When it comes to software development, a robust and efficient build script can be a game-changer. Whether you’re working on a Java project or any other type of application, the right build script can streamline the whole process and make life a whole lot easier for developers. Here’s a rundown of some best practices to keep in mind when you’re writing your build script:

Platform Independence#

Choose a programming language that is compatible across multiple platforms, especially if you’re working on a Java project. This flexibility will save you from a lot of headaches down the line when dealing with different operating systems.

• Perl:

time

• PHP:

time()

• Ruby:

Time.now # (or Time.new). To display the epoch: Time.now.to_i

• Python:

import time # first, then int(time.time())

• Java:

long epoch = System.currentTimeMillis()/1000;

• Microsoft .NET C#:

epoch = (DateTime.Now.ToUniversalTime().Ticks - 621355968000000000) / 10000000;

• VBScript/ASP:

DateDiff("s", "01/01/1970 00:00:00", Now())

• Erlang:

calendar:datetime_to_gregorian_seconds(calendar:now_to_universal_time( now()))-719528*24*3600. # OR element(1, now()) * 10000 + element(2, now()).

• MySQL:

SELECT unix_timestamp(now())

• PostgreSQL:

SELECT extract(epoch FROM now());

• Oracle PL/SQL:

SELECT (SYSDATE - TO_DATE('01-01-1970 00:00:00', 'DD-MM-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')) * 24 * 60 * 60 FROM DUAL

• SQL Server:

SELECT DATEDIFF(s, '1970-01-01 00:00:00', GETUTCDATE())

• JavaScript:

Math.round(new Date().getTime()/1000.0) // getTime() returns time in milliseconds.

• Unix/Linux Shell:

date +%s

• PowerShell:

Get-Date -UFormat "%s" # Produces: 1279152364.63599

• Actionscript:

(new Date()).time

• Other OS’s Command line:

perl -e "print time" # (If Perl is installed on your system)

• ColdFusion (CFML) MX 6.1+:

#int( getTickCount() / 1000 )#

• Bash Command Line:

date +%s

The economy is changing rapidly, and developers need to keep up with the latest trends and skills to stay relevant and competitive. Here is a list of 9 skills that every developer should master or at least be familiar with in the next five years. This list is not comprehensive, and it does not cover every niche or specialty in the industry. However, for most mainstream development scenarios, these skills will give you an edge over others and help you create better solutions. You should aim to learn at least seven of these skills well enough to use them confidently on the job and to demonstrate them in an interview.

I had a problem with a javascript pull-down menu that overlapped with a flash movie. The menu always appeared BEHIND the flash movie, regardless of the z-order. I solved it by:

• Adding the parameter <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> to the OBJECT tag.
• Adding the parameter wmode="transparent" to the EMBED tag.

These parameters made the menu display correctly over the flash movie.