· Hub for the NS Community ·
Dear community member,
It has been quite a while since the last internal NSX Newsletter, however it had one big shortcoming, and that was the input of the other parts of the community. Hence, we present the newsletter in a new format, the NS Community newsletter.
Nowadays, there are multiple bigger and smaller hubs, where we could get inspired by the efforts in the other hubs and maybe the most interesting work complementary to each other. Therefore, this first edition of the NS community newsletter also serves as a call for ideas and contributions.
Whereas the dutch-tax office celebrates their 10th birthday, we can celebrate the first birthday of the NSLab in Czechia. Over the past year, we established the Normalized Systems Laboratory (NSLab) at CTU in Prague, strengthening our connection to the Normalized Systems (NS) research and development.
At NSLab, we meet monthly to discuss cutting-edge research and practical applications of NS, fostering a collaborative environment for PhD students and researchers alike. Recent projects include exploring how NS principles can enhance web APIs, streamline data warehouses, and improve ETL processes. By blending theoretical insights with practical experimentation, NSLab strives to become a local hub for innovation and discovery in the field of evolvable software systems.
Looking ahead to 2025, our efforts are set to expand further. New master's students will begin developing expanders for web applications using Elm and Haskell, leveraging the power of functional programming for NS-inspired solutions. A new PhD student has also joined NSLab, focusing on the evolvability of database schemas, including strategies for seamless data migrations.
On a broader scale, we will continue our collaboration with the NI-NSS course at CTU, where approximately 70 students annually dive into the world of Normalized Systems. Additionally, we are strengthening our connection with NSX, particularly in the realm of communication, to ensure even more effective ideas exchange, implementation, and support for NS principles in practice.
With the introduction of MicroRadiant v2.0, the capability to independently add plugins (without the need for new MicroRadiant versions) has been implemented. New metamodels have since emerged.
These are not only intended to enhance our application systems (such as ProcessAutomation) but also to open new horizons. A metamodel has been developed to comprehensively describe the entire project and build pipelines. As a result, the practical implementation of the NS theory is no longer limited to source code but is now integrated throughout the entire build pipeline.
Furthermore, it has become significantly easier to adhere to entirely new standards, utilizing the terminology specific to those standards. Examples include FHIR (healthcare sector) and HLA (simulation software). With the exploration of these domains, the lessons learned from the theory and the practical implementation in the Java EE stack can now be applied to these new areas.
Finally, for those that don't know it yet, keep the 12th of march open in your agenda as there will be a DevCon organized in Utrecht by the Dutch tax Office. An excellent moment to connect with each other (Keep in mind, this DevCon is organized in Dutch)).
Kind community regards and see you next month!
