This paper presents the options available in SAP HANA for text search and analysis. These options relate to the numerous ways in which the HANA platform can be used, especially in business applications, which have not been equipped with these types of functions before. The SAP HANA platform offers the users the possibility to search and visualize the content of the tables with the same simplicity as an Internet search does. The text search function entails a certain tolerance for errors (fuzzy search) as well as the processing of multilingual terms and synonyms. One possible example is filling in the value “buenes eires tele” in a field, and finding the correct value despite the faulty spelling, by searching the value across several columns. Nevertheless, the users cannot always easily determine if the result is the expected one, the correct one, within the fuzzy search context which tolerates errors. Have you ever wondered why you get unexpected results when you search for something on the web?

When you are the lucky owner of a 30 year-old application, the amount of data you are staying on is huge. The database is composed of hundreds of tables, both static and dynamic data. Some might have tens of thousands of records each month. Let’s say that we deal with a distributed application with a classic web application container. Obviously you try to keep up with the emerging technologies and you migrate to new frameworks over and over again with the same goal in mind: “...next time, it will be easier to implement a, b, c..”.

Hello, Ionică. Despite the fact that you are very young, you are a developer who has many achievemnts on GitHub and on StackOverflow. Can you introduce yourself and tell us a couple of words about yourself?

My name is Ionică Bizău (translated in English that would be Johnny B. :smile:). I build things and random stuff. I’m a web developer, and usually, I spend my days in a *nix terminal window, writing code in VIM (the amazing text editor). I also play piano, love science (especially Physics and Maths).

We all make mistakes. Sometimes, they are small with no impact on business continuity, while, other times, they are bigger and can impact the business. A few years ago, I was indirectly involved in a project where a wrong decision resulted in a large amount of money being lost, which impacted the current business and the business continuity. I decided to write this post as a lesson for all of us learn, in order to avoid making the same mistake, especially in this era, where SaaS is the preferred option. It is an era where buying licenses for existing solution is better than developing your own – without analyzing the impact and without considering what should be done if you want to change the provider.

I’m a developer. We’re not well known for our communication skills; at least I know I had my problems. Most of them came from the fact that my natural tendency is to ignore emotional cues and to dwell on facts alone. In many cases, that works fine. Sometimes, though, it creates unnecessary friction and can upset people. As a consultant, mentor and coach, I had to communicate better. Practice makes perfect. I strongly advise you to do it. However, if you like to stay the way you are, but oil your interactions with non-geek entities a bit, I have a pattern for you. 

Software development exists, in the end, to solve Business problems and bring as much Business value as possible. If our role is the one of “Business Analyst” in a software company, we feel not meeting our goals if we are not able to identify the real Business needs and if we are not able to prove the Business value delivered by the applications or features to be developed. Is it enough to have a number set as “Business value” for each user story? Should we also be aware of the real Business value behind that number? Would this help us and our teams provide the best possible solution and do things right from the very beginning?

Larry Wall is most widely known as the creator of Perl. We were happy to have the chance to talk with him while he was in Cluj for the annual Perl conference, YAPC::EU (22nd – 25th August 2016).

A while ago, I wrote an article addressing some important aspects in the world of client communication, or at least that was what I thought I was doing. I talked about how important it is to find a common ground when talking to somebody, especially if the people involved have different backgrounds. I also talked about the importance of emphasizing the value of what we are communicating, to point out what our ideas are bringing to the game. Since then, I have continued to improve my communication skills and I have discovered how important it is to pass these messages in a very efficient manner, especially when there are time constraints in the game. This is almost always the case when discussing with a client. There have been a couple of game changers for me lately, which I think have really helped me improve my efficiency when communicating. In this article I want to pass along these additional teachings.

The tremendous success and spectacular adoption rates of modern mobile platforms are tightly connected with the number and quality of the mobile apps that run on these platforms. Given the tough, competitive context of the app stores, time to market and flexibility are some of the demanding selection criteria in today’s mobile developers’ world. As a direct consequence of this, we are witnessing a spectacular rise and development of technologies that enable the development of quasi-simultaneous versions of a mobile app on multiple platforms using the same code base (also known as cross-platform technologies).

Established 10 years ago, 3Pillar Global is one of the fastest growing IT service companies in Transylvania, this year’s goal being to reach 450 employees in Cluj-Napoca and Timişoara. Actively involved in the Romanian business landscape since 2009, 3Pillar Global brings together nearly 400 professionals in two offices located in the best IT centers in the country. We are talking about highly skilled engineers who are currently developing Web (Java, Python, Ruby on Rails, Front End) and mobile applications (iOS and Android). The company is an expertise hub which brings high added value to various customers in the US or the UK.

We entered the Fall season which is marked by a soaring activity in the startup area as well. A few accelerators and funds are searching the market, scouting for startups to invest in (check the meetups coming up: StartupYard and Hub:raum. On the programs/competitions side, Imprezzio Idea Challenge and Startup Spotlight – paired with How to Web conference) have their application deadline at the end of this week. And one more thing: the new Cluj Startups website is up and running.

I’m sure everyone who’s worked in a software company has, at least once, heard this question or maybe even thought about it. Analyzing a bit further, it becomes obvious that the question makes no sense as the two types of tests don’t perform the same function. We need acceptance tests, and in modern times we’d like them to be automated. The actual question you might have heard is “Who will implement the acceptance tests?” and the answer to this will vary depending on your company / team direction. In my opinion, which happens to coincide with the company’s and the team’s opinion (yey!), everyone in the team should do it.

Arvato Romania, the contact-center services provider, extended its presence on the Romanian market this year, with the opening of a new support center in Cluj-Napoca. Initially, the company was looking to hire 200 people in the new office by the end of the year. However, more than 100 employees are already working in the offices, located in Liberty Technology Park Cluj. Due to this success, the company plans to end the year with a more numerous team, not only in Cluj, but also in the other two offices, located in Brașov and Sibiu.