develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Positive Point-Of-View

Open Source Software and Tools- A Positive Look

Open Source software is a staple in most modern careers.  One reason is that there are essential pros to using it.  Some developers would even argue that it is hard to find negatives with this approach.  Love it or hate it, Open Source is here to stay.  There are too many languages, frameworks, libraries, and tools that fall under this umbrella to ignore them. Removing Barriers To Entry The free factor of many open source tools and products has opened up development to a greater audience.  This push has even driven traditional software houses like Oracle and Microsoft to offer “free,” trial, or developer versions of their tools.  We have seen the developer community grow at a rapid pace over... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Positive Point-Of-View

Technology Changes – Using It To Your Advantage

Technology changes at a fast rate.  It might even seem like that speed is increasing every year.  This speed of change can be daunting to those that want to “stay current.”  It requires us to spend hours every week consuming content and working on new skills or with new tools.  While this situation can often be viewed as a negative, there are many positives we can find in these challenges. Steady Improvement The most impactful positive of technology changes and advances is in the area of productivity.  Not every new version or tool is a step forward.  However, most of them are.  These enhancements build over time and have made life in the IT world much better than it was... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Positive Point-Of-View

Testing Challenges – Teach More Than Quality

We will look at a number of obstacles during this season.  The testing challenges that are part of quality assurance can be daunting for developers.  However, there are invaluable lessons learned.  We will see how testing teaches us about our solution and goes beyond its promise of quality improvements.  You might even find a new product based on what testing teaches. A New View One of the most valuable outcomes from these testing challenges is a new view of our solution.  When we test we are forced to go beyond the “happy path” that we normally take.  Developers can get very myopic in their view of the solution and how to use it.  This is not a knock against developers. ... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Positive Point-Of-View

Learning From Debugging – A Positive Viewpoint

Developers have many ways to advance their careers.  Our resumes can fill up quickly when we take the right view of our tasks.  However, the best results can come from learning from debugging.  The ways that this sometimes frustrating task can lead us into career paths we never expected.  Thus, what better place to start our positive view of the daily work challenges. Small Bugs And Crippling Flaws The label of “a bug” can sometimes seem about right.  A typo we have to correct or a simple logic error that is easy to find fits that label.  However, some of the things we struggle through take days or weeks, and “bug” seems like it minimizes the pain and anguish we... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Positive Point-Of-View

Learning From Challenges – A Season With a Positive Focus

There are numerous obstacles we face in our careers.  The day-to-day things that we dread can be a source for complaining and even whining.  However, learning from challenges is one trait of being a better developer.  In a season with an unlucky number (thirteen), it seems like a perfect time to focus on a glass-half-full approach to the monotony we face. Not Just Drudgery There is a notable difference between accepting that we have tough or “bad” days and taking a positive view of those tasks.  While we all have to face activities that we do not enjoy or are downright drudgery, we can change that into learning from challenges.  This season is focused on taking that approach. Momentum of... Read more

code generators
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Code Generators – Pros, Cons, And Where To Find Them

Code generators have been around almost as long as coding itself.  Software developers tend to be a bit lazy, and that drives us to build tools that remove the drudgery from our work.  Fortunately, that means there are a lot of options for us to review in getting our job done faster.  On the other hand, there is a payoff between generating code quickly and taking a slower, more reasoned approach. Code Generators Have Pros and Cons This presentation covers the general pros and cons of using a generator.  We also discuss tools like templates, frameworks, and libraries.  All of these can improve productivity with varying levels of risk and reward.  We wrap up the presentation with a list of... Read more