Tuesday 25 June 2013

Things to Remember while Migrating To Improved ColdFusion Version

ColdFusion 10 is the latest release of the Adobe application and has successfully caught the attention of both developers and users. The launch of the latest version has made everybody consider running the application in their website. Now, the big question that stands in this aspect is how to upgrade or migrate to the latest version from the existing one. Well, a lot depends on the version that you have been using presently. If you are a user of ColdFusion 9 and want to switch to the new release, then it is important for you to remember some key aspects for securing a successful switch and upgrade.


Understanding ColdFusion 10

The latest release from Adobe witnesses the launch of a huge number of features helping in enhancing the productivity, seamless incorporation with the platform of Java™–EE, and smart integrated solutions involving HTML5 support. This particular feature enables the development of enterprise-ready web applications at a fast speed.

Moreover, such improved features also enhance the security bar of your website maintaining a standard of the same. Additionally, it also allows the creation of interactive and dynamic web applications for your organization. The integration of Tomcat and improved caching further enables a performance boost in applications.

Updating to ColdFusion 10 - Top Tricks to Follow

The introduction of an updated version in any application often triggers the use of the same and the story is no different for ColdFusion 10. However, it is not always easy to execute an upgrade process, as you need to remember certain facts ensuring a successful migration for businesses. Here is a quick look at things you need to remember while, migrating from ColdFusion 9 to the enterprise version of CF10:

1. Download the latest version: Primarily, you must download the installer of the newest version from the official site of Adobe. Following the download, you need to transfer all the live traffic to Web 1-v as it would allow you to note down Web 2-v without any interruption of the service. Now, you need to open the CF9 administrator and export all the settings to a CAR file. In the process, avoid including the JVM/ Java settings as these tend to differ in CF 10. Also remember to convert all the Verity collections to SOLR.

2. Disable the Previous ColdFusion Version: To disable the version 9 of ColdFusion from a website, make use of the JRUN Web Server Configuration Tool. However, you must avoid uninstalling the existing version as both the 9 and 10 versions can run separately owing to the use of tomcat by CF10 against JRUN. This would allow you to shift back to the previous version, if anything goes wrong. Shut down all the services of CF9.

3. Run the ColdFusion installer: To do this successfully, you need to follow all the steps underlined in the wizard.

4. Addition of ASP.NET, CGI, ISAPI: These items are all fundamentals for CF10 and apply to IIS installations. For a successful feat, you might need to leave the installer and then add the elements to IIS. To add them properly, go to the Windows sever manger and integrate them in the ‘Add Role Services’ under the ‘Web Server’ followed by ‘Roles’. If you seem to encounter any sort of error for the fundamentals of ASP.NET, CGI, and ISAPI, you need to continue running the installer following the addition of the services.

5. Take care of the post installation process: Go for a check with the Web Server Configuration Tool to confirm that CF10 is added to your website. In case, your CFIDE folder involves custom mapping, you must ensure updating the same pointing to the new folder of CFIDE under CF 10. Restore your instances under the latest version of ColdFusion. Remember, it is not possible to connect the latest instances to your website by making use of the connector tool in the start menu of the Windows. It needs to be run from the folder of the instance that you are connecting.

6. Import the CAR file: Import the file from the ColdFusion 9 to the instance of CF10. Restart the application and confirm the settings. This is to confirm that there is no interference with the startup.

7. Update the JVM/Java settings: Memory needs generally pertain to your instance/application. It is advisable to re-add specific type of class path essential for your application.

Following the above-mentioned approach is sure to help you migrate successfully to ColdFusion 10 from the previous version of CF9. This would help you leverage the benefits of ColdFusion development.

We provide ColdFusion support and maintenance services. If you would like to know more about our certified ColdFusion programmers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Saturday 22 June 2013

PHP Development for Quality Web Applications at Affordable Rates

When you see a dynamic website, the first thing that comes to your mind is PHP. It is almost the lifeline of dynamic websites wherein repeated sending and receipt of data to and from the database is required. In case of other platforms, the websites tend to become heavy consuming lots of time for loading and refreshing, but PHP mitigates the probability of such issues enabling websites to perform smoothly. PHP application development has become so popular that currently there are 20 million or more domains utilizing PHP. These include Facebook Wikipedia and other well recognized sites. Here we will discuss what triggers the popularity of PHP and how developers can make optimal use of PHP applications.

Benefits of PHP
  • Open Source: Since this programming language is open source, PHP application development becomes highly cost-effective. Backing by a large population of PHP developers is also available and there is continuous strengthening of the platform by means of updates and responses to queries by other developers.

  • Convenient Integration: It is possible to merge a third party application across a PHP-oriented website in a hassle-free manner. PHP offers seamless integration for a number of open source CMS (Content Management System) such as Magento, OsCommerce, Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal and more.

  • Cross Browser or Cross Platform Compatibility: PHP application development paves room for convenient database creation. Support is provided for various databases such as MS Access, Sybase, MySQL, Oracle, SQL server and PosterSQL. PHP is one of the best options for cross platform applications, since it lends support to key operating systems like Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.

  • SEO Friendly Development: PHP development provides easy optimization of your site for search engines. A dynamic website leveraging PHP development is perhaps the best option for getting high search engine rankings.

  • Ease of Customization: There are many platforms for web application development which come with their own limitations while suiting to client’s needs. PHP applications score in this respect as they can be easily manipulated to meet client requirements.

Once utilized with efficiency, PHP application development becomes the best option for enterprise solutions, shopping carts, social networking sites, CRM and so on.

Tips for optimal use of PHP applications
  • Make use of PHP Core Functions: Functions that are already there need not be created again, because it calls for some effort on the part of the developer to create functions from scratch. The existing functions can always be utilized. Moreover, when there is an existing function to carry out a particular task, you need not go for building RSS feeds or XML parser.

  • Generate a Configuration File: Settings for database connections should be appropriately organized in a single master file which would put the settings in a nutshell and can be directly utilized within PHP scripts. Any modification can be done in the same file which is of immense help if manifold functions and constants are used across the entire script.

  • Sanitize Data: In order to sanitize the database inputs and safeguard the code from any kind of compromises, SQL injections need to be used. One should be continuously alert and aware about SQL injection attacks. There are a few significant functions that can aid the protection of your database as well as your site from XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks.

  • Turn on Error reporting: Error reporting should be turned on for ensuring a good view of any run-time errors as well as for tracking and identifying the error source. This is a very important feature, especially when development is in progress.

  • Do Not Over-Comment: It is indeed necessary to properly document the code with the help of comment, but do refrain from any kind of over-commenting. You may use commenting for the complicated sections. Make your coding self-explanatory with the proper naming convention. In this way you can do away with unnecessary comments.

Thus we see that PHP offers a world of benefits and through optimal use of PHP applications, developers can indeed create wonders! Take advantage of PHP development India and hire developers after checking their credentials.

We provide php web development services. If you would like to know more about our certified php developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Monday 10 June 2013

Benefits of Ruby over Other Programming Languages

Ruby is a dynamic, general purpose and object-oriented programming language which merges the syntax of Smalltalk with Perl. This programming language was developed with an aim to render productivity and convenience for the programmer by minimizing the issues with user-experience. First developed in the year 1990 in Japan by Yukihiro, Ruby has become very popular nowadays, as it has a number of advantages over other languages. The earliest version was Ruby 1.0 and recent edition is Ruby 2.0.

There are a number of programming languages which aspiring programmers (or even existing programmers) can select from. In case of beginners, selection of a programming language can be a difficult task. Some programming languages are gradually losing their popularity as they are usually tough to learn and do not have much applicability. One of the prime reasons for the growing popularity of Ruby is because of its striking feature known as Ruby on Rails, that serves as a convenient web framework, enabling programmers to accelerate the development process.

Ruby on Rails leverages an object related mapping layer called as the Active Record. Owing to this, programmers are not required to indicate the names of the database columns within class definitions. The information is automatically retrieved by Rail from the database which is based on the name of the class. There is also a testing framework enabling programmers to come up with test cases that lead to the creation of more robust and reliable code.

One of the major goals of Ruby is to facilitate the rapid and simple development of web applications. This programming language itself has the capability to satisfy this goal. Hence, Ruby involves much less tedious job as compared to other programming languages. Moreover, it comes free of cost and can also be used, copied, distributed and modified at no cost. Since Ruby offers space for modification, programmers are able to go for requisite changes without any hindrance. Another striking aspect of Ruby is its garbage collection mechanism which allows programmers to code without requiring maintenance of any kind of reference counts within extension libraries. In fact, extension libraries can be dynamically loaded in Ruby in case the operating system facilitates the same.

A Brief Comparison of Ruby with other languages

  • Ruby vs. PHP: Although PHP is object-oriented; often this aspect is not used. But when it comes to Ruby, it was developed from the beginning as an object-oriented language and is tough to utilize through any other means.
  • Ruby vs. Perl: Perl was designed to render a number of tools, paradigms and language features. However, most programmers prefer to work with a single paradigm and a number of unused features tend to create confusion for them. Ruby does not have any set of rigid rules and has its own set of conventions that can be used by programmers to explore the natural way of working it out with Ruby.
  • Ruby vs. Java: The most obvious difference between Java and Ruby lies in the methodology of code execution. In case of Java, the code needs to be translated into a virtual machine language prior to execution. For Ruby, the present implementations can be interpreted without the need for prior translation to a virtual machine language.
  • Ruby vs. Python: In terms of Syntax, Ruby offers more freedom than Python. In order to make everything regular and clear, Python avoids symbols and allows only a single statement of code for each line. Such restrictions make every Python code look alike and it is difficult to differentiate between two Python programs developed by different programmers. Ruby, on the other hand, maintains a free syntax, allowing manifold statements on each line and enabling programmers to indent the code whenever required.

  • Ruby, with its Rails web development framework facilitates the use of programming frames such as model-view-controller (MVC) which enables superior modularization and organization of code. As compared to other programming languages, Ruby offers more efficient programming within a shorter time span.

    We provide Rails development services. If you would like to know more about our certified Rails developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

    Sunday 9 June 2013

    Get Exclusive Web and Mobile Apps for Business through Java Programmers

    Programming languages such as Java, C#, C++, C, ASP.Net, PHP and Open Source are continuously being introduced in the online marketplace and the ever increasing popularity of these languages has lead to the growth of the online market at a very rapid pace. Each of these languages is loaded with a number of special features, empowering the developers to design customized applications in accordance with a clients’ need. Considering all of these languages, there is immense scope of Java application development, which is rapidly gaining momentum, along with Java programmers. In fact, hiring Java programmers who can efficiently leverage the exclusive features of Java can indeed give you effective web and mobile applications for business solutions.

    Key Features of Java
    Java is an object-oriented, open source, scripting language, particularly designed for developing client-server web applications. This programming language operates on C as well as C syntax and does not rely on any particular platform but can provide support to languages and services which can operate on cross platform. The following key features make Java a great choice for web and mobile applications:
    • Simple: Java is convenient to understand and write. Java programmers are not required to manage memory or work with pointers. In fact, the use of pointers has been eliminated for security reasons. The virtual machine associated with Java handles the memory management part and hence mechanically does away with the occupied memory once it stops being referenced. The programmer can presently focus on the necessary application logic without spending time or logic for these managements.

    • Object-Oriented: Many languages such as C and C++ are not entirely object-oriented while Java is completely object-oriented and adhere to every aspect of OOPs like Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Inheritance and so on. Everything can be considered as objects. It is also possible to treat primitive data types as objects by means of wrapper classes in order to render it totally object-oriented. The fundamental unit of Java is class which defines the prototypes for objects to follow.

    • Distributed: Java offers support to network programming for communication with remote objects spread across the network. In order to build network applications like CORBA and RMI, Java provides libraries.

    • Interpreted: Java is known as interpreted language due to the fact that its byte code, generated after compilation of the source code, gets interpreted by the JVM and transforms to machine based code that is alternatively known as native code.

    • Secure and Robust: Java applications are quite dependable. There is integrated time checking for early detection of bugs, run time checking, and the use of pointers is done away with to prevent memory corruption or unnecessary memory access. Moreover, the garbage collection management system automatically frees unused memories while there is also the provision for exception handling in order to take control of the situation if any error occurs.

    • Architectural Neutrality: Java creates applications that are system neutral and compatible with a range of Operating systems and CPUs. For doing this, the source code is converted by the Java compiler to the transitional platform independent code, known as byte code, during compilation. Any system embedded with JVM can interpret the byte code and hence it turns Java into an architecture neutral language.

    • Multithreaded: It is convenient to develop multithreaded applications (which can perform multiple tasks simultaneously) in Java using synchronization.

    Reasons why you should hire Java Programmers
    We have seen how the exclusive features of Java can enable businesses to develop effective mobile and web applications. On availing the services of efficient Java programmers, businesses can reap the following benefits:
    • Very little or no maintenance cost
    • Resources dedicated towards specified projects
    • Developers work within a high-tech ambience wherein all the essential resources are available
    • Developers have years of experiences and are very skilled
    • Total control over the offshore working ambience and the developer
    • Task reporting on monthly, weekly or daily basis
    So, for businesses planning to develop new mobile or web applications, Java programmers working on the flexible and robust Java platform is indeed the right choice. Whether it is a web application or a Smartphone application, java programmers can offer you the desired output within the stipulated time and at a competitive price.

    We provide java web development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert java developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

    Tuesday 4 June 2013

    Responsive Web Design and possibilities for data-heavy sites

    It aims at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience, easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning and scrolling—across a wide range of devices (from desktop computer monitors to mobile phones) and benefit rich content heavy sites as well.

    Importance of Responsive Web Design

    Responsive web design is a hot topic with the ever increasing popularity and widespread use of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. It’s difficult to ignore the fact that websites are being viewed across various screen sizes and it looks like the days of designing a site for one minimum resolution are almost gone. It helps the layout to get changed according to the user’s computer screen resolution. More precisely, the concept allows for an advanced 4 column layout 1292 pixels wide, on a 1025 pixel wide screen, that auto-simplifies into 2 columns. Also, it suitably fixes on the Smartphone and computer tablet screen. By now, with the amazing growth of mobile usage, every single website should be responsive to be able to attend to every user’s screen size needs.

    Responsive designing plays a vital role in the usability point of view, helping the images layout serve at different resolutions, ranging from larger screens to smaller ones. The scaled images appear to change fluidly with the help of updated developer tools and coding languages, allowing designs to look sharp in every context. It is remarkably different from traditional designing in terms of technical and creative issues and a careful use of this can do wonders while designing. Though the shift to mobile is happening at an extraordinary speed, Today, 30% of Mashable's traffic is mobile. By the end of next year, this may exceed 50%.

    Necessity of Responsive Web Design

    It’s becoming a necessity for websites today to get regular feature updates and add-ons, especially for rich data sites with heavy content like the e-commerce and Web apps. There’s so much data available on how people use your website that it’s an oversight not to adjust your user experience based on that data. At some point, maintaining and improving multiple versions of the same website means that time and money either go toward adding fewer features to both versions, or more features to only one (probably the desktop version). Many companies are still slow to invest the time and money into the development required to turn their antiquated websites into responsive websites, that renders perfectly no matter what device a person is using.

    As the internet transforms further into a platform of services and user interfaces that tie those services together, leveraging this technology in the future will allow companies to integrate a plethora of back-end services, such as Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce.com, Amazon Web Services. Responsive design makes the application look great on all devices without custom coding for each device and varied screen size.

    If you want to get ahead in the race with your competitors and don’t want to fall behind and watch your competitors launch responsive websites while yours is still stuck in an archaic age, this is the right time to get responsive with your web application development.

    We provide software development services. If you would like to know more about our expert web developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.