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No Java ## pointers ## Why.?

N. Wirth’s textbook Algorithms + data structures programs (1976)
contains the following story in the chapter of dynamic information
structures ,

The story tells a man who describes the misery of his
life in the following words:-

” I married a widow who had a grown-up daughter. my father, who
visited us quite often, fell in love with my step daughter and married
her. hence, my father became my son-in-law, and my step-daughter
became my mother. some months later, my wife gave birth to a son, who
became the brother in law of my father as well as my uncle.

The wife of my father, that is my step daughter, also had a son.
thereby, I got a brother and at the same time a grandson. my wife is
my grandmother, since she is my mother’s mother. hence, I am my wife’s
husband and
hence, I am my wife’s
husband and at the same time her step-grandson; in other words, I am
my own grandfather. ”

I guess thats why we don’t have pointer in Java

Processing an SQL Statement

In the following we sketch how an SQL statement is processed by the Oracle server and which
processes and buffers are involved.

1. Assume a user (working with SQL*Plus) issues an update statement on the table TAB such
that more than one tuple is affected by the update. The statement is passed to the server
by the USER process. Then the server (or rather the query processor) checks whether
this statement is already contained in the library cache such that the corresponding
information (parse tree, execution plan) can be used. If the statement can not be found,
it is parsed and after verifying the statement (user privileges, affected tables and columns)
using data from the dictionary cache, a query execution plan is generated by the query
optimizer. Together with the parse tree, this plan is stored in the library cache.

2. For the objects affected by the statement (here the table TAB) it is checked, whether the
corresponding data blocks already exist in the database buffer. If not, the USER process
reads the data blocks into the database buffer. If there is not enough space in the buffer,
the least recently used blocks of other objects are written back to the disk by the DBWR
process.

3. The modifications of the tuples affected by the update occurs in the database buffer.
Before the data blocks are modified, the “before image” of the tuples is written to the
rollback segments by the DBWR process.

4. While the redo-log buffer is filled during the data block modifications, the LGWR process
writes entries from the redo-log buffer to the redo-log files.

5. After all tuples (or rather the corresponding data blocks) have been modified in the
database buffer, the modifications can be committed by the user using the commit
command.

6. As long as no commit has been issued by the user, modifications can be undone using
the rollback statement. In this case, the modified data blocks in the database buffer are
overwritten by the original blocks stored in the rollback segments.

7. If the user issues a commit, the space allocated for the blocks in the rollback segments is
deallocated and can be used by other transactions. Furthermore, the modified blocks in
the database buffer are unlocked such that other users now can read the modified blocks.
The end of the transaction (more precisely the commit) is recorded in the redo-log files.
The modified blocks are only written to the disk by the DBWR process if the space
allocated for the blocks is needed for other blocks.

Oracle Tuning Responsibilities

I will now will just list the major tuning steps and discuss in general.
The major thing to remember is that running is recursive, changes
to one area may affect others, an example would be the correction
of I/O waits resulting in a CPU bottleneck. Before beginning a
tuning effort always set goals, what do you want to accomplish?
Otherwise you won’t know when you are successful.

Step 1: Tune the Business Rules

In this step the goals should be to create a set of business rules
that truly model the business needs for the database. The business
rules should specify requirements not give solutions or methods.

Step 2: Tune the Data Design

In this step the goals should be to provide a data design that
optimizes the access of data. Usually the data structure will be
normalized according to the rules of normalization to at least a third
normal form design. Once a normal design is reached, specific
tables will be denormalized to optimize performance. At this step
indexing is laid out to optimize join paths.

Step 3: Tune the Application Design

In this step the DBA must have input to the developers and provide
them with tools and guidance in the proper methods to optimize the
SQL and PL/SQL used to access data. The goal of this step is to
provide a properly tuned and optimized application that utilizes the
data design to provide maximum performance.

Step 4: Tune the Logical Structure of the Database

This step may require changes to the data design and additional
creation of indexes. In this step the application is analyzed to set
such parameters as INITRANS and FREELISTS. Proper setup of
sequences is also accomplished in this step.

Step 5: Tune Database Operations

System designers and application developers must understand
Oracle’s query processing mechanism to write effective SQL
statements.
Before tuning the Oracle Server itself, be certain that your
application is taking full advantage of the SQL language and the
Oracle features designed to speed application processing. Use
features and techniques such as the following based on the needs
of your application:
* Array processing
* The Oracle optimizer
* The row-level lock manager
* PL/SQL

Step 6: Tune the Access Paths

Ensure that there is efficient access to data. Consider the use of
clusters, hash clusters, B*-tree indexes and bitmap indexes as well
as new features of Oracle8 such as index only tables, partitioned
views and indexes and using new object oriented features.
Ensuring efficient access may mean adding indexes, or adding
indexes for a particular application section (such as for specialized
reporting) and then dropping them again. It may mean revisiting
your design after you have built the database. You may want to do
more denormalization or create alternative indexes at this point.
Upon testing the application you may find that you’re still not
obtaining the required response time. Look for more ways to
improve the design.

Step 7: Tune Memory Allocation

Appropriate allocation of memory resources to Oracle memory
structures can have a large impact on performance.
Oracle shared memory is allocated dynamically to the following
structures, which are all part of the shared pool. Although you
explicitly set the total amount of memory available in the shared
pool, the system dynamically sets the size of each structure
contained within it:
* The data dictionary cache
* The library cache
* Context areas (if running a multithreaded server)

You can explicitly set memory allocation for the following structures:
* Buffer cache
* Log buffer
* Sequence caches
Proper allocation of memory resources can improve cache
performance, reduce parsing of SQL statements, and reduce
paging and swapping.

Process local areas include:
* Context areas (for systems not running a multithreaded server)
* Sort areas
* Hash areas

Be careful not to allocate to the system global area (SGA) to such a
large percentage of the machine’s physical memory that it causes
paging or swapping.

Step 8: Tune I/O and Physical Structure

Disk I/O tends to reduce the performance of many software
applications. Oracle Server, however, is designed so that its
performance need not be unduly limited by I/O. Tuning I/O and
physical structure involves these procedures:

1. Distributing data so that I/O is distributed, thus avoiding disk
contention
2. Storing data in data blocks for best access: setting the right
number of free lists, and proper values for PCTFREE and
PCTUSED
3. Creating extents large enough for your data so as to avoid
dynamic extension of tables, which would hurt high-volume
OLTP applications
4. Evaluating the use of raw devices

Step 9: Tune Resource Contention

Concurrent processing by multiple Oracle users may create
contention for Oracle resources. Contention may cause processes
to wait until resources are available. Take care to reduce the
following kinds of contention:
* Block contention
* Shared pool contention
* Lock contention
* Pinging (in a parallel server environment)
* Latch contention

Step 10: Tune the Underlying Platform(s)

See your platform-specific Oracle documentation to investigate
ways of tuning the underlying system. For example, on UNIX-based
systems you might want to tune the following:
* Size of the UNIX buffer cache
* UNIX memory segments
* Logical volume managers
* Memory and size for each process

Oracle Tuning Summary

Remember that without clear tuning goals you will never know if
you have been successful. Tuning is a recursive process and is
never finished.

Independence Day : India

15th August 1947 in pictures : 62 years ago

Core Java : Interview part – 4

131. How can the Checkbox class be used to create a radio button?
By associating Checkbox objects with a CheckboxGroup.

132. Which non-Unicode letter characters may be used as the first character
of an identifier?
The non-Unicode letter characters $ and _ may appear as the first character of an
identifier

133. What restrictions are placed on method overloading?
Two methods may not have the same name and argument list but different return types.

134. What happens when you invoke a thread’s interrupt method while it is
sleeping or waiting?
When a task’s interrupt() method is executed, the task enters the ready state. The next
time the task enters the running state, an InterruptedException is thrown.

Happy Independence Day – 15th August

Core Java : Interview part – 3

101. What is the purpose of the System class?
The purpose of the System class is to provide access to system resources.

102. Which TextComponent method is used to set a TextComponent to the read-only
state?
setEditable()

103. How are the elements of a CardLayout organized?
The elements of a CardLayout are stacked, one on top of the other, like a deck of cards.

104. Is &&= a valid Java operator?
No, it is not.

105. Name the eight primitive Java types.
The eight primitive types are byte, char, short, int, long, float, double, and boolean.

106. Which class should you use to obtain design information about an object?
The Class class is used to obtain information about an object’s design.

107. What is the relationship between clipping and repainting?
When a window is repainted by the AWT painting thread, it sets the clipping regions to
the area of the window that requires repainting.

108. Is “abc” a primitive value?
The String literal “abc” is not a primitive value. It is a String object.

109. What is the relationship between an event-listener interface and an
event-adapter class?
An event-listener interface defines the methods that must be implemented by an event
handler for a particular kind of event. An event adapter provides a default implementation
of an event-listener interface.

110. What restrictions are placed on the values of each case of a switch statement?
During compilation, the values of each case of a switch statement must evaluate to a
value that can be promoted to an int value.

111. What modifiers may be used with an interface declaration?
An interface may be declared as public or abstract.

112. Is a class a subclass of itself?
A class is a subclass of itself.

113. What is the highest-level event class of the event-delegation model?
The java.util.EventObject class is the highest-level class in the event-delegation class
hierarchy.

114. What event results from the clicking of a button?
The ActionEvent event is generated as the result of the clicking of a button.

115. How can a GUI component handle its own events?
A component can handle its own events by implementing the required event-listener
interface and adding itself as its own event listener.

116. What is the difference between a while statement and a do statement?
A while statement checks at the beginning of a loop to see whether the next loop iteration
should occur. A do statement checks at the end of a loop to see whether the next iteration
of a loop should occur. The do statement will always execute the body of a loop at least
once.

117. How are the elements of a GridBagLayout organized?
The elements of a GridBagLayout are organized according to a grid. However, the
elements are of different sizes and may occupy more than one row or column of the grid.
In addition, the rows and columns may have different sizes.

118. What advantage do Java’s layout managers provide over traditional windowing
systems?
Java uses layout managers to lay out components in a consistent manner across all
windowing platforms. Since Java’s layout managers aren’t tied to absolute sizing and
positioning, they are able to accomodate platform-specific differences among windowing
systems.

119. What is the Collection interface?
The Collection interface provides support for the implementation of a mathematical bag -
an unordered collection of objects that may contain duplicates.

120. What modifiers can be used with a local inner class?
A local inner class may be final or abstract.

121. What is the difference between static and non-static variables?
A static variable is associated with the class as a whole rather than with specific instances
of a class. Non-static variables take on unique values with each object instance.

122. What is the difference between the paint() and repaint() methods?
The paint() method supports painting via a Graphics object. The repaint() method is used
to cause paint() to be invoked by the AWT painting thread.

123. What is the purpose of the File class?
The File class is used to create objects that provide access to the files and directories of a
local file system.

124. Can an exception be rethrown?
Yes, an exception can be rethrown.

125. Which Math method is used to calculate the absolute value of a number?
The abs() method is used to calculate absolute values.

126. How does multithreading take place on a computer with a single CPU?
The operating system’s task scheduler allocates execution time to multiple tasks. By
quickly switching between executing tasks, it creates the impression that tasks execute
sequentially.

127. When does the compiler supply a default constructor for a class?
The compiler supplies a default constructor for a class if no other constructors are
provided.

128. When is the finally clause of a try-catch-finally statement executed?
The finally clause of the try-catch-finally statement is always executed unless the thread
of execution terminates or an exception occurs within the execution of the finally clause.

129. Which class is the immediate superclass of the Container class?
Component

130. If a method is declared as protected, where may the method be accessed?
A protected method may only be accessed by classes or interfaces of the same package or
by subclasses of the class in which it is declared.

Core Java : Interview part – 2

51. What is the purpose of finalization?
The purpose of finalization is to give an unreachable object the opportunity to perform
any cleanup processing before the object is garbage collected.

52. Which class is the immediate superclass of the MenuComponent class.
Object

53. What invokes a thread’s run() method?
After a thread is started, via its start() method or that of the Thread class, the JVM
invokes the thread’s run() method when the thread is initially executed.

54. What is the difference between the Boolean & operator and the && operator?
If an expression involving the Boolean & operator is evaluated, both operands are
evaluated. Then the & operator is applied to the operand. When an expression involving
the && operator is evaluated, the first operand is evaluated. If the first operand returns a
value of true then the second operand is evaluated. The && operator is then applied to
the first and second operands. If the first operand evaluates to false, the evaluation of the
second operand is skipped.

55. Name three subclasses of the Component class.
Box.Filler, Button, Canvas, Checkbox, Choice, Container, Label, List, Scrollbar, or
TextComponent

56. What is the GregorianCalendar class?
The GregorianCalendar provides support for traditional Western calendars.

57. Which Container method is used to cause a container to be laid out and redisplayed?
validate()

58. What is the purpose of the Runtime class?
The purpose of the Runtime class is to provide access to the Java runtime system.

59. How many times may an object’s finalize() method be invoked by the
garbage collector?
An object’s finalize() method may only be invoked once by the garbage collector.

60. What is the purpose of the finally clause of a try-catch-finally statement?
The finally clause is used to provide the capability to execute code no matter whether or
not an exception is thrown or caught.

61. What is the argument type of a program’s main() method?
A program’s main() method takes an argument of the String[] type.

62. Which Java operator is right associative?
The = operator is right associative.

63. What is the Locale class?
The Locale class is used to tailor program output to the conventions of a particular
geographic, political, or cultural region.

64. Can a double value be cast to a byte?
Yes, a double value can be cast to a byte.

65. What is the difference between a break statement and a continue statement?
A break statement results in the termination of the statement to which it applies (switch,
for, do, or while). A continue statement is used to end the current loop iteration and
return control to the loop statement.

66. What must a class do to implement an interface?
It must provide all of the methods in the interface and identify the interface in its
implements clause.

67. What method is invoked to cause an object to begin executing as a separate thread?
The start() method of the Thread class is invoked to cause an object to begin executing as
a separate thread.

68. Name two subclasses of the TextComponent class.
TextField and TextArea

69. What is the advantage of the event-delegation model over the earlier eventinheritance
model?
The event-delegation model has two advantages over the event-inheritance model. First,
it enables event handling to be handled by objects other than the ones that generate the
events (or their containers). This allows a clean separation between a component’s design
and its use. The other advantage of the event-delegation model is that it performs much
better in applications where many events are generated. This performance improvement
is due to the fact that the event-delegation model does not have to repeatedly process
unhandled events, as is the case of the event-inheritance model.

70. Which containers may have a MenuBar?
Frame

71. How are commas used in the intialization and iteration parts of a for statement?
Commas are used to separate multiple statements within the initialization and iteration
parts of a for statement.

72. What is the purpose of the wait(), notify(), and notifyAll() methods?
The wait(),notify(), and notifyAll() methods are used to provide an efficient way for
threads to wait for a shared resource. When a thread executes an object’s wait() method, it
enters the waiting state. It only enters the ready state after another thread invokes the
object’s notify() or notifyAll() methods.

73. What is an abstract method?
An abstract method is a method whose implementation is deferred to a subclass.

74. How are Java source code files named?
A Java source code file takes the name of a public class or interface that is defined within
the file. A source code file may contain at most one public class or interface. If a public
class or interface is defined within a source code file, then the source code file must take
the name of the public class or interface. If no public class or interface is defined within a
source code file, then the file must take on a name that is different than its classes and
interfaces. Source code files use the .java extension.

75. What is the relationship between the Canvas class and the Graphics class?
A Canvas object provides access to a Graphics object via its paint() method.

76. What are the high-level thread states?
The high-level thread states are ready, running, waiting, and dead.

77. What value does read() return when it has reached the end of a file?
The read() method returns -1 when it has reached the end of a file.

78. Can a Byte object be cast to a double value?
No, an object cannot be cast to a primitive value.

79. What is the difference between a static and a non-static inner class?
A non-static inner class may have object instances that are associated with instances of
the class’s outer class. A static inner class does not have any object instances.

80. What is the difference between the String and StringBuffer classes?
String objects are constants. StringBuffer objects are not.

81. If a variable is declared as private, where may the variable be accessed?
A private variable may only be accessed within the class in which it is declared.

82. What is an object’s lock and which object’s have locks?
An object’s lock is a mechanism that is used by multiple threads to obtain synchronized
access to the object. A thread may execute a synchronized method of an object only after
it has acquired the object’s lock. All objects and classes have locks. A class’s lock is
acquired on the class’s Class object.

83. What is the Dictionary class?
The Dictionary class provides the capability to store key-value pairs.

84. How are the elements of a BorderLayout organized?
The elements of a BorderLayout are organized at the borders (North, South, East, and
West) and the center of a container.

85. What is the % operator?
It is referred to as the modulo or remainder operator. It returns the remainder of dividing
the first operand by the second operand.

86. When can an object reference be cast to an interface reference?
An object reference be cast to an interface reference when the object implements the
referenced interface.

87. What is the difference between a Window and a Frame?
The Frame class extends Window to define a main application window that can have a
menu bar.

88. Which class is extended by all other classes?
The Object class is extended by all other classes.

89. Can an object be garbage collected while it is still reachable?
A reachable object cannot be garbage collected. Only unreachable objects may be
garbage collected.

90. Is the ternary operator written x : y ? z or x ? y : z ?
It is written x ? y : z.

91. What is the difference between the Font and FontMetrics classes?
The FontMetrics class is used to define implementation-specific properties, such as
ascent and descent, of a Font object.

92. How is rounding performed under integer division?
The fractional part of the result is truncated. This is known as rounding toward zero.

93. What happens when a thread cannot acquire a lock on an object?
If a thread attempts to execute a synchronized method or synchronized statement and is
unable to acquire an object’s lock, it enters the waiting state until the lock becomes
available.

94. What is the difference between the Reader/Writer class hierarchy and the
InputStream/OutputStream class hierarchy?
The Reader/Writer class hierarchy is character-oriented, and the
InputStream/OutputStream class hierarchy is byte-oriented.

95. What classes of exceptions may be caught by a catch clause?
A catch clause can catch any exception that may be assigned to the Throwable type. This
includes the Error and Exception types.

96. If a class is declared without any access modifiers, where may the class be accessed?
A class that is declared without any access modifiers is said to have package access. This
means that the class can only be accessed by other classes and interfaces that are defined
within the same package.

97. What is the SimpleTimeZone class?
The SimpleTimeZone class provides support for a Gregorian calendar.

98. What is the Map interface?
The Map interface replaces the JDK 1.1 Dictionary class and is used associate keys with
values.

99. Does a class inherit the constructors of its superclass?
A class does not inherit constructors from any of its superclasses.

100. For which statements does it make sense to use a label?
The only statements for which it makes sense to use a label are those statements that can
enclose a break or continue statement.

Core Java : Interview part – 1

1.what is a transient variable?
A transient variable is a variable that may not be serialized.

2.which containers use a border Layout as their default layout?
The window, Frame and Dialog classes use a border layout as their default layout.

3.Why do threads block on I/O?
Threads block on i/o (that is enters the waiting state) so that other threads may execute
while the i/o Operation is performed.

4. How are Observer and Observable used?
Objects that subclass the Observable class maintain a list of observers. When an
Observable object is updated it invokes the update() method of each of its observers to
notify the observers that it has changed state. The Observer interface is implemented by
objects that observe Observable objects.

5. What is synchronization and why is it important?
With respect to multithreading, synchronization is the capability to control the access of
multiple threads to shared resources. Without synchronization, it is possible for one
thread to modify a shared object while another thread is in the process of using or
updating that object’s value. This often leads to significant errors.

6. Can a lock be acquired on a class?
Yes, a lock can be acquired on a class. This lock is acquired on the class’s Class object.

7. What’s new with the stop(), suspend() and resume() methods in JDK 1.2?
The stop(), suspend() and resume() methods have been deprecated in JDK 1.2.

8. Is null a keyword?
The null value is not a keyword.

9. What is the preferred size of a component?
The preferred size of a component is the minimum component size that will allow the
component to display normally.

10. What method is used to specify a container’s layout?
The setLayout() method is used to specify a container’s layout.

11. Which containers use a FlowLayout as their default layout?
The Panel and Applet classes use the FlowLayout as their default layout.

12. What state does a thread enter when it terminates its processing?
When a thread terminates its processing, it enters the dead state.

13. What is the Collections API?
The Collections API is a set of classes and interfaces that support operations on
collections of objects.

14. Which characters may be used as the second character of an identifier,
but not as the first character of an identifier?
The digits 0 through 9 may not be used as the first character of an identifier but they may
be used after the first character of an identifier.

15. What is the List interface?
The List interface provides support for ordered collections of objects.

16. How does Java handle integer overflows and underflows?
It uses those low order bytes of the result that can fit into the size of the type allowed by
the operation.

17. What is the Vector class?
The Vector class provides the capability to implement a growable array of objects

18. What modifiers may be used with an inner class that is a member of an outer class?
A (non-local) inner class may be declared as public, protected, private, static, final, or
abstract.

19. What is an Iterator interface?
The Iterator interface is used to step through the elements of a Collection.

20. What is the difference between the >> and >>> operators?
The >> operator carries the sign bit when shifting right. The >>> zero-fills bits that have
been shifted out.

21. Which method of the Component class is used to set the position and
size of a component?
setBounds()

22. How many bits are used to represent Unicode, ASCII, UTF-16, and UTF-8
characters?
Unicode requires 16 bits and ASCII require 7 bits. Although the ASCII character set uses
only 7 bits, it is usually represented as 8 bits. UTF-8 represents characters using 8, 16,
and 18 bit patterns. UTF-16 uses 16-bit and larger bit patterns.

23What is the difference between yielding and sleeping?
When a task invokes its yield() method, it returns to the ready state. When a task invokes
its sleep() method, it returns to the waiting state.

24. Which java.util classes and interfaces support event handling?
The EventObject class and the EventListener interface support event processing.

25. Is sizeof a keyword?
The sizeof operator is not a keyword.

26. What are wrapped classes?
Wrapped classes are classes that allow primitive types to be accessed as objects.

27. Does garbage collection guarantee that a program will not run out of memory?
Garbage collection does not guarantee that a program will not run out of memory. It is
possible for programs to use up memory resources faster than they are garbage collected.
It is also possible for programs to create objects that are not subject to garbage collection

28. What restrictions are placed on the location of a package statement
within a source code file?
A package statement must appear as the first line in a source code file (excluding blank
lines and comments).

29. Can an object’s finalize() method be invoked while it is reachable?
An object’s finalize() method cannot be invoked by the garbage collector while the object
is still reachable. However, an object’s finalize() method may be invoked by other
objects.

30. What is the immediate superclass of the Applet class?
Panel

31. What is the difference between preemptive scheduling and time slicing?
Under preemptive scheduling, the highest priority task executes until it enters the waiting
or dead states or a higher priority task comes into existence. Under time slicing, a task
executes for a predefined slice of time and then reenters the pool of ready tasks. The
scheduler then determines which task should execute next, based on priority and
other factors.

32. Name three Component subclasses that support painting.
The Canvas, Frame, Panel, and Applet classes support painting.

33. What value does readLine() return when it has reached the end of a file?
The readLine() method returns null when it has reached the end of a file.

34. What is the immediate superclass of the Dialog class?
Window

35. What is clipping?
Clipping is the process of confining paint operations to a limited area or shape.

36. What is a native method?
A native method is a method that is implemented in a language other than Java.

37. Can a for statement loop indefinitely?
Yes, a for statement can loop indefinitely. For example, consider the following:
for(;;) ;

38. What are order of precedence and associativity, and how are they used?
Order of precedence determines the order in which operators are evaluated in
expressions. Associatity determines whether an expression is evaluated left-to-right or
right-to-left

39. When a thread blocks on I/O, what state does it enter?
A thread enters the waiting state when it blocks on I/O.

40. To what value is a variable of the String type automatically initialized?
The default value of an String type is null.

41. What is the catch or declare rule for method declarations?
If a checked exception may be thrown within the body of a method, the method must
either catch the exception or declare it in its throws clause.

42. What is the difference between a MenuItem and a CheckboxMenuItem?
The CheckboxMenuItem class extends the MenuItem class to support a menu item that
may be checked or unchecked.

43. What is a task’s priority and how is it used in scheduling?
A task’s priority is an integer value that identifies the relative order in which it should be
executed with respect to other tasks. The scheduler attempts to schedule higher priority
tasks before lower priority tasks.

44. What class is the top of the AWT event hierarchy?
The java.awt.AWTEvent class is the highest-level class in the AWT event-class
hierarchy.

45. When a thread is created and started, what is its initial state?
A thread is in the ready state after it has been created and started.

46. Can an anonymous class be declared as implementing an interface and extending a
class?
An anonymous class may implement an interface or extend a superclass, but may not be
declared to do both.

47. What is the range of the short type?
The range of the short type is -(2^15) to 2^15 – 1.

48. What is the range of the char type?
The range of the char type is 0 to 2^16 – 1.

49. In which package are most of the AWT events that support the event-delegation
model defined?
Most of the AWT-related events of the event-delegation model are defined in the
java.awt.event package. The AWTEvent class is defined in the java.awt package.

50. What is the immediate superclass of Menu?
MenuItem

Wedding Entrance Dance

About Swine Flu : Do’s & Dont’s

India and now Goa is grappling with a swine flu epidemic.There is heightened panic among people following reports of growing number of HIN1 cases and the recent death of a school child in Pune. Here’s an FAQ on the dreaded virus:

How do people become infected with influenza A (H1N1)?
Outbreaks in humans are now occurring from human-to-human transmission. When infected people cough or sneeze, infected droplets get on their hands, drop onto surfaces, or are dispersed into the air. Another person can breathe in contaminated air, or touch infected hands or surfaces, and be exposed.

What are the signs and symptoms of infection?
Early signs of influenza A (H1N1) are flu-like, including fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhoea. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

Is there any confirmation of transmission between pigs and humans at this point?
No.

How soon can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air.

How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live two hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent hand washing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
Currently available seasonal influenza vaccine does not protect against H1N1 flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol based hand cleaners are also effective.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
* Try to avoid close contact with people having respiratory illness.
* If one gets sick with influenza, one must stay at home, away from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. However, if one is having any respiratory distress, one should report to a nearby hospital.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands frequently. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Avoid touching surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people having respiratory illness.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. Oseltamivir is the recommended anti viral drug for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with the influenza A H1N1. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster.

They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). The government has adequate stock and the drug is made available to government hospitals at the time of outbreak and would be available to you free of cost. The drug is to be administered under supervision of clinicians.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where influenza A H1N1 cases have been identified and become ill with influenza like symptoms e.g. fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms.

Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids/eating food
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting

Can I get influenza A H1N1 from eating or preparing pork?
No. swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

DOs:

* Wash your hands
* Avoid crowded places
* Stay more than an arm’s length from persons afflicted with flu
* Get plenty of sleep
* Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious food

DO NOTs:

* Shake hands or hug in greeting
* Spit in public
* Take medicines without consulting a physician

For people who are sick:

* Stay home and limit contacts with others as much as possible
* Rest and take plenty of liquids
* Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
* Seek medical advice if needed.

Have passion

Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative
Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th
birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004.

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and
Gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate
department and was staying at the ladies’ hostel. Other girls were
pursuing research in different departments of Science.

I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in
Computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I
had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I
Saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement
notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It
stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking
and with an excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: “Lady candidates need not apply.”

I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up
against gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I
Had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers.
Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to
Be successful.

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform
The topmost person in Telco’s management about the injustice the company was
perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a
problem: I did not know who headed Telco.

I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of
The Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant
Moolgaokar was the company’s chairman then). I took the card, addressed it
to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

“The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who
Started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel,
chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher
education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of
the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am
surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.”

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I
received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at
Telco’s Pune facility at the company’s expense. I was taken aback by the
telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to
Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected
Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like
laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.

To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I
Do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As
directed, I went to Telco’s Pimpri office for the interview.

There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was
serious business.

“This is the girl who wrote to JRD,” I heard somebody whisper as soon as
I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job.
The realisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while
the interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I
told them, rather impolitely, “I hope this is only a technical interview.”

They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about
My attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of
them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, “Do you
Know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have
never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed
college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker
throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in
research laboratories.”

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.

I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their
difficulties, so I answered, “But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will
ever be able to work in your factories.”

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So
This was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would
Take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became
good friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned
king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him
till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to
Mr. Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on
The first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD
walked in. That was the first time I saw “appro JRD”. Appro means “our”
in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House
called him.

I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM
Introduced me nicely, “Jeh (that’s what his close associates called him), this
Young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.

She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.” JRD looked at
me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or
The postcard that preceded it).

Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he remarked. “It is nice that girls are
getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?”

“When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,” I replied. “Now I am
Sudha Murthy.” He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As
for me, I almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman
And I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was
In awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office
hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how
to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I
realise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident
for him, but not so for me.

“Young lady, why are you here?” he asked. “Office time is over.” I said,
“Sir, I’m waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.” JRD said, “It
Is getting dark and there’s no one in the corridor.

I’ll wait with you till your husband comes.”

I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside
made me extremely uncomfortable.

I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a
simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There
wasn’t any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, “Look at this
person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is
waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.”

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, “Young lady,
Tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.” In 1982 I had to resign
from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a
choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my
final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I
wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.

Gently, he said, “So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?” (That was the
Way he always addressed me.) “Sir, I am leaving Telco.”

“Where are you going?” he asked. “Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a
company called Infosys and I’m shifting to Pune.”

“Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.”

“Sir, I don’t know whether we will be successful.” “Never start with
diffidence,” he advised me. “Always start with confidence. When you are
successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we
must reciprocate. I wish you all the best.”

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed
like a millennium.. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years
later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once
did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later,
he wrote to me, “It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is
that he’s not alive to see you today.”
I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy
person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must
have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine
away, but he didn’t do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown
girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity
in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and
mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today’s engineering colleges are
girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments.
I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me
what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the
company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the
passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model
for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his
employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the
same vastness and magnificence.

(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys
Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys
chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)

House On A Rock

Clingstone, an unusual, 103-year-old mansion in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, survives through the love and hard work of family and friends.

House On the Rock

Henry Wood, the owner, runs the house like a camp: all skilled workers welcome.
The Jamestown Boatyard hauls the family’s boats and floating dock and stores them each winter in return for a week’s use of the house in the summer.

Mr. Wood, a 79-year-old Boston architect, bought the house with his ex-wife Joan
in 1961 for $3,600. It had been empty for two decades.

Clingstone had been built by a distant cousin, J.S. Lovering Wharton. Mr. Wharton worked with an artist, William Trost Richards, to create a house of picture windows with 23 rooms on three stories radiating off a vast central hall.

The total cost of the construction, which was completed in 1905, was $36,982.99

An early sketch of the house. Mr. Wood is as proud as any parent of his house, and keeps a fat scrapbook of photographs and newspaper clippings that document its best moments.
Many of the historic photos he has were provided by the company that insured the house for its original owners.

The Newport Bridge is visible from the windows of the Ping-Pong room, to the left of the fireplace.

The house is maintained by an ingenious method: the Clingstone work weekend. Held every year around Memorial Day, it brings 70 or so friends and Clingstone lovers together to tackle jobs like washing all 65 of the windows. Anne Tait, who is married to Mr. Wood’s son Dan, refinished the kitchen floor on one of her first work weekends.

There are 10 bedrooms at Clingstone, all with indecently beautiful views

The dining room table seats 14. Refinishing the chairs is a task on the list for a future work weekend.

Sign by the ladder that leads to the roof reads: No entry after three drinks or 86 years of age.
“It used to say 80 but we had a guy on a work weekend who was 84, so I changed it,” said Mr. Wood, ever the realist. It would have been a shame to curtail the activities of a willing volunteer