In many jobs, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is mentioned. In technical jobs, it is considered important. For programmers, it should be part of their daily routine. Rapid changes in technologies, new languages to keep up with & constant evolution of the marketplace make it primordial for any programmer to actively invest time into learning if they want their overall knowledge to remain current.
But when a programmer is already spending so much time developing his/her primary skills, how can he/she find the time to keep up with all the other areas of the programming field?
I find the following tools valuable:
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My next Google Android app will be a RSS Reader and naturally, I have to brush up on my XML knowledge so I have picked up the excellent Java and XML
(aff.) book and I have to say, this convinces me that XML is the way to go for what will be my first desktop app.
OK, I have to admit here, I am planning a desktop Java app and I thought a few weeks ago that I would use xml for the data. This is partially why I was keen to experiment with programming a RSS Reader for Google Android, as my first foray into xml parsing. The other reason for the RSS Reader is that I have come to rely on mine (I use Google Reader) and I prefer using it on my work computer, which has a bigger screen. This got me wondering: how to create a user-friendly RSS Reader interface for a small screen? This was all the challenge I needed to get me started 
So far, I have only read up on SAX and I have started playing around with it – it does what I imagined it should do, so I’m pretty pleased about it. I’m thoroughly enjoying working with XML but as I’m only starting out, I’m sure some more advanced programmers will be quick to damper my enthusiasm.
So, for you, does XML live up to its potential? Or is it just another data format you have to contend with?
Over the least couple of years, the rise of Google in the field of programming and web development tools has been quite spectacular.
Google Android is gaining ground in the smart mobile phone market, Google App Engine and Google Web Toolkit are helping Java and Python programmers develop web apps, Google has established its annual conference Google I/O as the conference all programmers should attend (sadly, I cannot but I would dearly like to), not to mention the success of its Google Maps API and many other tools available for programmers.
Like many other programmers, I am very excited about their tools but I can’t help asking myself: do we rely too much on Google? Only the future will tell but I fear that despite all of Google’s official good intentions, its real aim is to create a market monopoly that Microsoft can only dream of – and then, it will be able to bleed all programmers and users dry.
No book has had as much impact on my programming as Object Thinking (by David West)
(aff.). I still like to refer to it and I often read the notes I have made from it, I almost think of it as a Philosophy book, that’s how much it has affected me.
Over the coming weeks, I will explore why I am convinced that “thinking like an object” will help your programming, with both practical and more philosophical posts. For this first post, I will write a quick introduction to the subject.
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