Business of Software [View Sessions] NEW AT SD West 2006
Wonder what it would be like to start your own software company? What financial resources are available to you to fund your ideas? What are the legal issues including open-source and patents that software entrepreneurs are faced with? What software tasks are good to off-shore? What are the advantages of strategic partnering? What is the best software licensing strategy? In this track, software entrepreneurs and other software-focused service professionals will answer these questions and more. Find out what it takes to create, sustain and grow a successful software business.

C++ [View Sessions]
C++ has been in widespread commercial use for more than a decade, yet developers are still discovering innovative ways to use the language and standard library. C++ continues to be full of interesting surprises. SD’s C++ speakers are the most knowledgeable in the field and they do an exceptional job of providing information you can use. To keep pace with the growing literature and experience in the field, our C++ classes have evolved towards more intermediate and advanced topics.

Java Programming [View Sessions]
Java continues to be the dominant programming language for building web-based applications. This track provides in-depth technical content to give you the tools to understand the intricacies of the language, in particular, the powerful features and libraries that set Java apart from its predecessors. With in-depth full-day tutorials and a score of additional courses, the SD Java track provides complete Java training for the professional developer.

Modeling & Design [View Sessions]
Successful software is directly attributable to elegant and efficient modeling and design. Models let users and developers build a readily understandable, visual representation of complex object-oriented systems before diving into the source code. This track incorporates the latest information and best practices including, but not limited to, UML, software architecture, design patterns, robustness analysis and database design.

.NET Development [View Sessions]
From its debut 6 years ago to its second major release last year, .NET has established itself as a predominate development platform, with the best tools and support for emerging new technologies and standards, from Indigo and Avalon to Smart Clients and classic system programming. This year's .NET track has three themes: the first is in-depth presentation of the new features and capabilities of .NET 2.0, from the application frameworks to the languages and Visual Studio, and the second is successfully applying it: the track will include sessions on .NET development process, productivity enabling ideas, techniques and breakthroughs, interoperability with legacy code and other platforms, and the third is around the corner technologies and trends such as smart clients, Avalon and Indigo. Our speakers are not only the world best experts; they are all industry veterans, sharing their real-life experience.

People, Process & Methods [View Sessions]
The techniques, tools and group interactions that make for successful software development vary greatly, depending on the domain, technology and team involved. Learning top-flight technical skills, creating effective processes and keeping software teams healthy don’t happen by magic--there are proven techniques and tools for success. This track incorporates the latest information and best practices on agile and disciplined methods, project management tips, team development, and more.

Requirements & Analysis [View Sessions]
Successful software is directly attributable to getting requirements right in order to meet customers’ needs. To succeed you need techniques that facilitate communication between customers and developers in the spirit of learning and discovery. This track incorporates the latest information and best practices including, but not limited to collaborative requirements gathering, agile modeling, use cases, business rules, business modeling, user-centered analysis and robustness analysis.

Security [View Sessions]
Application security is essential in today's world, and this security track will show you how to build in real security from the ground up. It will focus on application security challenges and solutions, provide an understanding of the most recent trends and developments in the industry, and share proven concepts to strengthen your applications as well as your programming abilities. Computer security is more important than ever, and the challenges of keeping your systems secure are increasingly complex. Whether you are responsible for one system or a hundred, the courses in this track will provide essential information to help you stay current with the latest threats and implement powerful tools and techniques to keep your systems secure.

Testing & Quality [View Sessions]
How do you know if your software works? How do you know if it was built properly? Should you even care? This track explores leading edge testing and quality assurance techniques that you can use in real world situations.

Web Services [View Sessions]
Now that the world is networked, computers today can intelligently route and manage information being sent across the Internet in the form of Web Services. The Web Services track will explain and explore the concepts and technologies enabling computer-to-computer communications. Standards like SOAP and UDDI will be addressed and each will then be applied to such technologies as Oracle, J2EE or Apache. Attendees will learn the basics, platforms and standards of Web Services and how to apply them to their IT environment.

XML Development [View Sessions]
In a relatively short time, XML has become the lingua franca of web based development; but XML also has applications far beyond the web including custom file formats, component software development, and database integration. XML provides a common mechanism for sharing information between applications, as well as common representations for data that everyone can agree on. Choosing XML makes data cleaner, easier to process, and more extensible in the face of unforeseen changes and shifting requirements. The XML track will cover all facets of XML and its related applications from an introductory level right up to the bleeding edge. Topics of interest include:
- XSLT
- JAXP
- SAX
- DOM
- Schemas
- XForms
- Semantic Web
- Native XML Databases
- XQuery
- Atom

Grab Bag [View Sessions] NEW AT SD West 2006
Programmers attend SD to get all the core and emerging technology education from industry leaders. This track is designed for those classes that are outside of the standard model of tracks offered at SD.