bundles and everything.

Is it possible to create a custom distribution of OpenOffice, or a way to package it into my java application?

I've got simple java-based ppt->swf sub-project that basically works. The open source software out there, OpenOffice.org and JODConverter do the job great.
The thing is, to do this I need to install OO.o and run it in server mode. And to do that I have to install OO.o, which is allot of software (~160MB) just to convert the source PPT files to an intermediate format. Also, the public OO.o distributions are platform specific and I'd really like a single, cross platform set of files. And, I'd like to not interfer with a system's current settings, like file extension associations.
As things are now, my project is not particularly 'software distribution friendly'.
So, the questions are:
Is it possible to create a custom distribution of OpenOffice? How would one about this?
How lightweight and unobtrusive can I make the installation?
Would it be possible to have a truly cross platform distribution since there would be no OO.o UI?
Are there any licensing issues I need to be aware of? (On my list of things to check out, but if you them already then TIA!)
I have no idea to accomplish such task, but Microsoft has its PPT viewer that is for free and very small, maybe in .NET (C#) you can use some kinda function to save into a intermediate file that you need...
and by the way, how are you handling slide transictions?
I found a software that does that but you need MS PPT installed.
this was just an idea, now regarding your actually question:
you can create your own installation of OO, just jump to the Installation project and follow the lines.
I did not read 'til the end, but from the 1st paragraph it seams what you are searching for.
No, not unless you are neck deep coding in the OpenOffice project.

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