Happy new year 2009

So, we are in 2009. As always, it's a good time to sum up the past year, and plan for the future. Of course, it's not the only moment for that, it's just that it seems to be in the ambient mood ;)

So, what next ? A little report about top things on 2008, and some previsions ? General topics or more personal ones ? Tech or not ?

Well, at least I will list some topic that were important to me, and we will see if a emerging design emerges ;)

- I met really interesting people in 2008, and I would like to especially thank you Bruno for the time spent with us, I hope to work again with you. I would also thanks my team for the good time spent on developing software this year. Other cool people are lurking on #tapestry there were really surrealist and funny moments. And there is all the others I'm forgetting, but thanks for all the good time.

- I miss perhaps one of the best opportunities that I will ever have in 2008. I will have to be less timorous this year, more self confident.

- Java-the-language died in 2008, and perhaps it's a cool new. I only hope that it won't stop the JVM evolution. Moreover, Sun is not in its best wealth to say the least... I can't imagine my future on a MS platform, that's clear (even if F# and C# 4.0 are becoming thrilling). So, perhaps it's time to look more carefully at Android...

- A little think for my Grand-mother who died a 3 weeks ago...

- That's 4 years that I'm Paris, and almost as long that I work on Linagora. That's a long, long time. I will have to do real software developpement in 2009, that's for sure.

- I'm playing with Scala for almost 18 months now, but only for kid work. Perhaps it is time to start real projects with it now...

- I'm developing with Tapestry 5 for almost 2 years now, it's really a wonderful framework. Thank you Howard for that piece of architecture, it's a great work !

Oh, wait, perhaps there's an emerging design here ;)

So, what next for 2009 ? That will have to be a year of major evolution, both on a personal and a professional point of vue. Perhaps it's time to go outside of France, perhaps it's time to come back on the south. Let's see how it can be done.

So, let's go for 2009, let's take the opportunies this year !

Tapestry 5 Final is out !

At least !

After almost two years of public alpha/beta releases, Tapestry 5 final is out !

The vote for the 5.0.18 release succeeded this night, so perhaps not all the resources are already up to date, but it should be updated soon.

So now, spread the words !

The next BIG task for the community is to write a great and powerful third par component library, something like GWT-EXT. Chenillekit seems to be the best candidate today, even if it's in no way as polish and broad as gwt-ext.

So, Tapestry 5 community, join our force to make T5 really attractive !

Tapestry final coming soon !

On the tech side, it's a good time for me !

Soon after the release of Scala 2.7.2, it's Tapestry 5 time to reach an RC status (OK, I didn't blog about the RC1, some personal stuff were more important at this time).

Moreover, Tapestry 5 is gaining a kind of hype in Europe, or at least in France : the new official French weather site is coded with T5, and it's a big one (about 800,000 visitors in a day), and I just learn that Unedic[1], the French civil service for the unemployed, which a BIG civil service (as most of them in France ;), chose Tapestry 5 as there new default "ligth" web framework.

I'm quite happy of my choice for T5, almost 2 years ago :)

[1] sorry for the English readers, I didn't find an English description about Unedic :/

Windows refound if when you buy a computer

It's the first time I ever see that in the description of a new computer. It's saying : "ask a vendor if you don't want Windows Vista with your new computer, the refound is 50€". The computer was an Acer of about 500€, it was in a big electronic french brand, and that's reaaly cool.

Minds are evolving...

Scala 2.7.2 is out

Here we are, Scala 2.7.2 was released on november, the 10.
And it's a great news !

You may wonder why a minor release seems to be so important ?

C'm'on, it's a palindromic release number, it's so fantastic !

Well, more seriously, it's because this released is the one that will be cover by the coming book "Programming in Scala", and so, this release mark a kind of shift in the Scala language development : Until now, the language was evolving quite quickly, what was great in term of enhancement, but bring some recurring problems, and seems to frighten a lot "the enterprise developers" (or at least there bosses).

With this release, seconded by a great book, the Scala language reach a new level of maturity, and perhaps will gain more visibility outside the rather small (but growing !) circle of first time enthusiastic who use it today.

So, it's a great news for Scala users, and a great time to go and discover Scala !