Articles by Jason Bell

JDJ Product Review — Parasoft Jtest 8.0

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:45:00 EST

In terms of unit testing and code compliance, Jtest is a real heavyweight in the arena. For those who haven't come across Jtest before, it's an application that will analyze your Java application code for you. At present Jtest has 700 built-in rules and 100 security rules and it will autocorrect 250 of those rules for you. It provides Parasoft SOAtest hooks for testing of SOA/Web services and Web apps. The reporting engine is also built-in so once tests are run, you can view and print results via a Web browser. There are some new features such as improved J2EE testing and the Bug Detective, which I will cover later in this review.

The Jury's Still Out On Ruby On Rails (RoR) and AJAX

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:45:00 EDT

In most cases I'm a patient and tolerant person. Once you get to know me, I'm easy to get along with, occasionally complex, but not very often. My patience and tolerance has pretty much gone out the window in the last week or so. It all stems from two technologies: Ruby On Rails (RoR) and AJAX.

Do I Really Need That? Benefits of SOA, RSS, J2EE, or SOAP

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 19:45:00 EST

In February I took on the daunting task of starting a new venture. It was based on an idea I had while reading a book on the low cost airline, Ryanair. I never knew you could lease an aircraft; I thought an airline with billowing amounts of cash just bought the machines and got on with it. Wrong, wrong, and wrong with a capital W. My rationale was simple: there are a lot of aircraft on the ground, let's help get them back up in the air. How can I provide a system that makes sure that both parties benefit. B2B auctions!

Job Discernment

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Those of you kind enough to read my editorials for JDJ would have noticed that I started a new job. A fresh start, a new year, a colossal waste of my time it turned out. Startup companies can be odd to work for sometimes and you have to read between the lines when it comes to statements from directors and shareholders.

Man with an Open Heart

Thu, 05 Feb 2004 00:00:00 EST

I'm a firm believer in seasons of work for a specific job. The season of writing for me is coming to a nice close - this is my last editorial for JDJ (though I still have reviews that I have to get on with). It's been fun watching the Java world open up before me during the working day, blogging something, and then enjoying the feedback.

Exposing the Services

Thu, 08 Jan 2004 00:00:00 EST

Depending on who you talk to, the response you get when you mention the words 'Web' and 'services' in the same sentence can vary from a big smile to an amazingly serious frown. It's easy to develop an application or Web site that uses the Amazon API and the Google API to great effect.

A Christmas Wish List

Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:00:00 EST

I may not believe in the existence of someone who can span the globe in a number of hours, along with a collection of antler-based creatures (one with a red nose, the others not). However, it doesn't stop me from making a list of stuff that I want for Christmas. Apologies in advance if you do not partake in these celebrations.

Lift Your Vision Higher!

Mon, 03 Nov 2003 00:00:00 EST

Having ridden the storm of the dot-com decline, it's nice to see the worldwide press having a semi-upbeat tone about the tech economy. Java, as a language, rode the crest of the wave; it could do no wrong and Java developers were the geeks among geeks.

An Interview with Bruce Eckel

Mon, 03 Nov 2003 00:00:00 EST

Recently, Jason Bell had the opportunity to talk with Bruce Eckel, noted author of Thinking in Java and Thinking in C++.

I Love Logging!

Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 EDT

A few months ago I wrote an editorial on the touchy subject of proper testing (Vol. 8, issue 6). Thanks to you there was much support (and a volume of information from Parasoft and how JTest linked with unit testing; this opened my eyes!).

A Modern-Day Cinderella

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

I can contain my annoyance no longer. I've watched comments, blogs, and industrial news come and go; I've had sleepless nights and gone off my food. My argument? The name 'Java 2 Standard Edition' should be changed to 'Core Java,' from a marketing point of view. If there is one thing I've noticed over the last year or so, it's the growing belief that J2EE (the not-so-core Java) doesn't need the 'Standard Edition,' and I don't see much in the way of an explanation as to what's required to get all this technology working.

JavaOne

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 00:00:00 EDT

The JavaOne conference passed me by this year, as did the previous seven. I never get the time to attend these things since I'm in the UK and it's a long journey. So I sat back in my big developer's chair and watched the Java world pass by like Weblogs in the night.

Sleeping Tigers

Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 EDT

J2SE is going through a bit of an overhaul at the moment, with the release of J2SDK 1.5 (project name 'Tiger') due at the end of 2003. Sun Microsystems ran a feature article in May about this release that included a Q&A with Joshua Bloch, a senior staff engineer at Sun.

Testing, Testing . . .

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

While I was preparing for my interview with Bruce Eckel, a quote appeared in his Web log in May that said 'If it's not tested, it's broken.' It got me thinking about how much I actually tested the code that I wrote. Now I don't write JUnit tests for everything, but perhaps I should. To that end, here's my proposal (I'm looking forward to the royalty check):

Building the Social Network

Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Whether you like it or not, you're part of the Java community. Just by reading this publication you're declaring that you're a part of the Java way of life, maybe not by choice but you're still here. We have a network of developers all programming in the same language; there are many aspects to this language, but they all share a common thread. Fun, isn't it?

Train-ing

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 EST

Training - it can be a dirty word to some; learning by doing is all very well but what do you actually learn? On my daily commute to work, I have 90 minutes on the train to read, digest, and think about how to implement these new practices into my programming.

Can the API Docs Be Improved?

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 EST

The Java Dudes cartoon on the back page of JDJ has boosted my reputation as someone who likes the API documentation for the core Java language. It's easy to navigate, it's quick, and it answers some of those common Java-related questions. There are a couple of questions that are constantly on my mind. First, with such a rich resource of information, why do programmers (of all abilities) whom I have contact with fail to look at the API docs in the first place?

Who Needs Resolutions

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

Since last month's JDJ was the Linux focus issue, I didn't get a chance to inflict my goals for the year. I call them goals, as I hate the term New Year's resolutions as resolutions are always broken by the end of the first week of the new year. In fact, I think it's more of a custom in the UK to purposely break New Year's resolutions so people can get back to normal as soon as possible.

Dipping Your Toe in the Water

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

There's a saying - 'Life is about choices' - that can also be applied to Linux. In the mainstream there are about 60 different vendors with a Linux distribution working on a number of hardware platforms. For the enthusiasts that's okay, as they can reinstall as often as they like. A business, on the other hand, may not share the view that the best way to run an operating system is by trial and error. Knowledge is key here - and knowing what to do if something goes wrong.

Supporting Other Industries

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

Summer 1999: I was fortunate enough to be working on a Java project to write an Internet airline ticket reservation system for a client. It was one of my first Java programs and many a sleepless night was had. It opened my eyes to the travel industry and how the International Air Transportation Authority (IATA) used EDI data to communicate airline, hotel, and rail information to travel agents (it was also my baptism of the ways of StringTokenizer and Socket classes).

Rational XDE by Rational Software Corporation

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

Over the past few years the integrated development environment has raged on. For years I've used a text editor and a build tool to create my Java software; I used no set processes or design methods. The integration of UML modeling and Java coding makes obvious sense to a software designer, but a programmer like me has to ask, can XDE mentor me and make me think differently about the way I design software?

What Happened to the Evangelists?

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

In my last few editorials I've been looking back in order to look forward; for example, how to encourage and empower new programmers, how to learn, and how to create better requirements and user expectations. Now I feel it's time to look forward.

Success Without a Successor Is Failure!

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT

I've always believed that we should pass on our knowledge to our peers, then, over time, we'd have a network of programmers who had a firm foundation in how Java works. To that end I try and help out where I can.

The 84% Rule

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

According the Standish Group, 84% of all IT-related projects are not delivered on time or within budget. Now when the world reads 'IT-related projects,' the automatic assumption is that the IT department is to blame.

Desert Island Open-Source Disks

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

You may be aware of a radio program in the UK called 'Desert Island Discs.' Basically, well-known people choose which records they would want if they were stuck on a desert island (I've yet to hear anyone say they're taking a CD player). Something of a similar nature is happening to me at the moment, as I'm working from home (but far from stranded).

Learning from History

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT

There's no escaping that the evolution of programming languages has its advantages and disadvantages. The addition of the java.util.regex package to the JDK1.4 API is a perfect example of Java's development since 1995. However, there's a group of programmers who know only Java and no other language, so it's difficult for them to see why things like regular expressions are included. It all boils down to how your own career evolved.

Java-Miner by CAST

Wed, 01 May 2002 00:00:00 EDT

It's unfortunate that programmers come and go at an alarming rate in the IT industry, leaving code that must be maintained by someone who quite frequently had no hand in writing it. Software engineers using UML have models on how their programs behave, but the rest of us are left to read through reams and reams of methods. Most of the time all you need is an overview of how the program is made up, not the finer details.

Mycgiserver

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Sometimes finding hosting for your well-crafted pieces of code can be more work than the coding itself. Locating a service that does it free of charge is a real challenge; however, www.mycgiserver.com is a service that meets both criteria. The site started life as a CGI server that could run user's Perl scripts, PHP, and Java servlets, but in November 2000 they made the decision to concentrate on Java deployment.