Looking For Direction
in [Java Programming]
|
From: JC on 9 Jun 2010 17:19 Hello ... I am going to attempt to present my case without getting too detailed or wordy (which I am often accused of). First let me say that I am a dinosaur. I screwed up a lot of opportunity in my time, but that is not what I am here to discuss today. It is what it is and I am OK today. Anyway, for the past eleven years I have been doing work for an independent medical laboratory as a contractor. I designed, developed, and implemented a laboratory information system. Today I maintain this system. The reason I am a dinosaur is because I have not kept up with the changing times over the years (my fault). The LIS is comprised of a GUI front-end written in Java (Visual Caf�; SDK 1.1 I believe). It interfaces (JDBC) to an Oracle database. I am the only software person the lab has (i.e. I do everything). Over the years I've only run into one situation where we needed to seek outside help (it had to do with a corrupt table in Oracle; I am not a DB administrator although I have to be in some capacity). The equipment at the lab is antiquated. I would say the server is pushing twenty years old. The network O/S is an unsupported version of Netware (5.0 I think). The version of Oracle, also unsupported, is 8.0.1 and came free when they did the Netware upgrade eleven years ago. Although we do nightly backups I have to say I probably wouldn't know what to do should a restore be needed. Aside from me, they also have a network guy they call on from time to time when network problems arise. Anyway, I believe they are at a point where they are in need of an equipment upgrade. I do believe that the LIS should also be redone. What I am looking for is someone to point me in the right direction in regards to resources. I need to learn what is out there; tools, etc. that are used today. I don't expect anyone to give me answer; just point me in the direction of resources (websites, books, magazines, etc) that would enable me to learn about options available today for software development. Off the top of my head, I am thinking of a Unix based version of Oracle for the DBMS. For the user interface I am thinking of something that is integrated with a web browser. And of course some sort of interface between the two. All this with my limited knowledge of what's out there today. I might be a dinosaur but certainly not stupid; I am quite capable of learning. I haven't been to school since 1996 when I graduated with a BS in Comp/Sci & Math. Many Thanks to any/all that respond ... -JC
From: Arne Vajhøj on 9 Jun 2010 19:10 On 09-06-2010 17:19, JC wrote: > The reason I am a dinosaur is because I have not kept up with the changing > times over the years (my fault). The LIS is comprised of a GUI front-end > written in Java (Visual Caf�; SDK 1.1 I believe). It interfaces (JDBC) to an > Oracle database. > The equipment at the lab is antiquated. I would say the server is pushing > twenty years old. The network O/S is an unsupported version of Netware (5.0 > I think). The version of Oracle, also unsupported, is 8.0.1 and came free > when they did the Netware upgrade eleven years ago. Although we do nightly > backups I have to say I probably wouldn't know what to do should a restore > be needed. > What I am looking for is someone to point me in the right direction in > regards to resources. I need to learn what is out there; tools, etc. that > are used today. I don't expect anyone to give me answer; just point me in > the direction of resources (websites, books, magazines, etc) that would > enable me to learn about options available today for software development. > > Off the top of my head, I am thinking of a Unix based version of Oracle for > the DBMS. For the user interface I am thinking of something that is > integrated with a web browser. And of course some sort of interface between > the two. All this with my limited knowledge of what's out there today. I > might be a dinosaur but certainly not stupid; I am quite capable of > learning. I haven't been to school since 1996 when I graduated with a BS in > Comp/Sci& Math. x86-64 hardware Linux - Centos or Debian Oracle or an open source database - MySQL or PostgreSQL Java 1.6 Eclipse or NetBeans IDE fat client in Swing or web app using JSF and Tomcat server would be a good mainstream Java based solution utilizing your current skill set. Arne
From: Jeff Higgins on 9 Jun 2010 19:14 On 6/9/2010 5:19 PM, JC wrote: > Hello ... > > > > I am going to attempt to present my case without getting too detailed or > wordy (which I am often accused of). > > > > First let me say that I am a dinosaur. I screwed up a lot of opportunity in > my time, but that is not what I am here to discuss today. It is what it is > and I am OK today. > > > > Anyway, for the past eleven years I have been doing work for an independent > medical laboratory as a contractor. I designed, developed, and implemented a > laboratory information system. Today I maintain this system. > > > > The reason I am a dinosaur is because I have not kept up with the changing > times over the years (my fault). The LIS is comprised of a GUI front-end > written in Java (Visual Caf�; SDK 1.1 I believe). It interfaces (JDBC) to an > Oracle database. > > > > I am the only software person the lab has (i.e. I do everything). Over the > years I've only run into one situation where we needed to seek outside help > (it had to do with a corrupt table in Oracle; I am not a DB administrator > although I have to be in some capacity). > > > > The equipment at the lab is antiquated. I would say the server is pushing > twenty years old. The network O/S is an unsupported version of Netware (5.0 > I think). The version of Oracle, also unsupported, is 8.0.1 and came free > when they did the Netware upgrade eleven years ago. Although we do nightly > backups I have to say I probably wouldn't know what to do should a restore > be needed. > > > > Aside from me, they also have a network guy they call on from time to time > when network problems arise. > > > > Anyway, I believe they are at a point where they are in need of an equipment > upgrade. I do believe that the LIS should also be redone. > > > > What I am looking for is someone to point me in the right direction in > regards to resources. I need to learn what is out there; tools, etc. that > are used today. I don't expect anyone to give me answer; just point me in > the direction of resources (websites, books, magazines, etc) that would > enable me to learn about options available today for software development. > > The scope of your request is too broad. <http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=134479> > > Off the top of my head, I am thinking of a Unix based version of Oracle for > the DBMS. For the user interface I am thinking of something that is > integrated with a web browser. And of course some sort of interface between > the two. All this with my limited knowledge of what's out there today. I > might be a dinosaur but certainly not stupid; I am quite capable of > learning. I haven't been to school since 1996 when I graduated with a BS in > Comp/Sci& Math. > > > > Many Thanks to any/all that respond ... > > -JC > >
From: Lew on 9 Jun 2010 19:29 Arne Vajhøj wrote: > x86-64 hardware Multi-core > Linux - Centos or Debian > Oracle or an open source database - MySQL or PostgreSQL I am not fond of MySQL. Oracle is an excellent product but only handles one CPU, 1 GB RAM and 4 GB data in its free version. Postgres is simply marvelous. > Java 1.6 > Eclipse or NetBeans IDE or JDeveloper > fat client in Swing or web app using JSF and Tomcat server JSF/facelets is very cool if you go the web-app route. > would be a good mainstream Java based solution utilizing > your current skill set. Since your Java skill set is old [1], JC, get /Effective Java/, 2nd ed., by Josh Bloch (get those cheapskates at work to buy it for you). It'll pay for itself many times over in the trouble it prevents you. Browse around the articles in www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/, too. [1] For Gosh' sake, Visual Café? Java isn't even that language any more. There've been three major shifts in the language since then - Java 1.2, Java 1.4 and Java 5, all of which are officially obsolete now - and many, many enhancements to the API. Not to worry, between the tutorials on java.sun.com and /Effective Java/ and your native intelligence and programmer's mindset you should be just fine. Words to the wise: Since Java 1.1, there've been changes to the memory model (the way that threads share data), there's a new Collections framework, generics (well explained in /Effective Java/, see the free chapter from <http://java.sun.com/docs/books/effective/>), and synchronization, allocation and just about everything else have gotten much faster. Don't ever use java.util.Vector or java.util.Hashtable again. Use another java.util.List or java.util.Map implementation, respectively, instead. For basic use, java.util.ArrayList and java.util.HashMap are the usual suspects. -- Lew
From: Lew on 9 Jun 2010 20:12
JC wrote to alt.comp.lang.java, comp.lang.java.databases, comp.lang.java.gui AND comp.lang.java.programmer! I'd suggest simply writing to clj.programmer or clj.help. You don't really need the massive cross-post. I'm not even sure alt.comp.lang.java is extant any more. f/u set to comp.lang.java.programmer -- Lew |