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	<title>Red Stars</title>
	<link>http://blog.red-stars.net</link>
	<description>Programming, food, and rambling</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 08 May 2010 16:19:49 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>PHP string concatenation speed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Something I have always wondered is the speed difference between concatenation strings with in-string variables verses the . operator. I've always assumed . would be much faster, and today I found out. $amount = 0x1FFFF; $start = microtime(true); while ($amount--) $throwAway = "this is a test at the $amount point!"; //$throwAway = "this is a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/programming/web/php-string-concatenation-speed/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>PHP Array Performance</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Index Checking The functional difference between array_key_exists($key, $array) and isset($array[$key]) is that isset returns false when the key exists but contains null. Functionality aside, there is a demonstrable performance difference. $dataSet = array(); $size = 0x1FFFF; $i = $size; while ($i--) $dataSet[$i] = $i+1; $start = microtime(true); $i = $size; while ($i--) array_key_exists($i, $dataSet); //isset($dataSet[$i]); [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/uncategorized/php-array-performance/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Remodeling PHP&#8217;s compact()/extract() into an OO Pattern</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A common usage, at least for extract(), has been to allow an associative array to be passed to a function for use as named optional parameters, however, there is a lot wrong with dumping an array into the symbol table and then checking if what you want exists or not. I have designed a pattern [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/programming/web/remodeling-phps-compactextract-into-an-oo-pattern/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Queryable Food Nutrition Database</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The USDA releases data for food nutritional information. I've taken this data and loaded it into my local database, and created a front end to allow it to be queryable. Database Schema Sample Queries Top 150 protein containing foods SELECT Foods.Description, concat( NutrientValue, Units ) AS Value FROM Foods JOIN NutrientDefinitions ON ( NutrientName = [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/programming/web/queryable-food-nutrition-database/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Message Hasher</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A small web-based message hasher, good for generating hashes of small amounts of text. No binary support yet, but it's planned via file uploads! #hasherform { display: inline-block; width: 400px; } #hasherform .wide { width: 100%; } #hasherform form * { margin-top: 8px; } #hasherform textarea { height: 10em; } Short Message Hasher Algorithm md2 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/software/message-hasher/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>GraphicsPath Front &#8211; Vector drawing software</title>
		<description><![CDATA[GraphicsPath Front is vector drawing software based upon the GraphicsPath .net class. Download (source and binaries) &#8212; Execute \bin\debug\GraphicsPathFront.exe or compile from source. Some of the notable features include: Save/load vectorized graphics, or save in numerous rasterized formats. Configurable and snap-to'able grid. Live preview of what's being drawn, including rendering in real-time. The ability to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/program/graphicspath-front-vector-drawing-software/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Boggle.exe</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Boggle.exe is a computerized version of the Hasbro dice game. It's intended to be played by multiple people infront of the computer using pens and paper, no internet play is supported as it's ridiculously easy to cheat. The main neat feature of Boggle.exe over it's physical counterpart is a board solver. Once the game is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/program/boggle-exe/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Installing Windows 7 from and to the same hard drive</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The reason why is pretty simple, DVDs are not remotely as fast as any other media, and in 2009, it's starting to show. Flash drives are larger, faster, and more versatile than DVDs, and they're costing less and less. But what about an older system that can not boot from USB storage? Well, there is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/software/installing-windows-7-from-and-to-the-same-hard-drive/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Replacing an Inspiron 1525 LCD video</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Simple step by step guide to replacing the LCD on a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop. Check out the source code that went into making this video! It uses AviSynth scripting to speed up small sections. video = DirectShowSource("MVI_0480.AVI") fps = 20 speedfactor = 4 return video.Trim(0,2300) ++ \ video.Trim(2300,3250).AssumeFPS(fps*speedfactor).ChangeFPS(fps) ++ \ video.Trim(3251,5999) ++ \ video.Trim(6000, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/computer-repair/replacing-an-inspiron-1525-lcd-video/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Hacking Windows XP PowerToy Calculator to run in Vista/Windows 7</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How far would you go to use your favorite calculator? If the answer isn't a 75mb trace log, than you fail.]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/software/hacking-windows-xp-powertoy-calculator-to-run-in-vista/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Using Process Monitor and other tools to fix a broken installation.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes things break, sometimes the only way to fix them breaks, sometimes you need to use kernel hooks to fix your favorite toy.]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/software/using-process-monitor-and-other-tools-to-fix-a-broken-installation/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Creating a Google Page Rank Finder in Javascript</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The google.search.WebSearch API quickly explained, also quickly complained about. It's fast, powerful, and well done, but Google gypped us on functionality.]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/programming/web/creating-a-google-page-rank-finder-in-javascript/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>System.Drawing.Drawing2D.PathPointType defined.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Microsoft's under-documented class getting it's rightful treatment.]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/programming/csharp/system-drawing-drawing2d-pathpointtype-defined/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Automated Local Backup of a Remote MySQL Database</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Scared your $10.00/year web host is going to blow up or disappear some evening? Me too! So I wrote this script.]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/technology/software/automated-local-backup-of-a-remote-mysql-database/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Food: The Way I See It</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A food eater's over educated manifesto. ]]></description>
		<link>http://blog.red-stars.net/food/food-rant/food-the-way-i-see-it/</link>
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