Introduction
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It all began with Tim Berners-Lee at CERN and the good old HTML. CERN, which is now mostly famous for its Large Hadron Collider, has recently gained major publicity by attracting the attention of frivolous news chasing the possibility of a black hole. I think even cooler than a black hole marking the end of humanity, is the virtual world that has largely impacted her evolution. The internet happened partly because of the outcome of CERN's research and now we have a world beside the real world, functioning in parallel and becoming the flesh and blood of a terrestrial specy who was one day drawing on cave walls. HTML later became lingua franca of a world that was becoming bigger while making our real world smaller and smaller.
HTML is the basic language understood by all WWW (World Wide Web) clients. It can execute on a PC under any operating system such as Windows, Mac, Linux, or on a Unix workstation. However, it is limited in its computational power intentionally because it can prevent the execution of dangerous programs on the client machine. Web programmers, who are now much more sophisticated in their applications, provide different type of services to a growing demand of interactive content. Today, most users have competent client machines which are capable of doing much more than HTML allows. Fortunately, there is steady development in the field, and today the number of capable applications is expanding. We can easily build database-driven websites with various scripting languages such as PHP, ASP.NET, JSP, Perl, Cold Fusion and etc. This gives programmers a head ache. They generally fall into two main groups - proprietary and open-source, both have their own share of the market.
The languages mentioned below are all attempts to create the "ideal" Web programming language, which is usually done by extending and restricting existing languages. Web programming languages have a variety of ancestors: scripting languages, shell languages, mark-up languages and conventional programming languages. This document attempt to present a short introduction of the most important languages being used in Web today.
Characteristics Of Web Programming Languages
There is a diverse range of languages available and suitable for Web programming. There is no reason to believe that any one language will completely prevail and monopolize the Web programming scene. When you are developing a simple website, the question of which programming language and framework to choose can come up for things such as contact submission forms, photo galleries, jQuery Slider or any other dynamic content components that is generated by the web-server. When you are shopping for a web designer or web developer, you will hear them say "We program in PHP" or "We develop in ASP.NET/C#" and you might wonder what they are talking about and which one is better than the other.
As you can see, there is a fairly good selection of languages for web developers to choose to develop their web applications. There are many more languages available, some of them more specialized such as VRML, but discussing them is out of the scope of this article. Most developers have a working knowledge for at least a few of the frameworks, but tend to specialize in one.
New languages and language extensions are being developed to increase the usability of the Internet on a daily basis. Here we will look at some of the important languages that have shaped the Internet over the years and give a brief overview of each one of them.
ASP.NET - Active Server Pages
The.NET Framework is the infrastructure for the Microsoft.NET platform. It is an environment that can be used for building, deploying, and running Web applications and Web Services with easier and quicker programming.
ASP.NET runs inside IIS which comes free with Windows servers. It enables scripts to be executed by an Internet server. This web development technology is built into the.NET Framework and utilizes full featured programming languages such as C# or VB.NET to build web applications. I personally like C# very much and I think it is a great language to code with and extremely easy to use.
ASP.NET drastically reduces the amount of code required to build large applications. With built-in Windows authentication and pre-application configuration, security and safety are guaranteed. But the main disadvantage is that ASP.NET applications can only run on Windows platform.
PHP
As an open-source alternative, PHP is steadily developed by an active and very dedicated international community. This is a great example of strength in numbers. Another strength of PHP is of course its low costs. Since it is open-source software, PHP can be compiled and customized for any operating system. In fact, there are always pre-compiled versions available for your OS of choice. In an open, collaborative and non-hierarchical environment, suggested improvements can be adopted quickly. You can count on its fast paced updates and improvements more than other languages.
I think PHP is a good investment because it is not going to disappear anytime soon. It is used by a very large group of fantastic programmers who come out with amazing websites combining PHP with other technologies. Also it is a good idea that if you have invested in an online business and you have lost one of your precious programmers, it will be the easiest to find a replacement programmer.
Java/JSP
Developed by Sun Microsystems, Java is a very powerful object-oriented language. JavaServer Pages (JSPs) are web pages with embedded Java code. The embedded Java code is executed on the server, then the page is returned to the browser for display.
Unlike ASP, JSP is a lot less platform-specific and it doesn't rely as heavily on Microsoft for support or performance improvements. Java programs for Unix can be made to run on Windows or the Mac system with little or no effort. Many development projects are taking place on the Java platform and it is getting richer by day.
You should not confuse JSP with Javascript. Note that Javascript is a programming language that runs on a web browser and does not require any server software. Since all execution takes place on the browser, Javascript is responsible for most of the interactivity on a web page. Image change or text color change on mouseover, creating mouse trails are all possible through Javascript.
Perl
Perl doesn't offer the graphics and security desired for Internet programming on its own. However, those features are now available trough Perl/Tk. Perl/Tk which extends Perl with access to the Tk GUI library and makes it fully available for web programming.
Perl is an open-source language that is both mature and powerful. It offers web developers every tool they need to create dynamic websites. Like other open-source languages, it benefits tremendously from ongoing development, and the support offered by its international community is amazing. Perl is particularly good for creating single websites quickly, cleanly and elegantly. Its major weakness is that it may be unnecessarily complicated. If you are not comfortable switching gears between different syntaxes, then you should choose from one of the other alternatives.
Python
Like Java, Python is a full featured, object-oriented language developed, but extremely easy to use, by Guido van Rossum at CWI in the Netherlands. Similar to almost every other cool language, it is initially developed in a Unix environment but is available on PCs and Macs, and applications are portable across platforms. Python's syntax resembles C and C++, but doesn't stick too closely to those languages.
Python offers several portable GUI libraries. Python is simpler and easier to program than Java and very suited for Internet programming.
ColdFusion
Built by Allaire in 1995, purchased by Macromedia in 2001 and finally ended up in the hands of Adobe in 2005, This ColdFusion might not be as cool as cold fusion nuclear energy, but it did introduce an exciting technology which hold an active developer community together up to this day.
ColdFusion enables programmers to create dynamic and database-powered Web applications. With its own markup language (CFML) and tags to connect to the database, it is relatively easy to create forms and dynamic pages. Using ColdFusion, Building websites can't possibly get easier! You can deploy powerful web applications and services with minimal training. It provides an application development platform suitable for network software. It is now at version 10 and supports most major databases from Oracle to Microsoft SQL Server.
Ruby and Ruby on Rails
Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented and open-source programming language. It has a very clean syntax which makes it a lot of fun to use. Python is ease to learn and use, and closely enjoys the Perl's pragmatism. Ruby's simplicity, productivity and ease of use has spread it usage very quickly in a matter of few years.
Ruby on Rails is its open-source Web application framework written in Ruby which follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) model. It is a highly-productive and can empower industrial-strength web applications. It scales from the simplest expense tracking application to full-featured applications with thousands of users.
Finally
Web is the summa summarum of all these languages. There is no single application that does all the different things, in every different way and according to all the programmers need. Because of the diversity of programming tasks, choosing a language has become a critically important step. It has to be decided upon after through analysis of a project and considering every aspect of your requirements.
This is a quick guide to different field herping techniques that are quite common and productive for field herpers across the globe. As well as providing a few different techniques for you to employ, I've also added a quick "tips" section that deals with weather conditions, timing, and some different topics that need to be dealt with by most herpers.
Techniques
Flipping: Flipping debris can be extremely effective when looking for herps and is the method that most field herpers employ regularly. Flipping can refer to anything from natural cover like logs and rocks to artificial cover like tin, wood, and trash (that's right, trash!) Snake and other herps love to utilize cover because it gives them the sense of security they need, and it is easy for them to thermoregulate by hiding below it during the hot hours of the day. But, flipping seems to be extremely good during the spring and fall seasons as a rule of thumb. Caution should be taken when flipping because you never know what is going to be under the next log you flip and you don't want your hands to be the first thing to find out. When flipping, remember that as you flip debris you are changing microhabitats and that you should try to put everything back EXACTLY where you found it to keep these vital microhabitats intact.
Bark Ripping: Bark ripping is basically a way of searching for milk snakes and other small terrestrial animals that love to squeeze between the trunk and bark of downed trees. You do exactly what it sounds like, taking a potato rake or snake hook and ripping the bark away from the tree to reveal what lies beneath. This is not a tactic that I don't employ much because, ethically, I have a problem with it. I feel that caution should be taken when doing this because you have to remember that there is another microhabitat living between the bark and the tree and when you are destroying it, you are destroying that hide for another herp and any microhabitat that may have been thriving before you came along.
Hiking in Habitat: If properly done, this can render a lot of finds in the field. It takes a lot of preparation and research to strategically hike in habitat looking for visual encounters, and finds can be very spaced out with lots of walking and work in between. I personally use this method a lot and have had moderate luck with it by researching what types of habitat my quarry is going to be located in. Most of the habitat you'll want to walk will be where two habitats merge like a tree line; the perimeter of ponds, streams, and lakes; rock outcrops; and sloughs seem to be very productive in my experience. I find it enjoyable just to walk out in nature as well and if you want to hike first and herp second this could very well be the choice for you!
Road Cruising: This is considered the lazy man's herping, and can get very expensive with the current gas prices. Basically you want to try and locate very remotely driven roads that pass through good habitat. Drive slowly because your target is normally small and can be difficult to see. I like to try and keep it around 20mph, but you have to figure out what is the right speed for your eyes to adjust and search effectively. I also like to turn my fog lights (low beams) on because I feel that in my car it lights up the street that much better. Generally the best times to road cruise are in the spring and fall, right at dusk/twilight. Road cruising also seems to produce more finds in the southern US than other places due to the extreme temperatures during the day and the considerably cool nights during the spring and fall. If you are wanting to road cruise for amphibians, going during or after light rains is perfect and has produced a lot of finds for me in the past. I would suggest giving road cruising a try, as it deserves a very proficient place in field herping, but if you really want to experience herps in their natural environment then this probably isn't the method for you.
Dip Netting: Dip netting is a technique that is specifically used for finding amphibians that reside in shallow water. You take a net on a pole and basically walk the shore line and skim the shallow water for herps. I don't do this much as I don't like to carry the net out with me, but it is one of the most efficient ways of finding many different species of salamanders and definitely deserves a place in the field herping methods. There are many people who are very skilled with this method, and it takes time and practice to truly learn how to dip net efficiently. The one note I'd like to add is that care should be taken to check the net often as you can catch a herp quickly and drown it by dragging it through the water for a long period of time.
Funnel Traps: Funnel traps are a good survey tool for various herps, but are generally used for snakes more than anything. Normally these traps can only be used on private land unless a permit is obtained for surveying purposes on public land. A funnel trap is constructed of a wooden box with hole on each side. The top should also have a hinged lid of some sort so that the trapped animals can be retrieved safely and easily. Then a ¼ to ½ inch chicken wire is normally used to make a funnel that the snake can pass into, but can't get back out of is created at the four holes that you created on each side of the trap. From that you should be as much black, tarp fencing as you can and make equally long strings of it out from the traps so that animals that run into the fence have the option of going around the fence, or directly towards the trap. These traps should be checked often as the snakes can get cooked in the sun, dehydrate, or eat one another if they are there for too long. Many people like to make sure the trap is shaded and they'll put water containers into the traps to try and reduce the fatal importance the problems present. I have not used funnel traps, but if you're trying to conduct a survey of an area or find a targeted species this is a great way to approach it.
Tips
Time of Day: The time of day that you go out looking for herps can be very important and, many times, will determine whether or not you have a successful day. If 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. are your favorite times of the day then you may very well be cut out for field herping. During the early morning when temperatures are just starting to rise and at twilight when the sun is setting is when most herps are actively searching out food and their next hide, so this is the time to find them. During the summer, the only times that will most likely be suitable for herps to be out and about will be during the early evening and into mid-morning because afternoon temperatures would kill them. During spring, however, I have had a lot of luck between 1-5 p.m. on days when the high reaches about 76F. I find lots of snakes basking in the warmth of the sun, and this seems to be the perfect temperature to find many diurnal snakes during the months of March and April. Road cruising is normally best at dusk, and when twilight hits I normally like to be at the road that I plan to cruise that night. So, important times to remember are morning and twilight if you want to have the best luck finding herps.
Time of Year: The best times of the year for field herping seems to take place during the spring and fall months when the rains are more frequent and they daytime highs are not at an extreme. I have found most of my herps during the months of March, April, May, June, September, October, and November. During the early spring and late fall months are when flipping natural cover and road cruising tend to produce the most herps for myself, and habitat hikes produce a lot of finds for me during these times too. Artificial cover tends to produce a lot of finds during all of these months as they are normally better heat conductors or insulators than natural cover and provide better cover when temps begin to rise or software engineering outsourcing drop to more extreme levels. During the late spring and early fall months the technique that has worked best for me has tended to be habitat hiking later in the evening with lamps because many herp species are very active at this time and you'll see a lot more of them crossing your path than you would imagine. As a final note, it is obvious that in extreme cold and heat snakes and other herps cannot survive very well outside and field herping is very difficult if not impossible during these times. With that said, many people in the South and in California have found herps during the winter months, and I have had luck in the North and Midwest during July and August where the midday temps don't get quite as high.
Wet/Dry: Wet is always going to produce more than dry! That is just a field herping fact. The only time wet will be a detriment to your finds is when the microhabitats under natural or artificial cover are flooded or overly damp. Most species will not thrive in these conditions, but some amphibians find this perfect. But, if it is considerably or extremely dry outside, you'll see your field herp finds drop off quickly. Most species will go into a state of "hibernation" during this time to conserve as much water as possible and survive the period of drought. During these times your best bet is to only check places in close proximity to a water source, or to wait until a rain comes because the herps will come out in full force. This is another reason why spring and fall are the best times of year because most precipitation comes during these months and the herps will be out and moving. Road herping can be phenomenal for finding herps after a good evening rain, and if you don't need to get up early I would suggest hopping in the car and taking a drive if one of these light showers occurs because it will most likely pay off.
Moon Phase: Some field herpers swear by moon phase and