The Maps Library offers nine genuine generic container classes. Just as TStringList lets you keep lists of objects indexed by a string value, Maps let you keep lists of just about any type, object or atomic, indexed by whatever type you like. The nine different kinds of map have different performance characteristics allowing you to …
Yearly Archives: 2001
FirstAid
Every so often the Delphi IDE (from D2 until at least D7) seems to get confused about its line numbers: errors are reported in places there is no code; the debugger jumps about with no apparent relation to the code that is being executed. The Delphi newsgroups propose many diagnoses but, in my experience, the …
Trinity Sunday Year C
Did you ever see a triptych, one of those altar pieces or icons with three panels? Well I’ve got three images to look at today. One is a photograph of the first moon landing. Second is a painting. It’s a naked man with an IV in his chest and purple lesions over his body. The …
Ascension Sunday
“Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” Don’t you just hate angels with attitude?! Angels are like email—they may be an efficient way to send a message but subtle they are not and tender is beyond them. Because there has to be something both tender and subtle about what we ponder today. It …
Sunday Week 5 of Easter
A new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem—maybe even a new Oakland too! And John, the dreamer, means new. The old order—all the things we know, all the things we hate, all the things we love too—has passed away: “Behold,” says the Voice from the throne, “I make all things new!” New! …
Sunday Week 3 of Easter
We’ve been back for days now, his friends, his witnesses, his followers. And, me, Peter. Back to the Galilee. Waiting. Twice he walked through strong, Jerusalem walls to half-terrify, half-amaze, half-thrill us. Twice he touched us, twice he breathed real breath on us, spoke over and again his peace into us. And then … nothing. …
Easter Sunday Year C
So I slapped her, I slapped her, and I said, “I’m Peter, I’m the Rock, and I’m the one he left in charge, and I’m having none of this nonsense, especially from an hysterical, old whore like you Magdalene!” I know—I can hear you gasp—I’m not proud of that. Not one bit. But I’m full …
Friday Week 3 of Lent
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind—and your neighbour as yourself.” Love! It is almost a love story itself, this little snippet—the scribe with all his hopes intent on Jesus. Jesus himself with that response burning from his opening heart. And then our …
Sunday Week 3 of Lent Year C
“The Lord is kind of merciful, the Lord is kind of merciful …” Kinda. Let’s not go overboard here! God is pretty good. Quite compassionate. Kinda kind. But … There are disadvantages to preparing a homily in the early hours of a Sunday morning. I get migraine headaches from time to time. If you’ve ever …
Ash Wednesday
Lent never starts at the right time. It always comes as an interruption—an unwanted interruption. When did you last hear someone saying, “I can’t wait for Lent”? Or think to yourself, “I wish Ash Wednesday were here!” No, we are just getting used to ordinary time and a rhythm of life when the whistle blows …