Programming Haze

Yesterday I didn't even think about video games, so concentrated I was on programming. I hit several frustrations, but I pushed through. As mentioned in my previous post, I was intimidated by saving data, and I left it as the last feature to complete before considering the application to have basic functionality. I started to install a SQL database, and then decided that that was way too heavy-duty, at least for right now. A few minutes with Google reminded me that I could save data in XML, which I have done before though I don't remember it well. A couple more minutes led me to a library that converted entire objects into XML with a single line of code. That's what I'm talking about! Unfortunately, importing that library into my project became a nightmare because the instructions didn't seem to apply to my IDE. I searched Google for probably three hours and installed a new and old version of my IDE. Then I suddenly realized that this mysterious "Maven" that I was forced to make a project with was some kind of library repository which was able to painlessly download missing libraries, including the one that I was trying to use. Probably ten minutes later the library was working, but by that time it was already 11 PM so I got to a stopping point and shut her down.

I dreamed about Rubik's cubes again, although it seemed like I spent less time on it yesterday than the day before. I solved the puzzle eighteen times with an average time around 4:15. It was interesting to feel myself get slower as evening approached, though my second to last solve set my new record at 3:02. I'm thinking about buying a speed cube. Eh, why not.

I also went to Tsuruya, and found my decision not to take a bike ride vindicated. Just in that ten minute ride I hit four icy patches and I slid and fell off my bike at one of them. I landed on one foot so there was no injury, but it was scary and also I was glad that I didn't have any groceries with me at the time. Coming back home I was more careful.

In the end I did no exercise again, and no reading because I was determined to solve my library problem. I did finish tidying up my apartment, so I have no excuse not to do some serious cleaning today. Except, you know, programming. But I will definitely do at least some cleaning after I dance.