September 2011 Archives - LearnToProgram.tv Archive

Archive for September, 2011

Top Languages Used in Web Development

Posted by Mark Lassoff on September 30th, 2011 languages, Learning, programming
| 4 Comments

While most web developers have the similar goal of bug-free, functional, usable web sites, there are several programming languages used by developers to reach that goal. Let’s take a few minutes to discuss the the top languages used in web development.

The languages are broken into two categories—server side languages and client side languages. The browser on the users’ computers interprets client side languages. You will likely have to know and use each of the client side languages listed below. Server side languages are process and interpreted on the server, which holds the web site code and sends it to the user upon request. While each language has strengths and weaknesses, you will likely find that most projects can be completed adequately using any of the languages server side languages discussed below.

Client Side Languages
HTML
Purpose: Creating a structure for the web page
HTML is usually the first language that web developers learn. It is not a programming language, but rather a mark-up language. HTML is used to create a structure for a web page. You can develop HTML code using any text editor (not a word processor) and display the results in a web browser. The current recommended standard for HTML are versions 4.01 and a version called XHTML. The exciting HTML5 standard is rapidly approaching and has been the subject of much buzz and speculation. While many developers are learning HTML5 now, it won’t become a standard until 2014 and is inconsistently supported by the major browsers.

CSS
Purpose: To design the visual look of a web page
Cascading Style Sheet language is relatively easy to learn but difficult to master. With Cascading Style Sheet language you can control the look of text, image and layout elements. CSS is used to create the layout structure of a page positioning elements such as navigation bars, headers, footers and page content. The latest version of CSS is CSS3 which contains new features to create more attractive web pages.

Javascript
Purpose: To create client side interactivity
Javascript is a programming language built to function within the browser itself. Javascript is the most difficult of the three client side languages to learn, but also allows for complex interactions with web site visitors. Javascript can be used to verify user input in forms, adjust the appearance of web page elements dynamically and even create custom graphics using the new Canvas HTML element. Good Javascript developers are in high demand because contemporary web applications depend more and more on Javascript to process data and interact with the server through a Javascript implementation known as AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML).

Server Side Languages
PHP
Major Pros: Easy to learn. Free.
Major Cons: Awkward OOP implementation

PHP has been a favorite choice of developers for years. It’s free, easy to lean and there are numerous available resources for learning PHP and getting support. PHP is generally run on Linux web servers and features fast performance and easy integration with the MySQL database. Despite PHP’s ease it is a powerful sever side programming language. Some PHP developers hold the Zend PHP Certification.

J2EE
Major Pros: Powerful, Integration with Large Java Applications
Major Cons: Difficult to Learn

Java’s Enterprise Edition (J2EE) is designed to create heavy duty web applications. It has several features that are designed to make large web applications easier to manage and maintain. J2EE applications require a Java application server such as Tomcat or Glassfish. J2EE is also free to develop in, although due to its complexity, developers often opt for formal training classes to learn the technology. Developers holding Oracle’s Certified Programmer designation must have extensive knowledge of J2EE. Competent J2EE developers are among the highest paid web professionals.

.net (VB and C#)
Major Pros: Great Development Environment, Lots of Formal / Informal Training available
Major Cons: Requires use of Microsoft Visual Studio, No Mac/Linux Support

Microsoft’s .net languages, Visual Basic and C# (pronounced C Sharp), are an excellent and popular choice for web developers. Popular for creating business applications, the .net languages are easier to learn than J2EE, without sacrificing any power or speed. The .net languages run on a Microsoft Web server and easily integrate with Microsoft’s MSSQL database products. Microsoft .net web development is an in-demand skill and developers are frequently recruited for all types of projects. There are numerous training options and certifications that are available for .net programmers.

Show and Hide Logical Divisions with Javascript, CSS and HTML

Posted by Mark Lassoff on September 26th, 2011 | 2 Comments

With just a little Javascript knowledge you can create a sliding div effect that is commonly seen on the web.

In this video tutorial, Mark will show you how to create a sliding div within the browser. The sliding div reveals it’s content as the div opens and completely disappears once the div is closed. The full code appears below:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
    "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"
    >
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Sliding Div: Show Hide</title>
<style type="text/css">
    #myDiv
        {
            width: 400px;
            background-color: #3451da;
            padding: 5px;
            color: white;
            font-size: .75em;
            font-family: arial;
            border: 1px dashed black;
 
        }
 
 
</style>
     <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
        var heightOfDiv;
        var t;
        var targetHeight;
 
        function hide()
        {
            heightOfDiv = document.getElementById("myDiv").offsetHeight;
            //alert(heightOfDiv);
            var freq = 1000/heightOfDiv;
            t=setInterval("retract()", freq);
        }
 
        function retract()
        {
            if(heightOfDiv>0)
            {
                heightOfDiv = heightOfDiv-1;
                document.getElementById("myDiv").style.height = heightOfDiv + "px";
            } else
            {
                document.getElementById("myDiv").style.display = "none";
                clearInterval(t);
            }
        }
    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id="myDiv">
        Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec molestie, metus sed condimentum molestie, est enim molestie magna, et ullamcorper erat quam sit amet sapien. Nulla eu lorem elit, a convallis velit. Nunc eget nisi ligula. Nunc tellus lacus, bibendum sit amet lacinia ac, molestie sit amet enim. Donec convallis interdum ipsum, ac mattis ipsum porttitor ac. Ut sed erat vitae nisi cursus sodales. Nulla nisi est, fermentum in malesuada eget, aliquet id velit. Fusce ac sapien eu metus fringilla commodo. Nullam porta leo vel nisi rhoncus ac tincidunt enim consequat. Praesent posuere sodales tortor eu placerat. Quisque pulvinar nibh ut ante gravida ornare. Donec euismod lacus vel nibh scelerisque vel sollicitudin mauris feugiat. Etiam sollicitudin lacus neque. Sed mattis accumsan ipsum, nec sollicitudin justo lobortis sed.estie sit amet enim. Donec convallis interdum ipsum, ac mattis ipsum porttitor ac. Ut sed erat vitae nisi cursus sodales. Nulla nisi est, fermentum in malesuada eget, aliquet id velit. Fusce ac sapien eu metus fringilla commodo. Nullam porta leo vel nisi rhoncus ac tincidunt enim consequat. Praesent posuere sodales tortor eu placerat. Quisque pulvinar nibh ut ante gravida ornare. Donec euismod lacus vel nibh scelerisque vel sollicitudin mauris feugiat. Etiam sollicitudin lacus neque. Sed mattis accumsan ipsum, nec sollicitudin justo lobortis sed.
    </div>
<div id="controls">
    <input type="button" value="hide" onclick="hide()"/>
    <input type="button" value="show" onclick="show()"/>
</div>
</body>
</html>

Learn C++ On the Mac: Primitive Variable Types

Posted by Mark Lassoff on September 13th, 2011 | No Comments

This is the second video in the Learn C++ on the Mac video series. In this video tutorial, Mark will show you how to declare variables in C++ as well as initialize them. The most common C++ Primitive variable types wil be discussed including int, double, float, bool and char.

Main.cpp

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
 
int main (int argc, char * const argv[]) {
    char name;		//Declared the char variable called name
	name='M';		//Initialized the variable name
 
	cout<<"The value of name is: "<<name<<endl;
 
	int gameScore = 10900;		//Combined initalization and declaration
	cout<<"The score is "<<gameScore<<endl;
 
	//short int - 2 byte integer
	//long int- Bigger integer in some architectures
 
	bool isPlaying = true;		//boolean is a true or false value
	cout<<"Are we playing? " <<isPlaying<<endl;
 
	float gpa = 3.76;
	cout<<"My gpa was not " <<gpa<<"."<<endl;
 
	//Double is a more precise floating point variable
 
 
	return 0;
}

Android Listeners Tutorial

Posted by Mark Lassoff on September 11th, 2011 Android listeners, application development, Java, SetOnClickListener, SetOnLongClickListener
| No Comments

Understanding Android listeners is a critical to learning how to create Android applications. In this short video tutorial, Mark will demonstrated how to use Android listeners. Specifically you will learn how to create click listeners and long click listeners. In this video, Mark uses the same callback function for three different view objects– leading to cleaner code and limitation of unnecessary repeated code.

If you are beginning to learn Android Development this video is a great place to start learning about Android Listeners.

Please contact us for more information on our free tutorials, upcoming online full instructor-led Android courses, and other courses soon to be available through LearnToProgram.tv!

Archive for September, 2011

Top Languages Used in Web Development

Show and Hide Logical Divisions with Javascript, CSS and HTML

Learn C++ On the Mac: Primitive Variable Types

Android Listeners Tutorial

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