The author of Laconica, an open source tool that lets anyone set up their own Twitter clone, discusses the technical challenges of microblogging and why it's not a fad.

Data binding simplifies how you sync a data object's properties with their visual representations, and Beans Binding for Java (JSR 295) aims to deliver a default data-binding specification for the Java platform. Find out how to use Beans Binding and work around its onerous overhead.

IronPython is an easy-to-learn yet surprisingly powerful language for .NET development. Find out how it differs from C# and Visual Basic while still leveraging your existing .NET knowledge.

Find out how to automate PHP scripts so they run unattended at scheduled times on both Windows and Linux.

Not only does C++98 have four different syntactic forms for initializing class objects, POD aggregates, char arrays and scalar types, it doesn't let you initialize member arrays and dynamically allocated arrays at all. Learn how C++0x fixes these flaws with a uniform and intuitive initialization syntax.

Maintaining a database often means schema changes. Before you change or delete anything, be sure to check for dependent objects.

Demand for multi-core/multi-processor applications is growing, but developing for a multi-threaded application does not require a steep learning curve or an understanding of complicated edge cases. Learn how to develop efficient multi-threaded applications without using synchronized blocks.

Get an overview of the JavaScript programming language, from its basic structure and underlying paradigms to its high-level constructs, concepts, libraries, and functionalities—all of which are powering the current generation of web applications.

Don't be lured by Visual Studio's promise of simple templates for creating WCF services; here's why you should plan to create your services manually.