Using Couchbase Server In A Golang Web Application

August 5, 2016 Nic Raboy

Not too long ago I wrote an article regarding how to create a RESTful API using the Go programming language, but in it I only used mock data rather than an actual database. What happens if we want to use a database with Golang? What database, or more importantly, what kind of database should be used? Most APIs transfer data in JSON format, so it might make sense to store data in the same format. This means that a relational database might not make sense. Instead, NoSQL databases fit quite well when it comes to RESTful APIs. A popular NoSQL database that stores data in JSON format is the open source Couchbase Server.

We’re going to take a look at how to include Couchbase Server into our RESTful web application written in the Go programming language.

Using SqlStorage Instead Of SQLite In An Ionic 2 App

August 3, 2016 Nic Raboy

When it comes to Ionic 2 there are many ways that you can store your data. For example you could use HTML5 local storage, Mozilla’s localForage library, or Ionic’s SQLite extension that is part of Ionic Native. With these options available, I get a lot of requests for information on Ionic’s less advertised SqlStorage option.

We’re going to take a look at using SqlStorage in an Android and iOS application rather than the SQLite alternative.

Connect To Multiple Wireless Networks With A Raspberry Pi

August 1, 2016 Nic Raboy

So I recently picked up some more Raspberry Pi 3 units. You’re probably thinking I’m building my own T1000 (Terminator reference) with these things. No, actually I got these units for work to play around with some IoT projects around the office at Couchbase. I have a few offices that I visit at Couchbase which brought up my need to have multiple possible wireless networks to connect to as I travel. These are headless units so I’m not connecting to them with a mouse and keyboard.

Now one would imagine that I can just add a bunch of networks to a configuration file in Linux, but that wasn’t the case. There are special configurations that must be done to allow the Raspberry Pi to automatically connect to different wireless networks as they become available.

We’re going to see how to add multiple WiFi network SSIDs to a Raspberry Pi operating with Raspbian so it can automatically connect as they become in range.

TPDP Episode #7: Developing For The Internet Of Things (IoT) And Where To Start

July 29, 2016 Nic Raboy

When it comes to software development there are many different items to develop for. I’ve spent most of my developer life creating applications for the web, desktop, and mobile, but when it comes to possibilities it doesn’t end there. In recent years the Internet of Things (IoT) has been taking over. In this episode of The Polyglot Developer Podcast, guest speaker Jen Looper and I discuss the Internet of Things and what you need to get started as a developer.

Jen Looper is a developer advocate at Progress Software, but is also a huge advocate for IoT. In Episode #7: Developing for The Internet of Things (IoT) and Where to Start, we’re going to discuss quite a bit, covering everything from a background on IoT to possible development technologies for various hardware.

Auto Attaching USB Storage To A Raspberry Pi Running Linux

July 25, 2016 Nic Raboy

I’ve written a few articles about how I’m using my many Raspberry Pi units. Recently I wrote about using a Raspberry Pi as an automatic network backup server, but I didn’t talk about expanding the storage beyond the micro or standard sized SD card. What if you want to utilize a much larger USB hard drive or thumb drive? By default Linux won’t mount the drive, and heck, it may not even be in the correct format.

We’re going to see how to format a USB drive, mount it on a Raspberry Pi, and then auto mount it every time the Raspberry Pi reboots.

Create A Mobile App From Your Angular Web App With NativeScript

July 20, 2016 Nic Raboy

Angular is all the rage right now. It is a significant step in the right direction from its predecessor AngularJS 1 for numerous reasons, one being its decoupling from the document object model (DOM). This separation allows for applications to be built beyond the web browser. Take for example, the mobile development framework NativeScript, which allows you to develop native Android and iOS applications. There is no DOM in this framework, but yet we can still use Angular to develop our applications.

We’re going to take a look at how to take an Angular web application and bring it to mobile using NativeScript.

Support iBeacons In Your Native Android Mobile App

July 18, 2016 Nic Raboy

I play around with iBeacons quite frequently. I created my own Internet of Things (IoT) iBeacon project as well as an AngularJS wrapper for using iBeacons in an Ionic Framework application. This time around I figured I’d take my iBeacon adventure to the next level and try to use them in a native Android mobile application.

Using the AltBeacon library by Radius Networks we can easily add iBeacon monitoring and ranging support to our native Android application. We’re going to see how to scan for a variety of proximity beacons and display them within an application.