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  • Generalist Languages: Dying or Alive and Well?

    - by dsimcha
    Around here, it seems like there's somewhat of a consensus that generalist programming languages (that try to be good at everything, support multiple paradigms, support both very high- and very low-level programming), etc. are a bad idea, and that it's better to pick the right tool for the job and use lots of different languages. I see three major areas where this is flawed: Interfacing multiple languages is always at least a source of friction and is sometimes practically impossible. How severe a problem this is depends on how fine-grained the interfacing is. Near the boundary between the two languages, though, you're basically limited to the intersection of their features, and you have to care about things like binary interfaces that you usually wouldn't. Passing complex data structures (i.e. not just primitives and arrays of primitives) between languages is almost always a hassle. Furthermore, shifting between different syntaxes, different conventions, etc. can be confusing and annoying, though this is a fairly minor complaint. Requirements are never set in stone. I hate picking a language thinking it's the right tool for the job, then realizing that, when some new requirement surfaces, it's actually a terrible choice for that requirement. This has happened to me several times before, usually when working with languages that are very slow, very domain specific and/or has very poor concurrency/parallelism support. When you program in a language for a while, you start to build up a personal toolbox of small utility functions/classes/programs. The value of these goes drastically down if you're forced to use a different language than the one you've accumulated all this code in. What am I missing here? Why shouldn't more focus be placed on generalist languages? Are generalist languages as a category dying or alive and well?

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  • Should a stack trace be in the error message presented to the user?

    - by Vilx-
    I've got a bit of an argument at my workplace and I'm trying to figure out who is right, and what is the right thing to do. Context: an intranet web application that our customers use for accounting and other ERP stuff. I'm of the opinion that an error message presented to the user (when things crash) should include as much information as possible, including the stack trace. Of course, it has to start with a nice "An Error has occurred, please submit the below information to the developers" in large, friendly letters. My reasoning is that a screenshot of the crashed application will often be the only easily available source of information. Sure, you can try to get a hold of the client's systems administrator(s), attempt to explain where your log files are, etc, but that will probably be slow and painful (talking to the client representatives mostly is). Also, having an immediate and full information is extremely useful in development, where you don't have to go hunting through the log files to find what you need on every exception. (But that could be solved with a configuration switch.) Unfortunately there has been some kind of "Security audit" (no idea how they did that without the sources... but whatever), and they complained about the full exception messages citing them as a security threat. Naturally, the clients (at least one that I know of) has taken this at face value and now demands that the messages be cleaned. I fail to see how a potential attacker could use a stack trace to figure anything out he couldn't have figured out before. Are there any examples, any documented proof of anyone ever doing that? I think that we should fight this foolish idea, but perhaps I'm the fool here, so... Who's right?

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  • so, my Cassandra consultant left me and now I'm thinking about reverting to mysql

    - by sathia
    I run a middle size community and some time ago I started to develop social capabilities such as follow, status update, wall etc. For some reason i thought that Cassandra was the right tool for the job so I looked online for a Cassandra developer and I found a very talented one. Unluckily in the midst of the development the dev left (too much jobs) and so I'm here with a very nice class, a very nice demo, but a lot of fears that I won't be able to handle basic things such as compaction, scaling etc. My biggest fear is to go online with all this coolness and then having a site inaccessible for hours or days. The mysql consultant (very talented too) keeps saying me that I should stick with Mysql which I know rather well and in case something's wrong we can manage. In that case I should take the class made for cassandra and abstract it for Mysql. My question is this: Should I find another dev/consultant and stick with Cassandra because for social things it is definitely the best tool for the job, or should I listen to the Mysql consultant and revert to Mysql? About 15k login each day Average 20 actions per user Avg 6 followers x user (These are current statistics, but of course I'd like to increase them as much as possible.)

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  • There is No Scrum without Agile

    - by John K. Hines
    It's been interesting for me to dive a little deeper into Scrum after realizing how fragile its adoption can be.  I've been particularly impressed with James Shore's essay "Kaizen and Kaikaku" and the Net Objectives post "There are Better Alternatives to Scrum" by Alan Shalloway.  The bottom line: You can't execute Scrum well without being Agile. Personally, I'm the rare developer who has an interest in project management.  I think the methodology to deliver software is interesting, and that there are many roles whose job exists to make software development easier.  As a project lead I've seen Scrum deliver for disciplined, highly motivated teams with solid engineering practices.  It definitely made my job an order of magnitude easier.  As a developer I've experienced huge rewards from having a well-defined pipeline of tasks that were consistently delivered with high quality in short iterations.  In both of these cases Scrum was an addition to a fundamentally solid process and a huge benefit to the team. The question I'm now facing is how Scrum fits into organizations withot solid engineering practices.  The trend that concerns me is one of Scrum being mandated as the single development process across teams where it may not apply.  And we have to realize that Scurm itself isn't even a development process.  This is what worries me the most - the assumption that Scrum on its own increases developer efficiency when it is essentially an exercise in project management. Jim's essay quotes Tobias Mayer writing, "Scrum is a framework for surfacing organizational dysfunction."  I'm unsure whether a Vice President of Software Development wants to hear that, reality nonwithstanding.  Our Scrum adoption has surfaced a great deal of dysfunction, but I feel the original assumption was that we would experience increased efficiency.  It's starting to feel like a blended approach - Agile/XP techniques for developers, Scrum for project managers - may be a better fit.  Or at least, a better way of framing the conversation. The blended approach. Technorati tags: Agile Scrum

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  • Remote Working & Relocation

    - by James Burgess
    Sorry if this question is a duplicate, I did some extensive searching and found nothing on quite the same topic (though a couple on partially-overlapping topics). Recently, whilst on holiday in Munich, Germany, I was taken aback by the sheer number of programming-related posts available in the city that I easily qualify for (both in terms of knowledge, and experience). The advertised working environments seemed good and the pay seemed to be at least as good as what I'd expect here in the UK. Probably 80% of the advertisements I saw on the underground were for IT-related jobs, and a good 60% of those I was easily qualified for. At the moment, I work as a freelancer mostly on web and small software projects, but seeing the vast availability of jobs in Munich versus my local area has me thinking about remote working. I'm unable to relocate for a job for the next 3 years (my wife has a contract to continue being a doctor at her current hospital for that time) but would almost certainly be open to it after that (after all, my wife and I both love Munich). In the meanwhile, I would be very interested in remote-working. So, my question is thus do companies ever take on remote workers (even with semi-frequent trips to the office) from abroad, with a view to later relocation? And, if so, how do you go about broaching the topic with a recruiter when getting in contact about a job posting? Language isn't a barrier for me, here, as 90% of the jobs I've looked up in Munich don't require German speakers (seems they have a big recruiting market abroad). I'm also under no illusions about the disadvantages of remote working, but I'm more interested in the viability of the scenario rather than the intricacies (at least at this point). I'd really appreciate any contributions, especially from those who have experience with working in such a scenario!

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  • Cleaning your BizTalk Build Server

    - by Michael Stephenson
    Just a little note for myself this one.At one of my customers where it is still BizTalk 2006 one of the build servers is intermittently getting issues so I wanted to run a script periodically to clean things up a little.  The below script is an example of how you can stop cruise control and all of the biztalk services, then clean the biztalk databases and reset the backup process and then click everything off again.This should keep the server a little cleaner and reduce the number of builds that occasionally fail for adhoc environmental issues.REM Server Clean ScriptREM =================== REM This script is ran to move the build server back to a clean state echo Stop Cruise Controlnet stop CCService echo Stop IISiisreset /stop echo Stop BizTalk Servicesnet stop BTSSvc$<Name of BizTalk Host><Repeat for other BizTalk services> echo Stop SSOnet stop ENTSSO echo Stop SQL Job Agentnet stop SQLSERVERAGENT echo Clean Message Boxsqlcmd -E -d BizTalkMsgBoxDB -Q "Exec bts_CleanupMsgbox"sqlcmd -E -d BizTalkMsgBoxDB -Q "Exec bts_PurgeSubscriptions"  echo Clean Tracking Databasesqlcmd -E -d BizTalkDTADb -Q "Exec dtasp_CleanHMData" echo Reset TDDS Stream Statussqlcmd -E -d BizTalkDTADb -Q "Update TDDS_StreamStatus Set lastSeqNum = 0" echo Force Full Backupsqlcmd -E -d BizTalkMgmtDB -Q "Exec sp_ForceFullBackup" echo Clean Backup Directorydel E:\BtsBackups\*.* /q  echo Start SSOnet start ENTSSO echo Start SQL Job Agentnet start SQLSERVERAGENT echo Start BizTalk Servicesnet start BTSSvc$<Name of BizTalk Host><Repeat for other BizTalk services> echo Start IISiisreset /start echo Start Cruise Controlnet start CCService

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  • A (slight) Change of Focus

    - by StuartBrierley
    When I started this blog in September 2009 I was working as a BizTalk developer for a financial institution based in the South West of England.  At the time I was developing using BizTalk Server 2004 and intended to use my blog to collate and share any useful information and experiences that I had using this version of BizTalk (and occasionally other technologies) in an effort to bring together as many useful details as I could in one place. Since then my circumstances have changed and I am no longer working in the financial industry using BizTalk 2004.  Instead I have recently started a new post in the logistics industry, in the North of England, as "IT Integration Manager".  The company I now work for has identified a need to boost their middleware/integration platform and have chosen BizTalk Server 2009 as their platform of choice; this is where I come in. To start with my role is to provide the expertise with BizTalk that they currently lack, design and direct the initial BizTalk 2009 implementation and act as lead developer on all pending BizTalk projects.  Following this it is my hope that we will be able to build on the initial BizTalk "proof of concept" and eventually implement a fully robust enterprise level BizTalk 2009 environment. As such, this blog is going to see a shift in focus from BizTalk 2004 to BizTalk 2009 and at least initially is likely to include posts on the design and installation of our BizTalk environment - assuming of course that I have the time to write them! The last post I made was the start of a chapter by chapter look at the book SOA Patterns with BizTalk Server 2009.  Due to my change of job I am currently "paused" half way through this book, and my lack of posts on the subject are directly as a result of the job move and the pending relocation of my family.  I am hoping to write about my overall opinion of this book sometime soon; so far it certainly looks like it will be a positive one. Thanks for reading; I'm off to manage some integration.

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  • Ugly Boot Screen after upgrading to 12.10

    - by Sir Linuxalot
    Is there a way to change the ugly boot screen in 12.10? It seems to have rolled back to that 8-bit blocky looking thing with tiny orange dots underneath. It then breaks into process code under that, and it looks ghastly. I've read some tutorials on getting Plymouth to do some neat things, but they were for older versions of Ubuntu. I'm running a GeForce GTX 460 if that matters. Any help would be appreciated. Update: I've noticed/found a couple of things. The upgrade on my laptop didn't do this. It still uses the "normal" Ubuntu boot logo (using Plymouth, I assume). So, something is off with my desktop. And, I found and installed Super Boot Manager to see if that would help. With that, I enabled Plymouth and added a new theme, but the machine still boots with the block-ugly logo. Finally, I messed around with Grub on boot and added "nomodeset" after "quiet splash" and added it while deleting "quiet splash." None of these solutions worked. I'll keep hunting...

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  • Are these company terms good for a programmer or should I move?

    - by o_O
    Here are some of the terms and conditions set forward by my employer. Does these make sense for a job like programming? No freelancing in any way even in your free time outside company work hours (may be okay. May be they wanted their employees to be fully concentrating on their full time job. Also they don't want their employees to do similar work for a competing client. Completely rational in that sense). - So sort of agreed. Any thing you develop like ideas, design, code etc while I'm employed there, makes them the owner of that. Seriously? Don't you think that its bad (for me)? If I'm to develop something in my free time (by cutting down sleep and hard working), outside the company time and resource, is that claim rational? I heard that Steve Wozniak had such a contract while he was working at HP. But that sort of hardware design and also those companies pay well, when compared to the peanuts I get. No other kind of works allowed. Means no open source stuffs. Fully dedicated to being a puppet for the employer, though the working environment is sort of okay. According to my assessment this place would score a 10/12 in Joel's test. So are these terms okay especially considering the fact that I'm underpaid with peanuts?

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  • Are R&D mini-projects a good activity for interns?

    - by dukeofgaming
    I'm going to be in charge of hiring some interns for our software department soon (automotive infotainment systems) and I'm designing an internship program. The main productive activity "menu" I'm planning for them consists of: Verification testing Writing Unit Tests (automated, with an xUnit-compliant framework [several languages in our projects]) Documenting Code Updating wiki Updating diagrams & design docs Helping with low priority tickets (supervised/mentored) Hunting down & cleaning compiler/run-time warnings Refactoring/cleaning code against our coding standards But I also have this idea that having them do small R&D projects would be good to test their talent and get them to have fun. These mini-projects would be: Experimental implementations & optimizations Proof of concept implementations for new technologies Small papers (~2-5 pages) doing formal research on the previous two points Apps (from a mini-project pool) These kinds of projects would be pre-defined and very concrete, although new ideas from the interns themselves would be very welcome. Even if a project is too big or is abandoned, the idea would also be to lay the ground work so they can be retaken by another intern or intern team. While I think this is good in concept, I don't know if it could be good in practice, as obviously this would diminish their productivity on "real work" (work with immediate value to the company), but I think it could help bring aboard very bright people and get them to want to stay in the future (which, I think, is the end goal for any internship program). My question here is if these activities are too open ended or difficult for the average intern to accomplish and if R&D is an efficient use of an interns time or if it makes more sense for to assign project work to interns instead.

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  • Are your personal insecurities screwing up your internal communications?

    - by Lucy Boyes
    I do some internal comms as part of my job. Quite a lot of it involves talking to people about stuff. I’m spending the next couple of weeks talking to lots of people about internal comms itself, because we haven’t done a lot of audience/user feedback gathering, and it turns out that if you talk to people about how they feel and what they think, you get some pretty interesting insights (and an idea of what to do next that isn’t just based on guesswork and generalising from self). Three things keep coming up from talking to people about what we suck at  in terms of internal comms. And, as far as I can tell, they’re all examples where personal insecurity on the part of the person doing the communicating makes the experience much worse for the people on the receiving end. 1. Spending time telling people how you’re going to do something, not what you’re doing and why Imagine you’ve got to give an update to a lot of people who don’t work in your area or department but do have an interest in what you’re doing (either because they want to know because they’re curious or because they need to know because it’s going to affect their work too). You don’t want to look bad at your job. You want to make them think you’ve got it covered – ideally because you do*. And you want to reassure them that there’s lots of exciting work going on in your area to make [insert thing of choice] happen to [insert thing of choice] so that [insert group of people] will be happy. That’s great! You’re doing a good job and you want to tell people about it. This is good comms stuff right here. However, you’re slightly afraid you might secretly be stupid or lazy or incompetent. And you’re exponentially more afraid that the people you’re talking to might think you’re stupid or lazy or incompetent. Or pointless. Or not-adding-value. Or whatever the thing that’s the worst possible thing to be in your company is. So you open by mentioning all the stuff you’re going to do, spending five minutes or so making sure that everyone knows that you’re DOING lots of STUFF. And the you talk for the rest of the time about HOW you’re going to do the stuff, because that way everyone will know that you’ve thought about this really hard and done tons of planning and had lots of great ideas about process and that you’ve got this one down. That’s the stuff you’ve got to say, right? To prove you’re not fundamentally worthless as a human being? Well, maybe. But probably not. See, the people who need to know how you’re going to do the stuff are the people doing the stuff. And those are the people in your area who you’ve (hopefully-please-for-the-love-of-everything-holy) already talked to in depth about how you’re going to do the thing (because else how could they help do it?). They are the only people who need to know the how**. It’s the difference between strategy and tactics. The people outside of your bubble of stuff-doing need to know the strategy – what it is that you’re doing, why, where you’re going with it, etc. The people on the ground with you need the strategy and the tactics, because else they won’t know how to do the stuff. But the outside people don’t really need the tactics at all. Don’t bother with the how unless your audience needs it. They probably don’t. It might make you feel better about yourself, but it’s much more likely that Bob and Jane are thinking about how long this meeting has gone on for already than how personally impressive and definitely-not-an-idiot you are for knowing how you’re going to do some work. Feeling marginally better about yourself (but, let’s face it, still insecure as heck) is not worth the cost, which in this case is the alienation of your audience. 2. Talking for too long about stuff This is kinda the same problem as the previous problem, only much less specific, and I’ve more or less covered why it’s bad already. Basic motivation: to make people think you’re not an idiot. What you do: talk for a very long time about what you’re doing so as to make it sound like you know what you’re doing and lots about it. What your audience wants: the shortest meaningful update. Some of this is a kill your darlings problem – the stuff you’re doing that seems really nifty to you seems really nifty to you, and thus you want to share it with everyone to show that you’re a smart person who thinks up nifty things to do. The downside to this is that it’s mostly only interesting to you – if other people don’t need to know, they likely also don’t care. Think about how you feel when someone is talking a lot to you about a lot of stuff that they’re doing which is at best tangentially interesting and/or relevant. You’re probably not thinking that they’re really smart and clearly know what they’re doing (unless they’re talking a lot and being really engaging about it, which is not the same as talking a lot). You’re probably thinking about something totally unrelated to the thing they’re talking about. Or the fact that you’re bored. You might even – and this is the opposite of what they’re hoping to achieve by talking a lot about stuff – be thinking they’re kind of an idiot. There’s another huge advantage to paring down what you’re trying to say to the barest possible points – it clarifies your thinking. The lightning talk format, as well as other formats which limit the time and/or number of slides you have to say a thing, are really good for doing this. It’s incredibly likely that your audience in this case (the people who need to know some things about your thing but not all the things about your thing) will get everything they need to know from five minutes of you talking about it, especially if trying to condense ALL THE THINGS into a five-minute talk has helped you get clear in your own mind what you’re doing, what you’re trying to say about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. The bonus of this is that by being clear in your thoughts and in what you say, and in not taking up lots of people’s time to tell them stuff they don’t really need to know, you actually come across as much, much smarter than the person who talks for half an hour or more about things that are semi-relevant at best. 3. Waiting until you’ve got every detail sorted before announcing a big change to the people affected by it This is the worst crime on the list. It’s also human nature. Announcing uncertainty – that something important is going to happen (big reorganisation, product getting canned, etc.) but you’re not quite sure what or when or how yet – is scary. There are risks to it. Uncertainty makes people anxious. It might even paralyse them. You can’t run a business while you’re figuring out what to do if you’ve paralysed everyone with fear over what the future might bring. And you’re scared that they might think you’re not the right person to be in charge of [thing] if you don’t even know what you’re doing with it. Best not to say anything until you know exactly what’s going to happen and you can reassure them all, right? Nope. The people who are going to be affected by whatever it is that you don’t quite know all the details of yet aren’t stupid***. You wouldn’t have hired them if they were. They know something’s up because you’ve got your guilty face on and you keep pulling people into meeting rooms and looking vaguely worried. Here’s the deal: it’s a lot less stressful for everyone (including you) if you’re up front from the beginning. We took this approach during a recent company-wide reorganisation and got really positive feedback. People would much, much rather be told that something is going to happen but you’re not entirely sure what it is yet than have you wait until it’s all fixed up and then fait accompli the heck out of them. They will tell you this themselves if you ask them. And here’s why: by waiting until you know exactly what’s going on to communicate, you remove any agency that the people that the thing is going to happen to might otherwise have had. I know you’re scared that they might get scared – and that’s natural and kind of admirable – but it’s also patronising and infantilising. Ask someone whether they’d rather work on a project which has an openly uncertain future from the beginning, or one where everything’s great until it gets shut down with no forewarning, and very few people are going to tell you they’d prefer the latter. Uncertainty is humanising. It’s you admitting that you don’t have all the answers, which is great, because no one does. It allows you to be consultative – you can actually ask other people what they think and how they feel and what they’d like to do and what they think you should do, and they’ll thank you for it and feel listened to and respected as people and colleagues. Which is a really good reason to start talking to them about what’s going on as soon as you know something’s going on yourself. All of the above assumes you actually care about talking to the people who work with you and for you, and that you’d like to do the right thing by them. If that’s not the case, you can cheerfully disregard the advice here, but if it is, you might want to think about the ways above – and the inevitable countless other ways – that making internal communication about you and not about your audience could actually be doing the people you’re trying to communicate with a huge disservice. So take a deep breath and talk. For five minutes or so. About the important things. Not the other things. As soon as you possibly can. And you’ll be fine.   *Of course you do. You’re good at your job. Don’t worry. **This might not always be true, but it is most of the time. Other people who need to know the how will either be people who you’ve already identified as needing-to-know and thus part of the same set as the people in you’re area you’ve already discussed this with, or else they’ll ask you. But don’t bring this stuff up unless someone asks for it, because most of the people in the audience really don’t care and you’re wasting their time. ***I mean, they might be. But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they’re not.

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  • What are the options for retraining formally as a software engineer?

    - by Matt Harrison
    I'm a self-taught programmer. I have a good undergraduate degree in Architecture (building, not software). I was always a science/maths kid and got consistency good grades in these subjects. However I became indecisive at undergraduate level and switched between Physics, Chemistry, Art and finally stuck with Architecture mainly out of the desperate need to finish any degree. As soon as I graduated, I ditched architecture and started writing code again professionally. I've been a programmer now for 3 years and I've progressed very quickly. I'm ambitious and I want to work for the top companies in this field at some point and I've realised I need a Computer Science education to be taken seriously (based on job ads for the big tech firms). I've applied for a few MSc programs in Computer Science but they've all rejected me because of my BA. It's just not an option for me to quit my job and go back and do another 3 year undergraduate degree in CS. I know I can study at this level because I've read most of the books on the reading lists for CS courses in the UK that I can find and I have this knowledge now, it's just I can't prove it on an application form. What options are available to me?

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  • You are or will be a laid off programmer - what do you do a year ago, right now, tomorrow, and next week?

    - by Adam Davis
    Many programmers, software engineers, and other technology professionals are out of work, facing layoffs, or are unprepared for layoffs though they feel secure right now. What should every programmer do right now (even if secure in their current job) to prepare them for layoffs down the road? If your boss came to your cubicle while you read this and laid you off: What would you do immediately after? What would you do tomorrow? What would you do next week? It obvious that one should always have an up to date resume, always get recommendations from people when they see you at your best (not when you're looking for a new job), etc. What are the things, step by step, that every programmer should do (or should consider doing) long before they are laid off, when they're laid off, and shortly after being laid off? This is a question with many possible facets. While I want to encourage discussion to center around programming career based answers, please reconsider before downvoting someone because they're thinking in terms of how they're going to prevent going into debt. Bonus catch-22 type question: You can study a new language or technology while out of work, but most places want you to have more than 1-2 months experience in a working environment, not just from a learning exercise. Is it worthwhile to place a priority on new (ideally in demand) skills, or should you instead hone existing skills?

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  • How to monetize and protect a engine's and its framework's copyrights and patents?

    - by Arthur Wulf White
    I created a game engine that handles: Rendering levels with 2d textured curved surfaces Collisions with curved surfaces Animationn paths on and navigation in 2d-sapce I have also made a framework for: Procedural organic level generation with round surfaces Level editing Light weight sprite design The engine and framework are written in AS3 and I am in the process of translating the code into HaXe to better support other platforms. I am also interested in adding Animated curved platforms More advanced level editing features Currently, I have a part time job and any time I spend on this engine is either taken out of my limited free time (I'm a student working to support myself through school) or out my time working at my job. I really believe this engine can make life much easier for people designing Tower Defence games, Shooters and and Platformers while also possibly improving their results. It could also support RTS, RPGs and racing games very well. It continains original algorithms that could be used for procedural generation of organic round and smooth levels. The algorithms I used are new and are not available in any other level editor I've seen. In order to constantly improve the Engine and have it tested thoroughly I think the best route is releasing it to the public. What are the best ways to benefit myself and others with my new framework? I want to have some lisence, allowing me to share the framework and still benefit from it. Any advice would be appreciated. This issue has been on my mind a lot this year. I am hoping to find a solution that will bring me some relief. I am thinking of designing three sample games, releasing them and starting a kickstarter, any advice and thoughts on the matter would be valuable. My goal is like Markus von Broady suggested, to get people involved in developing the engine and let people use it for games for either a symbolic fee or for free and charge for support. That or use some form of croud sourcing. Do I need to hire a lawyer to get some sort of legal document to protect my work?

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  • Software vs Network Engineer (Salary, Difficulty, Learning, Happiness)

    - by B Z
    What are your thoughts on being a Software Engineer vs a Network Engineer? I've been on the software field for almost 10 years now and although I still have a great deal of fun (and challenges), I am starting to think it could be better on the "other" side. Not to degrade network engineers (i know there are many great ones out there), it seems (in general) their job is easier, the learning curve from average to good is not as steep, job is less stressful and pay is better on average. I think as software developer I could make the switch to networking and still enjoy working with computers and feel productive. I spend an enormous amount of time learning about software, practices, new technologies, new patters, etc...I think I could spend a much smaller amount of time learning about networking and be just as "good". What are your thoughts? EDIT: This is not about making easy money. Networking and Software are closely related, I love computers and programming, but if I can work with both, make more money and have less stress in my life and can spend more time with my family, then I am willing to consider a change and hence I am looking for advice that Do or Don't support this view.

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  • How should I describe the process of learning someone else's code? (In an invoicing situation.)

    - by MattyG
    I have a contract to upgrade some in-house software for a large company. The company has requested multiple feature additions and a few bug fixes. This is my first freelance style job. First, I needed to become familiar with how the application worked - I learnt it as if I was a user. Next, I had to learn how the software worked. I started with broad concepts, and then narrowed down into necessary detail before working on each bug fix and feature. At least at the start of the project, it took me a lot longer to learn the existing code than it did to write the additional features. How can I describe the process of learning the existing code on the invoice? (This part of the company usually does things in-house, so doesn't have much experience dealing with software contractors like me, and I fear they may not understand the overhead of learning someone else's code). I don't want to just tack the learning time onto the actual feature upgrade, because in some cases this would make a 'simple task' look like it took me way too long. I want break the invoice into relevant steps, and communicate that I'm charging for the large overhead of learning someone else's code before being able to add my own to it. Is there a standard way of describing this sort of activity when billing for a job?

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  • What should I do when my team leader is unfair for no reason? [closed]

    - by crucified soul
    I'm a new software developer and this is my first job. It's a startup and the CEO and the working environment is just great. I work really hard and I believe that I also do my job well. But recently, I have felt like my team leader is being unfair to me for no reason. It appears that he is nice to my co-workers, but not me. I figure he is mad at me, but I didn't bother to find out why. I really love this company and I really love working there. But if my team leader continues to be unfair then I have no option other than leaving. How can I fix this? EDIT: The other day he called me into his office and wanted to see my work in the afternoon (Yes, in my country, at summer season after 5PM is afternoon. My office begins at 8AM. And I'm not saying I've problems to work after 5PM). At the time I was facing a weird runtime error and I was pretty tired. I explained the situation to him. Then he found a small logical error in my code and asked me why I didn't fix this. I told him I was trying to resolve this runtime error and that I was sure that this logical error had nothing to do with the runtime error. He then proceeded to yell at me. After fixing the logical error that runtime error was still there. This is not the only occasion he has been unfair to me. I'm saying is being unfair because he doesn't do this kind of thing to other developers when they do really silly mistakes.

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  • Is it better to specialize in a single field I like, or expand into other fields to broaden my horizons?

    - by Oak
    This is a dilemma about which I have been thinking for quite a while. I'm a graduate student and my topics of interest are programming language design, code analysis, compilation, etc. So far, this field has been very interesting and rewarding for me, so I was thinking about finding a job in that field and continuing to specialize in it. I feel like it's a relatively solid field which won't "get out of style" anytime soon. I've always thought that in such complex fields it's better to be a real expert than just another guy who superficially understand what the experts are talking about. On the other hand, I feel that by specializing this way I really limit my future option. I have always been a strong believer in multidisciplinary approaches to problems. Maybe I should go search for a general programming job in which I could gain experience in other fields, as well as occasionally apply my favorite field for solving problems. Specializing in only one or two fields can prevent me from thinking outside the box and cause stagnation. I would really like to hear more opinions about this choice. The truth is I'm already leaning towards one of the choices, so basic psychology says nothing will change my mind, but I would still love to hear some feedback.

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  • Scripting language for filling out web form

    - by ityler22
    I have a job as an intern at a technology company, I was given the unfortunate job of performing some data entry into our web management system. The information entered into the web form is stored in a MySQL DB. Upon receiving the data I realized I would have to submit this online form about 1000 different times all consisting of about 10 different text fields / check boxes per form. (So in other words, would be completely mind numbing and be a ridiculous waste of time and resources, or so I thought...) Having used databases a good bit prior to this, my immediate reaction was to just write a short MySQL script to bulk import all of the data, especially since it was already presented to me in an excel spreadsheet ready to go. Thought it may have been some sort of a test since it seemed too obvious. I wrote the script which consisted of about 10 lines of code but was then informed I couldn't be trusted with MySQL Admin privileges to run said script. So my next thought would be to write a script to just enter the information through the web form (Which will take ten times longer but it's what I have to) Being unfamiliar with scripting of this nature (seems like I would need something similar to a bot, but the good kind) I was unsure of how to proceed to do this. Is there a preferred language to use to enter the data i have into the web form I do have access to? I'm not particularly looking for this to be done for me by any means just a nice point in the right direction as far as what scripting language to use and how to pair that with the data I have that needs to be entered. Thanks for the help/ valuable input! EDIT: Is there a way to perform this using perl without having access to place any files on the server? Would I be able to run some Javascript loops to pull the data out of .csv or just a .txt format with line delimiters and insert it into the web form?

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  • How to effectively design a piece of software

    - by ti83plus
    Im a compsci student and ive got some experience in various languages and paradigms c/java/python/ruby/html/css/scheme/sql/asp(classic). I realise that i want to have some software in my portfolio for future job hunting even tho i still have 2 years left of my education. Ive got a pretty good idea of what i want to make, its a webapp. Most shops around here are either .net or java and since i know java best and dont have access to ms developer tools im thinking i should go with java. Even tho i feel i know the principles of OOP pretty good ive got no clue how to go from my idea to a working solution. Where can i access information about designing the underlying architechture of my solution? Also i would like to know what other technologies i should train on, my current list includes javascript(and possibly a javascript library) some sort of java web framework tips are appreciated. I would like to add support for android/iphone apps in the future and this is something i have to take into account when designing the app. I have done a course on software engineering but i found this to be more centered around project management ideas then the actual design and implementation. So i would like tips on technologies i should focus on to get the most out of my time without the massive overhead of huge config processes but at the same time keep my project viable in a business sense, so that i use technologies that are relevant for business (java developer jobs). And i would also like tips on where i can learn more about the design process around a software project, i will be working mostly alone. But i find the approach ive used up until now (start coding and figure it out as you go) wont suffice.

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  • How to stay creative when going through tough emotional times (divorce, family death, etc)? [closed]

    - by gaearon
    Hi everyone. I believe this is not a duplicate of motivation question because I want to especially emphasize the emotional breakdown. You may conquer lack of motivation by working harder and getting through the dip, however this was not the case when I was separating with my girlfriend. I actually liked the project, it was (and it still is!) my first programming job at an amazing workplace and I wasn't being pressured in any way but I found myself absolutely unable to code, blankly staring at the screen, my thoughts disorganized, the feeling of emptiness all in my chest. I could perform some straightforward coding but anything that involves creative thinking, designing abstractions, solving new problems and, worst of all, fixing bugs in legacy code, completely wiped out my brain to the point I started avoiding work, which I never have done before. Coffee only used to make it worse. Eventually I got over that, and I remember the happy day I solved a problem elegantly and thought—hell, first time in a month! Thankfully the project wasn't top priority and I had the time to catch up. I wonder now, was there any other way to boost my productivity back then? I bet people would say I should've taken a break—and I think I really should have—but what if I needed the money? Didn't want to lose my job? Are there any ways to trick your brain into being creative despite emotional losses? From your experience, would it be worth talking to my boss, collegues?

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  • SSIS Catalog: How to use environment in every type of package execution

    - by Kevin Shyr
    Here is a good blog on how to create a SSIS Catalog and setting up environments.  http://sqlblog.com/blogs/jamie_thomson/archive/2010/11/13/ssis-server-catalogs-environments-environment-variables-in-ssis-in-denali.aspx Here I will summarize 3 ways I know so far to execute a package while using variables set up in SSIS Catalog environment. First way, we have SSIS project having reference to environment, and having one of the project parameter using a value set up in the environment called "Development".  With this set up, you are limited to calling the packages by right-clicking on the packages in the SSIS catalog list and select Execute, but you are free to choose absolute or relative path of the environment. The following screenshot shows the 2 available paths to your SSIS environments.  Personally, I use absolute path because of Option 3, just to keep everything simple for myself. The second option is to call through SQL Job.  This does require you to configure your project to already reference an environment and use its variable.  When a job step is set up, the configuration part will require you to select that reference again.  This is more useful when you want to automate the same package that needs to be run in different environments. The third option is the most important to me as I have a SSIS framework that calls hundreds of packages.  The main part of the stored procedure is in this post (http://geekswithblogs.net/LifeLongTechie/archive/2012/11/14/time-to-stop-using-ldquoexecute-package-taskrdquondash-a-way-to.aspx).  But the top part had to be modified to include the logic to use environment reference. CREATE PROCEDURE [AUDIT].[LaunchPackageExecutionInSSISCatalog] @PackageName NVARCHAR(255) , @ProjectFolder NVARCHAR(255) , @ProjectName NVARCHAR(255) , @AuditKey INT , @DisableNotification BIT , @PackageExecutionLogID INT , @EnvironmentName NVARCHAR(128) = NULL , @Use32BitRunTime BIT = FALSE AS BEGIN TRY DECLARE @execution_id BIGINT = 0; -- Create a package execution IF @EnvironmentName IS NULL BEGIN   EXEC [SSISDB].[catalog].[create_execution]     @package_name=@PackageName,     @execution_id=@execution_id OUTPUT,     @folder_name=@ProjectFolder,     @project_name=@ProjectName,     @use32bitruntime=@Use32BitRunTime; END ELSE BEGIN   DECLARE @EnvironmentID AS INT   SELECT @EnvironmentID = [reference_id]    FROM SSISDB.[internal].[environment_references] WITH(NOLOCK)    WHERE [environment_name] = @EnvironmentName     AND [environment_folder_name] = @ProjectFolder      EXEC [SSISDB].[catalog].[create_execution]     @package_name=@PackageName,     @execution_id=@execution_id OUTPUT,     @folder_name=@ProjectFolder,     @project_name=@ProjectName,     @reference_id=@EnvironmentID,     @use32bitruntime=@Use32BitRunTime; END

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  • How to start and maintain an after-work project

    - by Sam
    I work as a full time developer. My workplace, however, is very limiting in the technologies and programming languages I can use. All of the work is done in C++. It is clear that C++ is rapidly losing (or maybe already lost) its leading position. (please don't flame me, I have years and years of C++ experience, and I love this language, I am merely stating a fact). I have a few ideas for java/android projects as well as a project I would like to implement in C#. I see this as a way for me to stay current with the job market's trends and I hope that it will help me find my next job in a more up to date area. So here's the problem, my normal workday is 10-11 hours, after finishing with the kids and house chores I get about 1-2.5 hours before I am too tired to think much less code. at that point I am going to bed frustrated, disappointed with myself for not being able to stick with my plans, and then I wake up the next morning to do it all again. I have a few hours more during the weekends but clearly I would need to do something different if I want to reach any of my goals. Is there any way for me to make better use of the time I have? Did any of you guys have a similar problem, and had succefully resolved it?

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  • What should I recommend a small company looking for C# developers

    - by Coder
    Here is the issue. I am a senior developer, and one of the start-ups I designed the system (management system/database/web) a long time ago, have grown and need software updates. I have left their system to another developer long time ago, but apparently he has left the job, and so they are asking me if I can suggest them where to find a new one. The problem is that the company has no clue that the IT is not cheap. They expect multiple features to be added for 40$, so that's an issue. Actually one of the reasons why I left the project when I did. Lots of expectations, little pay, also I know those people outside work, so I decided to avoided stressing the nonwork-relationships and left the project gracefully. Today they asked me for an advice, and I told them that the feature list they want is probably going to cost some if they'll get a senior developer for the job. So I guess their best bet is to find someone who loves coding and has just finished the school. Which would give someone a chance to code for money which is good for a student, and at the same time, allow the student to get some hands on experience. Then again, the system is not exactly 20 line console program, there is an MSSQL database, ASP.NET web page and content management system with all the AJAX stuff and some other things. So student straight out of school could have some problems with that. But, I thought about the issue some more, and I think that junior developer is a tricky deal, without mentoring, he can either screw up royally, or just do what's asked. Also, it seems no one is coming to interviews at all, which is weird, or maybe not. What should I suggest them?

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  • Still Alive&hellip;

    - by MOSSLover
    As Glados would say at the end of Portal “I’m still alive…”.  I am around, but I’m just not posting as frequently as I should.  I am trying to get acclimated to my new job, planning SharePoint Saturday New York City and Women in SharePoint plus trying to lead a normal life doing normal chores and hang out with my boyfriend.  What does this mean?  Well I’m trying to cut back to one or two events a month, which will include Heartland Developer Conference, Best Practices Conference, SPS Ozarks, SPS NYC (not speaking, running), and maybe SPS Denver and/or SPS East Bay.  So with the new job acclimation the blog suffers and twitter is getting less loven.  I’m only posting on twitter at night.  I will try to blog when I can as I see more 2010 and 2007 things that I find interesting to share.  I guess when you are a new employee you try to figure out what’s going on the first few months.  It’s really hard to post on SharePoint issue while that happens.  I’m really sorry guys and I will try harder to post at least a couple times a month (and maybe moderate comments  slightly better).  I hope that you all have a good weekend.

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