Articles

Five The 5 Most In-Demand Programming Languages of 2020

 A lot of languages create a dilemma in choosing the best, so we have come up with a solution to help you get information about the five most in-demand programming languages of 2020.

Nikunj Shingala's picture Nikunj Shingala
switch Switch Expressions in Java 14 add Simplicity and Agility

The article discusses how the new switch statement is simplified and how the new switch expression simplifies. After setting the environment, we’ll discuss what was lacking in the switch statement that makes it less agile. Then, we’ll discuss how Java 14 simplifies switch.

 

Deepak Vohra's picture Deepak Vohra
Laptop with code on the screen Agile Development: Focusing on the Health of Your Code

In Scrum, the product owner and the ScrumMaster are supposed to drive sustainable development. But there's a third force missing from the formula: the health of the code itself. We often forget that our code is also a member of our team, and we have to be concerned about its health and well-being as much as any other team member. That means using practices to develop good code from the beginning.

David Bernstein's picture David Bernstein
Partially open computer showing a bright screen Software Development: An Industry of Amateurs

David Bernstein says the software industry is an industry of amateurs. It's a young field, and he doesn’t think it's yet graduated into a true profession. Here, David contrasts the software industry with other, more established fields, and he talks about what software professionals need to do in order for the industry to become accepted and esteemed.

David Bernstein's picture David Bernstein
Sticky tags that say "Hello, my name is," photo by Jon Tyson What's in a Name? Build Better Software by Naming Classes and Methods Clearly

One of the most important things to pay attention to when writing software is how we name our symbols. Data and behavior should be named in a way that represents the essence of what we're trying to do. Naming affects understandability and reflects code quality, so use names that clearly communicate your intentions, and refactor those names when your intentions change.

David Bernstein's picture David Bernstein
Changeable code The Value of Test-Driven Development when Writing Changeable Code

Writing changeable code makes it easier and more cost-effective to add features to existing software. Writing changeable code doesn’t take longer, but it does require paying attention to certain things when building a system. It's important to have a good suite of unit tests that support refactoring code when needed, and test-driven development helps you create independently testable code.

David Bernstein's picture David Bernstein
Pencil to paper Document Why as Well as What: Finding the Purpose of Your Software

Code can express what we want to accomplish, but it’s a little more difficult to express why we’re doing something in the first place. The people who maintain code are often not those who originally wrote it, so documenting why helps set a context and gives clues as to what the author was thinking when they came up with a particular design, making developers' jobs easier.

David Bernstein's picture David Bernstein
Lines of code Project Teams Need to Overcome Their Fear of Coding

Many organizations appear to suffer anxiety at the thought of programming. They want to get everyone but the programmers in a room to discuss a project down to the minute and the dollar, without a full understanding of the coding required. But a few hours of code experimentation generates far more understanding than days of debate by architects and analysts. Don't be scared of programming.

Allan Kelly's picture Allan Kelly
Erasing debt on a page Paying Off the Technical Debt in Your Agile Projects

Just as you should not take out a financial loan without having a plan to pay it back, you should also have a plan when incurring technical debt. The most important thing is to have transparency—adequate tracking and visibility of the debt. Armed with the knowledge of these pending tasks, the team can devise a strategy for when and how to “pay off” technical debt.

Nishi Grover's picture Nishi Grover
Code on a computer screen Code Health Kaizen: Self-Organizing for Agile Improvement

People at Ben Kopel's organization were interested in improving their code health. It was something the engineers had control over and leadership didn't need to be involved, so code health was a great candidate for a self-organized initiative. Ben details the meeting they held, their discussions and plans, and how an agile team empowered themselves to improve.

Ben Kopel's picture Ben Kopel

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