Thu, 7 November 2013
AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) is a techonology used to create Rich Internet Applications (RIA). If you're asking "what the heck does that mean!?" You're in the right place In this podcast episode we will talk about the uses for AJAX and how it can lead to a much nicer web browsing experience for your Java web applications. What else will you learn about in this episode?
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Wed, 30 October 2013
An algorithm is essentially a well defined set of instructions that get carried out by a computer in an automated fashion to solve a problem. A good example of this is to say "How would you tell a computer to figure out which of the 5 balls I've given to you is the heaviest (or lightest)". In order to solve this "problem", you'll need to define a set of steps for the computer to carry out in order to reach a conclusion and solve the problem. Algorithms are very common in programming, as you are constantly trying to tell the computer how to solve problems in a step by step manner. The Big-O Notation is the way we determine how fast any given algorithm is when put through its paces. Consider this scenario: You are typing a search term into Google like "How to Program with Java" or "Java Video Tutorials", you hit search, and you need to wait about 30 seconds before all of the results are on the screen and ready to go... Would you still use Google? Or would you start shopping around with other search engines to find one that is faster? My guess is you'd start shopping around. Speed is everything these days, and building slow software is infuriating to users even if they aren't even paying for the software. |
Wed, 23 October 2013
Ever wondered how you could properly restrict access to certain parts of your web application? Do you have an application that has a user registration page and a user login page? Spring Security is the answer if you have a web application created with the Spring Framework! Spring Security will restrict access to any URLs that point to your web application based on your custom configuration. Learn how in this week's How to Program with Java podcast. |
Wed, 16 October 2013
So, the Spring framework is a wonderful help for programmers, but sometimes it needs a bit of help. It does a good job of trying to match fields on a webpage to Java objects (aka Java Beans), but sometimes when the "mapping" is complex, Spring needs our help. In this episode I will explain exactly how you can go about something known as "custom binding". This process allows you to take any text from the presentation layer and convert/bind it to the appropriate Java object (Java Bean) on the server side. |
Wed, 9 October 2013
In our last episode I talked about controllers and how they are used in Spring. In this episode I will be diving even further into Controllers in the Spring Framework and I will talk about the different parameters that can be passed into each method within each Controller. For example, there are HttpServletRequest objects, Model objects as well as @RequestParam and @ModelAttribute annotations that can be used within your Controller's methods. The beauty of the Spring framework is that you can pick and choose which ones you want to include within any given method. |
Wed, 14 August 2013
Well, so far we've been focusing on a bunch of topics that align themselves around the Java programming language in general. But now we're going to take things into a slightly new direction, we're going to be talking about the Spring Framework -- more specifically, Controllers and the Spring Framework. You see, my goal for this blog and podcast has been to not only teach you the Java programming language, but also teach you how you can build a web application. So, this is the first step in that direction. |
Fri, 26 July 2013
Today let's talk about some design patterns, namely the Observer design pattern which can be used in Java. Following the Oberser design pattern in Java is as easy as extending the Observable object and implementing the Observer interface for the appropriate objects. Don't have a clue what the appropriate objects are? Well then that's what this episode is all about! You'll learn what the design pattern is, how it can be used, and how BIG companies have used it in their powerful frameworks. Don't miss it! |
Thu, 20 June 2013
In this epsidoe of the How to Program with Java podcast, I talk with a self-taught programmer who has started up his own very successful marketing product based on his programming knowledge. Troy was graduated with a degree that would have had him working as an audio engineer, but instead took a 180 and pursued his passion for tech and programming. Now he's the big cheese (CTO) and living the dream. Find out how he did it, and how YOU too can do it on this great podcast interview. |
Wed, 29 May 2013
If you've worked as a developer for a corporation, you've likely been exposed to the waterfall model of software development... If not, consider yourself lucky. I've worked in this model before and it had its issues, but thankfully I was introduced to the Agile development methodology in the latter years of my career as an employee and I got a lot from the experience. This podcast episode is dedicated to talking about the Agile methodology and recounts my experiences with it and how I went through my days using the Agile process. In the episode we will talk about:
Plenty to learn about, and plenty to get excited about! |
Wed, 22 May 2013
Alan Robbins is a self-taught programmer who dabbled with programming in college. After not doing to well in the post-secondary system with respect to programming, he changed his major and graduated with a degree in Business Economics and a minor in Psychology and Philosophy. After graduating, he decided that he had a knack for programming (even if the "system" told him otherwise) so he ended up getting an entry level job as a programmer. Since then, he's started up a couple of businesses and is now running a very successful software development company with 40 employees and "lives the dream" by working from home. |