| November 13, 2007 | Adobe Pulls a Unified Client Out of Thick AIR
At its annual “Max” conference Adobe showed off its Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) which brings rich Internet applications (RIAs) and the best of Web development standards to the offline desktop experience. In the enterprise, Adobe hopes to mashup any distinction between Internet, intranet, enterprise and desktop application development with AIR. |
| October 30, 2007 | The Right IDE Smoothes Out .NET vs. Java Discord
The Java vs. .NET debate is ongoing. Many Java companies are considering moving to .NET because of the dearth of Java talent and the seemingly endless supply of .NET/C# developers. IT leaders faced with this problem will be relieved to know that using the right Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE) will help them transform a willing C# programmer into a much needed Java developer. |
| April 17, 2007 | IBM's ISPF Productivity Tool, Power to the Programmers
Developers working for years within the z/OS environment have struggled with time-consuming workarounds and missing features within Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF). IBM's recent release of the ISPF Productivity Tool V5.9 will be a boon for developers on the z/OS platform. |
| December 19, 2006 | Eclipse Casts a Long Shadow over Sun's NetBeans
Eclipse is touted as being the best of both worlds: a good IDE and a good development framework. It is currently the most popular Java IDE on the market, but Sun Microsystems is using its NetBeans IDE to challenge Eclipse's dominance. Although Sun's marketing machine is now revving up, Java developers can anticipate a long night's journey for NetBeans before it sees the light of day as the top Java IDE. |
| December 19, 2006 | Riding the IIS Adoption Wave
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) releases generally follow the same pattern. Use this knowledge to form a migration plan for IIS upgrades and related internal software development instead of treating each software upgrade as a point-in-time crisis. |
| October 24, 2006 | Google Gadgets Expand the Toolkits of Web Developers
Google Gadgets have leapt from their former home on end-users' Google homepages and Google Desktops and can now be added to regular Web pages. Google's announcement of these Web page-friendly mini-applications means enterprise Web developers can now leverage a widely available set of standardized JavaScript-based tools to enhance site functionality. |
| September 12, 2006 | Put Ruby at the Bottom of the Scripting Language List
Ruby is a mature language that has been in use across Europe and Asia for the last 10 years. Most of the hype surrounding Ruby in North America is a result of the popular Rails framework created by David Heinemeier Hansson. Enterprises planning to standardize their scripting language on Ruby should exercise extreme caution. |
| August 29, 2006 | Code Generators vs. App Generators: What's the Difference?
Although the market uses the terms "code generator" and "application generator" interchangeably, the features and functionality of these products vary considerably. Know the difference between these solutions to avoid the expense of making the wrong purchase decision. |
| August 1, 2006 | Don't be Misled by Sinking Sun
Wall Street has been bearish on Sun Microsystems' vision and strategy since its Java open-source announcement at JavaOne on May 16, 2006. Sun's market value has dropped by 18% as it tries to move back to profitability. Don't be misled by Sun's drop in market cap. Look past this lack of investor confidence to find solid solutions from Sun. |
| July 18, 2006 | Exercise Caution When Entering Web App Generator Waters
Web application generators have been on the market for just over six years. IT managers purchasing generators for their Web applications should tread carefully in this evolving market to avoid acquiring inappropriate or immature products. |
| May 9, 2006 | Automatic Code Generators Not for the Reckless
An application generator can provide great benefits to the development process, but also can bring significant risk. Understand the tradeoffs of this code creation tool and apply it judiciously to ensure successful outcomes. |
| May 9, 2006 | The Java Framework Showdown
There is a plethora of frameworks available for Web application development in Java. While finding a framework is easy, choosing the right one is tricky. Get a grip on the framework options available with this quick overview of the players. |
| April 25, 2006 | Tried and True PHP Patterns for Free
Full object-oriented development is now possible with PHP 5.0+. Programmers and application developers that want to take advantage of these powerful capabilities can use these resources to get a primer on object-oriented patterns with PHP. |
| April 11, 2006 | Web App Dev: Trade in J2EE for Ruby on Rails
Ruby is gaining a lot of attention as more Web developers report shorter learning curves and development cycles using the language. J2EE enterprises should move from the sidelines and adopt Ruby on Rails for developing scalable, standalone Web applications. |
| March 28, 2006 | Ignore the Hype: Atlas is Just AJAX in Microsoft Clothing
IT developers must avoid the pointless comparison of Atlas to AJAX. Atlas is a library; AJAX is a collection of mature Web technologies. Spend more time focusing on which AJAX libraries provide better productivity for creating Web applications with rich, interactive interfaces. |
| March 28, 2006 | A Clearinghouse for Programmer Tutorials
Programmers must constantly refine their skills and learn new languages. A clearinghouse for a variety of online tutorials is now available to programmers who are looking to either improve or expand their skill sets. |
| March 14, 2006 | AJAX Is Not a Fix for Poor Web Site Usability
Web developers mistakenly associate rich interfaces developed using AJAX with improved usability. Avoid implementing AJAX as a fix for poorly designed Web sites. |
| February 28, 2006 | Input Data Validation for the Regular Guy
Validating data inputted by the user over the Web is a constant challenge. Add regular expressions to the software development toolset to ensure customers only enter quality data. |
| February 14, 2006 | A Library for AJAX Libraries
As AJAX grows in popularity, so too does the need for a good AJAX library. Finding the right one to fit a specific need is difficult, and can be time consuming. Use this valuable resource to avoid wasted hours spent fruitlessly searching or reinventing the wheel. |
| January 17, 2006 | O'Reilly Offers Open Books
O'Reilly offers several of its titles freely to the public. The collection is particularly relevant for users and developers of open-source software. |
| January 3, 2006 | MS Office 12: New Dev Tools Grow Workflow Capabilities
An enhanced set of development tools will change the way IT develops for and supports the new Microsoft Office 12 productivity suite. Include these significant changes to development requirements before deciding on a migration strategy to Microsoft's new offering. |
| December 6, 2005 | New Dev Tools for Next-Gen BlackBerry Platform
The adoption by Research In Motion (RIM) of Intel's XScale processor architecture for its next generation of BlackBerry handheld devices is more than a play for better hardware. Mobile-friendly application development will be bolstered by new tools. Ensure application development skills are adapted accordingly to maintain organizational competitiveness. |
| November 22, 2005 | SMEs: Leverage Low-Cost DB Design Tools
Small and mid-sized companies will find significantly more value by avoiding expensive, high-end database design tools and choosing from low-cost or free solutions instead. |
| November 8, 2005 | Macromedia Studio 8: A Worthwhile Upgrade
Macromedia Studio 8 addresses many of the shortcomings of earlier releases. These improvements will be welcomed by designers, but will leave developers feeling cold. |
| October 25, 2005 | Selecting the Best Database Design Tool
To get the greatest value for your application dollar, invest time and effort in selecting the best database design tool for the enterprise’s development environment. |
| September 13, 2005 | A Valuable Resource for Improving PHP Security
Security defects in many third-party applications developed for PHP are tarnishing the reputation of the programming language. To address this issue, a group of PHP evangelists has developed a valuable resource for eliminating programming and library defects from PHP. |
| August 30, 2005 | AJAX Libraries Essential for Web Development
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is rapidly becoming a high-profile Web-based application development tool. AJAX is good, but incomplete: libraries are needed to gain maximum benefit. Build AJAX applications quickly and easily by choosing the right AJAX library. |
| August 16, 2005 | New Tools for Microsoft’s New OS
Microsoft’s next major desktop operating system has shed its Longhorn code name. It is now known as Windows Vista, and developers are already gearing up to build the new generation of applications that will run on it. Microsoft has released a suite of new developers’ tools to facilitate the transition. Start integrating these tools now into existing development toolkits. |
| August 16, 2005 | Bad SQL Code: Commonplace and Costly
Poor SQL code increases hardware costs, networking costs, and user dissatisfaction. Use these troubleshooting techniques to diagnose and correct the problem. |
| August 2, 2005 | IBM Innovates iSeries for the Mid-Market
IBM's recent iSeries strategy change is a major cultural shift for the vendor. Big Blue has a good track record for re-inventing itself, however, and this particular change should benefit IBM, its ISV network, and most importantly, iSeries customers. Understand IBM’s iSeries roadmap to make the most out of your midrange server investment. |
| July 5, 2005 | Zend Raises PHP to Enterprise Level
Web application developers were able to build enterprise applications using PHP, but they lacked the tools to make deployment of these enterprise applications easy. The introduction of PHP5 and the Zend Platform addresses this misconception. |
| July 5, 2005 | Choosing a Programming Language
Faced with new projects, the question inevitably arises about which programming language to use. If you choose a niche language, then finding skilled personnel will be difficult. To help make the decision easier, use this free resource. |
| June 21, 2005 | Programmers Can Use a UNIX Fix
Native Windows utilities are not powerful enough to handle text manipulation like searches and on-the-fly editing. This resource is a Web site that contains Windows ports of 26 of UNIX's most popular and powerful text manipulation utilities. |
| May 24, 2005 | ASP.NET 2.0: Improved, But Nothing New
ASP.NET 2.0 improves many of the small problems found in ASP.NET 1.1. For Windows shops, this upgrade is mandatory. IT developers looking to settle on a development platform should fully explore other development platforms before settling on this one. |
| May 10, 2005 | The End of Visual Basic 6 Support
Already effective, Microsoft has severely restricted the breadth and depth of support available for users and developers of Visual Basic 6. Plan the migration roadmap with great care, and do it soon since outdated development languages expose the organization to major risk. |
| April 26, 2005 | AJAX: A New Hero for the Web
Customers wishing to do business online have had no choice but to put up with inelegant and ungainly dynamic Web applications. Dramatically improve your customers’ online experience by adopting the Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) approach to Web development. You can be sure that your competitors will. |
| February 15, 2005 | Make .NET and J2EE Play Nice
Enterprises are more likely than ever to be utilizing both .NET and J2EE technology concurrently in projects. Both Web Services and proprietary translation applications exist to make integration of the two technologies possible. |
| February 1, 2005 | Tickle Your Developers' Senses with Tcl
Managers looking for a simple alternative to Perl, Python, Java Script, or Visual Basic should take a look at the best kept secret in rapid development: Tcl. |
| September 13, 2004 | VoiceXML Something to Shout About
VoiceXML is coming of age and is ready for implementation in large-scale customer care systems. Use this technology to lower the costs of acquiring and maintaining traditional customer care systems. |
