Issues with Database-Backed Web Applications
Posted Friday, October 10th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | No Comments
The Internet has changed and shifted the dynamics of the way people communicate. It is the most used network in the world and has allowed people to exchange ideas and information more than ever before, from anywhere around the world. From 2000 to 2007, Internet use grew 244.7 percent (Internet World Stats, 2007). The United States alone accounts for 19 percent of the world’s Internet users. The Internet has also caught the attention of the business world. Companies of every size are using the Internet to speed up business processes. Modern organizations are using the World Wide Web (often abbreviated “WWW” or called “the Web”) to communicate with their partners and customers, to connect with their back-end databases, and to conduct transactions. The integration of traditional information technology with the Internet creates a more nimble business, prepared for the trials and tribulations of conducting business in the 21st century (Mullins, 2002). › Continue reading
You are still using IE6?
Posted Monday, September 29th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | 2 Comments
I recently ran into the issue of having to find a machine that was still using Internet Explorer (IE) 6. Keep in mind that IE 8 is currently in beta. This problem arose after going through a remote troubleshooting session with a client for which I designed a Website. They were seeing errors in the site’s layout that I did not see. While I diligently tested the site in most of the major browsers (IE 7, Chrome, Firefox, Safari), I neglected to test it in IE 6 because I did not have it anywhere around. Plus it is old and I did not think it was still used. But much to my chagrin, there are some companies still using it. › Continue reading
Documenting your code base
Posted Monday, September 22nd, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | No Comments
Plain and simple, good documentation costs money. Either you have to find someone to write documentation full-time or have your developers spend their time (and your money) writing it. I have never been a part of a situation where writing a tome that exists outside of the code base works. Most developers would not have the time or patience to read it let alone write it. But in a situation where the proper programming language along with its best practices are used, the code’s methods should be self-explanatory. Then code documentation would only have to be done to explain special cases or addenda.
If your project is especially complex, comprehensive test suites can be used to explain its behaviors and outline its goals. These suites can be executed by a dedicated software tester or by the developer. One way to prevent bad code from clogging the development cycle is to have the developer run a specific set of tests that finds bugs in the code and also performs a functionality smoke test. Then have a dedicated tester run specific tests that ensure the code does what it is intended to do.
The bottom line is you want your people doing what they do best. Developers write code, not documentation. So if your find yourself spending extensive time training new developers on the intricacies of your code, make sure your are following the best practices of the programming language being used, document special cases or addenda, and use comprehensive test suites to cover the rest.
Rating the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Websites
Posted Friday, September 19th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | 2 Comments
Co-author: Kevin Armstrong
We the people of the United States are faced with economic hardships, a climate crisis, catastrophic natural disasters, wars, rumors of wars, a failing education system, plus many more public and private issues. At this point in our nation’s history, the 44th President has the enormous task of redirecting the people in a more positive direction. At the forefront of any change initiative is communication. The President must be able to clearly relay his or her vision in order to bring the people around a shared sense of purpose.
With the Internet being a major component of communication, we took the liberty of rating each candidate’s website. › Continue reading
What does Web development the smart way mean?
Posted Monday, September 15th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | No Comments
What does Web development the smart way mean?
Very simply, Web development the smart way means to develop proper solutions using the Web that will also advance the Web development community.
To accomplish this we must first break the process down into two phases. The first phase is developing proper solutions using the Web. This consists of efficiently executing all the major aspects involved in software development (analyze, design, develop, test, maintain) to create a solution that should work the way it is intended to. And of course this is done using Web technologies (Web browser, JavaScript, HTML, AJAX, etc…).
The second phase of advancing the Web development community involves using and building upon the Web’s best parts when creating Web Applications and Websites. Determining the Web’s best parts is a tensely debated subject that has yet to be resolved; hence the lack of a clear set of standards. But one major part of Web development is JavaScript. In my post on Lessons Learned at the Rich Web Experience 2008, I give a brief synopsis on ways to bring out JavaScript’s best.
So, to develop proper solutions using the Web that will also advance the Web development community, we must be disciplined in our software development methodologies while ensuring we are using the best parts of whatever Web technology we choose to use.
Cheers!
Lessons Learned at the Rich Web Experience 2008
Posted Saturday, September 13th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | No Comments
First I would like to extend kudos to the No Fluff Just Stuff group for putting together an excellent Rich Web Experience symposium. All who attended had the opportunity to hear from and talk with some of the industry’s best and brightest.
With JavaScript now garnering respect throughout the programming community, it is up to Web developers and designers to help move it forward by promoting innovation (object capability) and solving problems (standards).
So until we can get everyone on the same page and move forward, there are some things we can do to bring out JavaScript’s best:
- Refactor your code to ensure you are using JavaScript’s good parts.
- Use existing JavaScript libraries because they have done the dirty work for you.
- Know that browsers are software built using either incomplete or miscomprehended specs. So don’t get caught up in complaining about what the browser does not do. Start exploiting their good parts.
- No one ever has time to document the entire code base. So help the open source community by documenting a part of a JavaScript library.
- There are ways to test JavaScript code (JSSpec, JSUnit, JSLint).
- Always remember that to the user the UI is the system. So usability should be very high on your list.
If you have more ways to bring out JavaScript’s best, share them.
Cheers!
Using leadership to manage strategic organizational change
Posted Friday, September 12th, 2008 by Anthony Woodard | No Comments
What drives leadership is different than what drives management. I have found that knowing the responsibilities, actions, behaviors and mentality of a leader and the difference between leadership and management can mean the difference between successful change and failure. Knowing when to incorporate the actions of a manager with the actions of a leader is an important aspect of leadership. In order for an organization to survive over the long term, it must have a solid view of its external and internal environment. Changes in the external environment trigger changes internally. Some environmental changes require an organization to make small, incremental changes while others require an organization to make strategic changes which includes changes to structure, culture and strategy. Leadership is an integral part of managing strategic organizational change. Leadership provides the plan, vision and motivation for implementing strategic change. Leadership has the ability to influence people and move them in the direction to accomplish a goal.