NEW PRODUCTS
AppDynamics is offering a free troubleshooting tool for Java applications running in production environments. AppDynamics Lite reports which business transactions are showing slow response; drills down into bad requests such as hotspots in code, stack traces for errors and stalled requests; and diagnoses at the code level to provide performance visibility into each class and method, as well as identifies slow SQL and external calls.
Infragistics has released a set of custom libraries for automated testing of Windows application user interfaces. TestAdvantage for Windows Forms 2010 Vol. 1 is offered in two editions, one that works with HP QuickTest Professional, the other for IBM Rational Functional Tester. The software let developers fully regression-test Windows Forms applications with user interfaces developed using Infragistics NetAdvantage Windows Forms controls.
Software FX is offering PowerGadgets Mobile, an enterprise dashboard development system that lets companies access business information and displays key performance indicators on mobile devices based on Android, BlackBerry, iPhone or Windows Mobile.
Hosting provider RepeatHost has launched a development hosting service for developers and software consultants that need a staging and production environment. The company also offers source-control hosting to let organizations deploy builds quickly, manage customer code, and take projects live with duplicate hardware on both the staging and production servers.
Axosoft has launched RocketSVN for Visual Studio, a plug-in that lets Subversion users access Subversion repositories from inside the Visual Studio IDE. The plug-in also integrates with OnTime, Axosoft’s project management suite.
UPDATES
Versatyle has updated its test automation software to work with LabVIEW, MATLAB and custom C++ programs. Testr3 Studio lets developers reuse existing test automation infrastructure and incorporate them into the Testr3 Studio through a codeless module framework.
McObject has updated its real-time embedded database to support custom collations and save databases in binary images. eXtremeDB 4.1 offers faster on-disk storage and retrieval, CRC and RC4 encryption, CRC-checking on database backup, and improved transaction logging.
InstallAware has upgraded its eponymous setup-authoring tool for deploying products, patches and Web updates. InstallAware 9 R2 creates Windows Installer setup packages for the latest versions of Microsoft’s platforms, including Windows 7, SQL Server Express 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 and 64-bit operating systems. New to this version is access from within the Visual Studio IDE, runtimes for .NET 4, and an upgrade path for both InstallShield and Wise users.
Northwoods Software has updated its diagramming software for Java developers. JGo 5.4 improves support for creating thin-client Web applications using JGoWeb and JavaServer Pages. The software helps developers build applications that have interactive diagrams, such as flowcharts, state diagrams, networks, software design tools, workflow editors and other graphical displays.
PEOPLE
The ACM named Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson and (posthumously) John Vlissides recipients of the 2010 SIGSOFT (Special Interest Group on Software Engineering) Outstanding Research Award. Recognized for their contributions to the practice of software engineering, their book, “Design Patterns,” explored the capabilities and pitfalls of object-oriented programming, and catalogued 23 specific solutions to common design problems.
Mary Lou Soffa, chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia, was named by the ACM for the 2010 SIGSOFT Distinguished Service Award. Soffa is recognized for her extensive service in the software engineering community and commitment to strengthening ties with her colleagues across the programming languages community.
The Free Software Foundation has appointed Chris Hofstader as director of access technology software for its GNU Project. The FSF has also published the GNU Accessibility Statement, a free disability initiative to create features that can be used by people with low vision, deafness, learning and reading disabilities, and mobility and other physical issues who can use an on-screen keyboard.
