Getting richer with Flex

The First Glance

WOW!!  After viewing the sample application on Adobe site one has to be get impressed by the power and magic of it. This sample app gives you an idea what you and your users can have with Flex.

So is it all about Visuals?

RIA (Rich Internet Applications) doesn’t mean only visually rich but also flourishing from the application architecture point of view. In Flex world everything is arranged and placed together so you have to look-after less number of things but you get better results not only visually but also form architectural point of view.

Learning Curve

For a Web Developer having idea of HTML, JavaScript and CSS, it is not difficult to start getting your hand on Flex. MXML is much like HTML and you also have FLEX CSS for styling your components. Talking of ActionScript, it is like a super set of Javascript. OOP is a must for an ActionScript programmer.

Decision Time

So should you really opt for it? It depends upon the application requirements and the complexity of the user interface. Just don’t use it because every one in the town is talking about it. There are many things you can do using AJAX but can’t do with FLEX but its vicevarsa is not quite true.

A presentation about Enterprise architecture

Venue

Folio3 ( the Where I used to work at)

Speaker

Shafi Mansoori (Enterprise Architect at Kaiser Permanente).
Previously an Enterprise Architect at the American Automobile Association
& Director of Enterprise Architecture at Accenture.

Subject

Enterprise architecture, CRM and Data Warehousing.

Outline

Steps for developing an Enterprise Architecture

• Current State
• Future State
• Identify Gaps
• Strategic Initiatives (Identify Project and their dependencies so road map can be devised)

Architecture BluePrint

1. Infrastructure
2. Application
3. Data
4. Integration
5. Security

New Concepts I learned

ODS(Operational Data Store ) works as a datastore. The main difference between ODS and DataWare House is that no data cleaing is being done at ODS.

Heights and Widths of a Developer

A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths. Steven Wright

Being a geek we all are overwhelmed by technologies and technicalities. Our gatherings and gossips, our jokes and judgments, our delights and distresses, our feelings and fears are all centered towards computing. Many of us have become so oriented towards these things that we tend to forget that Softwares are for people and people are not for softwares.

In this scenario it is not surprising that our criteria to judge a developer just comprise on programming skills (like design patterns, development tools, frameworks or programming languages). Assessments of human feelings, knowing expected behavior of user from different backgrounds on different occasions and making softwares more acceptable for people are also the skills that are very important.  Industry giants also recognize this.

I’d love to have people who come to these jobs wanting to think of it as an exercise in people management and people dynamics, as well as the basic engineering skills. That would be absolutely amazing. (Bill Gates)

The same also goes for enhancing self expertise. Most discussed methods for it are like learning a new programming language, study certain frameworks or study algorithms. These things will deepen the expertise of one but there are certainly some other important ways to grow your skills. How to Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming. If we develop high-level skills, we may create working applications but only a developer with skills spread over wider domains can create friendly applications.

My Ultimate and Usable Web Development IDE

During the past two years I have been using different IDEs for PHP Development. I used Dreamweaver, Eclipse PDT, PHP Designer and NetBeans IDE but lately I faced some problems when I do some extensive JavaScript coding. This took me to re-enumerate the IDEs for me.

In short I concluded that NetBeans IDE for PHP fulfilled most of my needs.

What I Found Great

• Usability and easiness of use
• Extensive Code assistance not only for PHP but also for CSS and JavaScript
• Easy adding and removing of plugins
• Very lighter than Eclipse
• Many of good features of Eclipse are here (like Local History )
• Built in support for JQuery and other JavaScript Libraries
• Its free!!!!

Fight of the Century (Usability VS Reusability)

Lately I was reading a very though provoking article 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know

Besides some other great points, the guys came up with a really thought provoking point.
Simplicity before generality, use before reuse

This really gave voice to one of my thoughts. I always think that Developers also need usability in the code as user in an application, So it is easy for them to use and enhance the code. Whenever we add some reusability in the code we lose some usability from it.

By The Way Some other really appreciable points in the article were

•    Simplify essential complexity; diminish accidental complexity
•    Chances are your biggest problem isn’t technical
•    Communication is King
•    Architecting is about balancing
•    Quantify
•    One line of working code is worth 500 of specification
•    There is no one-size-fits-all solution
•    It’s never too early to think about performance and resiliency testing
•    Continuously Integrate
•    Try before choosing
•    Understand The Business Domain
•    Time changes everything
•    Everything will ultimately fail
•    Know all the rules — so you know which ones you’re breaking
•    Learn to be humble
•    Design for limited resources
•    Be the Dreamer of Dreams
•    Do not use technology for technology’s sake

Stroke it (Make XP work on your gestures)

So guys I am really fond of FireGestures add-on for Firefox. Some days earlier I thought there should be some utility for windows explorer that works like fire Gestures.

I Google it for such a utility and I found a near perfect solution. Stroke it is a must have.

StrokeIt is an advanced mouse gesture recognition engine and command processor. Click and hold down the right mouse button and then draw the mouse gesture you want performed.

Left : Back

Right : Forward

Some of the many qualities are

• No integration problems.
• Can add or remove applications.
• Can add customize gestures
• Really easy to use
• Application specific gestures

Softec 2008 @ Fast Lahore

Last month I had the privilege to represent my university (University of Karachi) at Softec 2008 in Speed Programming Competition. Well in my previous blogs I have written a lot about the programming competitions I have participated in, so it would be good to discuss some other aspects of the Mega Event.

Although the weather was hot but good arrangements made the overall experience a pleasure. Accommodation arrangements were good so were the ceremonies which were all started at time.

The main pitfall was the competition itself which lacked a lot of things. Mismanagement and late start were the main weak points in the programming competitions. Frequent power failures were also a big cause of hindrances.

The tasks in the programming competition were written by the organizers themselves so they were not so professional. Mostly in other programming competitions, tasks are copied from likes of ACM as they are richer in test cases and possess almost zero error.

In the end I would say that it was a good and none the less We learned a lot from the event.

What Google lost after Chrome?

Well Google definitely gained a lot from Chrome but what it lost because of it…

The answer is Our trust. Most of us considered Google as a faithful contributor in the web world but this step by Google to launch its browser named Chrome is a real shaker. It can be considered as a step taken to establish the monopoly on the web. Firefox loaded with addons already fullfills our 70% needs. Launching a browser that targets the remaining 30% needs and fullfills only some of them is not a clever step.

There are few things that this new browse offers. Every tab having its own process which can be controlled through task manager. Another of the feature is its sleekness which I appreciate in all Google products. But if not all most of these things can be achieved with Firefox.

Well what is done can not be undone so lets hope that Chrome brings a positive competition in browser market and we will see a lot of new features in browser shortly.

[PS] After a lot of criticism in the comments, I thought I should clarify some of my points. First of all nothing can be perfect so we should just pay heed to all sides of the scenario. Secondly it takes time for any software to become excellent. Chrome has to have some drawbacks at this point of time. So let the time decide.

Size does matter

Why we choose OSCommerce or Joomla or WordPress to start any project? One of the reasons is the plethora of features, they have. These features are the best part of these scripts and ultimately these are the major pitfalls of these systems. Many times One would never want ALL those features but have to have them in the package.

What’s the big deal

These EXTRA and unwanted features always hinder your development, enhancement and working. EXTRA features means EXTRA lines of code and EXTRA vulnerabilities and bugs in the code.

What can be done ?

There should be some way to opt for the features you want to have. Having more options is good.

We have the example of JQuery. JQuery UI has a package builder where you can select which features you want to have in your packege. http://ui.jquery.com/download_builder/

Some Quotes for You

love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.
Marlene Dietrich German movie actress (1901 – 1992)

Funny

It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it. Sam Levenson

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. Oscar Wilde

The sooner you get behind in your work, the more time you have to catch up. Anonymous Scheduler

Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped. Elbert Hubbard US author (1856 – 1915)

If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. Abraham Lincoln 16th president of US (1809 – 1865)

Computer & Science Related

Before software can be reusable it first has to be usable. Ralph Johnson

The software isn’t finished until the last user is dead. Anonymous Support Group Member

To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer. Paul Ehrlich

How many programmers dose it take to change a light bulb?
None – It’s a hardware problem

The only people who have anything to fear from free software are those whose products are worth even less. (David Emery)

Why is it drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users? Clifford Stoll

There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

General

Fortune does not change men, it unmasks them. Suzanne Necker

There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth unknown

The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwords Arthur Koestler

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. Will Durant

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. Martin Luther King Jr.

Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers. Voltaire

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. William G. McAdoo
US industrialist, lawyer, & politician (1863 – 1941)

Nothing shocks me. I’m a scientist.

It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem.
Malcolm Forbes US art collector, author, & publisher (1919 – 1990)

The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them. Sir William Bragg British physicist (1862 – 1942)

Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody. Franklin P. Adams, Nods and Becks, 1944 US journalist (1881 – 1960)

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
Samuel Johnson, English author, critic, & lexicographer (1709 – 1784)

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment. Rita Mae Brown

You don’t get anything clean without getting something else dirty. Cecil Baxter

An optimist stays up to see the New Year in. A pessimist waits to make sure the old one leaves. Bill Vaughan

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill

A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool. Moliere

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from. Andrew S. Tanenbaum

A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance. Anatole France French novelist (1844 – 1924)

We learn something every day, and lots of times it’s that what we learned the day before was wrong. Bill Vaughan

Life is not fair; get used to it. Bill Gates

It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people.
Logan Pearsall Smith, Afterthoughts (1931) “In the World”
(1865 – 1946)

In every fat book there is a thin book trying to get out. Anonymous

Talent does what it can; genius does what it must Robert Bulwer-Lytton

Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. T. S. Eliot

The things we know best are the things we haven’t been taught. Marquis de Vauvenargues