- GS-Collections (GitHub) — Goldman Sachs open-sourced (Apache-licensed) their Java collection library, full of lambda goodness. No report on whether it requires a 750G bailout.
- Learning ZIL — old manual for the interactive fiction programming language that Zork and other Infocom games were written in. Virtual machines on a Z80 processor? They were hardcore before your time.
- NZ Government Web Toolkit — information and guides on accessibility standards.
- Workshop on Research and Resource Commons in Scientific Research: Final Report — This diverse group discussed the current state of policy and technology as it relates to a scientific research commons, and identified key opportunities and challenges, as well as next steps, for the scientific community in general and Creative Commons in particular. Wilbanks describes as, “Sort of a wrapup after seven years of SC.” (via John Wilbanks)
"Java" entries
Google Glass: What Developers Need to Know about This New Platform
Creating Glassware today and what's in store for tomorrow
You’ve likely already seen pictures of people using Google Glass, if not had an actual in-the-wild spotting as well. After getting a quick demo myself, I spoke with Maximiliano Firtman about his talk at Fluent conference that covers what developers need to start doing and thinking about when it comes to developing apps for this new environment.
Key highlights include:
- The current version supports cloud-based web applications that can be built in any language using the Mirror API. [Discussed at 0:30]
- A forthcoming SDK will support native app development, essentially Android apps written in Java. [Discussed at 2:20]
- The only truly augmented reality type application currently available is Google Maps. [Discussed at 3:30]
- Developers need to think outside the technical details as well, and spend time considering how people will be interacting with Google Glass—it’s a uniquely new paradigm with unique use cases. [Discussed at 4:14]
- While the beta (Explorer) program is currently closed, Max expects to see more devices available and “on the street” within the next year. [Discussed at 6:10]
You can view the full interview here:
JavaScript: Not as Expected
A good match for the similarly unexpected Web?
JavaScript’s ever-growing importance still takes people by surprise. Every time I post about things JavaScript makes possible, I get pushback from people who refuse to be impressed by JavaScript. Why? Because it isn’t what they wanted.
In the course of a week, I get to hear from different quarters about how JavaScript is half Lisp, and terrible either because it dares to be half-Lisp or because it only manages to be half Lisp. Similarly, as functional programming has become more visible, I’ve heard more from people who think JavaScript programming is too functional or not functional enough. People disappointed in JavaScript because it doesn’t have strong typing are a constant, as are people who find prototypal inheritance perverse. JavaScript syntax—I’m sure someone must like it.
It’s tempting to tell the story of JavaScript as a series of historical accidents. Brendan Eich put together LiveScript, applying a variety of techniques to meet a particular set of needs quickly. Since then, we’ve been dealing with JavaScript’s shift from a simple object manipulation language to a much broader and more powerful toolkit, unable to change approach because of the unique dynamics of the browser world.
Why we need Go
Rob Pike on how Go fits into today's computing environment
The Go programming language was created by Rob Pike, Ken Thompson, and Robert Griesemer. Pike (@rob_pike) recently told me that Go was born while they were waiting a long while for some code to compile — too long.
C++ and Java have long been the go-to languages for big server or system programs, but they were created almost 30 and 20 years ago, respectively. They don’t address very well the issues programmers see today like use of concurrency and incorporating big data and they’re not optimal for the current programming environment.
One main reason that Go will succeed is how it deals with concurrency. It outpaces Java and C++ as well as Python, Ruby, and all the other scripting languages. It simply provides a better model, with Java a close second, that is able to work within the computing environment into which it was born.
During a recent interview, Pike elaborated on the need for Go and where it fits in today’s programming landscape. Highlights from our discussion include: Read more…
Four short links: 7 September 2012
Collections, Games, Accessibility, and Science
Developer Week in Review: Oracle's big bet fails to pay off
Google dodges a bullet, a new Perl in town, and GCC loses an OS.
Oracle fails to convince a jury that Google owes them big bucks, the annual refresh of Perl has arrived, and FreeBSD says goodbye to an increasingly restrictive GCC license.
Developer Week in Review: Oracle’s big bet fails to pay off
Google dodges a bullet, a new Perl in town, and GCC loses an OS.
Oracle fails to convince a jury that Google owes them big bucks, the annual refresh of Perl has arrived, and FreeBSD says goodbye to an increasingly restrictive GCC license.
Four short links: 15 May 2012
Mobile Money, Actors in java, Actors in python, and a Decision-Making Tool
- Mobile Money (The Economist) — Many people know that “mobile money”—financial transactions on mobile phones—has taken off in Africa. How far it has gone, though, still comes as a bit of a shock. Three-quarters of the countries that use mobile money most frequently are in Africa, and mobile banking in some of them has reached extraordinary levels.
- Akka — Apache-licensed Java high-performance concurrency library built around the concept of “actors“. (via Hacker News)
- Pykka — actors in Python. (via Hacker News)
- Loom.io Project — help crowdfund a collaborative decision-making tool. They’re using it as they build the tool, and it’s the implementation of a process they use in real life. I know many organisations who need a free open-source web application that helps groups make better decisions together. You should probably read more about the interesting company Enspiral which is behind loom.io.
Developer Week in Review: Java on trial
The trial of the century continues, cat feeders and coding, and PHP sites at risk.
Google and Oracle continue to duke it out in court, with more than just Android at risk. One developer uses cat feeders as a way to look at good software, and the PHP developers take a second try at fixing a critical bug.
Editorial Radar: Functional languages
The benefits of functional languages and functional language techniques.
O'Reilly editors Mike Loukides and Mike Hendrickson discuss the advantages of functional programming languages and how functional language techniques can be deployed with almost any language.
Developer Week in Review: When giant corporations collide
Oracle and Google head to trial, Microsoft and Linux are BFFs, and the dirty secrets of game cheats.
If Microsoft and Linux can kiss and make up, why is Oracle having such a hard time getting along with Google? Elsewhere, a look inside elaborate game cheats.