From the Trenches
Directions / Commentary
So Many Standards: or, TLAs A Go Go
The pace of technology has been a dizzying one. Trying to keep up has given a new techno-meaning to the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses.” Just take a look at some of the possibilities:
COM, DCOM, CORBA, MIDAS, MTS, MSMQ, IIS, ISAPI, HTTP, FTP, ASP, DDE, OLE, ODBC, OLEDB, ADO, VBA, and RDS
I didn’t even mention beta products, or other acronyms found throughout the IT landscape. For example:
COM+, DNA, SMS, MFC, ATL, CDO, SAP, JFC, JDBC, and WFC
You’re doing well if you know what all these acronyms stand for. If you use them, you’re doing even better!
When developers first moved to Windows, the learning curve was monumental. Remember your first foray into the Windows SDK while learning a new paradigm known as event-driven programming? Then, just as we got comfortable with that SDK and began to shorten that learning curve, we received the Win32 SDK and a new technology revolution sprang to life. Learning curves have been steepened dramatically once again.
The question that begs to be asked is: “How has this advance in technology helped programmers in general and Delphi programmers specifically?”
Using new technology to solve problems that were previously time-consuming, or even impossible, is the best use for emerging technology. To do this successfully, you must have a firm grasp of technology and constantly stay on top of it to separate what will truly work for you — and what is just hype.
On the other hand, using new technology for technology’s sake usually merits a red flag in any development effort. If you find you must incorporate technology into your application to be the first to market, expect that your schedule will not be as smooth as one using a tried and true approach. The benefits of incorporating leading edge technology into your application will bring great rewards when you are the one who has a stronghold on the market. This also makes those bumps along the development path seem inconsequential in hindsight.
Technology changes — rapidly. That’s a fact that no one can dispute. You must be prepared to deal with change, even if you aren’t one that likes to be on the forefront of technology. You can wait for the dust to settle and let the marketplace declare the winner, but you’re then faced with the same learning curve. And if your competition is already using that technology, they will have an enormous advantage since they have already climbed that learning curve.
And speaking of the Joneses, I’m reminded of the guardian of the Holy Grail in the third Indiana Jones movie. In this movie, he guards the chalice, waiting for someone to come and drink from the cup. If they choose the true Holy Grail from a wall full of imposters, they will be rewarded with eternal life. If they choose the wrong cup, they face instant and certain death. While Indiana Jones is scouring the wall looking for the Holy Grail, the guardian says: “Choose wisely.”
Similarly, if you drink from the wrong technology cup, you are certainly doomed. At least until you can make reparations with management and release your product.
The moral of the story? There are myriad choices out there — all of which seem promising. Knowing your business requirements, the skill set of your development team, and your customer base will certainly help you decide on a set of technologies that will best help you deliver a quality application. Once you’ve done your homework and can justify your position, you can certainly say, “You chose wisely.”
Dan Miser is a Design Architect for Stratagem, a consulting company in Milwaukee. He has been a Borland Certified Client/Server Developer since 1996, and is a frequent contributor to Delphi Informant. You can contact him at http://www.execpc.com/~dmiser.
Dan Miser explores technology standards, and suggests how you can best prepare yourself for your development needs.
Be prepared, know the available technology.