I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a very long time. You can probably see, I created this site in 2013; almost 3 whole years ago.  I really just want to jot down some of my thoughts, experiences, and ideas related to software development. And hopefully share some mistakes and practices that can be avoided or useful to future software developers.

I’ve been in software development (professionally) since 1988 when I started with EDS (Electronic Data Systems).  It wasn’t a very exciting environment, but the potential for a young developer was amazing.  EDS was an IT provider in many industries including insurance, banking, automotive, and many more.  In the beginning, COBOL, PL/1, and Assembly were my main programming languages.  But EDS provided so much more.  It gave me access to many of the latest technologies, methodologies, and business education.  By the time I left EDS in 1996, I was a full on OOP developer with a very strong background in data modelling and n-tier software development.

After EDS, I went to work for ROI (Resource One Incorporated).  This was an amazing opportunity, as the company was updating their original software from older COBOL and Clipper applications to a client/server application based on the latest technology stacks of the time. When I joined ROI, it had a total of 6 employees in two locations, providing performance measurement and incentive software. ROI served the largest banks in North America, along with many smaller credit unions, and financial institutions.  The original COBOL application was developed using Microfocus COBOL and tested on OS/2. The code was uploaded to the bank’s server on IBM mainframe MVS z/OS hardware where it was compiled. The compiled application ran as a series of batch jobs producing report files and CICS screens for online viewing of results. Along with the server application, there was a client application, running on a PC, that was written with Microfocus Dialog.  Because it too was COBOL, much of the server COBOL source code was reused.  The clipper application was a totally different technology, developed specifically for the PC, and was a stand-alone application where the printer was the communication device.  Originally, the two systems had the same feature sets, however, by the time I join the team, the feature sets had diverged.

After successfully merging and transforming the ROI applications to windows clients, .net services, web pages, and Java web services, I was ready for new challenges.  So I tried my hand at consulting and contracting before joining Tyler Technologies as a senior architect.  Tyler is an extremely good company with a very bright future.  In terms of size, Tyler is definitely larger than ROI, but significantly smaller than EDS.  It is very similar in size and technology stack to many of the places where I consulted.  However, the management team, developers, and support staff are among some of the most dedicated, thoughtful, and top performers I have ever had the opportunity to work with.

I will be sharing an expanded view on these experiences in the coming weeks and months. And I hope you find them interesting and thought provoking.  Also, I am very interested in your comments and experiences as well. So, please register and share them with me.