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In This Issue
A Note from the Editor
Developer Perspectives
eLibrary Short Takes
Tech Talk
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A Note From the Editor
You might notice that this newsletter looks a bit different. As Bill Sheldon described in his columns "Will .NET Survive" (http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/49049/sql_server_49049.html) and "A Ripple Becomes a Wave" (http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/49304/sql_server_49304.html), Developer .NET UPDATE is sporting a new name--Developer Update--and some new features. One notable new feature is the "Glad You Asked" column in which Bill will answer readers' questions. In addition to these changes, the newsletter will be published once a month (the first Friday of each month) instead of twice a month. This new schedule will start with the August 4 issue.
Developer Perspectives
by Bill Sheldon, [email protected]
Software Sector Is Seeing Another Paradigm Shift
Every so often, the business software industry's focus goes through a
paradigm shift. I feel we're on the verge of another shift, but it's not the
one you might think.
Originally, we had large centralized mainframe systems that relied on server-based applications and roll-and-scroll terminals. These systems were prohibitively expensive for most companies, except for large organizations. Companies that needed limited computer processing purchased a share or time on a computer that was hosted and run by a company such as IBM.
The era of server-based systems eventually gave way to a client-server architecture that was built on desktop PCs. Many applications took advantage of the advances in desktop systems and stored only their data on central servers. Some applications were entirely desktop based.
The client-server era was overcome by the explosive growth of the Web and a reintroduction of applications hosted on central systems. Although this era is similar to the one in which we started, the return to central servers didn't end the client-server architecture--it just changed the applications' focus. With the release of the Microsoft .NET Framework, the Web began including applications that featured improvements designed to enhance the users' experience. Microsoft wasn't the only source of improvements; another good example is the use of Dynamic HTML (DHTML)--aka Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)--in Web applications.
The newest release of the .NET Framework is starting to breathe new life into client-server based applications. For example, the .NET Framework 2.0 offers ClickOnce deployment. With this feature, you store a client application on a server and locally install that application on a client. The application on the client then keeps itself current with the application on the server.
ClickOnce applications have the potential to drive the paradigm in the direction of client-based applications again. However, I don't see this happening because of the upcoming release of Windows Vista, Longhorn Server, and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). I think that WPF's focus on allowing the same UI to be hosted in a server-based Web application or on a client will ensure that a paradigm shift back to the client-server architecture won't occur. Instead, I see a different shift starting.
As I mentioned previously, back in the days of mainframe systems, many organizations didn't own the central systems they used. However, that situation changed with the introduction of the client-server architecture. Most every company purchased one or more servers as well as server-based applications.
Even though hardware costs are relatively low, many companies are now seeing the cost of maintaining their servers and server-based applications become prohibitive. Thus, I see a new era emerging. In this era, companies will start to eliminate their server-based applications and their extranet infrastructure and instead allow these applications to live on servers for which they purchase a share or processing time. Truly large companies will likely still carry the expense associated with maintaining an internal IT environment, but many small and midsized companies will move to this hosted model--even for custom applications.
Vendors are already starting to offer application hosting services. For example, SalesForce.com offers the AppExchange (http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange), an on-demand application-sharing service. As subscribers, companies (and even individual developers) can design and run applications within the constraints of the AppExchange platform. If desired, they can have SalesForce.com review their applications and make them available for other subscribers to use. To use another subscriber's application, you pay an additional fee, which is paid to the application's owner/developer. Microsoft Office Live (http://officelive.microsoft.com/Misc/Links.aspx?linkId=partner) is setting up a similar service.
As you can see I'm not projecting this paradigm shift out of thin air. Companies are already moving in this direction--and this movement is going to accelerate fast. Combining an on-demand application-sharing model with the ClickOnce's smart-client capabilities will undoubtedly provide a powerful paradigm for business software in the coming years.
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eLibrary Short Takes
SMBs Need Some Discipline
Many small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) tend to use a development process
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Tech Talk
Glad You Asked
by Bill Sheldon, [email protected]
Looking for a New Job? Keep These Pointers in Mind
Q: In your "Interested in a Programming Career? Here's How to Start" Q&A (http://www.sqlmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=92805&), you provide some good suggestions on how to get into programming. However, you missed the biggest option: a college degree. As a manager of a small development group, I concede that Microsoft certifications will get your resume some extra attention. But almost always, a bachelor's degree is required or desired. In many cases, we won't even interview someone without a bachelor's degree.
I'm not saying that all computer science graduates are the best developers. But when you have a large stack of resumes to sort for every developer job, the first cut is often the candidates' formal education. In my last hiring round, I had resumes from high school graduates as well as doctorates.
Equally important is that developers without a bachelor's degree basically have nowhere else to go in the corporate world. Writing code can get boring after a while, and they'll want options. Without a degree, those options often aren't there.
I can also tell you that salaries are affected. You might have two equally talented and experienced programmers, but developers with a bachelor's degree will likely earn $20,000 to $30,000 more a year than their counterparts without a degree.
Can you please let people know that the certifications are nice but not a substitute for a formal college education?
A: I completely agree with the gist of your comments. A formal college education is very valuable. In almost every case, developers who go through a solid 4-year software engineering or computer science program have a better understanding of how computers work than developers who didn't go through such a program. A good program helps future developers understand what the computer is really doing, which helps them troubleshoot problems when they arise.
However, the college route works best for those under 30 who can afford to devote the appropriate time to it. The question in the "Interested in a Programming Career? Here's How to Start" column came from someone who noted that his age made going for a bachelor's degree an unrealistic option. And since this person had already had a career, stopping his income or spending 6 or 7 years in night school without already having a related job in that field wouldn't make sense. The reality is that there are hundreds of people in or entering the software market who aren't in a position to get a bachelor's degree.
As for Microsoft certifications, having a string of letters after your name can be good or bad when you get to an interview. As you note, the whole idea is to get to the interview stage. So, let's look at this from that standpoint and discuss the skills that a developer should possess.
First, as an interviewer, remember that you should never ask illegal questions such as "How old are you?" or "Are you married?" Note this doesn't mean that you can't deduce the answer to some of these questions. For example, if a candidate received a bachelor's degree in say 1987, it's pretty easy to deduce that the candidate probably is around 40 years' old.
As a job candidate, you should avoid bringing up such topics as age and marital status unless you're certain they'll help you get the job. For example, if you're interviewing for a position that requires traveling more than 50 percent of the time, you might want to mention that you're single without kids because the interviewer might feel that you'll have fewer travel restrictions. By the way, being single isn't always a plus. An interviewer might consider it a drawback because it's easier for you to leave the company for a different job.
But back to our focus: having a degree. Although a bachelor's degree can be helpful, there are also limitations. For example, having a degree in say astronomy might not carry much weight with an interviewer (which is the interviewer's loss since I know a very talented engineer who had that as his major). When I'm looking for someone to join our development team, I'm wary about hiring candidates with doctorates. In an interview, such candidates are going to have to convince me they want to write code as opposed to discussing design theories.
Whether you have a degree or not, the most important skills you can demonstrate are the ability to write clearly, the ability to communicate effectively, and the ability to reason and think on your feet. Your resume needs to demonstrate your writing skills. It should be concise and correct. You need to demonstrate your communication and reasoning skills in the interview. Make sure you understand the question being asked and answer accordingly. There are times when the correct answer is something like, "I don't know. I'd need to reference the documentation to verify that." Incorrectly guessing at a question or providing an answer that tries to dodge the question can cost you. However, constantly asking the interviewer to repeat or rephrase questions is a concern.
Although you need to demonstrate your writing, communication, and reasoning skills, what really sets a candidate apart in an interview is his or her ability to show desire and passion for the job and a willingness to try to resolve problems. So, when you get to the interview, remember that the interviewer wants you to succeed. You just need to demonstrate that you can be an effective team member.
For 'um Developers
Forum participant Bill is running into a problem when using a WHERE
statement that includes a variable. If you can help, go to
http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=66&threadid=48442&enterthread=y
Letters to the Editor
What's on your mind? Let us know at [email protected].
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