August PragPub Magazine »

• Protocols in Swift, Ruby, and Elixir
• Writing a Vim Syntax File for Swift
• Two Guys in a Garage
• The UNIVAC 1: From Machine Language to FLOW-MATIC

Plus: On Tap, Choice Bits, Complain and Propose, Rothman and Lester, Antonio on Books, Pragmatic Bookstuff, Shady Illuminations

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The World Wide Web was born on this day in 1991, when Sir Tim Berners-Lee launched the world's first website at CERN. That was also probably the last time the browser worked perfectly with the website, since there was only one of each.

Fast-forward to our far more complicated lives in the 21st century, and check out this month's issue of PragPub magazine, where you'll read all about Swift, Protocols, Vim, and Garages, now available from theprosegarden.com.

August PragPub Magazine

Last month PragPub featured five articles on Apple’s new language for iOS and OS X app development, Swift. This month we go back to our broader coverage of topics of interest to software developers, but two articles in this issue do touch on Swift.

José Valim, the creator of the functional concurrent language Elixir, draws some interesting comparisons between Elixir, Swift, and Ruby in our lead-off feature. José concentrates particularly on protocols and extensions.

The Swift element in Ben Klein’s article is peripheral, but interesting. Ben’s a Vim expert, and he’ll walk you through the steps necessary to add syntax highlighting for Swift to the venerable editor.

We’re taking two looks back into computer history this month. Dan Wohlbruck continues his series on the history of programming languages by detailing the connection between the WWII Moore School computer pioneers on one hand and Grace Hopper and the earliest steps beyond machine language on the other. And your editor tells three stories from the history of computing in support of the myth of Two Guys in a Garage.

One subject we explore in every issue of PragPub is your career as a software developer. The days when a developer could imagine being hired by a big company (IBM) and having the whole career thing settled for life are long gone. Today, projects begin and then end, companies start up and then get bought, divisions ramp up and then get outsourced, and there is no permanence. We no longer talk about job security but about your marketable skill sets. And some of those necessary skills are career-management skills.

This month programming career consultants Johanna Rothman and Andy Lester brainstorm about how to determine if the job is right for you—and how to convince the hiring manager. Also, Kent Beck, who has worked for many of the coolest companies in technology and on some legendary projects, shares three lessons he learned early in his career that have served him well ever since. Plus, Antonio Cangiano returns with another list of tech books that can keep your skills razor sharp.

Oh, and John Shade weighs in with some, um, interesting thoughts on how Satya Nadella is doing so far as Microsoft’s third-ever CEO.

Now available from theprosegarden.com.

Who Are We?

The Pragmatic Bookshelf publishing imprint is wholly owned by The Pragmatic Programmers, LLC.

Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas founded the company with a simple goal: to improve the lives of developers. We create timely, practical books, audio books and videos on classic and cutting-edge topics to help you learn and practice your craft.

We are not a giant, faceless, greed-soaked corporation. We're a small group of experienced professionals committed to helping make software development easier.

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