Article

A Technology Primer

by Eric Scott
06/02/2008

The following collection of articles serves two purposes. First, it serves as a technology primer to help bring you up to speed on the tools we use. Second, it gives you insight on why we feel different technology works with specific projects or problems better than others.

  • Operating Systems

    The operating system (OS) is the backbone of your computer. The OS handles everything including storing files to disk, handling keyboard and mouse input, printing documents, and running your applications. There are a wide variety of operating systems on the market and the following are the ones we work with the most:

  • Programming Languages and Frameworks

    Programming languages (like Java or Ruby) are instruction sets that can be translated into something your computer can understand. A programming language lets a developer type something like "display.image(dog.jpg)" to have the computer show a picture of a dog on the screen.

    Development frameworks (like Rails and Java Server Faces) are collections of instructions in a programming language that handle complex and repetitive tasks for the developer. They simplify creating applications that use databases, web pages, graphics, and more, so the developer can build your custom software faster.

    The following are the main languages and their related frameworks that we use.

    • Ruby and Ruby on Rails (RoR)
    • Java, Java Server Pages (JSP) and Java Server Faces (JSF)
    • PHP
    • C, C++, and C#
    • Visual Basic
    • ASP and the .NET Framework

  • Database Systems

    A database system is similar to a framework in that it handles complex and repetitive tasks. Databases specifically know how to organize, store, retrieve, and find large amounts of information. Companies use databases to store everything from employee files and payroll data, to invoices and product lists. There are a number of database systems in use today and most understand a special language known as SQL (pronounced either by saying each letter as in "es-que-el" or like the word "sequel"). SQL is a standard way of talking to a database to put info in, find info you want, and get info out. The following are databases we use frequently:

    • MySQL
    • Oracle
    • Sybase
    • PostgreSQL
    • SQLite

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