Greater Toronto Software Symposium
October 20 - 22, 2006 - Toronto, Ontario
Nathaniel Schutta
Author, speaker, software engineer focused on user interface design.
Nathaniel T. Schutta is a senior software engineer focussed on making usable applications. A proponent of polyglot programming, Nate has written two books on Ajax and speaks regularly at various worldwide conferences, No Fluff Just Stuff symposia, universities, and Java user groups. In addition to his day job, Nate is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota where he teaches students to embrace dynamic languages.
Presentations
Foundations of Ajax
Seemingly overnight, Ajax has gone from an obscure acronym to, well, having conferences devoted to it. People are often surprised when they learn that Ajax isn't really anything new - so if it's yesterday's technology, why all the hype? This talk will examine the course of events that led up to the current love affair with richer client applications. We'll talk examine the technologies that power an Ajax application and discuss how to work with them - and then we'll examine a number of frameworks that will do much of the heavy lifting for us!
Once we understand the techniques of Ajax, we'll touch on where (and where not) it's appropriate for your application finishing off with some common gotchas.
Pragmatic Usability (aka, Software Engineer's Guide to Usability)
While some companies have the luxury of a full time usability team, most of us have to make do on our own. Sure, it might be easier (and more comfortable) to focus on all the hip back end goodness, but if your user interface makes users yack, your product is doomed.
This talk will provide an overview of usability from the perspective of the software engineer.
Books
by Nathaniel T. Schutta and Ryan Asleson
List Price: $49.99
Price: $27.63
You Save: $22.36 (45%)
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As a Java developer, you want a guide that shows you how to add Ajax functionality to your web applications with a minimum of effort. Look no further than Pro Ajax and Java Frameworks! In this book, recognized Java experts and authors of the bestselling Apress title Foundations of Ajax will show you how.
The authors begin by recapping Ajax basics. Then they unveil a comprehensive Java/Ajax toolkit. Tools include JSEclipse for code editing, Venkman for JavaScript debugging, and Dojo Compressor for code compression. They also explain Log4js (and other tools) for JavaScript logging, JsUnit (and others) for testing, and various libraries like AjaxTags, DWR, and Script.aculo.us for rapid code development.
The last part of the book shows you how to build up a series of professional Java/Ajax applications. These will incorporate some of today's most popular frameworksSpring, JSF, Struts, and Tapestry, giving you all you need to incorporate Ajax into your everyday work and become an Ajax expert!
Price: $27.63
You Save: $22.36 (45%)
-
As a Java developer, you want a guide that shows you how to add Ajax functionality to your web applications with a minimum of effort. Look no further than Pro Ajax and Java Frameworks! In this book, recognized Java experts and authors of the bestselling Apress title Foundations of Ajax will show you how.
The authors begin by recapping Ajax basics. Then they unveil a comprehensive Java/Ajax toolkit. Tools include JSEclipse for code editing, Venkman for JavaScript debugging, and Dojo Compressor for code compression. They also explain Log4js (and other tools) for JavaScript logging, JsUnit (and others) for testing, and various libraries like AjaxTags, DWR, and Script.aculo.us for rapid code development.
The last part of the book shows you how to build up a series of professional Java/Ajax applications. These will incorporate some of today's most popular frameworksSpring, JSF, Struts, and Tapestry, giving you all you need to incorporate Ajax into your everyday work and become an Ajax expert!
by Nathaniel T. Schutta and Ryan Asleson
List Price: $39.99
Price: $26.51
You Save: $13.48 (34%)
-
Ajax is hot news for developers! With examples like Google Maps, Google Suggest, Gmail, and Tada List, we have highly dynamic web applications that are nearly as feature rich as their thick client brethren. Using the Ajax techniques in this book, you can provide your customers with the rich user experience they have come to expect while still enjoying the ease of deployment you’ve come to expect of web applications.
In this Ajax book you will also learn that browser-based applications have none of the complex distribution problems that plague thick-client applications. Once a browser-based application is deployed to the Web server, it is available to all users without the need for a costly, complex, and error-prone installation process. Browser-based applications are accessible from any platform with a modern Web browser, whether the operating system is Windows, Unix, Mac OS X, or Linux.
As the authors point out in this book, an Ajax application is very similar to the web applications we’re already familiar with. It’s made from many of the same components and operates in the same way and to the same standards. The difference is that it incorporates an "Ajax engine" that negates the start-stop nature of traditional web interaction and drives the whole process along. A quick look at an Ajax application like Google Maps will demonstrate the difference to the user experience very clearly. Gone are the constant page-refreshes and instead the user is presented with a smooth, responsive interface that seamlessly reacts to their requests.
Price: $26.51
You Save: $13.48 (34%)
-
Ajax is hot news for developers! With examples like Google Maps, Google Suggest, Gmail, and Tada List, we have highly dynamic web applications that are nearly as feature rich as their thick client brethren. Using the Ajax techniques in this book, you can provide your customers with the rich user experience they have come to expect while still enjoying the ease of deployment you’ve come to expect of web applications.
In this Ajax book you will also learn that browser-based applications have none of the complex distribution problems that plague thick-client applications. Once a browser-based application is deployed to the Web server, it is available to all users without the need for a costly, complex, and error-prone installation process. Browser-based applications are accessible from any platform with a modern Web browser, whether the operating system is Windows, Unix, Mac OS X, or Linux.
As the authors point out in this book, an Ajax application is very similar to the web applications we’re already familiar with. It’s made from many of the same components and operates in the same way and to the same standards. The difference is that it incorporates an "Ajax engine" that negates the start-stop nature of traditional web interaction and drives the whole process along. A quick look at an Ajax application like Google Maps will demonstrate the difference to the user experience very clearly. Gone are the constant page-refreshes and instead the user is presented with a smooth, responsive interface that seamlessly reacts to their requests.
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List Price:
Price: $30.39
You Save: $9.60 (24%)
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You know about Extreme Programming, Agile cooperation, and continuous improvement, but did you know you can apply these to UI design? I'll show you how to make your end users happy all the time by applying what you already know about software development to the design and implementation of user interfaces. More and more, developers are being called upon to create user interfaces without designers. Extreme UI Design: The User is Always Right will show you how to use your well-honed programming skills to build measurably effective front ends.
It's all about usability, the software equivalent of flossing; you know you should do it, yet sometimes there just isn't time. For developers, there often isn't money to hire a designer. In tough times, developers who can design become essential, but most software engineers are schooled in algorithms and compilers and rarely in the intricacies of user interaction. This book is for all of you who find yourselves working on the front lines of software development and want to create an application that respects the maxim that all users are right.
- Discover best UI design practices for software engineers.
- Maximize usability right in your code with a few simple tools.
- Write software that works for the user!
What you'll learn
- Distinguish usability myth from reality
- Give users both what they want and what they need (these aren't the same)
- Use your application prototypes as test beds for usability
- Apply rigorous heuristics to measuring UI effectiveness
- See why CRAP is important to creating good interfaces
- Identify and avoid common UI anti-patterns
Who is this book for?
Looking to get an edge in today's workplace? Worried about being downsized? As companies look to cut expenses, the developer who can do more has a better chance of survival. If the UI team gets the axe, can you step in and help run a usability test or whack out a paper-based prototype? After reading this book, you'll be more valuable to your software development organization, you'll have a more complete toolbox, and you'll create applications that don't make your users yack .
This book is primarily aimed at software developers who are tasked with front-end development. Considering that almost all software has some kind of interface, it should appeal to a large audience. Depending on how the book is slanted, it should also interest the agile community.
Price: $30.39
You Save: $9.60 (24%)
-
You know about Extreme Programming, Agile cooperation, and continuous improvement, but did you know you can apply these to UI design? I'll show you how to make your end users happy all the time by applying what you already know about software development to the design and implementation of user interfaces. More and more, developers are being called upon to create user interfaces without designers. Extreme UI Design: The User is Always Right will show you how to use your well-honed programming skills to build measurably effective front ends.
It's all about usability, the software equivalent of flossing; you know you should do it, yet sometimes there just isn't time. For developers, there often isn't money to hire a designer. In tough times, developers who can design become essential, but most software engineers are schooled in algorithms and compilers and rarely in the intricacies of user interaction. This book is for all of you who find yourselves working on the front lines of software development and want to create an application that respects the maxim that all users are right.
- Discover best UI design practices for software engineers.
- Maximize usability right in your code with a few simple tools.
- Write software that works for the user!
What you'll learn
- Distinguish usability myth from reality
- Give users both what they want and what they need (these aren't the same)
- Use your application prototypes as test beds for usability
- Apply rigorous heuristics to measuring UI effectiveness
- See why CRAP is important to creating good interfaces
- Identify and avoid common UI anti-patterns
Who is this book for?
Looking to get an edge in today's workplace? Worried about being downsized? As companies look to cut expenses, the developer who can do more has a better chance of survival. If the UI team gets the axe, can you step in and help run a usability test or whack out a paper-based prototype? After reading this book, you'll be more valuable to your software development organization, you'll have a more complete toolbox, and you'll create applications that don't make your users yack .
This book is primarily aimed at software developers who are tasked with front-end development. Considering that almost all software has some kind of interface, it should appeal to a large audience. Depending on how the book is slanted, it should also interest the agile community.
