Optimize Your Code

Proof of concept will lead to a quality solution

Many projects will require a Proof of Concept as a tool that in some cases, will determine the ultimate fate of the project as a whole. While the POC can be useful and sometimes indispensable, it seldom should be seen as a sole judgment of the final proposed product. In other words, it has limitations and can only provide information that must be considered in combination with other factors.

The chief purpose of a POC should be to gain insight into the basic performance aspects and characteristics of a specific software concept. This should be looked at as one of several bits of information that can serve as a gauge for the overall feasibility of the proposed product. It is important to keep expectations of a Proof of Concept in line with what its true function is.

In the most general sense, it is a prototype that represents the capabilities or possibilities of a final product. In a manner of speaking, it is a scale model that attempts to prove that a theory can be transformed into a reality, but it should not be expected to have the same complete functionality. It does not have to perform the task, but should be only required to prove that the performance objectives are practical.

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Do you see the dreaded ‘OutOfMemoryError’ while running your Java application? Does it crash every now and then? Does it have memory leaks? Is your

Memory leaks

application slowing down the operating system significantly? Is your application taking forever to execute? Developers are often left pondering over these questions while writing Java applications. So, what are memory leaks? What causes them? How can you fix them in your Java applications?

In the first post of this series, we walk you through the relevant details to understand memory leaks in Java. The later posts of this series will focus on how to detect and fix memory leaks in Java applications.

What are memory leaks?

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Excessive hardware for your software problem!?

The first thought that crosses the minds of many when they experience performance problems, is that their machine lacks enough power for the job at hand. While this may be true in a handful of cases, the true culprit is likely to be in the application, rather than the hardware. A common initial reaction is to blame hardware for being too weak to perform its tasks. In reality, the cause of the difficulty might easily lie in problematic software that is eating more than its fair share of the pie.

Sadly, more than a few people are sucked into the idea of piling on more muscle in the form of memory, CPU upgrades and other new hardware solutions. This can be an expensive way to treat a symptom rather than cure the disease. Some IT managers are often too quick to jump to the conclusion that the system is not working hard enough, when in reality, the applications are simply asking it to do too much.

In most instances, optimization should be considered as a first line of defense against lagging performance issues. Very often, optimizing will clean up inefficiencies such as software interfaces and codes at much lower costs than equipment replacements. A single factor like an improper pre-compiled code or a loop unrolling issue might be the root cause of the troubles. The best and usually cheapest solution is to repair the real problem rather than covering it up with a stack of new devices.

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Breaking the performance barriers.

Are you looking to optimize your software? Have you conducted a performance tuning exercise on your source code before its deployed live? These are common questions in the software development industry and it’s unfortunate that many developers and organizations treat Software Optimization and Performance Tuning as synonyms.

I’ve seen these terms being used in place of each other on several websites be it tutorials or job descriptions. The truth is that software optimization and performance tuning are not the same.

Software Optimization is a much broader term than what most people believe it to be.  Optimization encompasses a wide variety of techniques, one of which is Performance Tuning. Let’s delve deeper into these concepts to understand how they differ from each other. continue reading…

During the process of development, the option to outsource certain tasks is, at the very least, worth some serious consideration. Using an external company to aid with some of the common performance tuning tasks can not only save time and money, but could actually provide a better overall end result and improved maintainability.

Collaboration

In most cases, the decision to turn to an external source for tasks relating to code optimization, is considered to be a last resort. In fact, regularly utilizing outside resources is a strategy used by successful companies in a variety of industries. Software development is no exception when it comes to being able to benefit from supplements to in-house procedures.

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