javanicus

Netpad: a remote pair programming tool

Posted on 21 Apr 2004

I wanted something quite simple...

Last week I wanted to brainstorm with a colleague, on a new piece of source code, but we were not in the same physical location. So I did a quick google for some form of collaborative real-time text editor. However, from the applications I found, nothing quite fitted all of my needs.

small download
really simple to get up and running
works over our firewall
cross platform
free

So with all this in mind, I set about creating a tiny app that addressed my requirements.

I called it netpad, and it is a very basic text editor, that uses http to synchronise between remote instances of itself. (Netpad is both an http client and http server)

It's still very pre-alpha, but I'd thought I'd share now, to get useful comments. I'm just working on the algorithms for conflict resolution at the moment. I think my main focus is towards the real-time edit protocol, rather than the editing vehicle.

basic instructions

Fire up netpad with a friend

Launch Netpad with Java Web Start
or Download JAR file [37k]

One of you needs to go to the menu - Net / Connect to Server

Enter the address of the other netpad instance, e.g. joe-pc.example.com

you should both receive each others edits, on a exponential decay polling basis.

Incidentally these are some of the best alternative collaboration tools that I've come across...

DocSynch - a plugin for JEdit, uses IRC plugin as transport
Sangam - plugin for Eclipse, that keeps the driving seat analogy of pair programming.
SubEthatEdit - Shared editing using MacOSX Rendezvous
Groove - a commercial real-time collaboration suite, from Ray Ozzie
- includes Toucan Collaborate document editor.
VNC - great, cross platform tool, however, only one person in control, at a time.
The Microsoft NetMeeting application 'Whiteboard' seems to have been deprecated

please have a play and let me know your thoughts....

21 Apr 2004 |

Strangers on a train...

Posted on 19 Apr 2004

A funny thing happened on the train to work this morning...

Chris White

I bumped into Chris and Tony, who were teachers at my secondary school. They are still both at the school, and were catching the first train up to Catterick, Yorkshire to do a quick reccy for the school Combined Cadet Force. This is the home of the Queen's Royal Lancers, so it looks like the pupils are going to have a fun week.

It was very strange to enter the world of my old school again, if only for an hour. The school seems to have acquired and built new buildings, the pavilion has been burnt to the ground, and my old headmaster has only recently passed away.

So much, but so little has changed in the 13 years since I left...

Tony Holding

19 Apr 2004 |

Hitchhiker's film production starts today.

Posted on 19 Apr 2004

The Hitchhiker's Guide movie begins principal photography at Elstree Film Studios today. There is an all new cast, including Warwick Davis (the little chap who played Wicket the Ewok) as Marvin.

The visual effects are being created by Asylum, who do the cute BBC2 logo's (amongst other things) and the whole thing is being directed and produced by Garth Jennings of Hammer and Tongs, who did the Blur - Coffee and TV video.

MJ Simpson has put together an interesting interview with the producer and director. It all looks like an interesting adapation of the book, so I'll be keeping an eye on the production with interest.

In the meantime, I'm eagerly awaiting the Third Radio series, with all the members of the original cast (who are still alive). It has all been recorded, we're just waiting for various legal matters to be sorted out before a Radio 4 broadcast slot can be allocated.

Thanks to MJ Simpson for all his research on this.

19 Apr 2004 |