霞穆尼，阿尔卑斯脚下法国边陲小镇，无法形容的登山者天堂

霞穆尼不会让每个慕名而来的旅行者失望。无论乘坐全景火车观光还是享受丰盛法国大餐，无论与欧洲最高峰亲密接触还是到冰原感叹造物主的鬼斧神工，霞穆尼总有一个理由让你的脚步变慢，直到慢得不想离开。 真是美味难阻挡啊 霞穆尼从100多年前就是滑雪胜地了，而且不分冬夏 窗台上的鲜花开得交相辉映 镇子里还有一条雪山冰水融化而成的河流，但是呈现出一种灰绿的颜色，应该是裹挟了许多矿物质吧 这位戴着Prada墨镜的女孩可不是游客，她只是一家餐馆的服务员 这是她供职的餐馆 所有人都喜欢吃冰淇淋 我也找张木桌子，在小城里晒太阳 这老人家看得好专注，如果头发再多一点，就成爱因斯坦了 一辆观光火车从身边经过，我们看他们，他们也在看我们，到底谁是风景？ 火车开得很慢，仿佛是在和阳光捉迷藏 饿了饿了，烤肠还是奶酪火锅呢？ 镇子里最不缺的就是餐馆了 还有酒吧 自行车永远是在镇子里闲逛的最佳交通工具 还有纪念品商店 教堂闪烁着银顶子 阿尔卑斯山脚，岁月静好 矫健的滑雪者 在雪山须列队前行 霞穆尼，是被英国诗人雪莱形容为人间天堂，世外桃源的法国边陲小镇 在这里，花开得比阳光还要晃眼 到霞穆尼的最后一段要换乘冰川特快，这列车四面都是玻璃窗，视野极好 透过车窗，能看到白雪皑皑的阿尔卑斯雪山 山脚的霞穆尼火车站 在火车站前展示的老式火车头 背包客到处都是，当然我也是其中一只 自来水清凉可口，可以直接饮用 　　小镇中央是两个青铜雕像。一个卷发，绅士派头十足，而在他旁边的那个人身上缠着绳索，两个人手指的方向自然都是那高高在上的勃朗峰。绅士是个医生叫做帕卡尔，另一个是帮他成功登顶的水晶矿工巴尔玛。在人类历史中正是他们俩第一次将勃朗峰踩在脚下。 卡拉OK？ 人们喜欢在镇子里晒太阳 其实也有许多种方式 可爱的大熊，不知道现在山里还有没有 还是住在这里的人舒服，打开门，阳光就进来了 反正就是漂亮了 画着阿尔卑斯观光线路的口杯 到了晚上，小城才刚刚开始热闹起来 一觉醒来，八九点钟的太阳更灿烂得嚣张 从酒店六层的餐厅往外望去，小镇还在睡着 勃朗峰，欧洲的世外桃源 坐上从巴黎开出的TGV特快列车，车窗外风景交错闪回，因为抓不住瞬间，所以视而不见。此行终点是霞穆尼，一个被英国诗人雪莱形容为人间天堂、世外桃源的法国边陲小镇。车过里昂后，要换乘城际快车，而最后一段还要换乘一辆全景观光列车，车行时已能从四面通透的玻璃窗中看到远方白皑皑的阿尔卑斯雪山。 初到霞穆尼，眼前景象与我之前的想象迥然不同，以为知名度如此高的冰雪小镇虽然不比巴黎繁华，但至少也该摊肆林立、车马暄腾。可它实在太静了，雪山白璧反射的金光把镇子照得通透清澈，如同圣诞老人用白雪覆盖的礼物。镇子里的唯一声响来自于一条穿城而过的大河，河水被溶在里面的矿物质染成了淡绿色，可它的奔腾咆哮却把镇子衬托得更为安静。 第二天一早，朝阳把身上和心里都照得暖洋洋。跟着人流，很快就能到达通往南针峰的缆车站。南针峰是普通游客所能抵达的最高点，在峰顶的观景台能获得仰视勃朗峰的全景视角。而这里也是攀登欧洲最高峰的起点，很多登山者正是从这里迈出向雪域雄峰进发的第一步。 南针峰缆车分成两段，第一段终点是个半山腰的咖啡屋。随着缆车迅速爬升，霞穆尼也在眼前迅速变小后退，轮廓也逐渐显现。原来小镇建于两山之间的山谷平地，鳞次栉比的木屋都不高，6层已是极限。乘坐第二段缆车时霞穆尼已在视野中完全消失，雪山的白和天空的蓝成了天地间唯一的颜色，它们仿佛被缝合在一起，其间没有一点余地。 抵达南针峰后，必须拿着地图才能不在复杂地形中迷失。山顶基地分成两个部分，中间用索桥连接。一头是缆车站终点，另一头是观景台和登山路线的起点。看到一对年老夫妇坐在地上喘气，马上有工作人员送来氧气。原来这里的海拔已经接近4000米，容易引发高原反应。 当观景台的大门打开，眼前即是一片让人目盲的世界。大家指认着远方一座座雪中巨人，而鹤立鸡群的无疑就是那海拔4480米的勃朗峰了。此时天地间一片洁净，没有云也感觉不到风，两只雄鹰在雪山之间飞翔，我张开双臂，也像雄鹰一样啸叫，旁边有人侧目，可我并不在乎。 看到远方通往勃朗峰的白色山脊上有几个蚂蚁一样的黑点慢速移动。他们是意志最坚定也最纯粹的登山者，虽然每一步都很艰难，但仍一步一步向前迈进，而一旦登顶成功，生命中就又多了一个刻骨铭心的辉煌瞬间。 从南针峰还有一段延伸的缆车线路。缆车架在两座山峦之间，中间只有一个支点，下一站已是意大利地界了。与乘坐飞机火车穿越国境线不同，恐怕只有在霞穆尼，才能获得乘坐缆车过境的非凡体验。 这样的山川总能激起人们征服的欲望高山小镇也是那么迷人 滑雪者的飞跃一刻 冰洞也是参观必去之处 高山徒步，回头也有风景 从南针峰回到中途的咖啡馆，要一杯咖啡，一边暖手一边暖心。短暂休息后可以由此徒步前往霞穆尼第二大景区——梅尔冰原。这条徒步线路景观密集，用移步易景形容也不过分，从大雪山到乱石岗，从冰川溪涧到山花野草，总有一种风景让人眼前一亮。 路上会与各种人狭路相逢——牵着大狗的登山者，一排秩序井然的日本老太，背包里插满鲜花的“采花大盗”。看到最多的是情侣，或者一前一后或者并肩而行，无论花样年华还是耄耋老人，都携手相伴，看着让人羡慕。一路上说得最多的一句话是法语的“你好”，开始还被动应答，后来则主动问好，总能看到随着这轻声问候开出一张如花的笑脸。 有时突然转过身，身体竟被僵住，因为回头的风景与眼前所见截然不同，此时那高耸的雪山在云际间若隐若现，是与在观景台上眺望完全不同的景观。所谓横看成岭侧成峰，其实同样一座山在不同视角让人所获得的美感都不相同。 路边看到一座座用石块堆成的石塔，很像我国藏区的玛尼堆，也随手找来一块轻放于塔顶。又看到路边草丛中有两只鼻涕虫缓慢爬过，还看到几只个头巨大的蜗牛，在咀嚼着新鲜嫩叶。个头更大的动物还有阿尔卑斯大角山羊和山地野驴。野驴懒洋洋地躺在地上晒太阳，会让人联想起天津的一款特色小吃。 3个小时的徒步旅程在美景相伴下倏忽即逝。就在每个转弯已没有更多惊喜，即使回头也没有奇迹发生的时候，突然眼前又出现了让人神魂倾倒的景色。是大海，却被造物主整个冻住，虽然喑哑了涛声，却没失去浩瀚的气势，仍旧席卷万物地铺展开去，从视线尽头出现又在另一尽头消失。这就是阿尔卑斯第二大冰原——梅尔冰原，冰原融水最终流向塞纳河，汇入大西洋。 有交错运行的缆车可以让游客走入冰原内的冰洞参观。里面用文字图片介绍了冰原的形成和即将消融的未来，冰洞内潮气湿重，冰水顺着冰凌嘀嗒嘀嗒地打到头发上眼睛上。据说这条静止的海洋每年会以1米速度移动，冰洞每隔两三年就要重建，所以在淡蓝色的冰海上能看到密布着一个个老去的冰雕博物馆。 从梅尔冰原不必原路返回，这里有观光火车可以把游客直接送回霞穆尼。车身被涂抹了一层火红的颜色，这在绿色弥漫的山林中显得非常乍眼。虽然这两种颜色的混搭在中国会被认为俗气，而法国人却觉得这很时尚。红蜥蜴沿着阿尔卑斯山麓蛇形行驶，下午四五点钟的太阳，照得心情也很灿烂。 霞穆尼镇，一时静谧一时欢腾 南针峰与勃朗峰在霞穆尼同侧，而在另一侧的布雷峰（Brevent）能看到雪山与小镇一起出现在取景器中。除此之外，在布雷峰顶还能看到一面高原湖泊，无论湖水的面积和形状都很像藏南高原之巅的神湖拉姆拉错。只不过面对后者我能看到自己的前身今世，而这里的湖水显然少了一点灵性。 下山后天色已近黄昏。一下明白了为什么霞穆尼的白天异常安静。原来这镇子似乎没有太多本地人居住，而卷着大包小裹的背包客、扛着雪板雪鞋的滑雪客和缠着绳索手握冰镐的登山客构成了小镇居民的全部，而白天时大家显然都不会在镇子里逡巡，而一到夜晚这里就成了嘉年华。爱尔兰酒吧、咖啡馆、餐厅、户外用品店、超市，到处摩肩接踵。 小镇中心的广场也不例外，而挤在狂欢人群之中的还有两尊塑像。一个卷发，绅士派头十足，而在他旁边的那个人身上缠着绳索，两个人手指的方向自然都是那高高在上的勃朗峰。绅士是个医生叫做帕卡尔，另一个是帮他成功登顶的水晶矿工巴尔玛。在人类历史中是他俩第一次将勃朗峰踩在脚下。 一定要找家正宗法式餐馆犒劳这一天的疲惫。其实晚餐地点的选择可以随便一些，毕竟能在老城安家落户，味道一定不差。但点菜时可不能马虎，其中有两道必点，一道法式焗蜗牛作为开胃菜，另一道是奶酪火锅。前者特色是6只蜗牛里有3只的壳已被烤得酥脆，和里面的蜗牛肉囫囵着一起吃，那种外酥里软的口感如同吃了一块夹心巧克力。奶酪火锅是把3种不同奶酪在白葡萄酒中煮化，再配上香肠面包一起食用。不过这道菜味道很重，食客的评价也十分两极。 夜上浓妆，霞穆尼也慢慢妖娆起来，这里的繁华不亚于巴黎拉丁区和纽约的SOHO，华丽的夜生活也成了你来此旅行的又一个理由。 information攻略 交通：从国内乘航班至巴黎CDG机场或者日内瓦机场再转乘火车。巴黎至霞穆尼，5小时59欧元。日内瓦至霞穆尼，1小时15欧元。 食宿：有众多的住宿选择，如度假村、豪华城堡式酒店、B&B旅馆、青年宿舍等等。推荐餐厅：3842餐馆。位于南针峰峰顶。通过索道和天桥之后，就到了海拔3842米的餐馆。人均消费约22.87欧元至32.01欧元。品尝奶酪火锅可以选在LM餐厅，在阳光下就餐也是一种享受。每人的花费大约为24欧元。 滑雪：每年1月初至2月底是去霞慕尼滑雪最旺的季节，全世界的滑雪爱好者都会聚集这里。酒店的价格昂贵，并且需要提供准确的时间进行预定。所以想在春节期间前往霞慕尼滑雪的话，要提早预定确认行程。霞慕尼滑雪票常见的为SkiPass票，在霞慕尼大部分雪场都可以使用，并能够搭乘缆车。根据购买天数决定价钱，天数越长，平均每天的费用越低，可根据实际情况选择购买，每天大概38欧元左右。部分雪场会提供只能使用牵引，并且当天使用的雪场票。适合初学者选择，而且会分半天和全天两种，经济实惠。费用大约为，全天（9：00－16：30）：11欧元；半天（12：30－16：30）：9.5欧元

Java Coding Best Practices: Better Search Implementation

In web applications searching for information based on the selected criteria and displaying the results is a very common requirement. Suppose we need to search users based on their name.  The end user will enter the username in the textbox and hit the search button and the user results will be fetched from database and display in a grid.

At first this looks simple and we can start to implement it as follows:

01.public class UserSearchAction extends Action

02.{

03.public ActionForward execute(...)

04.{

05.SearchForm sf = (SearchForm)form;

06.String searchName = sf.getSearchName();

07.UserService userService = new UserService();

08.List<User> searchResults = userService.search(searchName);

09.//put search results in request and dsplay in JSP

10.}

11.

12.}

01.public class UserService

02.{

03.public List<User> search(String username)

04.{

05.// query the DB and get the results by applying filter on USERNAME column

06.List<User> users = UserDAO.search(username);

07.

08.}

09.}

The above implementation works fine for the current requirement.

Later client wants to display only 10 rows per page and display a message like “Displaying 1-10 of 35 Users”.

Now the code need to be changed for the change request.

01.public class UserSearchAction extends Action

02.{

03.public ActionForward execute(...)

04.{

05.SearchForm sf = (SearchForm)form;

06.String searchName = sf.getSearchName();

07.UserService userService = new UserService();

08.Map<String, Object> searchResultsMap = userService.search(searchName, start, pageSize);

09.List<User> users = (List<User>)searchResultsMap.get("DATA");

10.Integer count = (Integer)searchResultsMap.get("COUNT");

11.//put search results in request and dsplay in JSP

12.}

13.

14.}

01.public class UserService

02.{

03.public Map<String, Object> search(String username, int start, int pageSize)

04.{

05.//Get the total number of results for this criteria       int count = UserDAO.searchResultsCount(username);

06.List<User> users = UserDAO.search(username, start, pageSize);

07.// query the DB and get the start to start+pageSize results by applying filter on USERNAME column

08.Map<String, Object> RESULTS_MAP = new HashMap<String, Object>();

09.RESULTS_MAP.put("DATA",users);

10.RESULTS_MAP.put("COUNT",count);

11.return RESULTS_MAP;

12.}

13.}

Later the client wants to give an option to the end user to choose the search type either by UserID or by Username and show the paginated results.
Now again the code needs to be changed for the change request.

01.public class UserSearchAction extends Action

02.{

03.public ActionForward execute(...)

04.{

05.SearchForm sf = (SearchForm)form;

06.String searchName = sf.getSearchName();

07.String searchId = sf.getSearchId();

08.UserService userService = new UserService();

09.Map<String, Object> searchCriteriaMap = new HashMap<String, Object>();

10.//searchCriteriaMap.put("SEARCH_BY","NAME");

11.searchCriteriaMap.put("SEARCH_BY","ID");

12.searchCriteriaMap.put("ID",searchId);

13.searchCriteriaMap.put("START",start);

14.searchCriteriaMap.put("PAGESIZE",pageSize);

15.

16.Map<String, Object> searchResultsMap = userService.search(searchCriteriaMap);

17.List<User> users = (List<User>)searchResultsMap.get("DATA");

18.Integer count = (Integer)searchResultsMap.get("COUNT");

19.//put search results in request and dsplay in JSP

20.}

21.

22.}

1.public class UserService

2.{

3.public Map<String, Object> search(Map<String, Object> searchCriteriaMap)

4.{

5.return UserDAO.search(searchCriteriaMap);

6.}

7.}

01.public class UserDAO

02.{

03.public Map<String, Object> search(Map<String, Object> searchCriteriaMap)

04.{

05.String SEARCH_BY = (String)searchCriteriaMap.get("SEARCH_BY");

06.int start = (Integer)searchCriteriaMap.get("START");

07.int pageSize = (Integer)searchCriteriaMap.get("PAGESIZE");

08.if("ID".equals(SEARCH_BY))

09.{

10.int id = (Integer)searchCriteriaMap.get("ID");

11.//Get the total number of results for this criteria

12.int count = UserDAO.searchResultsCount(id);

13.// query the DB and get the start to start+pageSize results by applying filter on USER_ID column

14.List<User> users = search(id, start, pageSize);

15.

16.}

17.else

18.{

19.String username = (String)searchCriteriaMap.get("USERNAME");

20.//Get the total number of results for this criteria

21.int count = UserDAO.searchResultsCount(username);

22.// query the DB and get the start to start+pageSize results by applying filter on USERNAME column

23.List<User> users = search(username, start, pageSize);

24.

25.}

26.Map<String, Object> RESULTS_MAP = new HashMap<String, Object>();

27.RESULTS_MAP.put("DATA",users);

28.RESULTS_MAP.put("COUNT",count);

29.return RESULTS_MAP;

30.}

31.

32.}

Finally the code becomes a big mess and completely violates object oriented principles. There are lot of problems with the above code.
1. For each change request the method signatures are changing
2. Code needs to be changed for each enhancement such as adding more search criteria

We can design a better object model for this kind of search functionality which is Object Oriented and scalable as follows.

A generic SearchCriteria which holds common search criteria like pagination, sorting details.

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.public abstract class SearchCriteria

03.{

04.private boolean pagination = false;

05.private int pageSize = 25;

06.private String sortOrder = "ASC";

07.

08.public boolean isPagination()

09.{

10.return pagination;

11.}

12.public void setPagination(boolean pagination)

13.{

14.this.pagination = pagination;

15.}

16.public String getSortOrder()

17.{

18.return sortOrder;

19.}

20.public void setSortOrder(String sortOrder)

21.{

22.this.sortOrder = sortOrder;

23.}

24.public int getPageSize()

25.{

26.return pageSize;

27.}

28.public void setPageSize(int pageSize)

29.{

30.this.pageSize = pageSize;

31.}

32.

33.}

A generic SearchResults object which holds the actual results and other detials like total available results count, page wise results provider etc.

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.

03.import java.util.ArrayList;

04.import java.util.List;

05.

06.public abstract class SearchResults<T>

07.{

08.private int totalResults = 0;

09.private int pageSize = 25;

10.private List<T> results = null;

11.

12.public int getPageSize()

13.{

14.return pageSize;

15.}

16.public void setPageSize(int pageSize)

17.{

18.this.pageSize = pageSize;

19.}   

20.public int getTotalResults()

21.{

22.return totalResults;

23.}

24.private void setTotalResults(int totalResults)

25.{

26.this.totalResults = totalResults;

27.}

28.

29.public List<T> getResults()

30.{

31.return results;

32.}

33.public List<T> getResults(int page)

34.{

35.if(page <= 0 || page > this.getNumberOfPages())

36.{

37.throw new RuntimeException("Page number is zero or there are no that many page results.");

38.}

39.List<T> subList = new ArrayList<T>();

40.int start = (page -1)*this.getPageSize();

41.int end = start + this.getPageSize();

42.if(end > this.results.size())

43.{

44.end = this.results.size();

45.}

46.for (int i = start; i < end; i++)

47.{

48.subList.add(this.results.get(i));

49.}

50.return subList;

51.}

52.

53.public int getNumberOfPages()

54.{

55.if(this.results == null || this.results.size() == 0)

56.{

57.return 0;

58.}

59.return (this.totalResults/this.pageSize)+(this.totalResults%this.pageSize > 0 ?1: 0);

60.}

61.public void setResults(List<T> aRresults)

62.{

63.if(aRresults == null)

64.{

65.aRresults = new ArrayList<T>();

66.}

67.this.results = aRresults;

68.this.setTotalResults(this.results.size());

69.}

70.

71.}

A SearchCriteria class specific to User Search.

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.

03.public class UserSearchCriteria extends SearchCriteria

04.{

05.public enum UserSearchType

06.{

07.BY_ID, BY_NAME

08.};

09.

10.private UserSearchType searchType = UserSearchType.BY_NAME;

11.private int id;

12.private String username;

13.

14.public UserSearchType getSearchType()

15.{

16.return searchType;

17.}

18.public void setSearchType(UserSearchType searchType)

19.{

20.this.searchType = searchType;

21.}

22.

23.public int getId()

24.{

25.return id;

26.}

27.public void setId(int id)

28.{

29.this.id = id;

30.}

31.public String getUsername()

32.{

33.return username;

34.}

35.public void setUsername(String username)

36.{

37.this.username = username;

38.}

39.}

A SearchResults class specific to User Search.

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.import java.text.MessageFormat;

03.

04.public class UserSearchResults<T> extends SearchResults<User>

05.{

06.public static String getDataGridMessage(int start, int end, int total)

07.{

08.return MessageFormat.format("Displaying {0} to {1} Users of {2}", start, end, total);

09.}

10.

11.}

UserService takes the SearchCriteria, invokes the DAO and get the results, prepares the UserSearchResults and return it back.

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.

03.import java.util.ArrayList;

04.import java.util.List;

05.

06.import com.sivalabs.javabp.UserSearchCriteria.UserSearchType;

07.public class UserService

08.{

09.public SearchResults<User> search(UserSearchCriteria searchCriteria)

10.{

11.UserSearchType searchType = searchCriteria.getSearchType();

12.String sortOrder = searchCriteria.getSortOrder();

13.System.out.println(searchType+":"+sortOrder);

14.List<User> results = null;

15.if(searchType == UserSearchType.BY_NAME)

16.{

17.//Use hibernate Criteria API to get and sort results based on USERNAME field in sortOrder

18.results = userDAO.searchUsers(...);   

19.}

20.else if(searchType == UserSearchType.BY_ID)

21.{

22.//Use hibernate Criteria API to get and sort results based on USER_ID field in sortOrder

23.results = userDAO.searchUsers(...);

24.}

25.

26.UserSearchResults<User> searchResults = new UserSearchResults<User>();

27.searchResults.setPageSize(searchCriteria.getPageSize());

28.searchResults.setResults(results);

29.return searchResults;

30.}

31.

32.}

01.package com.sivalabs.javabp;

02.import com.sivalabs.javabp.UserSearchCriteria.UserSearchType;

03.

04.public class TestClient

05.{

06.public static void main(String[] args)

07.{

08.UserSearchCriteria criteria = new UserSearchCriteria();

09.criteria.setPageSize(3);

10.//criteria.setSearchType(UserSearchType.BY_ID);

11.//criteria.setId(2);

12.

13.criteria.setSearchType(UserSearchType.BY_NAME);

14.criteria.setUsername("s");       

15.

16.UserService userService = new UserService();

17.SearchResults<User> searchResults = userService.search(criteria);

18.

19.System.out.println(searchResults.getTotalResults());

20.System.out.println(searchResults.getResults().size()+":"+searchResults.getResults());

21.System.out.println(searchResults.getResults(1).size()+":"+searchResults.getResults(1));

22.}

23.}

With this approach if we want to add a new criteria like search by EMAIL we can do it as follows:
1. Add BY_EMAIL criteria type to UserSearchType enum
2. Add new property “email” to UserSearchCriteria
3. criteria.setSearchType(UserSearchType.BY_EMAIL);
criteria.setEmail(“gmail”);
4. In UserService prepare the HibernateCriteria with email filter.

Thats it 🙂

From : http://sivalabs.blogspot.com/2011/02/java-coding-best-practices-better.ht

JXTA NOTE:Network Organization

 
The JXTA network is an Ad-Hoc, multi-hop, and adaptive network composed of connected peers. Connections in the network may be transient and, as a result, message routing between peers is non-deterministic. Peers may join or leave the network at any time; which results in ever changing routing information.
The only common aspect that various JXTA applications share is that they communicate using JXTA protocols. The organization of the network is not mandated by the JXTA framework, but in practice four kinds of peers are typically used:
minimal edge peer
A minimal edge peer can send and receive messages, but does not cache advertisements or route messages for other peers. Peers on devices with limited resources (e.g., a PDA or cell phone) would likely be minimal edge peers.
null-featured edge peer
A full-featured peer can send and receive messages and will typically cache advertisements. A simple peer replies to discovery requests with information found in its cached advertisements, but it does not forward any discovery requests. In any JXTA deployment most peers are likely to be edge peers.
Rendezvous peer
A rendezvous peer is an infrastructure peer, it aids other peers with message propagation, discovery of advertisements and routes, and most importantly it maintains a topology map of of other infrastructure peers, which then used for controlled propagation, and maintenance of the distributed hash table. Each peer group maintains its own set of rendezvous peers and may have as many rendezvous peers as needed. Edge peers send search and discovery requests to their rendezvous peer which in turn may forward requests it cannot answer to other known rendezvous peers using the topology mapped distributed hash table.
Relay peer3
A relay peer s an infrastructure peer, it aids non addressable (firewalled/NAT'd) peers with message relaying. A peer may request an in memory message box from a relay peer to facilitate message relaying whenever needed.

RUN ECLIPSE WITH A JDK

Maven requires Eclipse using a JDK, i.e. Java Development Kit, instead of a Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The main difference is that a JDK also contains a Java Compiler and other tools to develop Java Code, while the JRE is only able to run compiled Java applications.

To check with what Java version (JRE or JDK) Eclipse is running, do the following:

• Open the menu item “Help > About Eclipse“. (On the Mac, it’s in the Eclipse-menu, not the Help-menu)
• Click on “Installation Details“.
• Switch to the tab “Configuration“
• Search for a line that starts with “-vm“. The line following it shows which Java binary is used.

Depending on the name and location of the used Java binary one can figure out if a JRE or a JDK is used:

• If the path contains “jre” (e.g. as in C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\client\jvm.dll) it is a JRE
• If the path contains “jdk” (e.g. as in C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_17\bin\javaw.exe) it is a JDK.

If no JDK is used for eclipse, change it:

• Quit Eclipse if it is running
• Go to the eclipse installation directory and open the file eclipse.ini in a text editor.
• Search for the line “-vmargs“
• Before the line “-vmargs“, add two lines:
  On the first line, write “-vm“.
  On the second line, write the path to your JDK installation (usually something like: “C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_17\bin\javaw.exe” on Windows)

Oia of Greek. Oia 小镇，人间天堂中的天堂~

希腊最美的Santorini岛，这里的Oia小镇更是经典中的经典，不仅因为她拥有着世界上最著名的日落、最漂亮的教堂、最迷人的白色小屋，更因为，走在Oia，身上的任何细胞都感到，这里是人间的天堂。

早晨的阳光洒在窗前，经过几天的旅行，看到这样的暖色，真的一点都感觉不到疲倦。

再次来到Oia，拾梯而上的每一个角落，都能体会到santorini标志般的纯粹

Oia的楼梯都是各具形态的，我相信，任何人都会想，我家为什么没有这么漂亮的石阶

这个宾馆的租金估计要超过1000美金 one night

中国人都在抱着相机游走，而老外们，是这样度假的

简单的一堵矮墙，提醒我们这就是希腊的颜色

帐篷下，有个老太太在听着海浪写日记，我简直崇拜死她了

一问才知道，这么漂亮的地方，明年的今天已经被预定了，可怜我的小小皮，只能望“洋”兴叹了

这样的小店很是惹眼，可能每个去过Oia的朋友都会带点小饰品回来

爱不释手，还是舍不得买啊~~~~

店家都是做足了门脸儿

安静的酒吧

旅游攻略：
来希腊，除了领略美丽圣洁的爱琴海之外，一定不要忘记一个叫伊亚（Oia）的小镇，它地处希腊的王冠圣托里尼岛，是岛上最耀眼的明珠，也是一个拥有全世界最美的日落的地方。

私路关键词

看最美的日落

Oia有着全世界最著名的日落、最漂亮的教堂、最迷人的白色小屋。走在Oia，身上的每一个细胞都能感到，这里就是人间的天堂。

私家资料

圣托里尼岛上交通有公车、出租摩托和出租车这几种，出租车不打表，一般就是司机按惯例索价，也能杀价，但不同司机报价差距不大。出租摩托很方便，因为岛上景点和景点间并不远，骑摩托还能欣赏沿途景色，也比出租车便宜。

住　岛上的住宿差价很大，从每日十来欧元到近千欧元不等。如果预算多的话可以选择悬崖上那些最好的酒店，风景绝佳，但至少要100欧元以上。预算少的话，推荐还是住在菲拉镇，也是在圣托里尼岛上，离Oia很近，交通也方便。

食　Oia的美食很多，以海鲜和各种肉类的烧烤和煎炸为特色。推荐一个很著名的“Santorini Mou”餐厅，在餐厅的客人留言簿上不难发现很多明星的名字。

私路必去地

■Oia风车

Oia的最北角有两个风车，典型的希腊式的风车，跟荷兰的风车不大一样。荷兰风车的风叶大多是两根很粗的木头交叉成十字形，而希腊的风车则像雨伞一样，在一根中轴上面有好多根木头。Oia的风车原是镇上居民们用来磨粮食的，现在虽然不用了，但风车一直还保留着。这两座风车一前一后面对大海，几百年来一直这样默默地矗立着，好像两位妻子在眺望等待自己出海打鱼的丈夫归来。

夕阳下相拥的情侣

■观景台

一下公交车就是旅游信息中心。Oia镇很小，根本用不着地图，顺着人流往西北方向走，15分钟就能到最西北端的观景台。观景台与其遥相呼应的风车附近都是很好的看日落的地点。

下午6点多钟，游客开始陆陆续续往观景台集中。夕阳西下，金色的余晖映着远处峭壁屋舍，小镇教堂传来阵阵钟声。俯看海面船只往来，周围有特意赶来开生日派对的大群青年男女。香槟美酒，一对对恋人相互拥吻着……那一刻的感觉是无法用简单的言语表述透彻的。

■Oia白屋和石阶

来过Oia的人都会惊叹于创造Oia的建筑师们非凡的想象力和精湛的手艺。虽然小镇的建筑大多修建于13-16世纪，但是经常的粉刷让小镇看起来依旧如新。Oia依山傍海，所有的建筑都以白色和蓝色为主，远远望去，小镇与天空和大海浑然一体。Oia的石阶与全世界所有地方的石阶都不同，颜色、图纹千奇百怪，既有抽象的马蒂斯风格的几何图形，又有宁静的莫奈风格的印象派画作，更有超现实主义的豹纹风格。相比于墙面单一而严谨的白色和蓝色，这些石阶就显得更写意和丰富多彩。

■蓝顶教堂和Oia之钟

希腊是个基督教的国度，所以教堂很多，Oia小镇也不例外。Oia的教堂很小，砖石结构，最显著的特征是教堂的圆顶是蓝色的。教堂的前面有一座醒目的钟楼。当我们回到教堂前广场的时候，听见了钟声，原来是一个教士在敲钟，走近一点，在教堂旗杆后，墙和屋顶的间隙，有一片绚烂无比的晚霞，我简直不相信那是真的自然天光，疑心它是用水彩涂抹上去的。

Top Ten Places to Live in the World

There are many factors that make the place we live the place we love to call home. Environment, weather, history, politics, economy, infrastructure, social climate, and entertainment all play a part. When choosing a place to live, your decision should be based on what issues are important to you. Finding the right combination of features is the key to loving where you live.

Healthcare and Tolerance – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Meuse River, The Netherlands

In 2009 the Netherlands was named as having the best healthcare system in Europe by the Euro Health Consumer Index. Six criterion examined were patient rights and information, e-health, waiting times for treatment, outcomes, range and reach of services provided and pharmaceuticals. The Netherlands is additionally praised for its minimal bureaucracy and patient empowerment.

The Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam, has become infamous for its tolerance of the taboo. The Dutch believe that people should make moral decisions with little interference from government. Marijuana is legal. Tattoo parlors, sex shops, and the red light district draw tourists. Hostels are packed during the peak summer season.

As far as culture, there are famous museums where you can see work by Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rembrandt. One can learn the story of Anne Frank, relax in beautiful parks and ride a bike almost anywhere. According to Claudio.Ar, “It is said that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice, more cafes than Vienna and more bridges than Paris. The tours let you discover them and other secrets of the city.”

Best Place for Singles – New York City, USA

Hudson River, New York

In the mood for love? Although the cost of living is still high in New York, it has become slightly more affordable due to the recent economic downturn. In fact with many singles now unemployed, unmarried folks are taking advantage of their severance packages and enjoying all the city has to offer. With 35,000 restaurants, 3,800 bars, and 734 museums there is definitely plenty to do in New York City. The popular dating site, Match.com, has more active accounts in the NYC area than any other locale. Living in New York does, however require a high tolerance for crowds of people.

“The City That Never Sleeps” comes by its title easily. From piano bars to jazz lounges (and a few dozen dives of course), New York’s nightlife keeps the city hopping until early morning hours. Nightclubs like the Marquee feature world famous DJs for the partiers who love to dance. Other locals favor the Gotham Comedy Club, which Frommer’s guide declares New York’s “trendiest and most sophisticated comedy club.”

Whatever your interest, you’re sure to find it in New York City – day or night.

Mild Climate & English Speaking – Malta

Malta

The island nation just 60 miles from Sicily, Republic of Malta, is a repeated winner of Quality of Life Index awards for best climate. With a daily average of over five hours of sunshine, mild winters, and hot summers – Malta is considered ideal by many. Diving, sailing, and colorful festivals abound. Golf and horseback riding are popular pastimes.

There are few sandy beaches and yes – sometimes it does rain on the Maltese islands. If it’s raining you can head indoors for opera, theater, music, and ballet at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta. The Manoel is the second-oldest theater in Europe.

The government is politically stable in Malta. Cost of living is low. Crime is minimal. Locals are hospitable. Travel is not difficult, despite island status.

If you lived in Malta you could check off each item on list, 101 Things to do while on Holiday in Malta.

Family-Friendly – Virginia, USA

Virginia Waterwheel

The state of Virginia has beautiful shorelines and beaches. Virginia is very family and community oriented, with plenty of fairs, festivals, and community events. The people are diverse and friendly. Many of the schools are highly-ranked and offer plenty of extracurricular activities and elective courses to choose from.

Virginia takes the health and safety of its children very seriously. According to the official Virginia government website, $515,405 was awarded to 17 projects that support youth substance abuse and violence prevention programs for 2010.

Check out this list of 57 Cool Places for Kids.

Low Cost of Living & Retirement – Brazil

Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro

Brazil is the largest country in South America and therefore offers a broad range of opportunities for travel and diversity. From the Amazon jungles, to famous beaches, you will find the inhabitants friendly and hospitable. Although the nightlife is well known in Brazil, few are aware that Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are among the cheapest cities to live in (according to the Economist Intelligence Unit).

Want to pay off debt? Brazil is a good place to retire. Retirement visas are available with proof of income. It is common and legal for permanent residents to apply for Brazilian passports and keep their current citizenships and passports.

Brazilian health care is very good. You do not need to be a citizen to use the national health care system. Patients pay nothing out of pocket for most care. For the highest quality health care private market providers are also available – for a fee. Even so, the fees are much less than purchasing independent health insurance in the U.S. In general, you get more for your money in Brazil.

Due to the well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service industries, the economy of Brazil outweighs other countries in South America, and is quickly expanding its presence in international markets.

Simply Beautiful – Belize

Belize

Belize, considered one of the most beautiful countries in Central America, has it all. Belize touts great beaches, subtropical climate, diverse wildlife, and a low cost of living. The scuba diving and snorkeling is fabulous. The gorgeous waterfalls underneath the Maya Mountains are rivaled only by the hundreds of colorful species of birds flying the skies.

Rent of a large house in Cayo district is only $300/month. Food at the local markets is very reasonably priced. The official language is English. The Retired Person’s Incentive Program starts at the ripe young age of 45 and allows tax free living.

Consider a snowbird lifestyle when it comes to living in Belize. The wet season is May to October. It rains all the time and there is a chance for hurricanes. But I’d stay November through April in this beautiful land, which is just where I’d like to be rather than the cold snowy land I call home that time of year.

Stunning Scenery – Cape Town, South Africa

Table Mountain, Cape Town

Cape Town features some of the most beautiful beaches and fascinating attractions in all of Africa. Families enjoy swimming in the warm waters along the False Bay coast, where whale watching is also popular. Kids swarm to Boulders Beach to see the penguins, and for a small fee, even swim with them. The hallmark of Cape Town is Table Mountain, a gigantic slab of sandstone with breathtaking views, trails for hiking, and paragliding for the adventurous. (Cable cars are available for the not-so-adventurous.)

The second most populated city in South Africa; Cape Town is known for being socially tolerant and culturally diverse. This coastal city is mild and rainy during the winter months, but dry and very warm the rest of the year. The bistros and restaurants offer a variety of world class cuisine to satisfy every palate, and are famous for their delicious wines. Clubs, lounges, and other entertainment venues make Cape Town ideal for the musically inclined.

Thanks to the 2010 World Cup, business is booming in Cape Town. The real estate market is also on the upswing as more people relocate to this beautiful coastal city.

Economic Opportunities – Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt, Germany

Those looking for a certain quality of life find their high standards met in Frankfurt, the economic capital of Germany. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the largest in Germany, and one of the world’s most important. According to the Mercer Quality of Living survey, Frankfurt has the highest concentration of jobs in Germany, with 922 jobs per 1,000 residents.

Frankfurt inhabitants enjoy their city for more than its economic security. The museums, historical sites, and shopping districts are popular with the locals as well as tourists. Frankfurt is easy to travel in and out of, with one of the busiest airports in the world. Frankfurt Central Station is one of the biggest train stations in Europe, and few can resist the allure of the Autobahn. The views along the Main River are lovely, and Frankfurt is home to a number of beautiful landmarks such as the Imperial Cathedral, and the 50-acre Palmengarten flower garden.

The cost of living is high, but is compensated with a low unemployment rate, easy transportation for business trips, and the fact that it is an industrial and financial powerhouse.  Germany’s businesses are booming.

Most Romantic – Paris, France

Eiffel Tower, Paris

The air in Paris simply breathes romance. Not only is the enchanting ambience the perfect setting for romance, (who can see the Eiffel Tower without thinking of L’amour?) the cozy bistros and dimly lit restaurants are ideal for couples in love.

Paris is not just for lovers; its rich heritage and stunning architecture draw millions. The Louvre, Palace of Versailles, and Notre Dame are just a few of the beautiful buildings that grace the Paris skyline. An incredible array of paintings and art are sure to please museum goers.

As the fashion capital of the world, Paris is home to some of the most popular designers. Those looking for a career in fashion couldn’t find a more fitting place to study or work. The drawback for Parisians is a high cost of living. The good news is- Paris features some of Europe’s largest corporations, and researchers expect an increase in employment opportunities in the future. So for those who can swing it, the comfort and quality of the French life is a truly unforgettable experience. Not to mention, absolutely delicious.

Sizzling and Sexy – Miami, Florida USA

Miami, Florida

Miami is known as the “Magic City” for good reason. With the sensual Latin flavor combined with its tropical location, Miami is home to an eclectic group of fun-loving people. Singles flock to Miami for the beaches and exciting nightlife, and then discover attractions and career opportunities that offer more than they were expecting.

As the “Gateway to Latin America”, Miami is a city of diverse ethnicities. This sunny city is bursting with new developments, has surprisingly low rent and taxes, and an exceptional education system at the University of Miami.

Miami ranks highly with the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network, which rates each city’s importance to the international economy. Professionals work in a number of fields including tourism, trade, and international banking. Sports and recreation enthusiasts adore Miami for the wide variety of watersports and boating activities. Everything from snorkeling to sailing, kayaking to kitesurfing; Miami’s beaches offer it all. For landlubbers, Miami features rock climbing walls, golf courses, and tennis courts. Wherever you travel, wherever you call home, remember to make the best of where you are. The people you meet, friends you make, experiences you acquire – those are the things that make life worth living.

Most Beautiful Places In The World

We live in a world blessed with sights that are beautiful beyond words. Every human being probably dreams of visiting at least one of those places in their lifetime. Living in modern cities with high-rise buildings, we tend to miss out on what Mother Nature has to offer as well as some of the most incredible man-made structures built throughout the course of history.

Look at the places below, and you will see beauty that fills the eye and warms the heart. It wouldn’t be appropriate or humanly possible to just pick a few places from the huge collection of amazing sights around the world and call them the “best.”

They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and there are perhaps other places that have touched your heart. For this reason, we do not claim the places included in our list are the best, but rather among the vast collection of the most beautiful places of the world.

Skardu Valley – Pakistan

Photo by bogavanterojo

Photo by NotMicroButSoft

Skardu Valley is part of the Baltistan. Baltistan is spread over an area of 26,000 square kilometres – just right below the jagged and glaciated ramparts of the Karakoram. Once part of Laddakh, it was known as Tibet-i-Khurd – Little Tibet. Archaeological exploration has proven that it was encompassed by the Silk Trade Route.

Shangrila – Pakistan

Photo by NotMicroButSoft 

Shangrila Resort Skardu, also known as “Heaven on Earth”, is nestled amongst some of the world’s highest peaks. It encircles the heart shaped “Kachura Lake” and is surrounded by fruit laden orchards and flower filled gardens.

Lake Saiful Muluk – Pakistan

Photo by Fahd Murtaza

Lake Saiful Muluk is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near Naran. A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake. It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake. The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon.

The Grand Canyon, United States

A steep gorge by the Colorado River, Arizona in the United States, the Grand Canyon has some truly enjoyable scenery. It is 277 miles in length, 4 to 18 miles in width, and about a mile deep. Scientists believe that the canyon was created by the Colorado River over a six million year period.

Native Americans built settlements in the caves within the canyon before the emigration of Europeans. It was also considered to be a site of pilgrimage by the Pueblo people. The first recorded visit to the Grand Canyon by the Europeans was in 1869. Although it is not the deepest canyon in the world, it is known for its extremely large size and beautifully intricate landscape. The Grand Canyon National Park is said to be one of the first national parks in the United States and it attracts more than five million visitors a year. Weather conditions in the Grand Canyon vary greatly between seasons as well as varying at different elevations. While winter snow is experienced by the higher forested rims, the inner gorge has a desert temperature because of the low elevation.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef. It has the distinction of being placed in the World Heritage as well as the National Heritage lists.

With more than 600 islands and coral cays, the reef covers more than 300,000 sq. km. Corals make up the reefs and cays and are responsible for a huge variety of sea life in the reef — green turtles, several varieties of whales and dolphins, the dugong, about 4000 types of mollusks, 1500 different species of fish, as well as beautifully colored bird life encompassing at least 200 species. The Great Reef Marine Park is a huge tourist attraction with millions of tourists visiting the area each year. Sporting activities include reef sailing, scuba diving, and snorkeling, amongst others.

Cape Town, South Africa

Aptly called “Heaven on earth,” this beautiful town at the tip of the African continent, with small roads surrounded by huge mountains, makes a person feel small; showing how marvelous and dominating nature can actually be.

The Cape Dutch style buildings depict the architectural heritage of the place. Beauty abounds in the black clouds that seem to pay homage to Table Mountain at all times. Cape Point, Signal Hill, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Robben Island, Rhodes Memorial, and the beaches are some of the famous tourist attractions. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town is famous for its natural floral kingdom as well as its harbor. This town is one of the most popular tourist attractions of South Africa with its wine tasting day trips, whale watching, and dolphin watching.

Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal in India is one of the wonders of the world and is one of the most beautiful mausoleums constructed by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Located in Agra, white marble was used in the construction of this symbol of love, and the Taj Mahal is considered to be the pinnacle of Mughal architecture.

As the story goes, the emperor was grief-stricken when he lost his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took thousands of craftsmen and artisans, and about twenty years to construct it. The masons, stone cutters, carvers, inlayers, calligraphers, painters, and others were brought from throughout the entire empire as well as from Iran and Central Asia. Semi-precious stones were used for inlay ornamentation. It later became the mausoleum of Shah Jahan too. This is a huge tourist attraction with one to two million tourists visiting it every year.

Canadian Rockies, Canada

The majestic Canadian Rockies are the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. They are a visitor’s wonderland and the playground for western Canada. They are older than the American Rockies and are formed from over thrusting.

The Canadian Rockies house five national parks, and four of those national parks (along with other provincial parks) combine to form a single UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of beautiful mountain landscapes, lakes, canyons, waterfalls, glaciers, peaks, limestone caves, and fossils. Mount Robson is the highest peak of the Canadian Rockies and climbing it is considered a challenge. These beautiful mountains are a haven for hikers and walkers alike.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu in Peru, which means ‘Old Peak,” is one of the most enigmatic ancient sites in the world. According to legend, Machu Picchu was long ago considered to be a sacred place. The credit for the creation of the extraordinary city goes to the Inca people who have erected many stone structures and turned the place into a work of art.

Two thousand feet above the Urubamba river, these ruins consist of baths, temples, palaces, and about 150 houses, all very well preserved. These gray granite structures, some of which weigh more than 50 tons, are so perfectly sculpted that they are nothing less than works of architectural genius. They were rediscovered by a Yale archaeologist in 1911. The ethereal beauty, workmanship, and history of the place attracts millions of tourists each year.

The Pyramids, Egypt

The Egyptian pyramids are massive monuments with a square base and four triangular sides rising up to a point. There is still a lot of curiosity (and many theories) as to how the pyramids were actually constructed.

It is generally believed that the Egyptians began constructing them after 2700 B.C. and that they were built as tombs for the pharaohs. The most well-known (and the largest) pyramids of Egypt are the Pyramids at Giza which are said to be the largest ever built. It’s said that the Great Pyramid at Giza took 23 years to complete, using a work force of around 30,000 people. About 118 pyramids have been identified, and they are popular and intriguing to tourists and home researchers alike.

Petra, Jordan

Described by the UNESCO as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”, Petra is an archeological site on the slope of Mount Hor. It is one of the new wonders of the world and is famous for its rock-cut architecture.

This site was kept hidden until 1812 when it was discovered by a Swiss explorer. It was said to have been prepared by God for the Jewish people. Petra once flourished under the Roman empire but a rapid decline began with the Arabian trade being taken elsewhere. Then an earthquake caused a great deal of destruction. Tourists frequent the place to get a glimpse of the ruins of this beautiful city.

Great Wall of China, China

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China is a man-made structure that was constructed over two thousand years ago and took about 100 years to complete. The vastness of this project brings to light the immense capabilities of man.

The constructions started in the 5th Century B.C. It is actually not a single wall, but rather many walls put together, and it stretches over 4,000 miles. It was constructed to protect the Chinese Empire from the Xiongnu people in the north. The wall was initially built of stone, grass, earth, and wood, but bricks were used once the production started. It is believed that about 2-3 million Chinese died during the construction project.

The Iguazu Waterfalls, Argentina-Brazil Border

Heralded as the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, the Iguazu Waterfalls are a true wonder of nature. They are located at the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. While the Argentinean side allows visitors to walk right around the water or explore the National Park, the Brazilian side is known for its panoramic views and splendor.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is believed to have exclaimed upon seeing these falls, “poor Niagara.” The area surrounding the falls provides ample opportunities for rock climbing as well as water sports. Iguazu has the distinction of having a greater annual flow than any other waterfall in the world.

With all of these, and many more beautiful places that exist in our world, we surrounded by choices. The only way to decide on the places to visit is to follow your heart. While some may love the tranquility of water, others may bury themselves deep in architectural miracles, ancient sites, or the serenity of a small town.

Nature reveals its beauty in various forms; deserts, mountains, cliffs, forests, caves, valleys, rocks, islands, waterfalls, springs, oceans and others. Hope you enjoy this tour of beautiful places that take us into a different world – the world of mother nature.

In fact, we had done an article on Ten of the most beautiful places in the world a few days earlier; however, based on the response of our visitors showing interest in other places, we felt there is a lot missing and decided to bring more beauty your way.

Valley Swat- Pakistan

Photo by AamerJaved

Photo by AamerJaved

Swat Valley is a beautiful piece of paradise, it is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty that used to be popular with tourists as “the Switzerland of Pakistan”.

The Fairy Meadows – Pakistan

Photo by Ch. Khawar

Photo by jonmartin ()

The Fairy Meadows is a lush green plateau in foot gin of Nanga Parbat peak, Pakistan. It is the best place to view the majestic beauty of Nanga Parbat. Willy Merkl, the leader of the 1932 German-American expedition, named it Fairy Meadow due to its wonderful scenery.

Baltoro Glacier – Pakistan

Photo by Robert Dumas

Photo by ivpavlov

The Baltoro Glacier, at over 70km long, is one of the longest in the world and continually flanked by huge rock spires. At its source at Concordia lie some of the tallest mountains in the world. It’s dangerous beauty can’t be overestimated, the scenery is amazing.

Amazon Rainforest – Amazon Basin, South America

Amazon rainforest is the thickest rainforest that spans over a billion acres and encompasses areas in Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Bolivia, French Guiana and Suriname. The concentration of wildlife is very high and new species or subspecies of existing species continues to be discovered almost all the time. The majestic beauty and timelessness of this awe-inspiring tropical rainforest is indescribable in words and should be experienced.

Sognafjord (Sogne Fjord) – Norway

The second longest fjord (an inset of the sea between steep slopes) in the world and the largest in Norway, the magnificence of this has to be experienced for the magnitude to be understood. Reaching to more than 1,300 meters below sea level and above 2,000 meters above sea level, the sparkling water, the beautiful cliff faces and the picturesque villages make this a must visit place for nature lovers.

The Himalayas – Asia

This spectacle of awesome dimensions …the 3000 kilometer long towering mountain range with tiers of rock, ranges upon ranges, sky scraping peaks and canyons, is the planet’s highest mountain system and includes the world’s highest peaks; Mount Everest and K2. It stretches through Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. This is where earth meets the sky!

Yosemite Valley – California

The incomparable beauty of nature changing colors with seasons and the sigh of breeze in the pines can only be experienced at Yosemite Valley (Pronounced Yo-seh-mit-tea). Yosemite Valley is part of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This alpine valley offers incredible natural beauty and is just one mile in width and eight miles long with vertical granite walls rising above 2000 feet on either side. Nine ethereal waterfalls cascade into the valley. Wilderness hiking trails are as long as 800 miles.

The Niagara Falls – Ontario, Canada and New York, United States

Massive and beautiful waterfalls on the Niagara River, they are also famous for being a source of hydroelectric power. These falls are divided into three drops; Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the American side. These falls are said to have been formed at the end of the last ice age. These waterfalls may not be the highest but are certainly wide and the most powerful in North America.

Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa

Ernest Hemingway described this mountain as, “as wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white,” in his book, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”

The roof of Africa as it is called is the world’s tallest free-standing mountain and a dormant stratovolcano. The Kibo Summit at the top of the mountain is one among the few peaks of Africa that still have glaciers.

Mamanuca Islands – Fiji

They are 20 islands in total. These beautiful islands of Mamanuca are varied; while some are small and can be walked around in a few minutes, others may take days to explore. For those who love nature and water bodies, these islands are a paradise with miles and miles of lilley snow white sand and beautiful turquoise blue beaches.

Sahara Sunset – Sahara Desert

While the Sahara Desert is a wonderful place to see for the wide expanse of sand dunes, the sunset there is sure to take your breath away. A night spent camping on the sand dunes of this three-million year old desert, watching the sky change colors at dusk, is a dream come true for any nature lover.

Natural Springs and Limestone Cliffs of Pamukkale – Turkey

The Turkish people call it the eighth wonder of the world and people who visit the place do not argue. Pamukkale is one of nature’s wonders, with hot pools and white cliffs. The water flowing down the cliffs has turned the place into an exotic white cotton color with stalactites and basins. This elaborate calcium formation is the largest of its kind, spreading miles and miles. The pristine surroundings are not only emotionally but physically cathartic. The water is believed to be therapeutic, curing various maladies. In spite of being filled with tourists, it still retains the old world charm and peace that we long for.

World’s Most Expensive Hello Kitty Item

Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, that adorable cartoon cat that comes to us from Japanese popular culture, has appeared on a host of commercial products from credit cards to the Hello Kitty Jet (an Airbus A330-220). The character, designed by Yuko Shimizu, debuted in 1974 as a decoration on a vinyl coin purse.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty in 2009, Sanrio partnered with crystal maker Swarovski and Japanese jeweler I.K. to create the Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll. This 4-inch “doll” is made of solid platinum studded with thousands of precious gems, including 1,939 pieces of white topaz, 403 pink sapphires, a pair of black spinels for her eyes, a citrine for her nose and a 1.027-carat diamond on her signature bow.

The ultimate Hello Kitty doll was unveiled at Switzerland’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show and is valued at 15 million yen—about US $167,000!

Charity For Mencap, Need your help

I am running a project to help Mencap Liverpool. This project has been registered in Mencap Liverpool. The project is a trek to cycle around the Britain Island.    Mencap Liverpool is the local Mencap group supporting people with a learning disability and their families in the Liverpool area. We are affiliated to national Mencap but we don’t receive any funding from them or from the council, so we rely on the amazing fundraising efforts of people like you. As we’re a small charity the money you raise will make a huge difference to the lives of people we support. Most people with a learning disability are treated as ‘different’. They do not have the same control over their own lives as the rest of our society and face challenges and prejudice every day. We help give people the control they should have by providing outreach support; information and advice; career coaching; volunteering opportunities; befriending; help to establish circles of support; and work experience placements. We campaign and influence to give people with a learning disability a fair chance to live a normal life without fear of prejudice. The money you raise will enable us to empower individuals whilst helping their support network to grow in number and in confidence.
Please go to

to see my fundraising page and sponsor me online.

If you want donate for us, it will be grateful. If not, please help us promote the fundraising page. You can share the link on Facebook or tweet it or send it to your email contact.

every one donate will receive pretty thanks card in the future. The all donation will help learing disability children teaching project.

Data Register数据寄存器

　　8086 有14个16位寄存器，这14个寄存器按其用途可分为(1)通用寄存器、(2)指令指针、(3)标志寄存器和(4)段寄存器等4类。

　　(1)通用寄存器有8个, 又可以分成2组,一组是数据寄存器(4个),另一组是指针寄存器及变址寄存器(4个).

　　数据寄存器分为:

　　AH&AL＝AX(accumulator)：累加寄存器，常用于运算;在乘除等指令中指定用来存放操作数,另外,所有的I/O指令都使用这一寄存器与外界设备传送数据.

　　BH&BL＝BX(base)：基址寄存器，常用于地址索引；

　　CH&CL＝CX(count)：计数寄存器，常用于计数；常用于保存计算值,如在移位指令,循环(loop)和串处理指令中用作隐含的计数器.

　　DH&DL＝DX(data)：数据寄存器，常用于数据传递。

　　他们的特点是,这4个16位的寄存器可以分为高8位: AH, BH, CH, DH.以及低八位：AL,BL,CL,DL。这2组8位寄存器可以分别寻址，并单独使用。

　　另一组是指针寄存器和变址寄存器，包括：

　　SP（Stack Pointer）：堆栈指针，与SS配合使用，可指向目前的堆栈位置；

　　BP（Base Pointer）：基址指针寄存器，可用作SS的一个相对基址位置；

　　SI（Source Index）：源变址寄存器可用来存放相对于DS段之源变址指针；

　　DI（Destination Index）：目的变址寄存器，可用来存放相对于 ES 段之目的变址指针。

　　这4个16位寄存器只能按16位进行存取操作，主要用来形成操作数的地址，用于堆栈操作和变址运算中计算操作数的有效地址。

(2) 指令指针IP(Instruction Pointer)

　　指令指针IP是一个16位专用寄存器，它指向当前需要取出的指令字节，当BIU从内存中取出一个指令字节后，IP就自动加1，指向下一个指令字节。注意，IP指向的是指令地址的段内地址偏移量，又称偏移地址(Offset Address)或有效地址(EA，Effective Address)。

　　(3)标志寄存器FR(Flag Register)

　　8086有一个18位的标志寄存器FR，在FR中有意义的有9位，其中6位是状态位，3位是控制位。

　　OF： 溢出标志位OF用于反映有符号数加减运算所得结果是否溢出。如果运算结果超过当前运算位数所能表示的范围，则称为溢出，OF的值被置为1，否则，OF的值被清为0。

　　DF：方向标志DF位用来决定在串操作指令执行时有关指针寄存器发生调整的方向。

　　IF：中断允许标志IF位用来决定CPU是否响应CPU外部的可屏蔽中断发出的中断请求。但不管该标志为何值，CPU都必须响应CPU外部的不可屏蔽中断所发出的中断请求，以及CPU内部产生的中断请求。具体规定如下：

　　(1)、当IF=1时，CPU可以响应CPU外部的可屏蔽中断发出的中断请求；

　　(2)、当IF=0时，CPU不响应CPU外部的可屏蔽中断发出的中断请求。

　　TF：跟踪标志TF。该标志可用于程序调试。TF标志没有专门的指令来设置或清楚。

　　（1）如果TF=1，则CPU处于单步执行指令的工作方式，此时每执行完一条指令，就显示CPU内各个寄存器的当前值及CPU将要执行的下一条指令。

　　（2）如果TF=0，则处于连续工作模式。

　　SF：符号标志SF用来反映运算结果的符号位，它与运算结果的最高位相同。在微机系统中，有符号数采用补码表示法，所以，SF也就反映运算结果的正负号。运算结果为正数时，SF的值为0，否则其值为1。

　　ZF： 零标志ZF用来反映运算结果是否为0。如果运算结果为0，则其值为1，否则其值为0。在判断运算结果是否为0时，可使用此标志位。

　　AF：下列情况下，辅助进位标志AF的值被置为1，否则其值为0：

　　(1)、在字操作时，发生低字节向高字节进位或借位时；

　　(2)、在字节操作时，发生低4位向高4位进位或借位时。

　　PF：奇偶标志PF用于反映运算结果中“1”的个数的奇偶性。如果“1”的个数为偶数，则PF的值为1，否则其值为0。

　　CF：进位标志CF主要用来反映运算是否产生进位或借位。如果运算结果的最高位产生了一个进位或借位，那么，其值为1，否则其值为0。)

　　4)段寄存器(Segment Register)

　　为了运用所有的内存空间，8086设定了四个段寄存器，专门用来保存段地址：

　　CS（Code Segment）：代码段寄存器；

　　DS（Data Segment）：数据段寄存器；

　　SS（Stack Segment）：堆栈段寄存器；

　　ES（Extra Segment）：附加段寄存器。

　　当一个程序要执行时，就要决定程序代码、数据和堆栈各要用到内存的哪些位置，通过设定段寄存器 CS，DS，SS 来指向这些起始位置。通常是将DS固定，而根据需要修改CS。所以，程序可以在可寻址空间小于64K的情况下被写成任意大小。 所以，程序和其数据组合起来的大小，限制在DS 所指的64K内，这就是COM文件不得大于64K的原因。8086以内存做为战场，用寄存器做为军事基地，以加速工作。

　　以上是8086寄存器的整体概况, 自80386开始，PC进入32bit时代，其寻址方式，寄存器大小，功能等都发生了变化。