No really. http://jphoward.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/end-to-end-web-app-in-under-an-hour/

I went though most of the tute and I made an app where all the logic is done client side. I am not using any executable files like aspx or cfm or php. Everything is done client side with AJAX calls to a REST web service. The only thing that is done server side is a controller and a single class to define the data structure AKA the Model. All the controller does is intercept JSON from the AJAX calls and updates the database via an ORM. There is no SQL, The entire thing is done via a couple static html pages. It looks nothing like a traditional web application where the server dishes up rendered HTML files. In fact, since REST is standardized and is supported by all web app languages it is utterly irreverent what is going on server side. I could swap it out to work with CF, Rails, PHP, Java or whatever. One of the cool things about CF (you knew it was coming) is that JSON is a return type for functions. You can run a query and the return value (the query) is automatically turned into JSON with no intermediate steps.

But yeah.... everything I know about web dev is wrong. Again.

My point? JabbaTheScript is THE language to learn. It is the single most important language of our day and age. Logic is moving from the server to the browser. The back end is quickly becoming little more than a service layer for your database and for things that JS and/or mobile apps can't do or do well. I have heard several times in the last week (from developers of various back end languages) that the back end is "just a matter of preference anymore". Everything is moving to AJAX, Mobile apps and client side app MVC frameworks like Backbone.js and Angular.js so just as long as you can expose your back end via Rest and/or SOAP web services it really doesn't matter what you are running server side.

I was looking for a plugin for eclipse to replace a feature that "went away" when I upgraded Aptana//Eclipse to the latest version and I noticed an "Install button". I moused over it and got the pop up dialog below.

And you know what? I dragged the link into Eclipse and it worked like a charm. It brought up the plugin installation dialog and checked for any missing dependencies and installed the plugin. Easy peasy.

I mean how cool is that? Compare that with Microsoft's web platform installer that installed SIXTY FIVE separate programs just so I could make web apps with their stack. Java/Eclipse is bloated as hell but that is nothing compared to MS.

FOSS FTW!!!

IE's browser share is about to dip below the 30% mark

http://gs.statcounter.com/

Unfortunately is is still holding it's own in N. America @ just under 40%. http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-na-monthly-201112-201212

But IE 9 has been eclipsed by Chrome in N America http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-na-monthly-201112-201212

And why does this matter? IE is an anchor browser and defines the lowest common denominator of what technology you can use client side with out writing conditional code for IE. Even the latest and greatest IE 10 (Win 8 only) still lags behind in HTML5 support.

http://html5test.com/compare/browser/chromecanary/ff17/ie10.html

And IE 8 and 9 still suck ass big time.

http://html5test.com/compare/browser/chrome23/ie08/ie09.html

This said, FF and Chrome's 6 week release cycle and auto update starts to make a LOT of sense. Things are moving FAST and the traditional 18 month release cycle just cannot keep up with the pace of technology on the web.

ONWARD HO!

I have been a beer aficionado, home brewer, etc for many years. My favorite beer in the whole wide world is Baltika No. 9. It is a very rich, robust, complex and decidedly strong European Lager. I like beer you have to chew before swallowing  ;o). It is imported from Russia and the local shop that I get it from has had a difficult time getting a hold of it over the last year or so. So when ever I stop by, I always ask "Did my Baltika No. 9 come in yet?".

So I stopped in yesterday and this is what I saw.

I have been self employed for 13 years and the very existence of my pay check has often depended on my customers being happy... So this really struck me. With a very small, but genuine, personalized, and most importantly, public gesture they have pretty much insured that I will be a customer for life.

G- OUT