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10 skills for developers to focus on in 2013
By Justin James
December 16, 2012, 6:21 AM PST
Takeaway: Development trends that began to emerge in 2012 are picking up
steam. Here’s a look at the must-know technologies for the year ahead.
Editor’s note: At the beginning of 2012, Justin James wrote a list of
technologies that were gaining momentum in the dev world. Now he revisits
that list with an eye toward 2013.
Looking back on this article after nearly a year, I’m struck by how quickly
some of these trends have steamrolled. Of course, mobile development was
expected to be big. But the growth in tablets, especially in Android tablets
, has propelled that market to new heights.
Thanks to mobile devices that receive frequent updates (notably iOS devices)
and the short release cycles of Chrome and Firefox, it has been possible
for HTML5 to rapidly ascend to the top of the pile in many ways. The Web
development world has divided itself into two segments:
The enterprise market running Java and .NET on the backend and using SOAP
for communications
The consumer market using PHP, Ruby, and Python on the backend with
lightweight REST Web services
In fact, I am starting to encounter folks dropping the backend server layer
away significantly, in favor of a REST API and an HTML5 + JavaScript front
end communicating with the API. And thanks to the power of jQuery and
similar tools, the Web now easily matches the functionality of the desktop
in the UI department — something that’s becoming obvious on more and more
Web sites.
Looking ahead to 2013, I really do not think that the items on this list
need to change much. Learning Ruby and Python (and NoSQL databases) are not
mandatory items for your career, but they can certainly open some doors to
alternative career paths. Windows 8 development is not a must-have either,
and it remains to be seen whether Windows 8 picks up adoption quickly enough
to justify making it a priority. But this list can still serve as a
fundamental guide for your 2013 “techs I need to learn” list.
What skills do you need?
Software development had a few years of relative calm. But now the
rollercoaster is back on track and it’s picking up speed, as HTML5 gains a
foothold and Windows 8 threatens to significantly change the Windows
development landscape. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you should
consider learning at least a few of these 10 software development skills.
1: Mobile development
If you don’t think it is worth your time to learn mobile development, think
again. According to a recent Gartner report, Android mobile device sales
outstripped PC shipments in the third quarter of 2012. Add in the other big-
name mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, and even the “dying” RIM devices),
and what you see is that mobile devices now dwarf PCs in sales. What does
this mean? If you make your living from software that can run only on a PC (
which includes Web sites that don’t work or are hard to use on mobile
devices), now is the time to learn mobile development.
2: NoSQL
I appreciate a well-designed relational database schema as much as the next
person, but they just are not appropriate for every project. We’ve been
using them even when they aren’t the best tool because the alternatives
haven’t been great. The last few years have seen the introduction of a wide
variety of NoSQL database systems. And now that major service vendors (like
Amazon and Microsoft) support NoSQL as well, there is no technical
limitation on their use. Are they right for every project? No. Are they
going to replace traditional databases? In some projects, and for some
developers, definitely. This is the year to learn how to use them, as they
will only become more prevalent in the year to follow.
3: Unit testing
We’ve seen unit testing go from being, “Oh, that’s neat” to being a best
practice in the industry. And with the increasing use of dynamic languages,
unit testing is becoming more and more important. A wide variety of tools
and frameworks are available for unit testing. If you do not know how to do
it, now is the time to learn. This is the year where it goes from “resume
enhancement” to “resume requirement.”
4: Python or Ruby
Not every project is a good fit for a dynamic language, but a lot of
projects are better done in them. PHP has been a winner in the industry for
some time, but Python and Ruby are now being taken seriously as well. Strong
arguments can be made for Ruby + Rails (or Ruby + Sinatra) or Python +
Django as excellent platforms for Web development, and Python has long been
a favorite for “utility” work. Learning Python or Ruby in addition to your
existing skill set gives you a useful alternative and a better way to get
certain projects done.
5: HTML5
HTML5 is quickly pulling away from the station. The release of IE 10 made
the full power of HTML5 available to most users (those not stuck with IE 6
or IE 8). Learning HTML5 now positions you to be on the forefront of the
next generation of applications. Oh, and most mobile devices already have
excellent support for it, so it is a great way to get into mobile
development too. And don’t forget: HTML5 is one route for UI definitions in
Windows 8.
6: Windows 8
Windows 8 may be getting off to a slow start, but being the top dog in an
app store is often based on being the first dog in the race. The first mover
advantage is huge. It is better to be in the Windows Store now than to take
a wait-and-see approach. Even if Windows 8 sales disappoint, it’s better
to be the only fish in a small pond than a fish of any size in a big pond,
as recent app sales numbers have shown.
7: RESTful Web services
While I personally prefer the convenience and ease of working with SOAP in
the confines of Visual Studio, REST is booming. Even Microsoft is starting
to embrace it with OData. JSON really was the final straw on this matter,
relegating SOAP to be for server-to-server work only. Unless your
applications can run in isolation, not knowing REST is going to hold you
back.
8: JavaScript
Before Windows 8, it was easy for non-Web developers to look at JavaScript
as a Web-only language. No more! JavaScript is now a first-class citizen for
native desktop and tablet development, thanks to the Windows 8 Modern UI
and WinRT API. XAML + C# or VB.NET may be a good way for you to get things
done. But if you want to maximize what you can get out of your knowledge,
HTML5 and JavaScript are the best bet. They give you Web and Modern UI/WinRT
, and you can use them for some of the cross-platform mobile systems out
there, like Appcelerator’s Titanium product.
9: jQuery
If you are going to do any kind of Web development where you are working
directly with HTML, jQuery is a must-know skill. While there are plenty of
credible alternatives, jQuery is quickly turning into the de facto tool for
rich UIs with HTML.
10: User experience
Other than getting that first mover advantage in new app stores, there is
little to differentiate many applications on a feature basis; it’s a
crowded field. User experience, on the other hand, is a different story.
Creating a great user experience is not easy; it starts before anyone even
downloads your application and continues through to the uninstall process.
In the age of instant $0.99 and free app downloads, and ad-supported Web
apps, the barriers to switching to another application are mighty low. If
your user experience is poor, do not expect much business.
By Justin James
December 16, 2012, 6:21 AM PST
Takeaway: Development trends that began to emerge in 2012 are picking up
steam. Here’s a look at the must-know technologies for the year ahead.
Editor’s note: At the beginning of 2012, Justin James wrote a list of
technologies that were gaining momentum in the dev world. Now he revisits
that list with an eye toward 2013.
Looking back on this article after nearly a year, I’m struck by how quickly
some of these trends have steamrolled. Of course, mobile development was
expected to be big. But the growth in tablets, especially in Android tablets
, has propelled that market to new heights.
Thanks to mobile devices that receive frequent updates (notably iOS devices)
and the short release cycles of Chrome and Firefox, it has been possible
for HTML5 to rapidly ascend to the top of the pile in many ways. The Web
development world has divided itself into two segments:
The enterprise market running Java and .NET on the backend and using SOAP
for communications
The consumer market using PHP, Ruby, and Python on the backend with
lightweight REST Web services
In fact, I am starting to encounter folks dropping the backend server layer
away significantly, in favor of a REST API and an HTML5 + JavaScript front
end communicating with the API. And thanks to the power of jQuery and
similar tools, the Web now easily matches the functionality of the desktop
in the UI department — something that’s becoming obvious on more and more
Web sites.
Looking ahead to 2013, I really do not think that the items on this list
need to change much. Learning Ruby and Python (and NoSQL databases) are not
mandatory items for your career, but they can certainly open some doors to
alternative career paths. Windows 8 development is not a must-have either,
and it remains to be seen whether Windows 8 picks up adoption quickly enough
to justify making it a priority. But this list can still serve as a
fundamental guide for your 2013 “techs I need to learn” list.
What skills do you need?
Software development had a few years of relative calm. But now the
rollercoaster is back on track and it’s picking up speed, as HTML5 gains a
foothold and Windows 8 threatens to significantly change the Windows
development landscape. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you should
consider learning at least a few of these 10 software development skills.
1: Mobile development
If you don’t think it is worth your time to learn mobile development, think
again. According to a recent Gartner report, Android mobile device sales
outstripped PC shipments in the third quarter of 2012. Add in the other big-
name mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, and even the “dying” RIM devices),
and what you see is that mobile devices now dwarf PCs in sales. What does
this mean? If you make your living from software that can run only on a PC (
which includes Web sites that don’t work or are hard to use on mobile
devices), now is the time to learn mobile development.
2: NoSQL
I appreciate a well-designed relational database schema as much as the next
person, but they just are not appropriate for every project. We’ve been
using them even when they aren’t the best tool because the alternatives
haven’t been great. The last few years have seen the introduction of a wide
variety of NoSQL database systems. And now that major service vendors (like
Amazon and Microsoft) support NoSQL as well, there is no technical
limitation on their use. Are they right for every project? No. Are they
going to replace traditional databases? In some projects, and for some
developers, definitely. This is the year to learn how to use them, as they
will only become more prevalent in the year to follow.
3: Unit testing
We’ve seen unit testing go from being, “Oh, that’s neat” to being a best
practice in the industry. And with the increasing use of dynamic languages,
unit testing is becoming more and more important. A wide variety of tools
and frameworks are available for unit testing. If you do not know how to do
it, now is the time to learn. This is the year where it goes from “resume
enhancement” to “resume requirement.”
4: Python or Ruby
Not every project is a good fit for a dynamic language, but a lot of
projects are better done in them. PHP has been a winner in the industry for
some time, but Python and Ruby are now being taken seriously as well. Strong
arguments can be made for Ruby + Rails (or Ruby + Sinatra) or Python +
Django as excellent platforms for Web development, and Python has long been
a favorite for “utility” work. Learning Python or Ruby in addition to your
existing skill set gives you a useful alternative and a better way to get
certain projects done.
5: HTML5
HTML5 is quickly pulling away from the station. The release of IE 10 made
the full power of HTML5 available to most users (those not stuck with IE 6
or IE 8). Learning HTML5 now positions you to be on the forefront of the
next generation of applications. Oh, and most mobile devices already have
excellent support for it, so it is a great way to get into mobile
development too. And don’t forget: HTML5 is one route for UI definitions in
Windows 8.
6: Windows 8
Windows 8 may be getting off to a slow start, but being the top dog in an
app store is often based on being the first dog in the race. The first mover
advantage is huge. It is better to be in the Windows Store now than to take
a wait-and-see approach. Even if Windows 8 sales disappoint, it’s better
to be the only fish in a small pond than a fish of any size in a big pond,
as recent app sales numbers have shown.
7: RESTful Web services
While I personally prefer the convenience and ease of working with SOAP in
the confines of Visual Studio, REST is booming. Even Microsoft is starting
to embrace it with OData. JSON really was the final straw on this matter,
relegating SOAP to be for server-to-server work only. Unless your
applications can run in isolation, not knowing REST is going to hold you
back.
8: JavaScript
Before Windows 8, it was easy for non-Web developers to look at JavaScript
as a Web-only language. No more! JavaScript is now a first-class citizen for
native desktop and tablet development, thanks to the Windows 8 Modern UI
and WinRT API. XAML + C# or VB.NET may be a good way for you to get things
done. But if you want to maximize what you can get out of your knowledge,
HTML5 and JavaScript are the best bet. They give you Web and Modern UI/WinRT
, and you can use them for some of the cross-platform mobile systems out
there, like Appcelerator’s Titanium product.
9: jQuery
If you are going to do any kind of Web development where you are working
directly with HTML, jQuery is a must-know skill. While there are plenty of
credible alternatives, jQuery is quickly turning into the de facto tool for
rich UIs with HTML.
10: User experience
Other than getting that first mover advantage in new app stores, there is
little to differentiate many applications on a feature basis; it’s a
crowded field. User experience, on the other hand, is a different story.
Creating a great user experience is not easy; it starts before anyone even
downloads your application and continues through to the uninstall process.
In the age of instant $0.99 and free app downloads, and ad-supported Web
apps, the barriers to switching to another application are mighty low. If
your user experience is poor, do not expect much business.
