Agile methodologies, such as XP, Scrum, Crystal, and Lean Software Development enable development organizations to deliver higher-quality software far more rapidly. However, for the "non-agile" development organization, transitioning to agility is an enormous leap, requiring radically new skills and presenting profound...

Until now, we have been inundated with a melee of material in the areas of software architecture, design, and "professional" principles. The need for design material seems to be always at its peak when either a new language or technology appears in the market. When Java first entered the market, you could hear the...

One of the most powerful aspects of the Rails framework is the ability to extend and override it within your own applications. This is achieved through the Rails plugin mechanism, which provides an avenue for Rails developers to add powerful new features to their applications and share this functionality with the worldwide...

From grids and clusters to next-generation game consoles, parallel computing is going mainstream. Innovations such as Hyper-Threading Technology, HyperTransport Technology, and multicore microprocessors from IBM, Intel, and Sun are accelerating the...

Ruby on Rails strips complexity from the development process, enabling professional developers to focus on what matters most: delivering business value. Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive,...

-- Bob Wilton, Escalation Engineer, Critical...