Sunday, March 24, 2013

PHP Language: Foundation of Open Source Frameworks


Introduced as "Personal Home Page", and later renamed as "Hypertext Preprocessor," PHP is one of the most extensively used, and popular programming languages. Today, a large number of small and medium-size enterprises, as well as big corporates utilize this server-side scripting language for dynamic web development purpose. As per recent analysis, PHP is supporting more than twenty million websites, and one million web servers, which clearly shows the huge repute gained by the language.
Unique Selling Points of PHP
Created initially for managing "Personal Home Page", today PHP serves as foundation stone of a wide range of open source frameworks. No doubt, there are various USPs behind the overwhelming success and popularity of the language. One of the main benefit of the open-source language is that it can be installed on a wide range of web servers and also on every OS and framework without any cost. In addition, the language also supports a variety of RDBMS, thereby increasing the functional credibility of the language. Moreover, the wide acceptance of PHP across the globe, has resulted in the formation of communities by enthusiastic PHP coders.
In terms of up-gradation, this open-source language has always been in evolving mode, which can be seen by regular arrivals of new PHP updates. With every update adding something extra to the existing version, this further provide more grounds to the developers. As for now, PHP programmers are using version 5.4.12 for development purpose, with PHP 6.0 already in the pipeline for the roll-out.
PHP as Foundation
The feature-rich PHP has also played a significant role in the development of various frameworks, by providing a foundation and a design structure to encourage the Rapid application development (RAD) process. Some of the PHP based frameworks include - CakePHP, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Yii Framework, and Zend Framework. Most of these platforms follow the Model-view-controller (MVC) model, that helps in separating the information from the users' view.
Written in PHP, all the open-source web application frameworks encompass somewhat similar features and functionalities. However, they are not identical, as distinct frameworks have different attributes. Some of the major PHP based open-source platform are -
Zend Framework: This open-source framework is based on PHP 5 and include components that are E_STRICT compliant. It supports various database systems and includes email composition and delivery feature. Added with minimal inter-dependencies, the platform provide ideal grounds for PHP web development.
Yii Framework: This platform strictly follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) designpattern. It allows generation of high-end WSDL services while supporting translation of time, and date. In addition, it also supports data caching, and dynamic content. Needless to say, Yii framework is best for error handling, and implementation of security measures.
CakePHP Framework: This framework assists in rapid web application development. With fast generation of prototypes and no complicated XML/YAML files associated, the system is suitable for building commercial web development solutions. Furthermore, CakePHP also helps during the application development process and assists in keeping your app safe via CRSF protection and other in-built tools.
CodeIgniter Framework: This high-performance PHP framework is best for developing web applications. The easy to use platform assists in developing solutions with broad compatibility, zero configuration, exceptional performance and small footprint. Finally, CodeIgniter assists in developing solutions, ranging from simple to even complex one.
However, being an open-source platform, PHP is also prone to virus attacks. According to a research, about 30% of all the vulnerabilities listed on the universal database are linked to PHP. However, with regular updates and new improved versions of PHP coming-up, soon this open-source scripting language will overcome all shortcomings and become safe and secure.
I am Pauline Taylor, working as a content developer. I want to share some valuable information about PHP development. I hope the information I am sharing will be beneficial for the PHP coders & may help them constructively as well.


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Choose the Best Drupal Development Expert to Avoid Painful Deployment Experience


There are some qualities of a good Drupal development expert that you should know before you choose an open source expert. The role of your open source expert may vary widely depending on the industry and the size of the project they are tackling with. Clearly, these CMS experts can help you cover your business ideas into reality. They can balance multi roles and juggle open source responsibilities. In short, they should have the aptitude to think out-of-the-box, with a strong dedication to constantly learn and understand the fine prints of Drupal in every possible way. In this article, we will summarize key traits of these CMS experts.
Communication abilities
As an open source expert, it is important to have clear and effective communication capacity. This can be done by having a style of communication to express facts and ideas. A clear communication style defines good expert at its roots. Therefore, it is essential to communicate your ideas effectively.
Extensive CMS knowledge
A good CMS expert can explain the concepts behind developing specific software or an application. They also make their all possible efforts to discuss the objectives and matter to their clients.Ideally, your open source expert should present the key concepts with simplicity. They should also be expert in discussing various case studies and finally creating key notes.
Technically Sound
Your CMS expert should provide great assistance throughout the process of customizing, integrating and maintaining CMS application. From the beginning of your entire
project through customization and ongoing maintenance, they should resolve any issues occurring to your software system. With the help of open source experts, you can also customize this platform to the core to rise to any development challenge.
Provide custom Drupal training
From project planning, evaluating, to project development and support, these experts should start off the project sending you all necessary details of Project Team so you know that with what skill-set they are working on your project. These experts will also test the system whenCache is on to check broken links, any invalid data and page format. They also provide custom Drupal training as per your requirements.
Taking into account all the qualities described above, you must have realized by now that what makes a good leader. The essence of being a great Drupal development expert is not necessarily something you can learn from a textbook. A good CMS expert is likely to be decisive, strategic, organized and ideally technically sound.
Lin D'Souza is a Drupal Expert working as a Community Manager with OSSCube, a leading Drupal Development Company specializes in offering Drupal Consulting, Drupal Customization.



Friday, March 22, 2013

Introduction to Python


The design of Python is inspired by many languages such as C, Modula-3 and mainly the educational language, ABC. It has been attracting a large and enthusiastic group of users including professional programmers, educators and computer scientists since the day it was launched. It became one of the preferred programming languages for creating web applications after the release of its first version in 1994, which was Python 1.0.
Python has a fully dynamic type system, automatic memory management and a large and comprehensive standard library. It is often used as a scripting language but has a wide use in non-scripting contexts too. It can be compared with various languages like Tcl, Ruby, Perl, Scheme or Java.
When it comes to the features of Python, there is not just one single feature that makes it such an amazing language. In fact, it has cherry-picked the best features of many languages and combined them in a very elegant and synergistic manner. Some of its key distinguishing features include:
· The standard library of Python is described by the word "batteries included" which covers everything from asynchronous processing to zip files such as documentation, unit testing, threading, databases, CGI, HTML, XML, FTP and many other system-specific functionalities.
· It can be used on the major operating systems like Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, Macintosh, Solaris, OS/2, Amiga, Pocket PC and even Nokia Series 60 mobile phones and a lot more.
· It does not need the compiling and linking/loading steps like other programming languages. All that is needed is to run the program directly from the source code. This feature makes Python easy to use and portable too.
· It can be used freely, even for commercial products because of its OSI approved open source license.
· Python's newsgroup is considered as one of the friendliest around the world. Thedevelopers and the user community runs international and local conferences, runs development sprints and in this way contributes to online code repositories.
The other characteristics of Python include strong introspection capabilities, full modularity, natural expression of procedural code and it can be embedded within applications as a scripting interface. It can be said that Python has the right combination of performance and features that make program writing, an easy task.
For programmers, the scripting languages like Python are more productive in comparison of C, C++ and Java. The large organizations like Google, Yahoo, CERN, NASA etc. also use Python. It has also achieved 7th rank in the TIOBE Programming Community Index as per the report collected in February 2013.
The design and philosophy of Python has influenced many programming languages like Boo, Cobra, Go, OCaml, Ruby, Groovy etc.
Nick Thomas is a keen blogger who enjoys learning and writing about the latest technology. Software and mobile applications are some of his key area of interests. He is also a freelance writer and writes for various software product development companies like Q3 technologies. Follow him on Google+.


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Properties Of A Good Computer Program


A program can be termed as a set of instructions that help in running things. For a computer to perform certain required tasks, it requires an appropriate program. When correct instructions are fed to the computer, then its performance will at most times be at optimum, whereas the opposite is likely to mess things up.
Today many businesses require computers to ensure smooth running of business. Therefore, the computers should have programs that are user friendly and easy to understand. A few things will tell if a program is good enough.
Is it readable
If the program is in writing that makes it easy for a user to understand and follow the logic, then it can be termed as good. It should also have a systematic arrangement that will make it easier to troubleshoot the computer if anything goes wrong.
Efficiency
Your program should save you time. For you to process instructions you will need time and will certainly use up some memory. A good programming is that which works with less processing time and a small amount of memory. This proves efficient as you realize less waste.
Flexibility
A good program should be able to accommodate different platforms, without having to make major changes to coding and software. It is common phenomenon today to see different platform changes.
Therefore, having a portable program will not be affected if the user decides to change the operating system. When good computer programming is done, your system is able to handle modification, which happens due to many reasons like change of administration.
It should only have simple codes that facilitate different amendments needed over time.
Proper structure
For a program to be developed, the major tasks that are required to run the different systems should be broken down. A developer can also develop them independently in order to accomplish the job assigned to them without having to rely on other subtasks.

Proper documentation
Every program has to have good documentation especially if the author will not be around for long. This is so that the other person handling it will find it easy to comprehend.
Many people make computer programming their career. These are the best people to get good programs from. Having a reliable source for the program will give you the satisfaction that the vendor will be there in case any concerns arise. Having one specialist like this in your business especially in the IT department will ensure that your systems run efficiently.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Manage Your Documents Effectively With SharePoint Development


Every organization, regardless of industry, will have a certain amount of data which needs to be kept protected and easily available at all times. Managing the documents is necessary for every organization to run the business activities smoothly. A document management system is required to the same effectively. SharePoint is designed to do the task appropriately. It's the most commonly used document management system, provides an easy way to manage all the important documents related to business activities. Here, we will discuss the benefits of SharePoint development in document management.
SharePoint is basically a web-based documents control system which allows the employees to work together and share the resources through a distributed platform. It helps in creating the resources such as intranets, extranets, and project portals. Following are the various benefits, SharePoint provides:
  • MS-office Integration: The most attractive feature of SharePoint is that it is fully integrated with Microsoft Office suite applications such as MS-Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Therefore, it meets up all the industry standard requirements.

  • Easy Migration: The biggest problem faced by businesses today is, that the information is stored at different places in different formats. If someone has to access the data, might face some issues such as compatibility, consistency, security etc. Using SharePoint development, they can get rid of the situation. Since, SharePoint provides a collaborative platform, with all documents in MS office format. Every one can easily access these documents with no compatibility issues.

  • Easy Communication: SharePoint allows the employees with in organization to easily communicate with each other. It ensures that employees across the organization can easily access all the important files and folders. It brings more collaboration by creating a central platform and employees can work together more effectively.

  • Remote Access: Using SharePoint, you can remotely access the documents from anywhere. For those, who want to do work from a remote location, SharePoint is nothing less than a gift. They can easily access the files and folders without being logged into company's intranet.

  • Quick Access: It is easy to access a SharePoint application via web browser or mobile
  • browser. All just need is an internet connection and you can allow the employees within the organization to access the important documents, whenever they want. Therefore, SharePoint development is an easy and fast way to access and share the important information.

  • Secure Platform: By hosting SharePoint application at a secure data center, you can ensure that all the important data such as files and documents are safe and secure. In other words, SharePoint is completely safe and secure to share the important information over the internet.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Is Drupal Really Complicated?


This is often a question that comes up when someone starts to compare the Drupal CMS with other competing platforms such as WordPress or Joomla! The answer is two-fold. Yes, implementing a site in Drupal takes a sound understanding of Drupal's architecture, but managing a site once it is configured is not at all difficult. Drupal was built to be incredibly powerful and flexible, which means that setting up a Drupal website can often require a Drupal developer.
On the contrary the Drupal community has a host of groups, committees, and dedicated resources that provide support to Drupal's ongoing development process. There is an entire Drupal community solely dedicated to detecting and patching any security vulnerabilities in the framework, making Drupal just as secure as many of the expensive proprietary content management systems available.
Drupal is the most powerful content management system available and allows for easy organization, management, and publishing of site content. Drupal's seemingly endless customization options and modules allow Drupal sites to be unique in appearance and functionality. Drupal runs millions of web sites, including many of the world's biggest. Drupal is an especially strong tool for government and enterprise, but is easy enough to use to be the platform of choice for individuals and small companies.
Because of Drupal's robust configuration options there are literally thousands of ways your website can be constructed. From custom permission levels to hundreds of modules that add functionality, the ways in which you can build a Drupal site to fit your needs are nearly limitless. For those who are willing to take the time and effort to learn and fully comprehend Drupal's taxonomy, the sky is the limit. For the average website owner, however, it is best to hire a professional Drupal developer to get your site setup and ready to roll. Once you site is complete, updating, editing and adding content in Drupal is quite simple. Your developer will likely install a WYSIWYG making it easy to edit text without the need to know how to write HTML. Your developer will also lay out permissions in such a way that you or your employees have access to edit only the areas of your website which you plan on updating, such as the website's "blog", "services", or "contact us" pages.
All in all, the answer to "Is Drupal Difficult?" is yes and no. It takes a specialist to configure Drupal, but anyone who's comfortable with a computer should be able to handle day-to-day content updates once your website has been built.

Flex Development: For Power Pack RIA

Highly enriched RIAs i.e. rich internet applications are the reason for web being the most interesting platform unleashed by people of 21st century. And when it comes to open source enabled apps needed for flexible Internet applications, then only flex application development can pull it off seamlessly. Flex development being the most preferred app development solution is just the right thing when the demand is to have a cross platform rich Internet applications. With RIA you get to work your apps just like desktop apps with extra efficient features like flexibility and interactivity. It is equipped with all the latest characteristics of Flash as result of which your project can be made highly graphic oriented. This gives a reason for it being the most eligible platform used in creation of GIS features, galleries, graphs, confidential reports and various other features. No matter what your requirement is of like: audio and video apps, build network solutions, custom solutions or CRM and ERPs, or messaging solutions; with development you can gain a highly enriched experience.
Let's look at some of the distinguishable advantages of flex application development-
Advantages of using this development:
With flex you can effortlessly develop the most efficient and dynamic Rich Internet Applications at very nominal charges.
In this development process you can even include some extra features like Spark Architecture. This is a great tool that helps flex developers to work seamlessly on a single platform along with the designers which in turn makes the entire development process swift and flexible.
Flex application development also supports HTML5 and CSS3 formats which gives an additional look and feel to your website.
An added advantage of flex development is that it supports 3D animations. As a result of which you can have interactive multimedia effects to give your visitors an enriched experience on your flex 3D animation website.
It comes with an automated bug testing solution that makes sure that all the bugs are abolished right at the very beginning and in the least time possible. Hence the entire development process speeds up which consequently reduces the overall operational cost.
Apart from all the above mentioned benefits, one other great advantage of availing it is that it offers rich data-binding infrastructure. Thus the user interface can be updated robotically, as and when the data returns. This gives application a boost to remain responsive and you don't need to refresh it manually. This feature plays a great role in carrying out the entire application development smoothly.
So it is important to avail this latest technological innovation for the benefit of your website. A lot of developers from professional offshore companies offers top notch solutions at very affordable rates. An experienced adobe flex developer can enhance your existing website with the multimedia capabilities, particularly where the data is to be represented in enriched pictorial or graphical manner. So partner with a professional company and hire flex developer who can work for you dedicatedly in making your website prolific with the means of flex development.
Flex developer from professional offshore companies offer top notch solutions at very affordable rates. An experienced adobe flex developer can enhance your existing website with the multimedia capabilities, particularly where the data is to be represented in enriched pictorial or graphical manner.