Experiences with OpenLaszlo? [closed] - openlaszlo

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In a related question, I asked about Web Development. I came across something called OpenLaszlo yesterday and thought it looked interesting for doing some website development. The site has a bunch of good information on it and they've got some nice tutorials and such, but being a total novice (as far as web development goes), I'm wondering whether anyone here would recommend this. As I stated in my other question, this is a new world for me and there are a lot of directions I could go. Can you compare/contrast this and other web development you've done? Obviously, this is somewhat subjective, but I haven't heard much about it on SO and I'm hoping to get some opinions on this.

I worked on a website for about a year in which the entire UI was developed in Laszlo. I've also developed AJAX applications using JS frameworks such as JQuery, Prototype and Scriptaculous.
In my experience, the total effort required is considerably less when using Laszlo, and the class-based object model helps to keep your code better organised than when using JS frameworks. My only complaints about Laszlo were that:
It "breaks the browser" in terms of support for the back/forward/refresh buttons. This problem also exists with AJAX, but most JS libraries seem to have found a workaround.
No support for internationalization, though none of the JS libraries are any better in my experience
Relatively small user base/community compared to competitors such as GWT, JQuery, etc.
All in all, I thought OpenLaszlo was a pretty good solution for creating rich web-based user interfaces, and has a number of very novel features, e.g. ability to deploy on multiple runtimes (Flash, DHTML, etc.) without requiring any code changes.
Also, I should mention that I haven't used it for almost a year, so it's likely that some progress has been made in recent times on the issues I mentioned above.
Update
5 years since I posted this answer, things have changed considerably. In case anyone is in any doubt, don't use Laszlo, the project is completely moribund.

I used openLaszlo to develop a few blog widgets for some friends of mine (about a year ago) and it was easy enough to get something basic working and it looked OK. But if I had to do it again, I would probably use FLEX I think you can make a more polished looking application in a lot less time using Flex than with Laszlo

You definitely can write a flash app quickly with OpenLaszlo. There are a lot of similarities to developing for Silverlight.
One OpenLaszlo lameness is that it uses a lame variation of javascript similar to ActionScript. Takes a little getting used to, if you are used to the latest features.
Also, the final flash file that you end up with is very large (file size) compared to what you can do with other tools.

One benefit of OpenLaszlo is the possibility of DHTML output. But for me the mix of XML and JavaScript in the same source file was somewhat confusing.

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What programming languages would be best suitable to create an e-commerce site from scratch? Or is it just better to use a cms like Wordpress? [closed]

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The e-commerce site would include a booking system also and other variables other than just selling and buying goods.
Sadly, there is no simple answer, but, that also means more variety of languages to choose from, you can do anything with almost every programming language, but, each one has its strong points and weak points; In my opinion, heading for the most popular is the best choice to opt to, given a few reasons:
It is easier to find tutorials and answers to your questions, as they will most likely have big communities.
They're popular for a reason, as they are most likely best suited for web development.
Some of these languages are Javascript, Python & PHP — for quite a few reasons, but, as to my personal opinion, I think JS dominates the web development market.
First, to start-off, JS or Javascript is a high-level, medium difficulty language, a scripting language(it is also, OOP(Object-Oriented-Programming) language, but, it is really not, as it is just an illusion.); Javascript is the dynamic life of the web, Javascript does anything from animations, events and et cetera to HTTP requests, fetching, I/O intensive work and it is the most used language in the web!
Javascript has some sugary syntax, so, it is not hard to read and also, it can do absolutely anything from OOP to Dynamic programming and on top of that, it has the 2nd largest community as of now.
But, there is one flaw with it, it is a single-threaded language, so, it only works as one bartender in a whole bar with thousands of people, but, that bartender works at the speed of light, it doesn't wait until the drink becomes ready, but, rather queue up orders and hand them out in the same order, but, it will only take orders and not execute them until the first one does and the second one, the third one and so on, so forth; therefore, it is prone to be blocked and if that happens, your whole site becomes unresponsive, but, that could be fixed pretty easily and with a few good practices, you will be safe; so, don't get discouraged by this, JS is really powerful and one con against all of these pros isn't really significant, but rather, negligible.
Python or PY is more suited for process-intensive stuff (i.e. calculations), so, if your site has some math in it, then, Python would be the choice to go for; also, python is rather good in managing data, analyzing it and et cetera, that is why it is being used in almost any data-science infrastructure; also, Python is very user-friendly, very easy to learn and read, also, it has the biggest community that you can find. (Also, Python has the shortest syntax that you can find.)
This was both languages in a nutshell, but, you have to know that Python isn't really good at optimizing hardware, so, it will drain the hardware, but, JS (and its back-end framework — Node.js) are very good at RAM optimization and ALSO, JS is said to be 75 times faster than Python, so, there is that.
Both languages have their back-end frameworks like Node.js and Django(for PY), but, Python can't be used in the front-end, which is a down-side, but, not really a big deal.
Also, you have to know that you can now, code with any programming language on the web, using something called Web Assembly, it changes any programming language into JS, so, it could be understood by the browser, but, that is a very broad topic and I don't suggest using Web Assembly, as you have to learn new things and it is only good for a couple of small things and E-commerce ain't one of them.
So, to end this off, JS & PY are the pretty strong and best choices to make when it comes to E-commerce, but, you'll probably need a few more things like query languages for databases(like SQL) and an actual database like MongoDB or Firebase, but, that choice is up to you.
ALSO NOTE: JS has front-end frameworks & Libraries like React.js(A view library) and Angular.js(A framework) and Vue.js which is best suited for light-weight projects.
Hopefully, I helped you to make a choice about your site, and please, don't use CMS as you'll be supporting the CMS community which is trying to kill the programming community (which will never happen), and also, you can't call yourself a developer if you use them only and don't code at all. (Yes, they are easier and save time, but, not the best nor optimal solution as they restrict you.)
"Programming isn't about what you know; it's about what you can figure out.” - Chris Pine.
It really depends on "how" you want to make it and "when" you want it, and as a programming language just pick the one you're familiar with and can do the stuff for you. Don't choose a low-level language like C because it will be really painful to make a website using it.

Atom built on Node.js isn't that a recipe for performance flaw? [closed]

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Note: This is not an attempt to bash Atom in any way. These are the questions I had and it's overall about the choice of Tech Web instead of a Native one.
This is me trying to understand the goal of it, and if it's a solid tool to use in general.
( I have Atom, and I use it sometimes - test driving - )
Why wouldn't they make it native which would be faster and solid?
Is Atom focused on entry level Web Developers? Is it supposed to be cool instead of functional?
Is it a reliable and solid tool for "real" / heavey programming (with languages like C, C++, Java, etc)?
Yes it's at its begining but why would they go with web tech (node.js) to start a product that would turn out to be slower than with native tech?
It can't even handle big files!
Why is Github advertising Atom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7aEiVwBAdk) as a tool for programming machines (rockets and low-level programming) with Javascript!!!
And again: Is it supposed to be cool instead of functional?
making it native means you need to compile it to use it. Since one of the goals of Atom is to make a hackable (to the core) code editor, making it in javascript, css, and html allows people to use it \ changing it without compiling any code which allows a quicker flow. Since it's more of a code editor+ than an IDE, basic functionality isn't harmed so much by the performance difference.
no. It's meant for real engineers. the kind that wants to mess with the code editor they work with and tweak it to their needs. This approach allows you to create extensions a lot easier than standard IDEs and code editors.
yup. real programmers usually do real programming. It doesn't matter if you use notepad or whatever. Actually, a lot of programmers prefer the simplest text editors (and some don't). One of the reasons programmers give for that is that it keeps them sharp on all the little things that IDEs usually do for you.
Node is an exciting JavaScript language for web development that has been growing in popularity in recent years. It started out for small development projects and has since penetrated the enterprise and can be seen in large companies like Microsoft, eBay, LinkedIn, Yahoo, WalMart, Uber, Oracle, and several more. Most of them actually improved their performances since the move. Just a few examples [taken from the MEAN Machine book by Chris Sevilleja and Holly Lloyd]:
Yahoo started experimenting with Node back in 2010. At first they just used it for small things like file uploads, and now they use Node to handle nearly 2 million requests per minute. They have noted increases in speed and a simpler development process.
LinkedIn began developing the server side of their mobile app entirely with Node. They were previously using Ruby, but since the switch they have seen huge increases in performance, ranging from 2 to 10 times faster.
PayPal has recently jumped onboard and began migrating some of their Java code to Node. They began experimenting with just their Account Overview page, but once they saw a 35% speed increase and half the amount of time spent on development, they started moving all sites to Node.js.
It's just a commercial. It's suppose to pay tribute to old technology commericals like the AOL commercial from 1999 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzZu83AfU
It's supposed to be both. For a more detailed answer, read the previous bullet which answered the question the first time you asked it ;-).

Wish to learn a new programming language [closed]

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I wish to learn a new programming language but there are so many out there! So thought I'd ask here if there are any that correspond with what I wrote in this list that you might know of:
Making applications with GUI
That would preferably run on any system, preferably Windows (I run Windows 7)
That would not need a hardcore IDE and hopefully no compiling
That is not incredibly advanced (Hard syntax paired with OOP etc.)
That does not need any 'platform' or 'component' installed to work (can be opened with a click, say an .exe file or any other file type)
I already know:
HTML, JavaScript and PHP
Thanks in advance for your input.
I'd recommend Python to anyone.
You seem to have some mutually exclusive options here.
For example, no compiling and opening an .exe. An exe file is generated via compilation.
IMHO, Qt probably best suits your needs. It runs on just about everything, doesn't need an IDE (though qtcreator is a fantastic one, I suggest trying it before you choose not to use an IDE) and is easy to learn and well documented.
If you want compile-less then you'll need to use the python or other scripting language bindings too it.
I would suggest C-sharp / F-sharp combination with WPF thrown into that to get GUI's going...
It a pretty rough learning curve but the combinations are endless...
A couple things to certainly look into:
PRISM
M-V-VM ( Model , View, Viewmodel)
If you are interested in an other back-end persistancy try going into object databases, such a great new world opened up for me when I discovered all the things you can do with that... ( DB4O is my preferred one at this moment.. it has loads of info and a very active community )
It is only limited by your imagination ;)
This is one of those questions of having 10000 people going to an Ice cream shop and then choosing which flavour they want. So far I have worked with Delphi and C#, I am doing SQL, Asp.net and javascript, well, basically!
The answer should be somewhat simple. Go check out which programming language fits your needs, and is in great demand in the working world. If you want to program websites for companies, then PHP, ASP.NET and the older HTML is for you. As far as I know, flash is also coding.#
Another way to look at this question is not only the availability of the language you seek, but its future, if it will become obsolete or the coding language of the century.All coding is the same, but some are more rigorous in certain tasks (like C# and delphi are good languages to build forms applications to handle tasks for data manipulation, integration and whatnot.)
The answer to this question is to explore! What is Your flavour? Sitting in front of a desk doing CRUD operations and staring into a gui which has countless buttons and textb
oxes, but real in-depth code, or to start into a rich gui with XML based code?
I recommend HTML5+Javascript.
You can use Canvas or SVG for
graphic.
It works depending on the browser. So
any OS or system can use it.
Javascript and HTML can be edited in
any thing for example: notepad.
You can write your JS using OOP.
How to open a HTML file? just
double-click on it.
Have fun :)

What do you look for in a bug tracker? [closed]

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I'm interested in evaluating bug trackers, but I wanted to back up and figure out what sorts of criteria were most important in bug software. So far things I've thought of include:
integration with source control
usability
basic features (email notifications, rss, case states)
customization
advanced features (reporting, visualizations)
stability
cost
IDE integration
Any ideas?
Ease of use
This should, in my opinion, be on the top of your list of features to evaluate against. You want inhouse developers and testers to take any and all things they notice in the software and plug it into the tool, even if they're currently working on something else. For this to happen, the tool must be so easy to use that it stays out of the way and just takes your data. The worst bugs are those you don't know about.
A tool that has 15+ fields on the screen, where 10+ are required in order to just be able to submit the issue, is not such a system. With such a system, you'll get postit notes from testers to developers about the little things.
When evaluating BugTracker X, which bugtracker do the developers of BugTracker X use?
customizable workflows (from "open" to "in work" to "resolved" to "closed")
fine granular access control
There was a recent thread on Hacker News about this exact question. Lots of good stuff in there!
An API. Mandatory.
You MUST be able to catch and automatically submit bugs into your bug tracker from applications running in the field.
(Copy/Pasted from "Lasse V. Karlsen"'s answer)
You want inhouse developers and testers to take any and all things they notice in the software and plug it into the tool, even if they're currently working on something else. For this to happen, the tool must be so easy to use that it stays out of the way and just takes your data. The worst bugs are those you don't know about.
Even good, conscientious testers, if they are focused on testing component A but happened to stumble on a bug in component B, might not actually enter that bug if there is a lot of friction in the bug tracker. Friction means, required fields. It's not that the testers are bad or lazy - it's just how the human mind works. We focus. We don't see the guy in the gorilla suit.
The Joel/FogBugz philosophy of NO required fields is the right one (Also the philosophy of my own BugTracker.NET). You almost always can gather the details later - what os, what version, what browser, etc.
Also, take a look at "Bug Shooting", if your app has a GUI. You want to make it as easy as possible for the testers to take a screenshot and get it into the bug tracker, and that's a great tool for it. Pick a tracker that works with Bug Shooting or has its own dedicated screen shot tool.
Distribution. My version control system is distributed, why shouldn't my bugtracker? If I fix a bug on the train, why should I be able to make the fix but not record it?
Probably everything mentioned by others, plus some from me.
If you have long term big project, separate testing team that will do functional tests, you should take few additional things into consideration:
- can bugs be linked to test cases (and more precisely to given run)?
- can defect tracking system exchange data with test management system?
- can it produce (useful) reports?
- can bugs be grouped by release?

What should a good BugTracking tool be capable of? [closed]

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I found a lot of questions asking for the best tool, but none asking for the features, you really need? And what features you never really needed?
(I caught myself to be comparing tools on feature matrices. Something I hate, because in the end I will be using only the 3-4 most important features and leave the rest untouched.)
It need to:
collect bugs
order bugs on priority/severity/due date etc
assign bugs to developers
track a bug history
link similar bugs together
link bugs to customers
link solved bugs to releases
provide enough information or a reference to get the information to reproduce the bug
usable by more than one developer
bug status need to be accessible by the client that reported the bug.
And there are more.
Simple end user data entry. Without this you won't have bugs entered, which equals worthless bug tool.
I can't answer this question for you, because I can't predict what is important for you, or what your situation is:
Are you on a large or small development team, or are you a one-man shop?
Would it be useful to have a system in place where you could have your application automatically send in trouble reports that create incidents in your bug tracking software?
Is being able to predict a release schedule important, or is this just something for a side project you're doing in your spare time?
Is integration with source control important?
In reality, you're the only one who can answer what features are required for you.
Those are the 3 must-have features I find most important:
Web interface so people can follow-up
Source control integration, otherwise it's really hard to track who did what and deploy patches
Configurable workflow with email notifications
Things I would really like to see:
1) Voting - i.e. how many customers/users does this bug hurt?
2) Severity/priority/whatever - the distinction between these terms is subtle and normally (IMHO) insignificant, but you have to have some idea of how important the bug is. Most tools have this, but overcomplicate it.
3) Dependencies - both internal (on other bugs in the same system) and external (external libraries, software, etc). Most bugs have this in reality, but it's not normally expressible in the database, leading to long, pointless debates at triage time.
Things I think are largely pointless:
1) Any extensive questionnaires - any bug-tracker that asks too many questions will just get bad data. That's worse than none.
2) Controversial, but compulsory daily/weekly/whatever email notifications. They just get filed as spam/ignored/filtered out. If developers should be fixing bugs, and aren't, that's a management problem. Software cannot fix this.
Need:
Email notification.
Status
Group notify
Group rights
Web interface
Easy / fast interface

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