How to learn any new programming language faster then ever

It’s always difficult to learn something new. Nevertheless, there are some techniques and tricks that can be very helpful for beginners who want to become Java, .Net, php, flash programmers, etc. So using them you can learn any new language easier, faster and more efficiently:

Set your time commitments

Don’t think that you can learn a new language, giving it only half an hour every day. It’s much better (more productive) to read textbooks devoting the whole day to this activity (better 1-2 days a week then 30 min a day).

Use cribs
Cribs may be more valuable than it might seem at the first glance. Writing cribs is one of the most useful methods of learning (they are not only reminders, but also your samples and tips).

Collect all the necessary material
There are many resources for any programming language: Flash and Flex, AJAX, coding for mobile applications and others. Some of them are very good, others are not. Collection of numerous textbooks and internet-sources will allow you to choose the best authors and the easiest approaches. So, use Google and collect guides and manuals for programmers, articles in different media, post in popular blogs and respected forums.
And the last point: make sure that you understand the basis of language, before you will begin to work with examples. You wont be able to built a house without foundation.

Reducing IT risks

Every software development company faces a wide range of risks starting from the risk of simply doing nothing to the risk of catastrophe. It’s a universal truth that If you risk nothing you get nothing. The higher the profits, the greater risks are involved. Understanding risk is essential for effective performance of a software development business in general.

IT Risks management can be divided into four groups:
• dealing with operational risks – non-compliance with the regulation, relations failure, etc.
• managing financial risks – cash flow risks, exchange risks, etc.
• taking care of accidents – natural events, environmental impact, etc.
• preventing strategic risks – market changes, competition, etc.

There are five key steps to successful risk management.
1. clearly realize your IT project objectives;
2. define the risks to these objectives (consider not only obvious risks but latent as well);
3. assess and prioritize the risks (the possibility of their appearance against potential consequences);
4. assume measures to deal with the highest risks (introduce control over the situation, change the working process, prepare to cope with the possible consequences, outsource the risk, etc.);
5. inform the senior IT managers on all the risks – inborn and residual.

But what about reducing your IT risks by sharing them with someone else? One of the good ways to reduce the risk impact is outsourcing your project to a reliable software development company with a good reputation and positive testimonials.

Flex programming – flexible RIA development

What is Flex programming?

Adobe Flex 2 is a very special solution that enables development of RIAs based on Flash related technologies. Interface description and other features are based on XML – MXML dialect. Client logic description was done using ActionScript3 (hereinafter AS3). Adobe Flex translates usual AS code which is transmitted to mxmlc compiler for swf generation (as a result of MXML compilation).

Flex consists of several products:

Adobe Flex Builder – IDE based on eclipse. It allows quick development AS3 and MXML. It has a powerful visual design interface. Syntax highlighting and useful hints, built-in Debbuger, help and other features inspire flex developers.

Adobe Flex framework and SDK was based on the framework components. It contains a huge number of expandable components to develop interfaces of any complexity. It’s free (as a unit of Flex Builder).

Adobe Flex Charting – it’s a library that allows you to create all sorts of interactive charts and graphs (paid application).

Adobe Flex Data Services – it’s a set of server-side component that responsible for fast and convenient exchange of data between Flex and JAVA applications.

The cornerstone of all these applications for flex development is Flash Player (you need the 9th edition for correct work with Flex applications). The main advantage of this player is that its work does not depend on the platform or browser!

The Challenge for Java Programmers. Check Your Skills!

Testing new Java programmers who want to work in Oxagile we use different methods: interviewing, multiple-choice questions etc. We think that “classical” approaches to recruiting should be combined with new breakthrough technologies.

Let’s take certification of Java programmers as an example. It is well known that many tests for certification contain a large number of issues with different variants of answers (so called multiple-choice questions). Such tests are not very effective, because probationers can easily find many answers concerning API reading documentation or source code. In this way we can’t test their ability to program, which largely consists of the ability to think logical and to formulate algorithms in a proper way.

So betterprogramming.com, the company from San Francisco, decided to fix this problem. Its specialists published test that offers to solve several problems instead of answering the list of questions. Java programmers expected to implement some simple algorithms. Source code, written by a developer can be executed on the server, and then user can get his/her results (they depend on submitted code and time).