Sat. Apr 4th, 2020

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How to make open source success less of a crapshoot

By Grace 9 hours ago

Commentary: It’s hard to know which open source projects will take off, but it’s easy to guess which ones won’t, and why.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

It’s almost certain you’re not going to use Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (now open source) campaign tools. Nor will you be submitting a pull request on Microsoft’s open sourced Windows calculator. And you’re definitely not going to be using Medtronic’s “open source” ventilator.

This, however, isn’t really the point. While it’s never good practice to just dump code onto GitHub, slap an open source license on it, and walk away, it’s also hard to predict exactly how code will get used. The best thing a person or organization that wants to open source code can do, therefore, is simply to make it usable for would-be adopters.

SEE: How to build a successful developer career (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Utility is in the eye of

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Windows 10 PowerToys: A cheat sheet

By Grace 1 day ago

Users are always searching for ways to make their computing lives better–the Windows 10 PowerToys are made specifically for this purpose.

No matter how many features Microsoft crams into its Windows 10 operating system, there will always be users looking for a faster, better, or at the very least, different way of doing things. The iteration of an operating system (no matter how well it works) is just part of human nature and it cannot be suppressed, so, why not embrace it?

Microsoft’s acknowledgement of this force of human nature is the Windows 10 PowerToys download. A set of slightly unusual free Windows tools has been a part of the Windows operating system landscape since Windows 95, but their availability has been noticeably absent for Windows 10—at least until September 2019.

In 2019, Microsoft, in partnership with development company Janea Systems, released the first two PowerToys for Windows 10

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How to use Microsoft Power Automate to create simple email notifications

By Grace 3 days ago

Simple automation in Windows 10 and Office 365 can be achieved with an online workflow service known as Microsoft Power Automate. Here is just one example.

Image: Lucian Alecu / Getty Images

Long before Microsoft Windows 10, power users have been taking advantage of operating system scripting languages to run repetitive tasks. With the necessary knowhow, a little planning, and some mild coding, a user could automate mundane tasks and free their time for more important endeavors.

Disclosure: TechRepublic may earn a commission from some of the products featured on this page. TechRepublic and the author were not compensated for this independent review.

LEARN MORE:  Office 365 for business

Scripting languages still exist, of course, but modern systems have taken a step forward and made automation even simpler. For users of Windows 10 or Office 365, simple automation can best be achieved with an online workflow service known

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The two most hated programming languages among developers

By Grace 3 days ago

Coding is intrinsic to the job of a developer, but find out what they really think about some of the most common languages.

Must-read Developer content

As more organizations turn to data analytics for optimizing operations, developer demand only heightens. Working with programming languages is embedded in the job, with Python, Java, and JavaScript being some of the most widely used. 

SEE: Programming languages: Which was most popular each year? (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

While those languages might be popular among organizations, that does not mean they are the most loved by programmers themselves. Java and JavaScript were actually two of the least favored languages, according to professional developers. 

“This may be an unpopular opinion due to JavaScript’s immense popularity, but it’s often quite a mess to work with in reality,” said Jack Mannino, CEO of nVisium, an application security provider.  

“By design, JavaScript encourages anti-patterns such as the use of

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6 Zoom tips to improve your video conferences while telecommuting

By Grace 4 days ago

These Zoom tutorials can help employees working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic have more productive video conferences.

With millions of people telecommuting from home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, meetings that were previously held in person have now been moved online–and lots of workers are now using Zoom, in particular. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced user of Zoom, these how-to tutorials will help you optimize your virtual meetings.

Working from home doesn’t mean you can’t meet with coworkers. Zoom is one of the ways you can stay in touch while apart. If you’re unsure of how to launch a Zoom meeting, follow these steps, and you’ll be chatting face-to-face in no time.


Free from TechRepublic

Not everyone has a home office, so folks attending a video meeting might be in a bedroom, kitchen, or other space that all attendees can see when the

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Learn Python: Online training courses for beginning developers and coding experts

By Grace 6 days ago

TechRepublic has partnered with top training providers to offer online courses, bootcamps, and master classes for Python, one of the most in-demand programming languages.

Getty Images/iStockphoto – mirsad sarajlic

The
Top Programming Languages 2019 list from IEEE Spectrum ranks Python
 at the top of their list above Java, C, C++, R, JavaScript, C#, Matlab, Swift, and Go. According to Stack Overflow’s 2019 developer survey, Python is currently the fastest-growing programming language.

Disclosure: TechRepublic may earn a commission from some of the products featured on this page. TechRepublic and the author were not compensated for this independent review.

And whether you’re new to the programming language or a long-time Python developer, there’s always more to learn. To help keep your Python development skills sharp, here are a list of online courses, bootcamps, and master classes from our very own TechRepublic Academy. And if you don’t see what you’re looking

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