Category: CoolTools

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Apache NiFi supports powerful and scalable directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic.

Put simply NiFi was built to automate the flow of data between systems. While the term dataflow is used in a variety of contexts, we’ll use it here to mean the automated and managed flow of information between systems. This problem space has been around ever since enterprises had more than one system, where some of the systems created data and some of the systems consumed data. The problems and solution patterns that emerged have been discussed and articulated extensively. A comprehensive and readily consumed form is found in the Enterprise Integration Patterns [eip].

Source: Apache NiFi Documentation

This looks interesting. I wonder if it can be used to handle the flow of information on the CALI systems?

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Java still top programming language, PHP at 6, JavaScript at 7

The TIOBE Programming Community index is an indicator of the popularity of programming languages. The index is updated once a month. The ratings are based on the number of skilled engineers world-wide, courses and third party vendors. Popular search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Amazon, YouTube and Baidu are used to calculate the ratings. It is important to note that the TIOBE index is not about the best programming language or the language in which most lines of code have been written.
The index can be used to check whether your programming skills are still up to date or to make a strategic decision about what programming language should be adopted when starting to build a new software system. The definition of the TIOBE index can be found here.

Source: TIOBE Software: Tiobe Index

This index is one of those things that is easy to find and easier to forget about in the noise of the Internet but it is the best way to get a quick read on the languages being used in the real world. Too often we are over influenced by “flavor of the month” projects and languages that distort how work is really getting done in the broader world. I’m not surprised that Java and C are the top languages since those are the languages of choice for most business applications. Python, PHP, and JavaScript are the core academic and web languages. The thing that makes me smile is that Ruby ranks below Perl. And COBOL is still in the top 20.

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Design electronic circuits with open source SaaS MeowCAD

MeowCAD is an online free and open source electronic design application tool. Its focus is on schematic and PCB design for electronic circuits.

MeowCAD is the first completely free and open source, software-as-a-service, electronic design tool and provides a free and open source alternative where there wasn’t one before. Ultimately, the value of an online electronics design community comes from its members. People are encouraged to fork the project, stand up their own servers, or just use MeowCAD directly to create their own electronics projects and share with the community.

Source: Design electronic circuits with MeowCAD

Some fun stuff for the maker crowd.