We have come a long way from static websites. In 2014, we expect web applications to be modern, highly interactive and look and feel like desktop applications. Here are four reasons why it is important for a developer to understand and be proficient in Javascript and jQuery:

Applications run in web browsers

A few years ago, people spent a lot of time writing and using desktop applications. Now, most applications are being written to run within the browser: they are called web applications. Most of these web applications rely on Javascript technologies which are widely supported by major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer and mobile browsers such as the ones on Android and iOS. Writing software in Javascript ensures that it will run across many devices and operating systems.

HTML5 applications are dynamic 

Modern websites and web applications are dynamic in nature. Users expect web applications to behave like desktop applications. They expect high-quality user interfaces as well as complex interactions such as touch and slides. HTML5, which is a combination of HTML for markup, CSS for styling and Javascript for behaviour, allows programmers to implement modern features such as the above-mentioned enhanced UI elements as well as access the GPS (geolocation), store data on the client (local storage), animating elements, etc. This requires an in-depth knowledge of Javascript.

jQuery makes Javascript more powerful

jQuery adds many new capabilities to Javascript to make it even more powerful. For examples, using jQuery, a programmer can make AJAX calls and parse XML or JSON data being returned. The programmer can also manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM) within the browser very easily thereby modifying the content of the webpage dynamically. This is used, for instance, to have enhanced navigation capabilities such as drop-down menus, fades, etc.

jQuery is extensible

As jQuery is so pervasive and powerful, a lot of derived projects exist: jQuery Mobile extends jQuery to allow the programmer to implement responsive web sites and apps that are accessible on all smartphones, tablets and desktop devices.  jQuery UI is a set of UI elements (effects, widgets, themes) used to construct highly interactive web applications.

Javascript, jQuery and jQuery Mobile training

At Knowledge7, we are happy to announce that our Web Scripting with Javascript and jQuery training is starting on 11 March. Master Javascript and jQuery to create modern, highly interactive web applications.

Join our Mobile Application Development with HTML5 training, starting on 6 May 2014, and create mobile apps using HTML5, jQuery and jQuery Mobile.

Linux is a high performance, yet completely free operating system which powers more than 60% of Internet servers worldwide. Linux is also found in all Android smartphones and tablets and a lot of embedded devices such as TVs, the Livebox, game consoles, etc.

For anyone in IT, and specially system and network administration, mastering Linux is important. Here are some compelling reasons to become proficient in Linux:

1. Get better career opportunities in Mauritius and worldwide

Quite a large number of Mauritian companies in different sectors (e.g. sugar, textile, banking, finance, telecommunication, mobile and web development, consulting, etc.) rely on Linux servers and Linux system administrators. Consequently, these companies are always on the lookout for competent Linux professionals.

As stated in the latest Linux Job Report, 81% of recruiters say hiring Linux talent is a priority. 85% say finding Linux talent is hard and this is especially true in Mauritius. Nearly one third of companies pay their Linux pros above normal salary.

2. Become a certified Linux professional

The Linux Professional Institute Certification is designed to certify the competency of IT professionals using Linux and its associated tools. Mastering Linux and earning a certification is one of the best ways to land your dream job in system and network administration.

3. Make your company save money

Whether it is for small, medium or large businesses, Linux will make your company save money. Linux is available for free and therefore allows you to save money on licensing fees. There is no proprietary software that can come close to it in terms of value versus cost. Linux servers, when properly setup by competent system administrators, generally require less maintenance than comparable proprietary solutions and, consequently, Linux decreases total cost of ownership.

4. Have fun while working

Compared to other operating systems, Linux gives you much control. Linux assumes you are competent and you know what you’re doing. You can tweak your servers to perfection, change settings, choose over a hundred Linux distributions, master the command line, discover the latest cloud and mobile technologies, learn new tricks and techniques and automate all tedious activities.

Once you have tasted Linux, everything else will feel bland.

A lot of people learn Java while studying and, while they understand the basics, they do not become proficient Java programmers capable of building complex software applications.

Java is a complex and powerful programming platform and there are a number of reasons why mastering it is important:

1. Java is everywhere

Java applications run across multiple hardware platforms and operating systems. For example, it is used to create web applications (Java Enterprise, Spring, etc.), desktop applications (e.g. on Linux, Mac OS X or Windows), mobile application (on Android and J2ME) and quite a number of embedded systems (smartcards, blu-ray readers, mobile operating systems, etc.)

Java is platform-independent. Whether you are a company or an individual, using Java gives you the possibility to write a single codebase and run that on numerous platforms.

2. Java is powerful

Java has a rich API (such as Collections, Concurrency Utilities, Generics) and useful conventions (such as JavaBeans, Object-Orientation and Programming to Interfaces). Someone who masters these aspects of Java is more productive and efficient in creating and maintaining complex software applications.

Interestingly, this set of skills is easily transposable to other programming environments such as C#, C++, Python, etc. Learning Java properly makes a better programmer.

3. Java is used to develop Android apps

There are more than 1,000,000 Android applications on Google Play with over 50 billion downloads. Android is used by major smartphone and tablet manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC and Motorola. Most Android apps are written in Java.

Given that there are approximately one billion Android devices in the world, this makes the Android platform a real business opportunity for creating and selling apps on Google Play.

Organisations and businesses, all over the world, are adopting Android devices to complement their existing IT infrastructure. It is therefore becoming more and more important for developers to acquire knowledge and skills in Android app development. In other words, more and more developers need to be Java developers.

4. Java is used for Enterprise Web Applications

The Java platform has become the primary choice for developing robust, large-scale, multi-tiered, scalable, reliable, and secure enterprise applications. Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) is supported by Redhat (JBoss), Oracle (Application Server), IBM (WebSphere), SAP (NetWeaver), etc.

Many companies are constantly looking for programmers proficient with Java EE. Of course, the first step towards mastering Java EE is to master Java.

If you are dreaming of a career in software development, whether for mobile or enterprise applications, being proficient in Java will boost your chance of securing a great job.

Master Java now.

While reading the Budget speech for 2014, I felt that there is a confusion between ICT and BPO in Mauritius.

According to Wikipedia, Information and communications technology (ICT) is a term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider. BPO has nothing to do with ICT!

According to the Minister, the BPO/ICT sector represents 6.4 percent of GDP and provides employment to 18,800 people. But what is the breakdown between ICT and BPO? Are we, as a country, really embarking on the ICT revolution? Or merely creating low-level jobs in BPO?

Measures announced

(1) The tariffs for International Private Lease Circuits (e.g. a private line between a headquarter in Europe and a branch in Mauritius) will be reduced by 16% from January 2014. This is good in general for foreign companies having offices in Mauritius. But what about Mauritian IT startups? There could have been special packages for them. Right now, startups of two kids in a garage in Mauritius pay the same as an established company. There is something to be done at this level.

(2) 50000 houses in 2014 will be connected through fiber to the Internet. The Minister has mentioned 30Mbytes/s. Is that really feasible given that 30Mbytes/s represents an Internet 250 times faster than the one we have today? Is this a typo and that he meant 30 Mbit/s? What would be the price?

(3) ISPs will have to guarantee a minimum service level for a given Internet package. What will be the definition of a service level? Is this a minimum bandwidth? Availability of connection? Other services like technical support? How is the ICTA going to monitor this?

(4) There will be a second incubator in 2014 in Port-Louis to develop talent in IT. Who will be the mentors? With what facilities? Buildings and computers only do not make startups!

(5) The Minister also announced an HSC Pro in ICT. Who will design the course content / programme / syllabus? It should not be left to people who are only academics and have no idea of the real requirements of the job market.

(6) Finally, the Minister announced eight additional national scholarships for ICT but didn’t say where these students will be sent.

My opinion

ICT is revolutionizing every industry : medicine, entertainment, education, finance, etc. It seems to me that, as quite a lot of policy makers make a confusion between ICT and BPO, there is a risk that we miss this revolution. Why don’t we have in the budget major policy decisions (and financing plans) to make Mauritius join the ICT revolution?

ICT is not only about having smartphones in every pockets. It’s about exploring and conquering new avenues for development and wealth creation.

Let’s do things together! In ICT!

Software development is a fascinating career path which many students today dream to embrace. This is true in Mauritius given the importance of the ICT sector in our country. A lot of young people want to be able to join companies operating in the Ebène Cybercity.

However, software development requires a mastery of programming and this is difficult for many. One of the main reasons is that students are expected to use C++ which is a complex programming language. We are aware that learning C++ can be a nightmare for many students.

Why students need to learn C++

First and foremost, knowing C++ is a requirement to pass exams. It also enables students to have a solid foundation in Computer Science and this is beneficial for later years of study and for their career in IT.

C++ is multiplatform and is used almost everywhere, on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, etc. A lot of applications are written in C++ including Windows itself, Photoshop, most video games, etc. It is also used in embedded systems including video consoles (Xbox 360, the PS3/PS4, smartphones, cameras, TVs, cars, airplanes, etc. ) As such, as a C++ programmer, a student can aspire to contribute to the implementation of these systems.

Being proficient in C++ makes someone a good programmer in the sense that focus is not laid only on end results but also on how computers work. There are many features unique to C++ such as pointers, manual memory management, templates and many others. Having a solid experience of lower-level features enables students to have a better understanding of what programming really means.

Many popular languages are modeled on the syntax and constructs of C and C++. This include Java, Javascript, PHP, Perl and many others. Although the learning curve of C++ can be quite steep, students get a head start towards learning the other programming languages.

Programming in C++ is fun. As Bjarne Stroustrup, the inventor of C++, says: “C++ is general purpose programming language designed to make programming more enjoyable for the serious programmer”.

Learning C++ with professional programmers

Knowledge7 is offering a special December course to help university students really master C++. The training will run during two weeks from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 (2-13 December) in our premises in Quatre-Bornes.

Students with a valid student ID get 20% discount off our normal price. They will benefit from the individual attention and expertise of the trainers who are professional programmers.

Read more

• Top 7 reasons to learn Computer Programming
• Participate in our Mastering Computer Programming Facebook Group and ask programming questions to our team of professionals

Engineering is the art of turning science fiction into reality says Dr Vinton (Vint) Cerf, one of the inventors of the Internet and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google.

In September 2013, Christina and Avinash Meetoo of Knowledge7, did an interview with Vint Cerf. He talks about the importance of the Internet, creativity, entrepreneurship and what young Mauritians should aspire to. He puts a lot of emphasis on good education and the need to really master science, mathematics and, specifically, engineering.

He strongly believes that competent Mauritian engineers can make a difference.

Visit www.knowledge7.tv to watch the video.

Today, 13 September, is Programmers’ Day.

13 September is the 256th day of 2013 and, as you may be aware, we, programmers, love powers of two! Interestingly, Programmers’ Day is officially recognised in a number of countries but not yet in Mauritius. We need to work on that.

Programming is the art of taking a problem, understanding it thoroughly and creating a solution in the form of a computer program which can then be used on a computer, a smartphone, a tablet, an embedded device, etc. Without programmers, there would be no ATMs, no phones, no TV, no Internet, no YouTube, no video games, no modern cars, no airplanes, etc. Major companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Yahoo!, Google and Facebook were created by programmers and are still managed by them.

We, programmers, are the ones which make your world interesting, nice and simple.

So Happy Programmers’ Day to all Mauritian programmers! Let’s continue finding solutions to important problems.

Christina and I did an interview with Vint Cerf, the inventor of the Internet, yesterday in his suite at Le Méridien. It was epic! The video will be available soon.

During the months of April and May, we ran a second session of our training course Web Application Development with PHP and MySQL

Hema Servansing, who was an individual participant, accepted to share her training experience at Knowledge7 with us.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hema Servansing, Senior Technical Officer working at the Entomology Division of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security. I am involved in the implementation of action program in plant protection, monitoring and management of existing and newly introduced pests and field and lab data management. I also carry out advisory field visits and provide technical advice as and when required.

What have you gained from the Web Application Development training at Knowledge7?

I discovered a whole new world concerning programing, web applications development and data base management. Excellent way of handling the topics, thus helping to better understand PHP, display and modify data from my SQL database including sanitization, validation, templating engines, benchmarking and much more. I really appreciated the way the course was conducted and we were also provided links to additional resources to help us investigate further on various interrelated subjects.

How do you think this training will benefit you?

First of all I wish to point out that it was a challenge. This was really something that I had been thinking of doing for some years now. I would say that I have gained technical knowledge. Knowledge I am very keen on using to create my own website. A website which would be beautiful, responsive and well displayed. I am looking forward to using these new competencies in my professional work, my artistic work as well as in humanitarian activities.

How do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I am considering a change in career geared more towards IT and management, continue to expand my artistic activities while at the same time be more involved in humanitarian projects in favor of needy children around the world.

La semaine dernière, du 22 au 26 août, j’ai participé aux Rencontres Mondiales du Logiciel Libre Décentralisée (RMLLD) à St Joseph de la Réunion. Ce fut pour moi une occasion unique de rencontrer des personnes oeuvrant pour la promotion du logiciel libre (open-source software) à la Réunion et en France métropolitaine.

Eric Gouazé, créateur de ActusMobile-tr.com (anciennement Android.re) m’a donné un apercu du dynamisme des associations à la Réunion et de l’utilisation du logiciel libre dans l’administration et les écoles.

Durant l’ouverture officielle des Rencontres Mondiales du Logiciel Libre Décentralisées, j’ai pu me rendre compte d’un certain nombre de choses importantes.

Ces RMLLD sont co-organisées par la Mairie de St Joseph (réprésentant l’État), les CEMEA (Centres d’Entraînement aux Méthodes d’Éducation Active, une association oeuvrant dans le domaine de la formation), le Lycée Pierre Poivre (le monde de l’éducation et des jeunes) et, naturellement, le Comité des Rencontres Mondiales du Logiciel Libre. Il serait donc opportun d’utiliser le même modèle à Maurice si nous voulons (par exemple, au sein de l’Association Linux de Maurice) organiser le même genre de manifestation.

Durant ma visite, j’ai découvert St Joseph, une ville très au point technologiquement (wifi, services en ligne, etc.), sans doute, grâce au dynamisme du Député-Maire, Patrick Lebreton (au centre sur la photo du haut). J’ai eu l’occasion de discuter avec lui et j’ai apprécié sa simplicité et sa très bonne connaissance du monde de l’informatique et du logiciel libre en particulier. On voit aussi sur la photo Daniel Cadet, Président des CEMEA de la Réunion (à gauche) et Jean Peyratout, membre de Association Bordelaise des Utilisateurs de Logiciels libres et des Rencontres Mondiales du Logiciel Libre (à droite).

Durant ces RMLLD, un certain nombre d’associations et de groupes de jeunes créateurs (et, non pas, des vendeurs d’ordinateurs…) avaient des stands où leurs représentants expliquaient ce qu’ils faisaient et comment le logiciel libre les aidait à mieux faire leur travail.

Personnellement, j’ai été vraiment impressionné par PixelHumain, un projet de l’association Open Atlas, qui est “un projet citoyen de démocratie participative qui prend racine à la Réunion” et qui est “une plateforme de discussions et d’actions citoyennes”. L’innovation ici est le fait que les discussions soient suivies par des actions concrètes. Moins de bla-bla, plus d’actions! Je pense qu’il serait judicieux d’avoir quelque chose de similaire ici à Maurice en complément de Noupei (qui est encore en dévéloppement à Knowledge7).

Sur la photo du haut, on voit Tibor Katelbach (en jaune), membre de Open Atlas, expliquer le fonctionnement de PixelHumain à Patrick Lebreton et à Daniel Cadet.

J’ai aussi passé un long moment à écouter du Daft Punk en vinyl et je dois admettre que le son est magnifique. Le DJ, que nous voyons dans la photo du haut, n’utilise que du logiciel libre pour mixer. Vincent Pradel, que l’on voit au deuxième plan, est prof de BTS au Lycée Pierre Poivre. Avec ses élèves, il s’est assuré du parfait fonctionnement de l’environnement informatique lors de cette manifestation.

Ma participation

Durant les RMLLD, j’ai fait trois présentations:

• Les logiciels libres au service de l’éducation où j’ai mis l’accent sur l’importance d’utiliser les logiciels libres éducatifs dans l’éducation aussi bien pour des raisons de coût que parce que beaucoup de ces logiciels libres (GCompris, Edubuntu, Moodle, etc.) sont conçus par enseignants et qui donc comprennent très bien le processus d’apprentissage.
• Android : Votre téléphone est libre. Durant cette deuxième présentation, j’ai expliqué ce que c’est Android, son architecture et comment développer des applications mobiles pour smartphones et tablettes. J’ai eu un échange très fructueux avec le public, qui était très varié, allant de personnes agéés qui venaient d’acheter un smartphone à des jeunes sortant de l’école et désireux d’en savoir plus sur le métier de dévelopeur.
• La formation aux logiciels libres à Maurice. Finalement, j’ai expliqué comment j’ai lancé Knowledge7 à Maurice, un centre de formation qui offre des cours sur les logiciels libres (Linux, PHP, Java, Android, AngularJS, etc.) J’ai fait ressortir qu’il est possible de mettre sur pied une structure profitable ne s’appuyant que sur des logiciels libres.

Suite à ces présentations, j’ai eu le plaisir de passer en direct sur Réunion 1ère, la première chaîne de radio de la Réunion. J’ai aussi été interviewé par saintjo.tv, la Web TV de la ville de St Joseph.

Des remerciements s’imposent

Tout d’abord, merci aux organisateurs pour m’avoir invité à la Réunion pour participer à cet évènement (la Mairie de St Joseph et les CEMEA en particulier). Merci également à Isabelle Bertil du CEMEA, qui a beaucoup fait pour que je puisse avoir mon billet d’avion dans les délais.

Je dois aussi dire un grand merci à Vincent Pradel, son épouse et ses enfants de m’avoir accueilli chez eux pendant deux jours. J’ai passé des moments inoubliables avec les petits qui ont plus ou moins le même âge que les miens. J’espère vous voir à Maurice très prochainement.

Enfin, je voudrais aussi dire un grand merci à ma cousine Sandy et son mari Am, tous deux médecins et à leurs enfants de m’avoir accueilli pendant mon séjour.

Conclusion

J’ai hâte d’avoir le même type d’évènements à Maurice. Idéalement, ce serait une collaboration entre la Réunion et Maurice — il y a tellement de similarités entre les deux îles.