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Development Disciplines
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Programming Expertise & Strengths
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J2EE - Short for Java 2 Platform Enterprise
Edition. J2EE is a platform-independent,
Java-centric environment from Sun for developing, building and deploying Web-based
enterprise applications online. The J2EE platform
consists of a set of services, APIs, and protocols that provide
the functionality for developing multi-tiered, Web-based applications.
Some of the key features and services of J2EE:
- At the client tier, J2EE supports pure HTML, as well
as Java applets or applications. It relies on
Java Server Pages and servlet code to create HTML or
other formatted data for the client.
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Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) provide another layer where
the platform's logic is stored. An EJB server
provides functions such as threading, concurrency,
security and memory management. These services
are transparent to the author.
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Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), which is the Java
equivalent to ODBC, is the standard interface for Java
databases.
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The Java servlet API enhances consistency for developers
without requiring a graphical user interface.
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XML, short for Extensible Markup Language, is a
specification developed by the W3C. XML is a pared-down
version of SGML, designed especially for Web documents. It
allows designers to create their own customized tags, enabling the
definition, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data
between applications and between organizations.
XSL, short for Extensible Style Language, a specification for
separating style from content when creating HTML or XML pages.
The specifications work much like templates, allowing
designers to apply single style documents to multiple pages.
XSL is the second style specification to be offered by the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C)(www.w3c.org). The first,
called Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), is similar to XSL but does
not include two of XSL's major innovations -- allowing developers to
dictate the way Web pages are printed, and specifications
allowing one to transfer XML documents across different
applications. W3C released the first draft of XSL in
August 1998, and promotes the specifications as helpful to the
Web's speed, accessibility, and maintenance.
SVG, short for Scalable Vector Graphics, is a vector graphics
file format that enables two-dimensional images to be displayed
in XML pages on the Web. Vector images are created through
text-based commands formatted to comply with XML specifications.
In contrast to JPEG and GIF images on the Web, which are bitmapped
and always remain a specified size, SVG images are scalable to
the size of the viewing window and will adjust in size and
resolution according to the window in which it is displayed.
Benefits of SVG include:
- smaller file size than regular bitmapped graphics such
as GIF and JPEG files
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resolution independence, so that the image can scale down or up to fit proportionally into any size display on any type of Web device
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text labels and descriptions that can be searched by search engines
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ability to link to parts of an image
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complex animation
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Self-referentially short for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, an open
source, server-side, HTML embedded scripting language used to create
dynamic Web pages.
In an HTML document, PHP script (similar syntax to that of Perl
or C) is enclosed within special PHP tags. Because PHP
is embedded within tags, the author can jump between HTML and
PHP (similar to ASP and Cold Fusion) instead of having to rely
on heavy amounts of code to output HTML. And, because
PHP is executed on the server, the client cannot view the PHP
code.
PHP can perform any task that any CGI program can do, but its
strength lies in its compatibility with many types of databases.
Also, PHP can talk across networks using IMAP, SNMP, NNTP, POP3, or HTTP.
PHP was created sometime in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf.
During mid 1997, PHP development entered the hands of other
contributors. Two of them, Zeev Suraski and Andi
Gutmans, rewrote the parser from scratch to create PHP version 3
(PHP3).
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Perl
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Short for Practical Extraction and
Report Language, Perl is a programming language developed by Larry
Wall, especially designed for processing text. Because of its strong
text processing abilities, Perl has become one of the most popular
languages for writing CGI scripts. Perl is an interpretive
language, which makes it easy to build and test simple programs.
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Short for HyperText Markup Language, HTML is the authoring
language used to create documents on the World Wide Web.
HTML is similar to SGML, although it is not a strict subset.
HTML defines the structure and layout of a Web document by
using a variety of tags and attributes. The correct
structure for an HTML document starts
with <HTML><HEAD>(enter here what document is
about)<BODY> and ends with </BODY></HTML>.
All the information you'd like to include in your Web page
fits in between the <BODY> and </BODY> tags.
There are hundreds of other tags used to format and layout
the information in a Web page. Tags are also used
to specify hypertext links. These allow Web
developers to direct users to other Web pages with only a
click of the mouse on either an image or word(s).
For a more complete list of tags, check out some of the URLs
below.
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JavaScript |
JavaScript is a scripting language developed by Netscape to enable
Web authors to design interactive sites. Although it shares many of
the features and structures of the full Java language, it was
developed independently. Javascript can interact with HTML source
code, enabling Web authors to spice up their sites with dynamic
content. JavaScript is endorsed by a number of software companies
and is an open language that anyone can use without purchasing a
license. It is supported by recent browsers from Netscape and
Microsoft, though Internet Explorer supports only a subset, which
Microsoft calls Jscript.
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ActionScript is the scripting language used in
Macromedia Flash. It is similar in syntax to JavaScript. |
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A high-level programming language developed by
Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs, C++ adds object-oriented
features to its predecessor, C. C++ is one of the most
popular programming language for graphical applications, such as
those that run in Windows and Macintosh environments.
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A high-level programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the mid 1970s. Although originally designed as a systems programming language, C has proved to be a powerful and flexible language that can be used for a variety of applications, from business programs to engineering. C is a particularly popular language for personal computer programmers because it is relatively small -- it requires less memory than other languages.
The first major program written in C was the UNIX operating system, and for many years C was considered to be inextricably linked with UNIX. Now, however, C is an important language independent of UNIX.
Although it is a high-level language, C is much closer to
assembly language than are most other high-level languages. This
closeness to the underlying machine language allows C programmers
to write very efficient code. The low-level nature of C, however,
can make the language difficult to use for some types of
applications
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REXX is a programming language designed by Michael Cowlishaw of
IBM UK Laboratories. Rexx is an acronym which stands for "
Restructured Extended Executor Language". In Mike's own
words: "REXX is a procedural language that allows programs and
algorithms to be written in a clear and structured way." REXX
doesn't look that different from any other procedural language.
What makes REXX different from most other languages is that it is also designed to be used as a macro language by arbitrary application programs. The idea is that application developers don't have to design their own macro languages and interpreters. Instead they use REXX as the macro language and support the REXX programming interface.
If a REXX macro comes across an expression or function call
that it cannot resolve, it can ask the application to handle it
instead. The application only has to support the features that
are specific to it, freeing the developer from handling the
mundane (and time-consuming) task of writing a language
interpreter. And if all applications use REXX as their macro
language, the user only has to learn one language instead of a
dozen.
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Platform Support
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An Unix-based operating environment
developed by Sun Microsystems. Originally developed to run on Sun's
SPARC workstations, Solaris now runs on many workstations from other
vendors.
Solaris includes the SunOS operating system and a windowing system (either OpenWindows or CDE). Solaris currently supports multithreading, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), integrated TCP/IP networking, and centralized network administration. A Wabi emulator is available to run Windows applications.
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Pronounced lee-nucks, or lih-nucks, Linux is a freely-distributable open source
operating system that runs on a
number of hardware platforms. The Linux kernel was developed mainly
by Linus Torvalds. Because it's free, and because it runs on many
platforms, including PCs and Macintoshes, Linux has become an
extremely popular alternative to proprietary operating systems.
UNIX, Pronounced yoo-niks, a popular multi-user, multi-tasking
operating system developed at Bell Labs in the early 1970s.
Created by just a handful of programmers, UNIX was designed
to be a small, flexible system used exclusively by programmers.
UNIX was one of the first operating systems to be written in a high-level programming language, namely C. This meant that it could be installed on virtually any computer for which a C compiler existed. This natural portability combined with its low price made it a popular choice among universities. (It was inexpensive because antitrust regulations prohibited Bell Labs from marketing it as a full-scale product.)
Bell Labs distributed the operating system in its source language form, so anyone who obtained a copy could modify and customize it for his own purposes. By the end of the 1970s, dozens of different versions of UNIX were running at various sites.
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OS/390 |
The OS/390 operating system includes
and integrates functions previously provided by many IBM software
products. OS/390 is made up of elements and features. The elements
deliver essential operating system functions. When you order OS/390,
you receive all of the elements. The features are orderable with
OS/390 and provide additional operating system functions.
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A family of operating systems for personal
computers. Windows dominates the personal computer world, running,
by some estimates, on 90% of all personal computers. The remaining
10% are mostly Macintosh computers. Like the Macintosh operating
environment, Windows provides a graphical user interface (GUI),
virtual memory management, multitasking, and support for many
peripheral devices.
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OS/2 |
OS/2 ® is a stable operating system
that supports deployment of e-business applications while at the same
time helping preserve investments in legacy applications. OS/2
customer's transformation to e-business which includes leveraging
industry standards, internet technologies and platform independence
could be critical to a company's growth and prosperity. In support of
this transformation, IBM intends to provide hardware and device
driver enhancements, transition and product enhancement services and
OS/2 defect support.
Why an OS/2 Strategy for e-business? IBM(R) has endorsed the strengths and benefits of Internet technologies and platform independence for several years and has encouraged customers worldwide to make the transition to network computing. IBM has created a transformation plan that includes information customers can use to help transform their current client-and-server solutions into e-business solutions.
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Enterprise Databases - MySQL, Oracle, DB2
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MySQL, Pronounced “my ess cue el” (each letter
separately) and not “my SEE kwill.” MySQL is an open
source RDBMS that relies on SQL for processing the data in the
database. MySQL provides APIs for the languages C, C++, Eiffel,
Java, Perl, PHP and Python. In addition, OLE DB and ODBC
providers exist for MySQL data connection in the Microsoft
environment. A MySQL .NET Native Provider is also available,
which allows native MySQL to .NET access without the need for OLE
DB.
MySQL is most commonly used for Web applications and for embedded applications and has become a popular alternative to proprietary database systems because of its speed and reliability. MySQL can run on UNIX, Windows and Mac OS.
MySQL is developed, supported and marketed by MySQL AB. The database is available for free under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) or for a fee to those who do not wish to be bound by the terms of the GPL. |
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Based in Redwood, California, Oracle Corporation is the largest software company whose primary business is database products. Historically, Oracle has targeted high-end workstations and minicomputers as the server platforms to run its database systems. Its relational database was the first to support the SQL language, which has since become the industry standard.
Along with Sun Microsystems, Oracle has been one of the leading champions of network computers.
Oracle Database is the industry's first database designed for grid computing. Low entry-level pricing makes Oracle one of the best choices for large enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses alike.
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Short for Database 2, DB@ is a family of relational database products
offered by IBM. DB2 provides an open database environment that
runs on a wide variety of computing platforms. A DB2 database can
grow from a small single-user application to a large multi-user
system. Using SQL, users can obtain data simultaneously from DB2
and other databases. DB2 includes a range of application
development and management tools.
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