Code to the Interface, Even if the Interface is a Class
After spending a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how to refactor some particularly hairly (hairy + gnarly) data access code, I...
View ArticleOn Architecture and Scaling Cloud Applications
OK, quickly, you've got a new app that has gone "off the charts", it's hosted on EC2 and you want to be able to scale in order to meet...
View ArticleHow to Juice your Java Performance
In my previous post about equals and hashcode I thought I'd point out how to redesign the class in question to make better use of performance. If you have...
View ArticleUsing a User Type to Fix Hibernate, DB2, Derby, and Boolean
Our team recently started using Derby for local development, with our production database being DB2. One nice thing is that the sql dialects for...
View Articleequals and hashCode for Dummies (Again)
In java, writing equals and hashcode methods are perennial problems. Newbies and experts alike are confounded when things go haywire and...
View ArticleEffectively Communicating Software Requirements - Part 1
The most important factor that contributes to a successful software project is ensuring that the development staff has a good understanding of the...
View ArticleDeveloper's Creed
So borrowing an idea from the NCO Creed, I thought I do one for software developers: Discipline will be my watchword, the software I create will...
View ArticleArchitecture and Scaling Cloud Applications
OK, quickly, you've got a new app that has gone "off the charts", it's hosted on EC2 and you want to be able to scale in order to meet demand. What do you...
View ArticleLotus Notes, a Lesson in Poor UX
As a longtime Outlook user, I've had the exciting experience of learning how to use Lotus Notes. When first starting to use it I was shocked at how "clunky"...
View ArticleDatabase pagination on mySql and Oracle
Having studiously avoided Oracle for over 20 years, I'm now working in a shop that uses it almost exclusively. Aside from the general overall expense of the...
View ArticleJava Static Fields
A great many people starting out with java development have only a vague understanding of the difference between a "public static String", "public String",...
View ArticleApologetic Agile Development
Having lived through numerous attempts to build software embracing the concepts behind the agile manifesto, I feel there are three large categories folks fall...
View ArticleWhen to Refactor Code
As a die hard refactorer, but also pragmatic programmer, I often have a tough time articulating to other developers when a refactor is important and when...
View ArticleFixing Perverse Incentives in Software Development
I read with interest an article about picking the right metric to incentivize desired behavior and thought I would add a little of my own personal insight....
View ArticleSoftware is Design, How Ruby is Better for that Job than Java
As a long time java developer and ... well ... at this point also a long time ruby developer, I've found some things about the ruby language are much less...
View ArticleJava's problem is that Jidigava idigis gididibidigeridigish
I posted a while back about how ruby's syntax is better for designing software than java because it removes extra language cruft and enables developers to...
View ArticleAn Unflattering Commentary on Rackspace Cloud Server Security
I recently needed a new server instance for some testing. Normally I would go back to AWS, as I've had problems with Rackspace in the past. Being open minded...
View ArticleMQTT Over WebSockets with JavaScript and ActiveMQ
After reading up a bit about MQTT, I decided to set up a test bed to see how it works and if it lives up to its potential. The use case was simple: I wanted to...
View ArticleFun with Character Encoding and When to use ISO8859 Instead of UTF-8
What character encoding are you using? Most folks nowadays settle on UTF-8 for web centric type applications, but things can get squirrelly if you use this...
View ArticleRunning and Software Development
I have a long love/hate relationship with running and I think that it's a great metaphor to help explain the subtle differences between agile practices and...
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