SOFTWARE ENGINEERS ARE MADE NOT BORN – HOW TO BECOME A GREAT DEVELOPER

Software Engineers Are Made Not Born – How to Become a Great Developer

As technology increasingly permeates our everyday lives, jobs in the tech industry are growing ever more popular. Many companies and industries are searching for qualified developers to help them stay competitive.

Many people believe that to become a Software Engineer you have to be super smart or you just have to be born with certain talents.

But in my opinion, this is a very common misconception. Being a Software Engineer is not just a matter of talent – it's a matter of choice.

There are several qualities that will help you out immensely if you want to become a Software Engineer. You might not have these traits yet, but I believe they're skills that can be learned.

So let's see how you can develop these skills and carve out your path to becoming a Software Engineer.

You must have a Grit

Grit is a strong word, and it is also one of the most important points I'll discuss here.

If you have a goal in your mind, you've got to commit to it and persevere until the end. The road to becoming a Software Engineer is often a thorny path, but whatever happens, try to see it through to the end.

Sure the journey is hard, but keep in mind that it's not just hard for you – it's also hard for pretty much everyone else.

Because of this, it's important that you have a goal. The goal doesn't have to be long term, like a 5 or 10 year goal. A simple goal that defines what you want to accomplish within one or two years is good enough to start.

When you have a goal, you need to put your mind to it and whatever happens, do your best.

Doing your best doesn't mean having a do or die attitude, though. Everyone has a different learning process and sometimes your progress might not match your goals. But just remember – do your best and keep pushing.

Failing doesn't mean it's the end of everything, it just means you need to try again.

This might sound scary, but in time you will appreciate the journey you've been on. And when you looked back you will say to yourself "That was quite an adventure".

Cultivate Your Curiosity

You might have heard that "Curiosity killed the cat". But as a Software Engineer, you need to train your curiosity. This world is full of unknown and peculiar things you'll want to explore.

There will be times when things doesn't come out as expected. But instead of getting frustrated, we can commit some of our time to finding out why things went wrong.

In the field of technology, there are a lot of things to learn and consider. Every day there are new libraries coming out, it's impossible to play around with all of them.

But you can always start with simple things that you use everyday. Maybe something like how print formatting works in your favorite language. It's a simple concept, and often used, but many of you might not even be aware of how it works.

Be curious like a child, and be in awe of the things you don't yet know. Then, one by one, take those things and explore them.

Understand that You Don't Know Everything – and That's Ok

There is so much technology around us. And not only are there many things to learn, but much of that tech is also very dynamic. Things keep changing everyday and old technology often becomes obsolete.

Even if you dedicate your whole lifetime to studying all of it, you probably won't even get through half.

The thing is, you need to accept that you don't know all of it. Not because you are not trying hard enough, but it's just that you can't learn it all. There is just too much out there.

But if you want to start, one thing you need to learn is how to ask good questions. There is a quote in my country that says "Embarrassed to ask, astray on the road". So don't let yourself stay lost – just ask whenever you need to ask.

After all, knowledge is there to be shared. So why should you be scared to ask?

Once you've done your due diligence and researched the problem yourself, you can turn to someone else to help you solve the problem.

Become a Life-Long Learner

For some people, learning might have finished when they completed high school or college. But this isn't the case for a Software Engineer. Your entire career is like one big school where you'll learn everything from hard-skills to soft skills.

If you're passionate about learning, you'll find that coding is not all that different. After all, what does a Software Engineer do all day anyway? They solve problems! And from that they learn new things.

Sure, finding the motivation to study isn't always easy. The first step might be to find out which study method suits you best. Some people might prefer reading books or articles (like you are currently doing), others might like watching tutorials or learning by doing.

There are tons of materials out there on the internet – tutorials, books, videos, everything. When you find out which way you learn best, work to develop a study habit and remember that grit will help you push through.

Engineers grow from solving new problems. So keep learning, because once you stop learning, you stop growing.

Final Thoughts

Some of these things might sounds scary or difficult to you – but in reality, most of it is just part of life, and part of growing.

Things might be hard especially at the starting point, but you will get used to it. Treat it as a long and exciting journey, but always try to appreciate the journey and stop worrying about the destination.

And every now and then, don't forget to give yourself a break, because you need to appreciate yourself too.

As always, thanks for reading my article. I hope that it has helped you out. I wish you good luck, whether you are on a route to becoming a Software Engineer or you are one already, trying to improve yourself to become a better Engineer.

The journey doesn't stop when you have became a Software Engineer. The journey is never ending.

 

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

WINDOWS 10 NOW OFFERS ANOTHER WAY TO UNINSTALL UNWANTED SOFTWARE

Windows 10 now offers another way to uninstall unwanted software

Goodbye, Windows 10 bloatware

Microsoft has delivered an update for its Windows 10 package manager,

Winget, that gives users another way to uninstall unwanted software.

Winget was first launched to provide users with a simple way to install applications from a library of popular developer tools curated by Microsoft. Once installed, the service’s features can be accessed via a series of console commands.

With Winget version 0.3, released this week for members of the early-access program, Microsoft has added a range of new features, including the ability to uninstall any Windows 10 application directly from the command line.

Uninstall Windows 10 software

Popular among Linux users in particular, package managers are designed to automate the process of installing and configuring software. As explained in a Microsoft blog post, “most package managers are designed for discovering and installing developer tools”.

However, there’s no reason Windows 10 power users can’t use package managers, such as Winget, to streamline certain workflows too.

To gain access to the very latest Winget features, including the ability to uninstall apps, users will need to make changes to the configuration file. This file can be accessed via the “winget settings” command, and the “experimental Features” field will need to be set to “true”.

With experimental features enabled, the “winget list” command can be used to bring up a list of all software installed on the device. And to uninstall these applications, users can enter “winget uninstall [app name]”.

Winget functionality is supported by all popular command line tools, including Windows Terminal, PowerShell and Command Prompt.

For many people, uninstalling Windows 10 applications via the Control Panel will remain the most sensible option. However, for anyone that wants to uninstall applications en masse, Winget could well be the way to go.

This blog is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Click HERE to learn how to use Winget.

 

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

TEN WINDOWS 10 NETWORK COMMANDS EVERYONE ONE SHOULD KNOW

Ten Windows 10 network commands everyone one should know

There are basic Windows 10 network commands, entered from the command prompt, everyone should be able to use for troubleshooting network connection problems.

Living and working in an always-connected world means the quality and reliability of your network connection is vital to practically everything you do on your computer or mobile device. Maintaining a quality network connection, and troubleshooting a connection that fails, are basic skills that everyone should, at the very least, be familiar with.

For Microsoft Windows 10 users, there are 10 basic network commands that you should know and be prepared to use when the occasion calls for it. Some of these commands have equivalents in the Windows 10 GUI, but for many, the command line structure is more effective and efficient.

In this how-to tutorial we list 10 basic Windows 10 network commands users should be able to use for troubleshooting network connection problems.

Windows 10 network commands everyone one should know

The quickest way to get to the command prompt in Windows 10 is to use the Windows Key + R keyboard combination to reach the Run dialog box. Type "cmd" and press Enter to load the command prompt.

1. Ping

Of all the Windows 10 network commands, Ping is probably the one almost everyone knows about and has used before. The Ping command allows you to test the reachability of a device on a network. Pinging a host should return four data packets, if the data packets are not returned you know there is a problem with your network connection.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

ping [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common host server (google.com etc.). 

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Ping command and its variables and switches.

2. IPConfig

The IPConfig command is one of the more useful basic Windows network commands everyone should know and use to troubleshoot problems. The IPConfig command displays basic IP address configuration information for the Windows device you are working on. In fact, the command will display information for every network adapter that has ever been installed on your Windows 10 computer.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

ipconfig

The general information includes IP Addresses for both IPv4 and IPv6, the Default Gateway, and the Subnet Mask. Adding the parameter /all to the command will display DNS Server information and details concerning IP Address leases.

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the IP Config command and its variables and switches.

3. Getmac

Every network capable device on the internet has a unique identifying number called its MAC address. The number is assigned during manufacture and is established in the hardware of the device. Using the Getmac command, a user can determine the MAC address of their various network devices. Some administrators will use the unique MAC addresses of devices to limit what can and cannot connect to a network.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

getmac

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Getmac command and its variables and switches.

4. HostName

The Windows 10 HostName network command will simply display the current name of your Windows 10 computer. This is the name your computer uses to identify itself to the other devices and servers on your local network. You can find this name in the System information screen in the GUI, but this command is quicker.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

hostname

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the HostName command and its variables and switches.

5. NSLookUp

The NSLookUp Windows 10 network command displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure. Using NSLookUp without a parameter will show the DNS server your PC is currently using to resolve domain names into IP addresses.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

nslookup

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the NSLookUp command and its variables and switches.

6. Tracert

Another handy tool for troubleshooting network connections in Windows 10 is the Tracert command. This command will trace the route a data packet takes before reaching its destination, displaying information on each hop along the route. 

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

tracert [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common host server (google.com, etc.).

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Tracert command and its variables and switches.

7. Netstat

The Netstat command displays active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, the IP routing table, IPv4 statistics, and IPv6 statistics. When used without parameters, this command displays active TCP connections. The information this command provides can be useful in pinpointing problems in your network connections.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

netstat

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Netstat command and its variables and switches.

8. Arp

The Windows 10 network command Arp displays entries in the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache, which contains one or more tables that are used to store IP addresses and their resolved Ethernet physical addresses. To get useful information from the Arp command you must provide a parameter. The most general parameter is /a, which displays current Arp cache tables for all interfaces.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

arp /a

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Arp command and its variables and switches.

9. PathPing

Generally speaking, the Windows 10 network command PathPing combines the ping command with the tracert command, providing information about network latency and network loss at intermediate hops between a source and destination. 

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

pathping [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common host server (google.com etc.).

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the PathPing command and its variables and switches.

10. SystemInfo

The last command on our list is the SystemInfo command, which displays a detailed list of configuration information about your Windows 10 PC. The information listed by this command is too lengthy to mention in full but includes the installed version of Windows 10, the host name, the Product ID, the type and number of CPUs, RAM configuration, network card details and installed hotfixes.

To run the basic command, at the prompt type:

systeminfo

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the SystemInfo command and its variables and switches.

These commands are just the basics

There are other more advanced Windows 10 network commands available that may help you troubleshoot network problems, but they are beyond the scope of this article. However, the basic commands outlined should help you narrow your troubleshooting to just a few possibilities and give you a leg up on finding solutions.

 

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

13 REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES TO ADOBE'S EXPENSIVE APPS

13 Reasonable Alternatives to Adobe's Expensive Apps

Jumping into the full suite of Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps is an

expensive proposition: a $53/month setback (as of this writing) that might be overkill for your needs unless you’re producing a lot of media across a variety of formats.

You can go piecemeal, of course, but you’ll still be paying quite a bit more than your typical monthly music subscription to edit photos/videos/audio/print pages/etc. And then there are the cancellation fees, which might come as an unanticipated shock if you’re trying to get out of an annual plan early.

Not to hate on Adobe, but if you’re looking for alternatives that cost less, cost nothing, or simply aren’t as bulky to work with as some of Adobe’s apps, I’ve got you covered. While nothing beats Photoshop, for example, there are plenty of cheap tools out there you can use to accomplish much of what the app lets you do. Dare I say it, these “lesser” apps might even be a better fit, as you don’t really need the tank of graphics-editing apps if you’re just doing a little cropping and color-correction from time to time.

I’ll be highlighting a bunch of alternative Adobe apps in this guide, but if you’re impatient, here’s the full list:

• Affinity Photo [Adobe Photoshop]
• Photopea / SumoPaint [Adobe Photoshop]
• GIMP / Glimpse Image Editor [Adobe Photoshop]
• Krita [Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop]
• Inkscape [Adobe Illustrator]
• Scribus [Adobe InDesign]
• RawTherapee / Darktable [Adobe Lightroom]
• PDF-XChange Editor [Adobe Acrobat]
• DaVinci Resolve [Adobe Premiere]
• Audacity [Adobe Audition]

Affinity Photo [Adobe Photoshop]

Affinity Photo isn’t free, but it’s a subscription-free graphic-design program for Windows, Mac, and iPadOS that offers more than enough

firepower in a pleasantly designed interface for most people’s graphical needs. The desktop versions cost $50, which sounds like a lot up front, but not so much when you consider that a typical PhotoShop subscriptions starts at $21/month. However, deals can be had. As I write this, Serif is running a 50% off sale for all versions of the app, which makes the price pretty compelling if you’re looking to do some photo editing or graphic design—basic, intermediate, or advanced techniques.

Free trial: Yes

Price: $50

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPadOS

Photopea / SumoPaint [Adobe Photoshop]

I love Photopea so much, it’s earned high placement on my sprawling list of browser bookmarks. What it lacks in a dedicated desktop app, it

makes up for in being a completely free alternative to Photoshop that clones its UI and features as best as a web-based app possibly can. It’s so good, I’m surprised Adobe hasn’t tried to sue it out of existence yet. And it’s the very first website I turn to whenever I’m using a new laptop/desktop, or borrowing a friend’s, and haven’t had a chance to set up any kind of dedicated graphic-editing app.

I wouldn’t use Photopea as my daily driver, but it’s the web app I turn to whenever I need to edit an image in a pinch.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free (with supplemental $9/month premium subscription, if you want)

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Sumopaint 

Web-based photo editor SumoPaint is free to use, and its UI reminds me of a stripped-down version of Photoshop. I’d venture to argue it’s

probably a better fit for someone who really just wants the basics without any needless buttons, settings, options, or other headache-inducing things to click through. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that; if all you need is a screwdriver, why bring along a Swiss Army knife?

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free (with an optional $9/month premium subscription, if you want)

Platforms: Windows, Mac

GIMP / Glimpse Image Editor [Adobe Photoshop]

I’m not a fan of the GIMP name, but I the GNU Image Manipulation Program has been an open-source alternative to Photoshop for as long

as I can remember—decades, really. While I never found it to be as feature-filled as PhotoShop, but before Photopea, it was the software I’d turn to whenever I needed to make some edits on a system that didn’t have a graphic-editing app installed. GIMP is fairly easy to use, but even if you have to spend a little time getting a feel for the app, relish in the fact that you’re paying absolutely nothing to use it.

Then there’s Glimpse, a fork of GIMP that’s reasonably up-to-date (though it isn’t based off of the latest version of the GIMP app as of this writing). However, if you really detest that name, it’s a perfectly fine alternative.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Krita [Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop]

I can’t draw for beans, so this isn’t really the app category for me. However, I (and others) have previously praised Krita for its ease of use

and comprehensive feature set for doodles, artists, and professional drawers alike. It’s developed by actual artists—so you know all the new updates and features are things they’ll actually use themselves—and completely open-source and free to use.

The only major downside to the app is that there’s no real customer support, so if you’re having an issue or are confused, you’ll need to hit up the community forums to find a solution. The app is also only available for Windows and Mac desktops; no tablet or phone versions of the open-source app exist, alas.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Inkscape [Adobe Illustrator]

This free and open source app has been around for nearly two decades, and it’s frequently mentioned as a compelling alternative to the pricier

Adobe Illustrator. If you can get past a bit of a learning curve with Inkscape’s UI, especially if you’re coming from a tool like Illustrator, the app should be pretty decent for all your normal needs. (Professional designers might want to stick with a slightly more robust app like Affinity Designer or Corel Draw. And if you’re on a Mac, be prepared to try an alternative app if Inkscape doesn’t quite do it for you.)

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Scribus [Adobe InDesign]

Yes, it’s another free/open-source app that’s been around for nearly two decades. I mention that, as that’s usually a pretty good sign that a

particular app has legs. You won’t waste a year mastering it, only to discover the app’s developer has stopped working on it just when you’ve decided to use it exclusively.

Scribus is basically the only free/open-source alternative to InDesign—at least, the only one worth spending time on. Other paid apps exist, including the delightful Affinity Publisher, but I’d hesitate to jump ship to a paid app if you’re just getting started with pagination. Similarly, if you’re just looking to complete a basic page-layout project, Scribus is probably all you’re going to need.

The downside? Scribus can’t read raw Adobe InDesign or QuarkXpress files. You can get around that using .XTG or .IDML imports, but it’s not quite the same.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac

RawTherapee / Darktable [Adobe Lightroom]

Based on the reviews, it’s hard to really pick a winner between these two free (open-source) alternatives to Adobe Lightroom. So why not try

both? Pick whichever makes the most sense after you’ve had a chance to check out each app’s UI, organize your sprawling photo library, and perform some (comprehensive) non-destructive editing of your .RAW files. Hell, you can even try ART—an easier-to-use version of RawTherapee—if you start to feel overwhelmed.

I’d go with Darktable for my desktop PC—but that’s only because I’ve used it before. I’ve barely spent any time with RawTherapee, but given how much I’ve seen it praised around the web as a true competitor to Darktable, I’d absolutely want to try it out before making a final decision.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Various [Adobe Acrobat]

Welcome to software Hell. About once a year, I find myself needing to find a freeware or open-source alternative that lets me open, edit, fill

out, and sign. PDFs. Adobe Acrobat makes the process painfully easy, but that convenience will cost you $13/month at minimum (sigh).

You should be able to view and fill out PDFs in your web browser (or, if you’re a Mac user, the ever-handy Preview app). If you need a bit more firepower, you might be able to get away with the free version of PDF-XChange Editor, as long as it doesn’t drop a watermark into your document for whatever feature you’re using. And on the Mac, I’ve long been a fan of PDF Expert; it’s cheap, it’s great, and I use it to sync and edit my files on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. I haven’t checked out the web-based Sejda, but if you’re looking to edit a quick document (given you only get three free documents to edit each week), it’s worth a shot. Same goes for Xodo, which lets you do everything but edit the actual PDF. It has a Windows app, too, in case you want to give that a whirl.

DaVinci Resolve [Adobe Premiere]

This one’s easy: If you need a video editing tool that’s every bit as powerful as Adobe Premiere—minus a few extreme limitations for the

app’s “free” versions over its paid version—then you’re going to want to check out DaVinci Resolve. Sure, there are other free/open-source alternatives, such as Olive or Kdenlive, but DaVinci Resolve is a beast. Features, UI, stability, you name it; if you’re not wasting hours of your live becoming a master of Adobe Premiere, work on levelling up your DaVinci Resolve skills.

Honestly, I haven’t found better praise for this software than this Reddit thread that compares these three apps. As one user writes:

“So unless Open-Source is critical to you, Resolve is always the right answer. The power, the features and the refinement that it provides in its free offering is quite simply astounding; so much so that you’ll end up wanting to buy the (comparatively affordable) Studio version not because you really need it, but because you want to reward a company that treats is free users so damn nice.”

Hard to argue with that!

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free (optional $299 perpetual license for DaVinci Resolve Studio)

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Audacity [Adobe Audition]

Audacity has been my go-to audio-editing app of choice for as long as I can remember. I’m not looking to make the next deadmau5 track, or

score a movie, and there are plenty of other tools you can use if that’s your thing. For basic edits—creating ringtones, tweaking narration to drop into a YouTube video, or editing podcasts—you can’t go wrong with the free and open-source Audacity. I love Adobe Audition, I do, but when I don’t need to pay for all of its firepower (and lovely UI), I reach for Audacity.

Free trial: n/a

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows, Mac 

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

10 BEST PYTHON FRAMEWORKS FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT

10 Best Python Frameworks For Web Development

Python is known for its tools and frameworks. Moreover, Python frameworks have emerged as the go-to solution for developers to achieve their goals, with fewer lines of code.

Below is a list of the ten best Python frameworks for web development.

1.  Django – Django, an open-source framework, is a popular high-level web framework in Python which supports rapid web development and design. 

Some of its features are-

*  Django helps developers avoid various common security mistakes.

*  With this framework, developers can take web applications from concept to launch within hours.

*  The user authentication system of this framework provides a secure way to manage user accounts and passwords.

2.  CherryPy – CherryPy is a popular object-oriented web framework in Python. The framework allows building web applications in a much simpler way.

Some of its features are-

*  A powerful configuration system for developers and deployers alike.

*  Built-in profiling, coverage, and testing support.

*  Built-in tools for caching, encoding, sessions, authentication, static content etc.

*  A reliable, HTTP/1.1-compliant, WSGI thread-pooled webserver.

*  A flexible plugin system.

3.  TurboGears – TurboGears is a Python web application framework. The next version, TurboGears 2, is built on top of several web frameworks, including TurboGears 1, Rails and Django.

Some of its features are: 

*  It is designed to be a web application framework suitable for solving complex industrial-strength problems.

*  It has a transaction manager to help with multi-database deployments.

*  It officially supports MongoDB as one of the primary storage backends.

*  It provides support for multiple template engines.

4.  Flask – Flask is a popular Python web framework used for developing complex web applications. The framework offers suggestions but doesn’t enforce any dependencies or project layout.

Some of its features are-

*  Flask is flexible.

*  The framework aims to keep the core simple but extensible.

*  It includes many hooks to customise its behaviour.

5.  Web2Py – Written in Python, Web2Py is a free, open-source web framework for agile development of secure database-driven web applications. It is a full-stack framework.

Some of its features are-

*  It is designed to guide a web developer to follow good software engineering practices, such as using the Model View Controller (MVC) pattern.  

*  Web2Py automatically addresses various issues that can lead to security vulnerabilities by following well-established practices.

*  The framework includes a Database Abstraction Layer (DAL) that writes SQL dynamically.

6.  Bottle – Bottle is a fast, simple and lightweight WSGI micro web framework for Python web applications. The framework has no other dependencies than the standard Python library. 

Some of its features are-

*  Bottle runs with Python 2.7 and 3.6+.

*  It has a fast and Pythonic *built-in template engine* and support for mako, jinja2 and cheetah templates.

*  The framework has convenient access to form data, headers, file uploads, cookies, and other HTTP-related metadata.

*  Built-in HTTP development server as well as support for bjoern, Google App Engine, fapws3, cherrypy or any other WSGI capable HTTP server.

7.  Falcon – Falcon is a WSGI library for building speedy web APIs and app backends. The framework has CPython 3.5+ and PyPy 3.5+ support. Falcon complements more general Python web frameworks by providing extra reliability, flexibility, and performance. 

Some of its features are-

*  It includes a highly optimised and extensible codebase.

*  Easy access to headers as well as bodies through the request and response objects.

*  The framework provides DRY request processing via middleware components and hooks.

8.  CubicWeb – Written in Python, CubicWeb is a free and open-source semantic web application framework. It empowers developers to efficiently build web applications by reusing components (called cubes) and following the well-known object-oriented design principles.

Some of its applications are-

*  It has a query language named RQL, similar to W3C’s SPARQL.

*  It includes a library of reusable components that fulfil common needs.

9.  Quixote – Quixote is a framework for writing Web-based applications using Python. The goal of this framework is to provide flexibility and high-performance during web development. 

Some of its features are-

*  Flexibility and high-performance.

*  Quixote includes Python Template Language for producing HTML with Python code.

10.  Pyramid – Pyramid is a lightweight and open-source Python web framework. The framework provides only the core tools needed for nearly all web applications: mapping URLs to code, security, and serving static assets (files like JavaScript and CSS). 

Some of its features are-

*  Support for Python 3.8 and 3.9.

*  New security APIs to support a massive overhaul of the authentication and authorisation system.

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

BEST SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF 2021 - TIPS AND BEST TOOLS

Best School Management Software of 2021 - Tips and Best Tools

What if there were a way to streamline the many administrative tasks involved with running an educational institution?

That’s the goal of a whole host of computer programs known as School Management Software or School Management Systems (SMS). Implemented properly, these software solutions can help your school save time and simplify your daily operations.

What Is School Management Software?

You can think of school management software as an automation tool that simplifies many aspects of a school’s daily operations.

This includes class-related functions like setting schedules, tracking attendance, and recording grades, but can also include administrative functions like managing student tuition, disbursing faculty pay, and maintaining student records. More complex management systems might also include options for overseeing inventories, school supply orders, building maintenance, and other additional tasks.

SMS can track vital information about a school’s instructors, such as their daily routines, reports, and other activities. With enough data, management software can track teacher performance and aid in providing insights that might improve teacher effectiveness.

School management software doesn’t just benefit the faculty and staff — it also includes tools for parents and students. Many management systems offer portals for checking grades and student progress, and some even provide real-time updates and channels of communication between families and teachers.

Common School Management Software Features

While the specific features of an SMS might vary from platform to platform, there are a few common features that nearly every software system includes:

Student Information Management — The ability to track student information like grades, class schedules, attendance records, disciplinary actions, etc.

Staff/Faculty Management — The ability to coordinate and supervise the functions of teachers, administrative staff, and support staff.

Payment & Payroll Management — The ability to track incoming payments like tuition fees and outgoing payments like teacher and staff salaries.

Attendance Management — The ability to log the daily attendance for classes and monitor trends on tardiness and absenteeism.

Gradebook Maintenance — The ability to input and track individual student grades for homework assignments, tests, etc., along with calculating GPAs and making this information accessible to parents and families.

Schedule Maintenance — The ability to set and monitor both student and teacher schedules. Allows for an overview of each day and allows you to maximize every available hour.

Admissions Tracking — The ability to automate student registration for classes and manage a large number of applications from students.

Among these core features, the ability to manage student information is one of the most critical, as it allows staff, teachers, and parents alike to stay on top of a student’s achievements and coordinate to elevate that student’s performance if they notice a dip.

In addition, many school management systems also incorporate learning management features into their platform. Learning management systems allow you to track and deliver educational courses, typically in an online setting. As e-learning becomes more common, you can expect the integration of LMS features into SMS platforms and an increase in online-focused management features.

Why School Management Software Is Important

Using school management software can be extremely helpful when it comes to streamlining internal school operations. 

By automating daily administrative processes, you can free up time for staff and teachers to concentrate on their core responsibilities. With student information in particular, centralized storage grants faculty and staff a holistic view of individual student achievement and the progress of the student body as a whole.

This, from the perspective of school staff, makes reporting on student progress a snap. With individual student data all collected in one place, compiling trends on the student body is as simple as deciding what information you want to look at.

Keeping information in a centralized hub also helps improve communication between internal departments, allowing your school to get on the same page and work toward shared goals more effectively. Communication within your school isn’t the only thing that a good SMS can improve, however. It also has the potential to facilitate communication between faculty, students, and parents. 

With better access to teachers, parents can stay in the loop on their child’s academic performance, intervening when necessary to keep them on track. This is vital for younger students, who may have difficulty communicating their school progress to their parents.

Students, meanwhile, have a direct line of contact with their instructors, which is particularly helpful for high school and college-level pupils. If they need clarification on an assignment, advice on what to study, or even general class guidance, help is only a few clicks away.

For private and higher education, SMS relieves some of the burden of processing applications and admissions. School management software can handle every step of the admissions process, from inquiry to acceptance, and ensure a seamless transition for students during the enrollment process.

Finally, using an SMS improves the data security of sensitive information thanks to the cloud-based nature of most platforms. In addition, cloud-based SMS are easy to configure, come with ample customer support, and are highly adaptable thanks to periodic updates. 

Things to Keep in Mind While Comparing School Management Software

When evaluating various SMS for your organization, you should keep the following six questions in mind:

Does It Have the Features You Need?

At minimum, whichever school management software you choose to use should have core features like the ability to track student info and reporting functionality. It’s unlikely that a minimally-functional product will suit your organization, however, so you’ll need to take a close look at available features to ensure they align with your needs.

Make a list of the challenges your school is facing in terms of administration and organization, then evaluate your potential software options based on how they enable you to meet those challenges. Remember, your SMS should help you cut manual workloads for staff and automate as many processes as possible.

Is It Reliable?

Buggy software isn’t going to help you achieve your goals. If possible, you’ll want to try a demo version of the platform you intend to use so you can see whether the software is stable or not. This will help you make an informed decision about potential software choices and determine if there are any glaring issues that might dissuade you from using them.

Is It User Friendly?

Will it take your team a long time to get acclimated to the software you’re eyeing? If so, it may not be the best choice. Any software solution you choose should be easy for your faculty and staff to adapt to, and should fit into your current structure with minimal hassle.

Does It Help Your Students?

Reducing the workload for teachers and staff is a definite “must” for any SMS, but you should also make sure that the one you choose also enhances the student experience. Compare your options, and see which provides the most in the way of student access to information, remote submissions, and payment for fees, tuition, etc.

Top 4 School Management Software Tools

There are plenty of school management software options on the market. Here are a few popular and highly-rated options to start your search with.

Gradelink SIS

If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward system that still has a wide range of management features rolled into one platform, Gradelink SIS is one option that might fit the bill. This platform includes options for maintaining the curriculum, school finances, and even the cafeteria. 

That’s in addition to its robust reporting and analytics features that make relaying information to parents a breeze and give you the ability to process online payments for your institution. For smaller schools looking for an easy-access, cloud-based management option, Gradelink is a strong addition to your list of choices.

Administrator’s Plus by Rediker

Designed specifically for PK-12 schools, Rediker’s is a great option if you need a management platform that can scale and integrate with other programs like Google Classroom. School systems large and small will find it easy to manage admissions, enrollment, student reports, billing, and a host of other management tasks through either the cloud-hosted software or the Windows-based option.

Among the many SMS providers on the market, this option also stands out because of its exemplary training and customer service. In addition to allowing you to try out a free demo of the software, Rediker also provides in-person and online training, along with round-the-clock customer support.

PCR Educator

This full-featured app for educators web-based management software covers your school admin needs from admissions to enrollment and beyond. School staff, faculty, and families alike can get an overview of critical information like academic progress, medical records, tuition, and more.

The software offers plenty in the way of gradebooks, performance analysis tools, and finance management. It also has a straightforward interface and offers excellent customer support. Institutions looking for a platform that can “do it all” will find PCR Educator to be a strong, user-friendly option.

Calendly

Student advising, career planning, parent-teacher conferencing and counseling have a dramatic impact on student well-being. Scheduling with Calendly empowers every student (and ultimately teachers) to optimize their schedules without overwhelming educators and parents.

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

MBR OR GPT: WHICH ONE IS THE BEST?

 Comparison: MBR or GPT

If you want to integrate a new hard drive into an existing system, or reinstall your operating system, the first step is to format the hard drive. This allows the storage medium to acquire, store and process data as required – among other things thanks to compatible file systems such as NTFS or FAT. A basic part of the formatting process is partitioning, i.e. dividing the available memory into several independent areas – the partitions (or “drives”).

Note: If you are changing the partitions of a removable storage device that has already been set-up, it isn’t necessary to reformat the whole device. You only need to format the storage areas that you modify!

To split up a disk into multiple partitions, you have to use a special table known as a partition table. Choosing a suitable table basically comes down to one question: MBR or GPT? It doesn’t matter whether you’re using Linux, Windows or Mac. For all operating systems, these two tables are the only two solutions for partitioning. But what’s the difference between them? And which one is best – MBR or GPT?

Advantages: MBR or GPT partitions

Splitting up hard drive space on well-known operating systems like Windows is something of a tradition, but it is not actually necessary. Any storage medium can be used without dividing up the memory, providing that it has been formatted with a file system that is supported by the operating system in question. So why is partitioning so popular when it comes to hard drive management? The answer lies primarily in its advantages, which can be summarized as follows:

The operating system and system-related services such as a boot loader can be stored in the fastest part of a hard drive (usually the outside of the disk), in order to ensure maximum read and write speeds.

Data that is not modified very often can be put in a separate partition as an easy way of excluding it from regular defragmentation.

In general, system and application programs can be easily separated using partitions, which makes it much easier to do system backups or individual data backups.

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History: MBR vs GPT

Along with the IBM Personal Computer XT and PC DOS 2.0, 1983 saw the introduction of the Master Boot Record (MBR). Since then, the system component has been used on the one hand as a boot manager to boot (and install) BIOS-based computer systems, and on the other hand as a partition table to efficiently split up the available memory. This second function is what helped MBR quickly become the standard for all kinds of storage devices, for example hard drives, USB sticks and memory cards. More recent systems now increasingly use MBR’s official successor, the GUID Partition Table (GPT). This new partition table standard is a component of the UEFI specification which was introduced in 2000 and has steadily been gaining popularity as an alternative to BIOS.

Note: Although GPT is part of the UEFI standard, GUID partition tables can also be used for partitioning on BIOS machines. However, depending on the operating system, there are some limitations. For instance, Windows versions with BIOS cannot boot from a disk that has been partitioned using GPT.

Why was a new partition created: GPT or MBR

The MBR partition style shaped computer technology for many years, but it nonetheless has some significant limitations which meant it was only a matter of time before a successor came along.

For example, right from the beginning, one of the key weaknesses of the Master Boot Record was that the technology only supports four primary partitions. Anyone wanting to set up more than four areas has to use “extended partitions”, and although these can be split up into as many “logical partitions” as desired, the resulting memory structure is complex, and hardware faults can quickly lead to data loss.

Another even more obvious problem with the traditional partitioning concept is that MBR partitions can only be used on hard drives or storage devices up to 2 terabytes (2,000 gigabytes). It’s true that for many decades that was more than enough, but nowadays it is too small even for standard drives used by private users. Alongside the increased security, the greater storage capacity has also been a key factor in the development of GPT as a successor for MBR.

Side-by-side Comparison: MBR vs GPT

When developing the GUID partition table, one of the aims was to address the abovementioned weaknesses of the Master Boot Record. The result was a partition standard that has clear advantages in terms of security and performance. The following table summarizes the key differences between MBR and GPT:

Features	MBR – Master Boot Record	GPT – GUID partition Table
Specification	None	UEFI
Maximum number of primary partitions	4	Unlimited (dependent on operating system; Windows: 128)
Maximum partition size	2 terabytes (2,000 gigabytes)	18 exabytes (18 billion gigabytes)
Maximum hard drive size	2 terabytes (2,000 gigabytes)	18 exabytes (18 billion gigabytes)
Security	Data sector without checksum	Data sector with CRC32 checksum and backup GUID partition table
Partition name	Stored in the partition	Unique GUID ID plus a 36-character name
Multiboot support	Poor	Good (thanks to boot loader entries in separate partition)

Which partition style is the best: MBR vs GPT

If you want to set up partitions on a storage device, both MBR and GPT will usually still be offered as options. However, in principle GUID partition tables have become the standard solution for modern hardware because they support an unlimited number of partitions and have no restrictions as regards the size of the storage device or the partitions (or at least none that will become relevant in the near future). Moreover, for disks with more than 2 terabytes of memory, GPT is the only solution. The use of the old MBR partition style is therefore now only recommended for older hardware and older versions of Windows and other older (or newer) 32-bit operating systems.

Converting from MBR to GPT

If you are using disks partitioned using the Master Boot Record this isn’t a problem, but it is worth remembering that there is a higher risk of data loss in the event of a hardware fault. Considering this, providing your system offers the necessary support for GUID partition tables (i.e. a modern 64-bit system; for Microsoft this means Windows 7 or higher), we recommend that you convert your existing MBR partitions to GPT partitions. There are special tools for doing this, although many systems have a built-in conversion solution.

In Windows for example, you can convert partitions using the “Disk Management” tool. The steps are as follows:

1.  Open the control panel and click on “Administrative Tools”.

2.  Find the icon for the “Computer Management” service and double-click on it.

3. In the menu pane on the left, select “Disk Management” (listed in the “Storage” section).

4.  Windows will now show you a list of the disks set up on your device, including any partitions that have been configured. Right-click on the relevant storage device and select “Convert to GPT disk”.

If GPT conversion is not possible (e.g. because the partition style is already active), the conversion option will automatically be grayed out in the Windows menu.

Users of Linux operating systems such as Ubuntu can convert partitions via the terminal, using the gdisk program.

Cheers!!!

Edited by AdeDanCompTech

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