Managing Open-Source Dependencies with JitPack

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Managing dependencies for your Android app has gotten a lot easier with tools such as Gradle, but there is still one big gotcha that it cannot solve: The dependency itself. It is quite normal for a single Android app to have dozens of third-party dependencies, most of which are open-source. There are many benefits to using open-source libraries, but there are some pain points too. For instance, a dependency may contain bugs, lack needed features, or may have been abandoned by the original developer. In this article, I will discuss ways to deal with that, leveraging the powers of Git and the online service called JitPack. JitPack Basics What is … Read more

5 Lessons Learned With SQL Always Encrypted

SQL Server 2016 (13.x), Azure SQL Database Azure SQL, Managed Instance, Azure Synapse Analytics (dedicated SQL pool only)

Microsoft introduced Always Encrypted with SQL Server 2016 as an approach to encrypting data at rest and in transit to protect personally identifiable information and financial transactions. Always Encrypted works by encrypting the data on the client side and hiding the encryption keys from the server. Without explicit permission and configuration, even database administrators cannot read the information stored in an encrypted column. This is obviously a significant step forward in security and allows users to confidently store information knowing only they control who can see it, whether it is in the cloud or on-premise.