Parleys.com

"Maintaining and evolving deployed applications is a challenging task, as the Java
platform provides no support for versioning or dynamic updates. In most cases,
fixing a bug (no matter how small) requires a system shutdown while running
multiple versions of the same applications inside the same VM is no-go. This
session will show developers how to address these problems and simplify the
impacts on deployment procedures as software evolves.
The session will focus on modularizing Java applications by using an OSGi
platform which, used today, can simplify tomorrow's application deployments.
What exactly is OSGi and how can you use it? What's all the fuss about it? What
are the benefits and where does the Spring framework fit it? This session will
provide a quick, practical introduction to the
OSGi platform, review how it is currently used in the industry, and provide
guidance on how Spring Dynamic Modules can be leveraged in today's projects."

Scala is a new language for the Java Platform that blends object-oriented and functional programming concepts. This talk will focus on the design choices of Scala, and what they mean for developer productivity. The talk will highlight what it means to program in a functional style, and show you how Scala facilitates programming in a hybrid of both functional and imperative styles. The talk will also explore how Scala compares to dynamic languages such as Ruby and Python. And you'll see examples of real, production Scala code that will illustrate what it feels like to program in Scala.

Pairing can be a highly effective practice that adds significant value to a project, or it can be a disaster whose cost far exceeds managers' fears that they are just paying two people to do the work of one. In the worst case, you won't get the work of one out of the two. They might even do damage that others have to clean up later. The challenge lies in the fact that working as a pair demands a level of attentiveness, collaboration, and continuous focus that working solo just doesn't require. We want to demonstrate some of the behaviors that can undermine the value of pairing, solicit audience feedback about their own experiences and observations, and explain how and why pairing works or doesn't work.

This session was first presented at Agile 2008, where a group of four people rehearsed and acted out "bad pairing" scenarios. In this case, the scenarios have not been rehearsed. Participants in the session will be asked to come forward to act out scenarios with the facilitator. Participants may also suggest scenarios based on their own experiences. Together, we will discuss approaches to correcting the unproductive pairing behaviors.