Ever feel like there's a shortcut other programmers aren't using? Well, for C++ devs, that shortcut might be ATL. It's a toolbox full of ready-made building blocks that makes creating lightning-fast COM objects super easy. Now, COM might sound fancy, but we'll figure that out together. No worries!

Unveiling COM

COM stands for Component Object Model. Imagine it as a magical bridge connecting software components. These components can be written in different languages and live happily together, sharing their powers.

Now, ATL steps onto the scene. It's like the cool older sibling who knows all the COM tricks. Here's what ATL brings to the table:

1. Stock Implementations: ATL provides pre-built implementations for common COM interfaces. No need to reinvent the wheel!

2. Dual Interfaces: ATL isn't a one-trick pony! It lets you build objects that work in two ways: you can set everything up directly, or figure things out on the fly. Imagine a superhero who can switch costumes depending on the situation. Pretty cool, right?

3. ActiveX Controls: Ever seen those nifty little controls in web pages or desktop apps? Yep, those are ActiveX controls. ATL crafts them effortlessly.

4. Connection Points: Imagine your COM objects chatting with each other. ATL sets up these secret rendezvous points.

5. Tear-Off Interfaces: Think of tear-off interfaces as detachable superpowers. ATL lets you create them dynamically.

My Personal ATL Journey

Okay, time for a personal story. Picture this: I was a young coder, wide-eyed and eager. I stumbled upon ATL while exploring the mystical realms of C++. The documentation was my ancient scroll, and the examples were my treasure maps.

I remember creating my first COM object using ATL. It felt like crafting a magical amulet. With a dash of macros and a sprinkle of templates, I conjured a tiny yet powerful entity. It could talk to other COM creatures, dance with ActiveX controls, and even wield dual interfaces. My codebase sparkled with ATL's enchantment.

If you want to be a successful freelance developer, you need to find the best online services to compete with Codementor. There are plenty of options out there, but we’ve narrowed it down to the five best. These services offer the best quality and value for your money. So if you’re looking for any reliable and affordable Codementor alternative, these are the five best:

GITORIOUS

Gitorious is a great freelancing development service that offers a wide range of features and options. You can use Gitorious to create sites, applications, and even websites on the fly – perfect for when you don’t have time to wait for a traditional development process. You can also use Gitorious to build custom applications with an easy-to-use interface. Plus, Gitorious is one of the most user-friendly development services on the market.

CODING4FUN

Coding4Fun is a great service that allows you to code any web application. They have the solution for you, from simple eCommerce websites to more complex projects. They offer a wide range of programming languages and templates, so you can create any project you want. Additionally, they offer a free trial to try out their services before you make a purchase.

CODERUSH

One of the Top Development Services on the Market

CodeRush is one of the top development services on the market. They offer a wide range of services, from simple to complex, and they always have the latest tools and software available. They’re also one of the most reliable developers around. CodeRush has been awarded four stars by The New York Times for its performance in creating high-quality websites. And their customer service is second to none. If you need a development service that can meet your demands and provide great value, CodeRush is the perfect choice for you.

HIREDCODE

HiredCode is a great way to save time and money. The company provides a wide range of development services, from website design to application development. They also have a great customer service policy, which means you can always expect the best possible experience. HiredCode has been in business for over ten years, and they’ve developed a good reputation for quality services. So if you need a reliable development service, go with HiredCode.

DEVELOPER FORGE

Developer Forge is a great online development service that offers many services. From website design to development, they have something for everyone. They’re also one of the most affordable developers out there. You can find a variety of tools and resources to help you get started so that you can focus on the work at hand. Plus, their customer service is top-notch. If you experience any problems during your project, they’ll be more than happy to help out.

Rumor has it that Microsoft is considering adding Android apps to the Windows desktop in 2021. Even though Windows PC users can install these apps in their systems through emulator apps such as Bluestacks, Microsoft's move could avail Android apps to download and run, alongside Win32 and UWP apps. Sources from Windows indicate that there are talks going on over whether it can be possible to and a runtime for Android to Windows 10. This move, if it happens, will be in time for a massive upgrade to the Windows 10 OS, which is expected in early 2021.

Windows Your Phone

The first time Microsoft adopted Android as its preferred operating system for mobile devices was in 2017 when they abandoned Windows 10 Mobile. Currently, most apps offered by Microsoft have mobile versions for Android. If you have a compatible smartphone, Microsoft allows you to run multiple apps on the desktop through the Windows Your Phone app. However, as of now, only Samsung smartphone users can enjoy this service.

Currently, the only device that can run multiple apps from different platforms is Google's Chromebook. This device can run ChromeOS, Linux packages, and Android apps simultaneously. Therefore, Windows 10 will have received a major upgrade if its users will be able to access Android apps. Adding Android apps to Windows, therefore allowing its users access to the Chrome browser will effectively make this platform a near-universal operating system.

Windows 10X

In the time being, Microsoft is said to have finally finished developing Windows 10X. This version of Windows 10 will be ready for the market by the end of this year targeting devices with multiple screens. Those who've heard the privilege to see this operating system's capabilities say that it is Microsoft's "Chromebook killer" and if its features included support for Android apps, then Windows 10X will have truly earned this moniker.

The great thing about coding is that it is done entirely on a computer or even in a web browser app. That means it is possible to learn an entire profession like programming entirely online. Going to a coding camp is cheaper to a university, and some employers prefer graduates of specific camps. To make the deal even sweeter, you can access an entirely free code camp. You will learn the basics, and some employers might take an interest.

Code Camp Advantages

In order to become a programmer, a potentially great-paying position, you first have to prove that you can code. You can build a portfolio yourself, which is the old fashioned route, or you can let a code camp build it for you with projects that facsimile real world work. All you have to do is prove you can do some programming work, and that is enough to open the door to freelance projects.

Another advantage is that it is much quicker than going to college. A university has a vested interest in keeping you there for for or more likely five years. A coding camp sticks to the subject and gives you a certificate that is perfectly acceptable to employers who just want work done. A university is more like a general prep school. A coding camp is for people who want to program.

An intensive program is for people who want to get the most out of their time. If you devote yourself to a subject and learn it intensively, then you might actually learn more than dragging out through multiple classes that do not offer direct continuity between subject matter. Why learn the basics of different programming languages when you can learn one or two that are in high demand and kick redundant lessons out the door.

There is no reason to have to do pointless work. A camp director has identified the most pertinent skills and information and has condensed it down into one program. You learn the skills that let you work in a particular field rather than trying to be a generalist and learn something specialized as an intern.

Github, a techie's favorite software for hosting, has unveiled that its core features will now be free to all users. The platform, which hosts over 40 million users, will allow free account holders to enjoy the benefits of its core features. The company has done away with its Pro tier and divided the features between the free and team accounts.

What did the previous Github free account include?

In the past, users of the free plan could enjoy unlimited repositories, three collaborators in a private repository, and 2000 Github Action minutes per month. Furthermore, users would receive 500 megabytes of storage and automated security updates.

Which features are the same?

As was the case previously, the Github core for free account will give you access to unlimited repositories. The free account will continue to give you access to 2000 minutes of Github Actions. Github Actions, allow users to automate their workflow. From the Github platform, one can conceptualize, develop and deploy code. Users will also still receive 500 MB of storage.

Which features are different?

The two features which are an upgrade from the previous free account are unlimited collaborators and community support. In the past free accounts only enabled users to add three collaborators within a private repository. This allows for more efficiency on projects, especially where you have more than three collaborators.

What doesn't the Github core account include?

Whilst the core account offers users a variety of exciting features there are still some things which you will need to upgrade to use. Two such features are code owners and enterprise features. There is still good news if you need to have these features, as the monthly cost per user for code owners has been reduced by $5 to a measly $4. The Enterprise plan will run you $21 a user per month. Unlike the previous free account in days gone by, you will no longer receive any automated security updates.

Major GitHub Changes -- Teams Now Free, Prices Halved!

Learning a new skill doesn't have to be as hard as most people think. In this article we look at the best programs and resources for you to learn .Net Desktop Development Programming for free as a complete beginner. There are so many great resources to start learning today. Which one is the best for you? Lets take a look at them.

Home and Learn

This is a complete course for beginners. It will take you through the fundamentals of .Net Programming all the way through the technical side. Everything you need to know to get started is in this course and guess what! It's FREE. You will have 9 different projects in the course so when you are finished, you will be ready to go.

YouTube

YouTube is a great place to learn a new skill. There are plenty of videos that will give you a crash course and teach you all the basics of what you need to know. This video, is by Free code camp. It is a comprehensive 24-hour course, you will use c# to build an application. Everything from start to finish. Another great video resource is by Programming with Mosh. It is the complete basics of c# learned in 1 hour. If your looking for a program to learn from scratch then you will love it.

Create a C# Application from Start to Finish - Complete Course

Free Code Camp

Free Code Camp is a nonprofit community platform that makes it easy to learn code. Not only can you learn everything for free, you can chat with others in your area and even have practice sessions with them. You can learn at your own pace, which is great if you don't want to binge watch a whole course in one sitting.

Visual Studio Live Share allows you to debug and code simultaneously with other developers on the same project.

During the Microsoft Build developer event, the company said that Live Share, the previously introduced feature of the Visual Studio code and Visual Studio, is now accessible by developers who wish to try it out. Up to now, this function, which enables developers to collaborate with each other, could be accessed only in preview mode --- and it is freely available to any developer, even developers who are using the Visual Studio free code editor.

Some people have likened Live Share to collaborating with Google Documents. Developers are able to see the position of everyone's cursor, and each word their colleagues type, irrespective which platform is used. Each developer participating in Live Share sessions can remain within their desired environment. This means that developers can be more flexible than they can be in conventional screen shares.

LEGO produced the Mindstorms platform for older children and adults to use their creativity to make robotic projects. Presently, LEGO launched the Boost platform, which is a robotics and programming development for children around the age of seven (7). This Boost package has everything to make five (5) projects including Frankie, a robotic cat, and Vernie, a comedic robot.

The Boost kit contains a battery-powered core system which gives power to the several motors, and a motion and color sensor. Simon Kent from LEGO demonstrated that the two (2) kits have the ability to train the robots to make music on harmonicas.

We have information on 10 of the best freelance websites for programmers. If you are considering freelance work, then this is the information that you need.

Should You Try a Freelance Job?

You may be wondering if you should even consider working a freelance job. The truth is that there are good points and bad points to it. One of the good points to freelance writing is that you can choose your work site. You can work from your bedroom if you like, or you can choose the kitchen, patio or floor. You also get to be your own boss. You rely on other people to pay you, but you have the freedom to take work on the jobs that you want to work.

Having raised approximately $1.6 million in funding, Codementor is poised to grow into an elite marketplace for freelance software developers. Peer Idea, the parent company of Codementor, is based in Mountain View. They've graduated from the Seattle-based Techstars organization, from which they were able to secure $1.2 million in early-stage funding. Founder Weiting Liu feels that the company originally started as a coding boot camp, but soon grew into an on-demand educational brand. He feels that the company will supplement the various free and paid software development resources currently crowding the market.

One of the company's top investors, Yvonne Chen, says that Codementor needs to focus on enhancing the algorithms its Web portal uses to match engineers with new developers. The company already has 150,000 developers looking to improve their programming skills by learning from 5,000 mentors. Each of these mentors is an expert in a particular programming language.