Software development techniques and Agile methodologies
Software development must be structured to help a team of developers agree on the processes for developing a particular software product. A software development methodology, such as waterfall development or Agile methodologies, will include standard steps for ALM stages such as planning, implementation, testing, and documentation. Learn about various software development techniques and the Agile methodology in particular.
Top Stories
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Tip
23 Aug 2022
The 5 prevailing Agile pitfalls that prevent true adoption
To successfully implement Agile and maintain its momentum, teams must often overcome a predictable series of both technical and cultural adoption challenges. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 Mar 2022
A simple 'try with resources' in Java example
Java's 'try-with-resources' exception handling feature can help you write better, more effective Java code. Here's a quick example of the try with resources construct in action. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
13 Apr 2023
How to check the technology a website is built with
Want to lookup the technologies your favorite website was built with? Here are five different ways to check which technologies a website uses. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
18 Mar 2023
Daily Scrum vs standup meetings: What's the difference?
Other than being an ableist term that discriminates against people who can't stand, there are many differences between a standup meeting and the daily Scrum. Here we look at the 10 most important ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Mar 2023
Who is required to attend the Daily Scrum?
The Scrum master is not required to attend the daily Scrum. Neither is the product owner. Here's why only the developers are required to attend the daily Scrum. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Mar 2023
end-to-end testing
End-to-end (E2E) testing is a software testing methodology that verifies the working order of a software product in a start-to-finish process. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Mar 2023
smoke testing
Smoke testing, also called build verification testing or confidence testing, is a software testing method that is used to determine if a new software build is ready for the next testing phase. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Feb 2023
codebase (code base)
A codebase, or code base, is the complete body of source code for a software program, component or system. It includes all the source files needed to compile the software into machine code, including configuration files. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jan 2023
fail fast
Fail fast is a philosophy that values extensive testing and incremental development to determine whether an idea has value. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Jan 2023
Best Scrum developer certifications
In a competitive developer job market, it is important to set your resume apart. Here are the top five Scrum developer certifications software developers will want to have on their resumes. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Dec 2022
Hofstadter's law
Hofstadter's law states that a project always takes longer than expected, even when the law is taken into account. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Nov 2022
negative float (negative slack)
Negative float, also known as negative slack, is a common concept in project management that refers to the amount of time that must be saved to complete a project on time. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Nov 2022
operand
In computing and mathematics, an operand is an object that is operated on by some type of operator. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Sep 2022
fist to five (fist of five)
Fist to five, or fist of five, is a consensus-building technique used by Agile software development teams to poll team members and come to an agreement. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Sep 2022
empiricism
Empiricism is a philosophical theory applicable in many disciplines, including science and software development, that human knowledge comes predominantly from experiences gathered through the five senses. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Aug 2022
agnostic
Agnostic, in an information technology (IT) context, refers to something that is generalized so that it is interoperable among various systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Aug 2022
The 5 prevailing Agile pitfalls that prevent true adoption
To successfully implement Agile and maintain its momentum, teams must often overcome a predictable series of both technical and cultural adoption challenges. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
18 Apr 2022
Being Agile vs. doing Agile: What's the difference?
What's the difference between being Agile and doing Agile? It's subtle, but it's significant. Here we compare them and show you how to both be Agile and do Agile the right way. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 Mar 2022
A simple 'try with resources' in Java example
Java's 'try-with-resources' exception handling feature can help you write better, more effective Java code. Here's a quick example of the try with resources construct in action. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Mar 2022
release
A release is the distribution of the final version or the newest version of a software application. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Feb 2022
versioning
Versioning is the creation and management of multiple releases of a product, all of which have the same general function, but are improved, upgraded or customized. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
11 Feb 2022
Fix the top 10 most common compile time errors in Java
Flummoxed why your Java code won't compile? Here are the 10 most commonly encountered Java compile errors, along with the fixes that will get your code working in no time. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Feb 2022
whole-team approach (team-based approach)
The whole-team approach (team-based approach) is a style of project management in which everyone on the project team is held equally responsible for the quality and success of the project. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jan 2022
Why you must avoid ScrumBut at all costs
How do Scrum and ScrumBut compare? Darcy DeClute explains why ScrumBut is bad, and how you can avoid this Agile anti-pattern and stay true to Scrum's core principles. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Jan 2022
iterative
In the world of IT and computer programming, the adjective iterative refers to a process where the design of a product or application is improved by repeated review and testing. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Jan 2022
Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (SPICE)
Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (SPICE) is an international framework to assess software development processes. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jan 2022
Binary and hexadecimal numbers explained for developers
For developers who are intimidated by bit shifts and hex operation, here's a thorough explanation of how binary and hexadecimal number systems work. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Oct 2021
Scrum
Scrum is a framework for project management that emphasizes teamwork, accountability and iterative progress toward a well-defined goal. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jun 2021
Hardening sprint: Scrum anti-pattern or necessity?
Are hardening sprints a burdensome necessity or a Scrum anti-pattern? Let's explore how to make these iterations less exacting and how Agile organizations can avoid them altogether. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2021
Compare design thinking vs. Agile for QA
Design thinking helps a team figure out what problems to solve, while Agile is a framework that helps a dev team build better software faster. Let's compare the two approaches. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
18 Nov 2020
An Apache Commons FileUpload example and the HttpClient
In this article you will have a look at the capabilities of the HttpClient component and also some hands-on examples. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Oct 2020
3 ways to implement AI in software development
Further advancements to AI make it a more appealing and useful option for enterprise software development. Here are three ways to implement AI and increase developer productivity. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Aug 2020
The 7 user story guidelines every Agile developer should know
Don't let bad user stories foil your Agile software development process. Here are the seven most common user story defects and some tips on how to write better user stories. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jun 2020
3 ways a volunteer programmer can help in a pandemic
DevOps pros can help local and state agencies battle COVID-19. Here are three ways they can volunteer their time during a pandemic. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
22 May 2020
How to create brand identity at the command line
How can an organization utilize the command line to create brand identity? Software developers spend hours working in the command line. Take advantage of these eyeballs and create a tool that's ... Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Apr 2020
Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop
Don't get hung up on a laptop for software development, even if you work best from the couch. Here are six reasons why desktops, instead of laptops, should be provided to developers. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Mar 2020
How to refactor the God object class antipattern
Loose coupling can inadvertently create a God object problem in an object-oriented software system. Here's how to get rid of the issue and simplify the design in five easy steps. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2020
How to create clear, collaborative user story maps
Messy or unclear user story maps quickly lead to confusion and contention. Read on to learn how to structure your maps and create a shared understanding of them. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
31 Jan 2020
How a software development team can handle management battles
Here’s how it usually goes. A project manager or product owner relays word from someone higher up the corporate food chain that a piece of software needs to be delivered by a given date. The reason ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Nov 2019
Find the right pull request workflow for your dev projects
At the heart of all large-scale software development projects are the communications patterns required to keep everyone on the same page. The dawn of Git as a distributed version control system ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Nov 2019
How regular secure code reviews can benefit an organization
Follow these code review best practices to identify security vulnerabilities before your applications are released into production. Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Oct 2019
The best Agile architects write code
To be a better software architect, brush up on programming skills and write code. See how Agile architects help developers and make projects better when they dabble in coding. Continue Reading
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Answer
13 Sep 2019
Which programming practices alleviate code redundancy?
WET code leaves apps bogged down. Learn how to reduce the challenges brought on by code redundancy by programming based on the DRY principle. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Aug 2019
Close Agile open source tools vulnerabilities
The State of the Software Supply Chain report highlights some developer team best practices to help increase productivity with Agile software development. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Jul 2019
Tips on how to successfully bring AI culture to dev teams
The popularity of AI makes it an appealing option for some enterprises, but there's no one surefire option to implement AI culture with your staff. Follow these tips to open the door for AI in your ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
16 Jul 2019
Fix JAVA_HOME errors | Invalid directory | Not set or defined | Points to JRE
If you've run into common JAVA_HOME errors such as JAVA_HOME not found or JAVA_HOME set to an invalid directory, we've got the fix for you with these tips. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Jul 2019
What is the future of front-end software development in a post GUI world
By the year 2025, Google predicts that the number of IoT and Smart Devices in operation will exceed that of non-IoT devices. Statista also predicts a similar growth pattern, in which the ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
23 Apr 2019
Top 5 software development best practices you need to know
Sometimes software development best practices are obvious. But as well-known as some of them may be, they are often overlooked. Explore these five best practices to ensure a smooth deployment. Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Jan 2019
Use Java method modifiers to avoid public method antipattern
Follow best practices for Java method design, and don't allow one public class to call another. If you skipped this step, be prepared to pay the consequences. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Sep 2018
How to become a good software architect in 13 steps
It's not easy to find your role in an IT enterprise setting. But if you can follow these 13 steps on how to become a software architect, you'll be well on your way to success. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jul 2018
IT projects and software teams need to include Agile people
Not every idea deserves equal weight in a software development project, but Agile people know that garnering input from a wide array of stakeholders is the key to success. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Apr 2018
Using Agile for hardware development to deliver products faster
The Agile methodology has proven itself effective in the world of software development, but can Agile for hardware development transform the manner in which products can be manufactured and ... Continue Reading
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Tutorial
10 Apr 2018
Use the Jenkins OAuth plug-in to securely pull from GitHub
The easiest way to securely push code to your remote GitHub repository from your continuous integration server is to use the Jenkins OAuth plug-in. This tutorial shows you how. Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Mar 2018
Why the Waterfall or Agile debate will be around forever
Which is the right methodology to use for your project: Waterfall or Agile? The industry may be at peak Agile, as the practicality of Waterfall is winning over more converts. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Mar 2018
Application security vulnerabilities are often known exploits
How hard is it to secure an enterprise application? It's not hard, especially given the fact that most application security vulnerabilities are known threats with simple solutions. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Jan 2018
Developers, learn from the iPhone battery glitch
Apple is undeserving of the backlash they have suffered. The battery update is a good feature that will extend a phone's life. It's not planned obselecense. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jan 2018
What happened to Java in 2017? Here's a comprehensive list
Java developers face new technology challenges regularly, but in 2017, the bar was raised. We've rounded up our top 10 Java stories from 2017 in case you missed anything. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
12 Jan 2018
Four wise pieces of advice for women in technology
One of my favorite things about interviewing women in technology has been hearing all their helpful tips and insights. Many of these women spent decades in the tech world, moved up the career ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
05 Jan 2018
How to bring requirements management and software integration together
The article demonstrates that the requirements management, software integration and value stream networds are not only complementary, but essential in keeping all stakeholders involved in product deve Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jun 2017
How microservices patterns made Uber's architecture perform better
How did Uber manage to deal with the inevitable Halloween rush? Applying microservices patterns to their architecture played a big part. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
12 Jun 2017
Why does Waterfall sometimes wins the Agile versus Waterfall?
Agile gets all the press, but Waterfall has proven to be a fairly trustworthy approach to software development for a very long time. It’s definitely not going anywhere. In fact, it’s still the ... Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jun 2017
Improving plant production performance with IT in the agriculture industry
How is big data and IT helping the agriculture industry? By looking at information in new ways, technology is helping to improve plant production performance. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
07 Jun 2017
Top seven ways to ruin an Agile or Scrum project
Why does Agile sometimes fail? Here are seven things to avoid in your Agile projects. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2017
Microsoft supports trend toward containers, serverless computing
At its Build 2017 conference, Microsoft highlighted new technologies focusing on containers, serverless computing and microservices as part of its DevOps strategy. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2017
DevOps strategies focus of Gene Kim, new Tasktop strategic adviser
Tasktop, focusing on improving software delivery processes, is working on a framework for defining how to architect end-to-end software delivery with the help of a DevOps pioneer. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Mar 2017
Agile and DevOps aren't two magical unicorns of software development
There’s a listicle over at the TechRepublic entitled Top 10 challenges to DevOps implementation (linked below). So what are the challenges? They list off the standard things such as culture and ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
22 Mar 2017
Java EE makes best-of-breed software conglomerations a thing of the past
Looking back at some of the Frankenstein-esque applications that were built using different frameworks, it's good to know there's no need for best-of-breed. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Mar 2017
Bringing business leaders, data science and advanced analytics together
How do you bridge the gap between academia and industry when it comes to data science and advanced analytics? Sai Devulapalli, Data Analytics Product and Business Leader at Dell, has some ideas. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2017
Is JSON and XML your REST performance bottleneck?
Learn how ASCII encoding formats like JSON and REST can adversely impact server application performance compared with emerging binary formats. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Dec 2016
Four Agile and DevOps best practices to adopt 2017
From cloud development to Agile tooling, here are four DevOps best practices for you to embrace in 2017. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
15 Dec 2016
Yes, Agile DevOps initiatives sometimes fail
There is a great deal of confirmation bias in the world of DevOps, but the fact is, DevOps initiatives sometimes fail. Here we explore why. Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2016
DOES16 keynotes quantify the benefits of a DevOps transition
At the DevOps Enterprise Summit 2016, Tripwire founder Gene Kim stated his case on why every organization should embark upon a DevOps transition. Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2016
How Target improved software delivery by adopting DevOps processes
At the 2016 DevOps Enterprise Summit, Target's Heather Mickman describes the many ways the adoption of DevOps processes improved software delivery. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Oct 2016
When do Agile and DevOps methods conflict?
Expert Chris Ward explains why using Agile and DevOps together may seem ideal, but conflict arises when in practice. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Jul 2016
Deciding between full stack developers or Ops engineers
The software development landscape is changing, and developers are being forced to ask themselves to choose between a career as an Ops professional or a full stack developer. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2016
Do you have what it takes to be a full stack developer?
There has been an increasing call in the industry for full stack developers. Java Champion Trisha Gee gives us her take on what such a position entails. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 May 2016
Excellent programming is about function, not form
Are language architects, or would-be language architects, doing a disservice to Java by overthinking it? Let's not over-design our object models. After all, being fancy isn't their primary function. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Apr 2016
Five tips to improve an offshore team
Using an offshore team can save time and money, but if used ineffectively, they can cost more than they save. Here are five tips on how to use offshore development teams effectively. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Apr 2016
Backend system integration the new mobile development challenge
While developing a fun UI was once the biggest hurdle facing mobile development teams, the new challenge is going one step further and performing backend system integration properly. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Apr 2016
Lasting impacts of software failure and poor application performance
Customers have a short memory and lots of alternatives, so organizations must ensure that poor performance and software failure doesn't leave a lasting impression on users. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2016
Moving beyond the virtualization tool with DevOps containers
Virtualization has been a pivotal tool for organizations wanting to simplify both development and operations, but DevOps is now moving beyond the VM with DevOps containers. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2016
Public PaaS and private SaaS offerings accelerate DevOps adoption
Be it an online Git repository, or a private CI server run on OpenStack, a variety of compelling public and private SaaS and PaaS offerings are helping to accelerate DevOps adoption. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Mar 2016
Continuous integration the key to Agile and DevOps transformations
What is the key to getting both Agile and DevOps transformations right? It would appear that successfully implementing a system of continuous integration is key. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Mar 2016
IT modernization using a reactive approach
As application portfolios grow, more organizations are looking at adopting a reactive approach to software architecture to address their IT modernization and management needs. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2016
Reactive programming is all the rage at Fluent 2016
Find out why Microsoft's Matthew Podwysocki said he believes good reactive programming means developers embrace the Observable design pattern and create reliable, asynchronous systems. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Mar 2016
Make SCM tool Git the easiest part in a DevOps transition
One of the first changes made by organizations engaging in a DevOps transition is using Git. Here are five tips to help simplify the adoption of the SCM tool. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Mar 2016
Tips for effectively scaling Agile across large, distributed teams
Many methodologies that work well in small teams, run out of steam when the teams get large and distributed. Here are some tips on how to effectively scale Agile software methodologies. Continue Reading
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Podcast
29 Feb 2016
Combine continuous integration software with GIT
As microservices abound, organizations are finding that integrating Jenkins CI with source code tools like GIT can simplify development and help make the DevOps successful. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
29 Jan 2016
Learning modern programming languages like Ruby made easy
Interested in learning Scala, Ruby, Java or JavaScript? Do you want to learn one of these modern programming languages quickly? Here's a strategy to help you do just that. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jan 2016
The top software picks for making Windows 10 workstations productive
What software do you need to install on a Windows 10 machine to create an incredible, full featured, desktop computer that allows you to do everything you want? Here's our top software picks. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jan 2016
How to quickly move a microservice infrastructure off AWS in a weekend
In this article you will learn how a small development team moved a 200-service application infrastructure away from AWS in order to reduce cost and increase resiliency. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jan 2016
Perfecting product migrations without customer disruption with Agile
Learn how MobiTV created a software development process for powering the future of connected TV. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Dec 2015
Continuous DevOps documentation: It's a necessity
Too often, documentation takes a back seat when organizations struggle with new methodologies and development approaches, but there is a need for documentation in a DevOps world. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Dec 2015
The benefits of integrating blockchains into distributed enterprise architectures
Blockchains aren't just for Silk Roaders paying with Bitcoins. Integrating blockchains into a distributed enterprise architectures has many benefits. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Dec 2015
How Notion Baked Intelligence Into the Server to Simplify the IoT
Here we take a look at how Notion, an IoT startup, built a sophisticated tier of server applications to empower a new generation of customizable sensors. Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2015
Are you putting software projects at risk?
In this interview, Daniel Bryant discusses how many software projects are at risk due to development fallacies. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2015
How collapsing the database stack improves developer productivity
Developers are reducing development time by collapsing the database stack and focusing on customer satisfaction and not on operations overhead. Here is how they are doing it. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Nov 2015
Is crowdsourcing bug fixes the next big wave in quality assurance testing?
Learn how crowd sourcing can incentivize the development of bug fixes and new features for open source software. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2015
Meet the challenge of optimizing system performance
Finding the right metrics for optimizing system performance is challenging. A software engineer offers tips for removing barriers to top performance. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Aug 2015
Improving software quality means mixing DevOps with Agile
As DevOps evolves and merges with advanced Agile methods, developer teams will have greater success at improving software quality. Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2015
Open source initiatives saving grace for many companies
Companies are realizing that IT can't write all the code needed. They are learning to write less code and do more with open source initiatives. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
04 May 2015
Asynchronously invoking a second managed bean method in JavaSever Faces (JSF)
The new features added to JSF make doing an asynchronous call to the server incredibly easy, but what if you need to follow that first asynchronous call with a second asynchronous call to a JavaServer Faces managed bean? It's a bit of work, but in this tutorial, we walk you through it. Continue Reading