Google and cloud developments you need to know

Developers are always finding ways to enhance their current skills and adapt to new changes in technology.

With new developments happening in cloud technology and the security market, Google is starting to advance their methods. AWS (Amazon Web Services) recently did something similar but Google is trying to approach this from a different direction. What else has been happening concerning developers?

Serverless computer: freedom for developers at last?

First up in developer news is serverless computing. Without computer servers, there wouldn’t be much need for developers or IT professionals. With serverless computing, it offers an unlimited opportunity for developers who are seeking relief from the liability of infrastructure.

A serverless model makes it faster for developers to repeat and arrange new code by extracting away all but a block of code. This enables smaller teams with smaller budgets to do what only bigger companies could do before.

Serverless is a cloud computing service model that relies on global, suitable, instant interaction to a dynamic shared group of configurable setup, storage and computer resources. In terms of serverless, this takes a different method of using these resources. Continue reading this development on Java World, and about the emergence of the serverless concept.

Google tries to beat Amazon Web Services at cloud security

Next up in developer news, Google unveiled new tools that allow IT teams to deliver granular access to applications, manage encryption keys more efficiently, and implement a stronger verification use for applications running on Google Cloud.

In addition, Amazon has integrated a similar key encryption tool for the cloud. Google is playing catch-up and moving into unfamiliar territory with Data Leak Prevention API by offering administrator tools that go past the structure to safeguard single applications.

Google’s new approach is their way of looking at security as their way to distinguish itself from other cloud infrastructure suppliers. As well as protecting the applications running on them, it is also protecting the core hardware and virtual machines.

Read more about Google’s strategy to outdo Amazon Web Services at cloud security.

Google App Engine adds C#, Node.js, and Ruby options

Google has been working on enhancing developer options on two fronts: including language choices to its App Engine PaaS cloud. It is now moving its event-driven computing platform, Cloud Functions, to public beta.

The App Engine will not be able to provide development environments for C#, Node.js, and Ruby, having already given support to Go, Java 8, PHP 5-7, and Python 2 and 3.

Therefore, these changes mean that Google will provide developers with the option of using alternative languages on App Engine. This will only be useful if they are prepared to be responsible for their own runtimes for them.

App Engine supports packaging applications as Docker containers, which is capable of running the Google cloud. As well, it is receiving enhanced maintenance for high-control scenarios, providing SSH (Secure Shell) access.

These new integrations will allow developers to work on a more flexible scale, and to perform advanced debugging or gain more understanding of their application methods.

Java World goes into more detail about Google’s cloud function capabilities.

Google Cloud Container Builder is here for all of your Docker builds

Google has created a new tool for all your Docker build needs. After a year of experimenting the Google App Engine behind ‘gcloud app deploy’, it is finally available for general use. Therefore, users can now build their Docker containers directly in the Google Cloud Platform.

The Google Cloud Container Builder will bring more people to the Google Cloud Platform environment. Although it is built into Docker, there are open-source builder opportunities offered for those that are still using common languages.

JAXenter has more about the specifications and pricing.

Why do developers choose Swift for enterprise app development?

If you’re an IT professional, or familiar with the IT/Tech industry, then you will be familiar with the term ‘cloud’ or ‘cloud technology’.

Developers in the enterprise world are eager to develop cloud-based apps. Swift’s ability to be robust can adapt applications into improved products. As well, Swift has the capability of producing extremely relevant and contextual applications.

Some of the biggest factors as to why Swift’s popularity is still growing to include how practical and efficient it is. As a result, it’s important to see how interested developers already are in the language and its compatibility with the cloud. Swift is known to be a cost-effective, safe and time-efficient programming language, which enhances productivity.

The community interest in Swift already boasts of over 33,000 members on GitHub. This proves that developers have an interest in implementing the most recent programming language in app development. Since the enterprise world relies on technologies like cloud and IoT (Internet of Things) for its app development, Swift is the ideal language to incorporate with cloud technology for enterprise app development.

JAXenter discusses in more detail about the relationship and opportunities with Swift and cloud technology.

Android switches to native Java 8 support

Lastly, Android has switched to native Java 8 support, with Google deprecating the Jack toolchain. Jack has assisted as a toolchain to assemble Java source code into Android dex type code, with Java being the basis of Android Development.

Previously, Google had tested Java 8 support through Jack and it was claimed that over time, the cost of switching to Jack, was too high for the community. It impacted once the annotation processors, bytecode analysers, and rewriters were considered.

In the meantime, developers will be able to keep using Jack to build Java 8 code until the new support is available, and the migration is assumed to be little work.

InfoWorld continues to discuss Android’s support features and Java 8 capabilities.

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