Archive for September, 2008

.NET: Understanding and Usage

Friday, September 26th, 2008

What is .NET? .NET Framework is Microsoft’s application development platform. It enables the developers to create Windows applications, web applications, and web services using different kinds of programming languages. The developers don’t have to worry about the memory management and processor-specific instructions.

.NET is one of the mismanaged brands of Microsoft. .NET is the Common Language Runtime, commonly known as the CLR. The CLR is made up of a number of different parts. .NET Framework is made of an independent language. The developer can use NET application while using any number of different programming languages. The most popular languages are C# and VB.NET. But programmers have been using Python, COBOL, and more.

The use of an intermediate language has given .Net the language independence. It implies that the code is complied not in the actual machine code but into a high-level generic language. The developer can write the code in any language but it has to be compiled in NET and it will become IL (Intermediate language). All the languages have to eventually be translated into the intermediate languages. The developer can compile the code and the code is translated to the intermediate language and stored in an assembly. When that assembly is implemented then the CLR picks up that code and compiles it and runs the code. The developers save the times in compiling the code as it done by CPU.

.NET is a very secure language. Managing memory is a major issue for the developers. If the memory is unmanaged then the program takes double of time and lead to formation of bugs and other security issues. .NET is the only language which is secure and can help in removing of the bugs to. The language has an inbuilt feature called Garbage collector. Garbage collector sees which objects are required for the application and it removed those objects from the applications which are not required. Some developers don’t like the Garbage collector because they are in the habit of managing the memory and the running of the Garbage collector acts as trouble maker instead of trouble shooter.

.Net has developed other applications which are to be implemented with databases such as ADO.NET and includes built-in providers for SQL Server, ODBC, OLEDB, as well as Oracle.

Windows Forms is used for building desktop-based applications. With the help of Windows Forms the developers can manage wrapper over the native Windows API. The application can be written in one version of Windows and its can be run on any other form of window application with using WINDOW 98SE.

Java Technology: Understanding and Usage

Friday, September 26th, 2008

What is “Java”? Java is a scripting language. It consists of three things Java Programming language, Java Virtual Machine and the Java platform. Java language is known as a high end, object-oriented programming language.

When Java was introduced, the language was interpreted as Applets, Bytecode, and slow performing. Today Java is known as web application, web service, High-performer and Hotspot dynamic application and it is open source software.

The language is only a Code Fragments. The language is influenced by various languages such as C, C++, and Smalltalk. The syntax is formed familiar to those of C-descended, but with arguably stronger OO principles. This principle is missing in C++.

Not doubt Java is a very popular language among the programmers but it has been highly criticized because of it incomplete object-orientation. Some of Java primitives such as int, char, boolean, etc. are not objects, and require a completely different treatment from the developer. The developers can use “int” as a class or a subclass and they have to declare new methods on it. This class cannot pass to it’s a generic Object. Java 5.0 version has introduced an “autoboxing” scheme which eliminates the use of the wrapper class and takes the language ahead of the other development languages.

Java framework consists of configuration files or deployment descriptors, typically written in XML and the output is shown in the HTTP form which is best suited for the search engines. Many critics say that the developer is not sure what the end result of the application by just seeing the code. Java 5.0 versions has adds annotations to the language, which allows the tagging of methods, fields, and classes with values that can then be inspected and operated on at runtime, usually through reflection. Many programmers like annotations because they simplify their tasks and it’s easy to understand the codes which will later be converted into HTTP format.

Java Platforms are of three types: Standard Edition (SE), Enterprise Edition (EE), and Micro Edition (ME). Each platform has a combination of a language version, a different set of standard libraries, and a virtual machine to execute the code.

Java source has become a platform of native executable code. This requires a two-step process: the developer compiles his or her source into Java bytecode, and then a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) converts this into native code for the host platform.

Java has been highly criticized as a scripting language and despite its criticism is one of the most popular languages. It has been widely used in language in programming and in the year 2005 a new development was seen within the language. The language can be used with free tools such as Linux, Windows, Solaris, and Mac can all compile and execute Java apps. This gave the developer a vast base of knowledge, and a large pool of readily available.

PHP Technology: Understanding and Usage

Friday, September 26th, 2008

PHP is a scripting language designed for web development and can be embedded into HTML. PHP language runs on a web server, the code of PHP acts as the input and output is the creation of the web pages. The language is also used for command-line scripting and client-side GUI applications. PHP has been deployed on many web servers, operating systems and platforms. It is also useful with many database management systems. The complete source code is available to the users for free. The users can build; customize language according to their requirements.

PHP has been created by Rasmus Lerdorf in the year1995. PHP’s main implementation is now produced by The PHP Group and it is released under the PHP License. According to the Free Software Foundation it is considered as free software.

PHP was originally designed to create only dynamic web pages. It is a server-based script and is similar to other server-based script languages such as Microsoft’s ASP.NET system, Sun Microsystems’ JavaServer Pages and mod_perl. PHP’s main framework provides building blocks and design structure to promote rapid application development (RAD). Some of the frame works include CakePHP, PRADO, Symfony and Zend Framework.

PHP acts as a filter, taking input from a file or stream containing text and instructions the outputs for another stream of data. The most common form of the output is HTML. The most popular architecture is the LAMP architecture for deploying web applications. In PHP the P is refer to Python or Perl and it is used as bundle alongside with Linux, Apache and MySQL.

PHP interface also has Extensions with a number of systems such as IRC, and Windows API. PHP extensions are used in creating Macromedia Flash movies. In the Version 3, PHP has integrated object oriented features and Version 5 has limited functionalities. Now PHP has robust object capabilities such as interface, exceptions, destruction and abstractions which are a great help in the development of a website.

PHP has wide-spread popularity because of the version 4. It is considered as one of the top languages used for server-based scripting. The language is easy to learn. PHP has many arrays and variables which can hold any type of object, where the variables need not be declared, and the syntax is remarkably simple.

The language has been criticized because of its security flaws where are ASP is more secure language. The default of the language is the lack of easily understanding of the error messages, robust configuration file, and the incomplete set of built-in functions.

Development is a continuous phase and with the time PHP will remove all its default and would be considered as one of the most successful language for building websites.