Testing applications that communicate using email is more challenging than e.g. testing database access. Thanks to GMail and Spring, it can be done pretty easily. Here is the scoop: I need to generate email notifying users about business events and after sending the email, store the content in the database. In real environment you will use corporate SMTP server and real email addresses of real people. For development we can avoid bothering and spamming our customers by few simple tricks.

Part of the configuration magic is (one of several) Spring post-processors, that allows load the property file or files and refer to the values in these files inside XML configuration files. The rationale behind these is that property files are much easier to edit that possibly huge XML config file and using property values prevents repeating same value over and over again. With this approach, the following configuration: [sourcecode language='xml']

If you work with Oracle database, a very good tool you should not ignore is the Oracle SQL Developer. It gives you much more power when it comes to manipulating data or managing database. I use most of the time MyEclipseIDE plugins, but when I need e.g. export data, the SQLDeveloper is way to go. Today I tried it for first time on the Mac. I started to configure and database connection and was completely confused by the error message "

I have been sick for last two weeks, most of the time offline, listening to podcasts and audiobooks and doing more or less nothing. I have caught up with the backlog of episodes, saw lots of videos from Macworld. Among the audiobooks I was listening two, some recommendations: The Company is good parody of the corporate life. Starting with missing donut, it tells the story of a new hire in large corporation, governed by strange rules.

Apple released today the 10.5.2 update. After over a year and half with Mac platform (and over 2 months on Mac only work environment) I become fearless and installed update without too much worries :-). Year ago, I guess I would be quite concerned whether the Service Pack will or will not render my work notebook useless with unreparable registry ... I still remember the fun after SP2 got installed .