Google Maps Street View

Street View is a new feature of Google Maps that allows you to quickly and easily view and navigate high-resolution, 360 degree street level images of various cities in the US

Which SAP Skill is More in Demand, BW/BI or ABAP?

June 4th, 2007

This is not even a close question at this point. BW/BI is much more in demand than ABAP. In this comparision, BW/BI is the DVD player, and ABAP is the VHS video tape.That may not be totally fair, I guess, because SAP is including full support for ABAP in the NetWeaver 2004s technology platform. Essentially SAP has figured out how to “wrap” ABAP in web-based integration protocols, and that has extended ABAP’s lifespan dramatically while keeping ABAP more in the spotlight than it would have been.

So if that’s true, then where do I get off saying that BW/BI is in much more demand than ABAP? To understand the consulting market, we have to look at every source of supply for a particular skill set. Yes, there are a lot of ABAP projects out there, but remember, ABAP is the most commonly outsourced SAP project area.
The thing about offshoring is that it increases the overall supply of consultants, since the pool for consultants is effectively globalized. Demand for ABAP then goes down. It may be unfair to say that ABAP is “dead.” A better way of putting it is that ABAP is globalized. That’s what’s hurting ABAP rates the most. Yes, there is room on project sites for top notch ABAP-Java “hybrid” programmers who can really make the latest SAP tools hum. But for the most part, ABAP demand is flat and so are rates.
BI, on the other hand, is one of the hottest areas of SAP. What are the reasons for this? First, the usage of BW is more and more common across SAP projects, so the demand is high. When we consider that as of NetWeaver 2004s, SAP BI (the new name for BW) ships with the core NetWeaver platform, usage of BI is just going to increase. So, the demand for BI is high and looks to remain so as the upgrade waves continue.
And here’s the other thing: the supply of Business Intelligence (BI) consultants is not what it needs to be. As consultants have learned the hard way, most companies won’t hire you unless you have worked in the latest releases. And there aren’t that many consultants who have been through a BI 7.0 implementation yet. So anyone who can get the BI 7.0 skills first should have an edge - especially if they have a deep BW background.
The ideal way to succeed in SAP is always to combine a deeper expertise with relevant, project-proven skills in something hot and new (such as BI). I’m not as skeptical on the future of ABAP as some, but when ABAP goes head-to-head with BI, there’s no competition at all. BI is without question the better career path.

Reference: http://www.jonerp.com/component/option,com_jd-wp/Itemid,20/p,5/

SAP BW/BI Extended Star Schema

Could you believe how SAP use the surrogate key concept in its Extended Star Schema Model.
Before, I explain this concept. I would like to say some basic design information about model.
This model have only one Fact Table and and few dimensions (maximum 16, among them 3 dimensions are predefined.).

Each dimension has one or more characteristics(It could be simple object or Master Data (attribute, text, hierarchy)). But these characteristic is referenced by SID.
The characteristic values are not stored in the dimension tables. A numerical SID key is generated for each characteristic. This foreign key replaces the characteristic as the component of the dimension table.
SID table is separetly maintained and primary key of this table comes from characteristic table.
Its mean SID take cares to each characteristic, and if any characteristic contain master data then those characteristics could be independently used by any dimension to avoid replication of master data. This is the great advantage of SID in Extended Star Schema.

Fact Table contain key figures (fact, numerical values) and dimensions ids as foreign key.

And fact table and dimension are connected relationally, and form Info Cube.

I think, this is very interesting post and I m waiting for your question.

OpenSocial - A continuous Rocking on Orkut

The web is more interesting when you can build apps that easily interact with your friends and colleagues. But with the trend towards more social applications also comes a growing list of site-specific APIs that developers must learn.

OpenSocial provides a common set of APIs for social applications across multiple websites. With standard JavaScript and HTML, developers can create apps that access a social network's friends and update feeds.

Many sites, one API

Common APIs mean you have less to learn to build for multiple websites. OpenSocial is currently being developed by Google in conjunction with members of the web community. The ultimate goal is for any social website to be able to implement the APIs and host 3rd party social applications. There are many websites implementing OpenSocial, including Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning, Oracle, orkut, Plaxo, Salesforce.com, Six Apart, Tianji, Viadeo, and XING.

In order for developers to get started immediately, Orkut has opened a limited sandbox that you can use to start building apps using the OpenSocial APIs.

Server optional

OpenSocial is built upon Google Gadget technology, so you can build a great, viral social app with little to no serving costs. With the Google Gadget Editor and a simple key/value API, you can build a complete social app with no server at all. Of course, you can also host your application on your own servers if you prefer. In all cases, Google's gadget caching technology can ease your bandwidth demands should your app suddenly become a worldwide success.

References:
http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/
http://opensocialapis.blogspot.com/2007/11/campfire-one-taking-social-applications.html
http://opensocialapis.blogspot.com/2007/11/web-is-better-when-its-social.html

Orkut start to compete Facebook

Due to recent popularity of facebook features, lot of orkut users started facebook network for their social networking, Google open its door for 3rd party developers to add new features and enhancements.

Reference: http://en.blog.orkut.com/2007/11/orkut-opens-to-developers.html

Tagged

1.Name one person that made you laugh last night?
Hammad

2.What are you doing at 8:00?
8:00 AM – I was in the office.

3.What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Reading guide of SAP BW

4. What happened to you in 2006?
Completed my BS (CS) from FAST, started working for Education Service Center Region 4 as Database Developer.

5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
“abay ullu”

6. How many beverages did you have today?
Water

7. What color is your hairbrush?
Brown

8. What was the last thing you paid for?
Subway Vegi Sandwich

9. Where were you last night?
Bear Creek Mosque

10. What color is your front door?
Silver

12. What’s the weather like today?
Clear 70°F

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Strawberry

14. What excites you?
All things in right direction

15. Do you want to cut your hair?
No, they already shorten.

16. Are you over the age of 25?
No

17. Do you talk a lot?
Listen a lot

18. Do you watch the O.C.?
No

19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Yes, a funny character from JBJ.

20. Do you make up your own words?
I do, ……… button :)

21. Are you a jealous person?
No, to some extent.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’:
Ali

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’:
Kamran

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
My Friend

25. What does the last text message you received say?
“ASAK, brother I'm leaving now. Let's talk”

26. Do you chew on your straw?
No

27. Do you have curly hair?
No

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
Home

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
Me

30. What was the last thing you ate?
Banana

31. Will you get married in the future?
As soon as possible, if my mother find girl, then YES

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
None.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Today evening

35. Are you currently depressed?
Yes

36. Did you cry today?
No

If you’re reading this then you’re tagged, let me know after writing your post.

1973 Constitution held in abeyance

Musharraf imposes ‘emergency plus’; PCO promulgated; parliament, provincial assemblies to continue functioning; superior judiciary’s powers clipped

By Shakil Shaikh

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday imposed emergency throughout Pakistan, promulgated the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) by holding the Constitution in abeyance, and placed the country under one-man rule.

In an extraordinary move, which many termed supra-constitutional and equated with martial law, Army Chief General Musharraf promulgated a proclamation of emergency and in pursuance of it issued a PCO holding the Constitution in abeyance.

The army chief took the step to arrest the worsening law and order situation and intensification of violence to unprecedented level which posed a grave threat to the life and property of citizens. He also referred to other grounds justifying such extraordinary measures by pointing to the “working of some members of the judiciary at cross purposes with the executive and the legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism, interference by some members of the judiciary in government policy”, adversely affecting the economic growth in particular, “overstepping” of some judges of their limits of judicial authority, making the Supreme Judicial Council entirely irrelevant, and “humiliating treatment” meted to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis.

Despite this proclamation and the order, the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) and the provincial assemblies shall continue to function.

The entire nation received this development as a bombshell as it shocked everyone that instead of the Constitution the country would be governed by President General Pervez Musharraf.

This seemingly supra-constitutional step was taken at a time when the 11-member Supreme Court bench was to announce its verdict on the nomination of President General Pervez Musharraf as candidate for re-election in a week’s time.

The PCO has taken away powers of the superior judiciary — the Supreme Court, the Federal Shariat Court and the High Courts — and any tribunal or other authority to call in question the order of PCO, the Proclamation of Emergency, the Oath of Office (Judges) Order 2007 or any order made in pursuance thereof.

“No judgment, decree, writ, order or process whatsoever shall be made or issued by any court or tribunal against the president or the prime minister or any authority designated by the president,” said Section 3(2) of the PCO, though the seven-member Supreme Court bench issued a two-page counter order restraining the COAS, corps commanders, staff officers and all concerned civil and military authorities from acting under the PCO. They were also restrained from undertaking any such action, which was contrary to the independence of the judiciary.

With the Islamic provisions of the Constitution to remain in force, the fundamental rights as enshrined in Article 9 (security of person), 10 (safeguard as to arrest and detention), 15 (freedom of movement, etc.), 16 (freedom of assembly), 17 (freedom of association), 19 (freedom of speech, etc.) and 25 (equality of citizens) shall remain suspended.

Enforcing the emergency at once, the army chief ordered and proclaimed that the “Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall remain in abeyance”. It put Pakistan under one-man rule to govern it through the PCO.

The PCO’s Section 1(3) says: “Subject to clause (1) above and the Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2007, all courts in existence immediately before the commencement of this Order shall continue to function and to exercise their respective powers and jurisdiction, provided that the Supreme Court or a High Court or any other court shall not have the power to make any order against the president or the prime minister or any person exercising powers or jurisdiction under their authority.”

According to the proclamation of emergency, “the situation has been reviewed at meetings with the prime minister, the governors of the four provinces, and with the chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, chiefs of the armed forces, the vice chief of army staff and the corps commanders”.

Reference: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=10974