Development » Java

Old-school programming techniques you probably don't miss

Despite its complexity, the software development process has gotten better over the years. "Mature" programmers remember how many things required manual intervention and hand-tuning back in the day. Today's software development tools automatically perform complex functions that programmers once had to write explicitly. And most developers are glad of it!

By Esther Schindler | 30 April, 2009 09:52

Tags: programming language, software development

King of the dynamic IDEs

Komodo IDE 5 from ActiveState is the most comprehensive code editor and debugger available for enterprise teams that develop applications using a range of dynamic languages. Komodo's strong debugging skills are blended with broad-based coding support for Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby, not to mention Tcl, Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, and many more. With powerful HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML support, Komodo is a great Web 2.0 companion as well.

By James R. Borck | 27 February, 2009 08:48

Tags: Java, ruby on rails, software development, sun

A future without programming

A few years ago, self-proclaimed non-developer Kevin Smith worked for a software company that tried to build a project tracking tool using Microsoft .Net. Some 15 developers spent a year with little success. "After burning though a million dollars and still without a product, the company called it quits," says Smith, now managing partner of NextWave Performance, a consultancy in Denver, Colo.

By Tom Kaneshige | 21 November, 2008 09:59

Tags: programming

Multicore: New chips mean new challenges for developers

With the advent of multicore processors such as the Intel Core Duo, which is now commonplace in PCs, software developers must deal with a new wrinkle -- getting software to be processed across multiple cores -- in order to ensure the maximum performance from their software. But this is much easier said than done, with developers having to tackle issues with concurrency and potential performance bottlenecks. Already, 71 percent of organizations are developing multithreaded applications for multicore hardware, according to a recent IDC survey sponsored by tool vendor Coverity.

By Paul Krill | 05 November, 2008 08:09

Tags: chips, cpu, programming

Application builders in the sky

The power of Web-based applications continues to burgeon as they take on the art of application building itself. In a number of online tools, the old compile-link-deploy loop disappears, and editing a Web application becomes as simple as editing a comment for Slashdot. (Notice I used the word "edit," not "program.") Just click a few times in the browser and your application is up and running.

By Peter Wayner | 23 September, 2008 08:21

Tags: CRM, programming

Can JavaFX make a play for rich Internet apps?

With its new JavaFX technology for rich Internet applications, Sun Microsystems hopes to leverage the strength of the Java development base and Java's ubiquitous presence on devices to make a strong run in a race it has entered very late -- and where Adobe Systems and Microsoft have a huge head start.

By Paul Krill | 28 August, 2008 11:19

Tags: javafx

Hooking your apps into Amazon Web Services

Connecting your application into the Amazon Web Services (AWS) isn't complicated, particularly if you've done Web service programming on other projects.

Ex-inmates apply open source to rehabilitation

Ric Moore and Dennis Gaddy met in prison, and started to discuss how Open Source software and methods could help other inmates to avoid further mistakes and get better chance to start over after their term. In this interview, Ric explains how they are doing it through the NuOAR program and why.

Unsung fathers of technology

Who's your daddy?

The shrinking Java tools market

The Java tools market is in flux, with the recent acquisitions of CodeGear and BEA Systems altering the landscape, leaving developers with fewer independent tools choices.

The Test Center guide to rich Web app dev tools

Rich Internet applications, or RIAs, comprise a spectrum of application types and technologies. The lightweight end of the spectrum has seen most of the attention in recent months, with Microsoft's Silverlight and Adobe's AIR (Application Integrated Runtime) getting attention as the new kids in town. But AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is still where most of the lightweight action resides. And despite the recent focus on lightweight app dev, significant developer focus remains on the heavyweight tools in the Microsoft .Net and Sun Java worlds.

The virtual office gains ground

Virtual reality is making its move from gaming and social sites into the business world.

Trolltech pours on the Java dev goodness

The world of Java depends on two established GUI toolkits: Swing and SWT (standard widget toolkit). Both software packages provide the widgets, controls, menus, and user interface components in most Java applications today. Swing, which Sun bundles with Java, first shipped with Java 1.2 in 1998. SWT, developed by IBM, must be downloaded separately. Its most famous application is the Eclipse development environment.

Eclipse IDE at a crossroads

The popular Eclipse IDE could be at a major crossroads in its development.

Java increasingly threatened by new app dev frameworks

Is Java slipping into second-tier status in the application development space? All the attention being given to its rivals these days might give off that impression.