Author: Dirk Watkins

  • My Subversion Backup Script

    In the name of all that’s good – backup your Subversion repository! Your repo is the history of the code that runs your business.  Make sure you back that beast up.  You can safely back it up while developers are using it by running the dump command. Take a dump I like to script my…

  • Rangle Up Variables with JavaScript Closures

    Using global variables in JavaScript is bad and can tick off other developers.  Use Closures to group your variables with proper scope and stop watching your back in JavaScript User Group meetings. Here’s what I mean: When you make a variable or function in JavaScript by default it’s defined on the global object and it…

  • Notifying DBAs of New SharePoint Databases

    In our production environment, the Database Administrators like to know when a new database is created or dropped. As well they should.  They normally use a DDL trigger to send out an email when one of these events occurs.  The problem we ran into was that in Windows SharePoint Services 3 (WSS3/SharePoint 2007), the trigger…

  • How to Run SQL Server Management Studio as a Different Windows User

    If you’re using Windows Authentication for your SQL Server database you’ll need to run SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) as that Windows account to test queries.  SSMS normally runs as the user logged in to Windows, but there is a simple way to run it as the database access account. Just shift-right-click on a shortcut…

  • Turn Yeast into a Mosquito Killing Army!

    Mosquitoes are drawn to CO2.  Yeast create CO2.  So, use yeast to draw mosquitoes into a trap. I heard about this tip somewhere and thought I’d share it with you.  It cleverly uses yeast’s carbon-dioxide bi-product to trick mosquitoes into going into a bottle.  Since mosquitoes are also drawn to heat, you can paint the…