Stories by Tom Yager

C++Test Automates Code Quality Check

Whether they are creating applications for internal or external customers, today's C++ developers are in a tough position. They know they should spread comments liberally throughout their code. They know they should design before coding and document as they go. Programmers know the rules, including the most important one: Create test harnesses that exercise every line of the code you create.

Is Linux Ready for E-commerce?

Ask any Linux aficionado if Linux is the best choice for e-commerce, and you'll get an enthusiastic "Yes!" Ask why Linux is best, and too often the answers are more political than practical. But for an IT manager, causes and crusades don't figure into planning. IT managers have budgets; they can afford to pay for their software. They need more than "It's not Windows" to convince them that Linux is the way to go. If you want them to adopt Linux as the platform for their e-commerce solution, tell them that Linux is going to get their e-commerce site running sooner, that it will keep it running no matter what goes wrong, and that they won't wish they had spent my money on a commercial OS a year from now.

SilverStream Performs on Java 2

Once a mere programming language, Java has since transformed itself into an all-purpose environment for enterprise applications. With Java 2, Enterprise Edition (J2EE), Sun Microsystems Inc. has given developers a full suite of application services, including brokered objects, server-side Web scripting, transactions, messaging, directory services, XML, and database connectivity.

Forum 5.0 Brings Collaboration Without Pain

The word "groupware" conjures images of big servers, costly licenses, and administrative hassles. The likes of Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Novell GroupWise get your people connected, but exact a high cost in time and manpower. If you need online collaboration but you're not ready to devote a whole department to running it, consider SiteScape Inc.'s Forum.

Industrial-Strength I-commerce

If you're looking for a middle ground between in-house site development and high-dollar consultants, a packaged e-commerce solution may be your best option. Emrys Solutions Inc. soon will release Digital Exchange, a virtual storefront application that runs on low-cost PC servers. Digital Exchange embraces the key qualities I seek in Web-based applications: low resource usage, speedy performance, and quick deployment. Its design leaves me with some concerns about security and usability, but I think Digital Exchange will be a worthy player in the midrange e-commerce market.

Corel Linux OS Ideal for Desktops

Unix aficionados have for years chronicled vendors' attempts to push Unix onto the desktop. We've watched all such attempts end in abject failure and total market rejection, mostly because Unix vendors were clueless to the needs of desktop users -- until now.

OpenLinux EServer Not Yet a Contender

Attracting Linux converts in the corporate world is a tricky business. While Linux die-hards want all the free software and options they can get, corporate IT managers demand reliable servers that require minimal effort to install and manage. IT administrators want their Linux distributions to ask only those questions it must ask during installation, and they don't like being forced to do a lot of manual configuration just to get on the air after the installation.

Report.Web Fulfills Its Paperless Objective

THICK STACKS of greenbar printouts may strike the PC crowd as anachronistic, but large systems still churn them out. The common alternative -- mining data from host databases into smaller warehouses for reporting and analysis -- is costly and complicated. There should be an intermediate step between paper reporting and an all-out reworking of your firm's reporting strategy.

Latest ToolBook Disappoints

Imparting knowledge has become big business. With training costs soaring, it's no wonder that managers are seriously considering Web-based training as an alternative to classroom training. Asymetrix Learning Systems is targeting this exploding market with its release of ToolBook II Instructor 7.1, a Microsoft Windows-based scripting environment that the company has recast as a graphical authoring tool with Web deployment capabilities.

Product review: Sturdy UnixWare aims to Oust NT, NetWare

Consolidation fever has hit machine rooms from coast to coast. We're all chasing the promise of simplified management, centrally located storage, and pooled resources. Yet where OSes are concerned, there is no perfect choice for the emerging PC superserver.

Product review: MetaFrame embraces 'other' clients

Although network computers and Windows terminals have yet to catch on, thin-client computing still has a significant role to play in the distributed applications strategies of some organisations. Linking desktops to remote application servers enhances security, centralises management and monitoring, pools valuable per-seat licences, and saves money on desktop upgrades.

Product review: Sybase adaptive server enterprise

Before I go any further, I'll spare you the suspense: Yes, Sybase is letting Linux users run Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) 11.0.3 for Linux, for free. No restrictions, no tricky licence, no catch.

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