About Me
Occupation: Software and Web Developer, also smart phone application development..
Programming Languages: HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, VB.net, C#.net, VB6, ASP.net, ASPX, ASP, PHP, C++, C, SQL Stored Procedures, Flash Action Scripting.
Databases: Access, MYSQL, SQL Server
Software: AutoCAD 2010, Microsoft Office, Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft C++, Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0/6.0, Microsoft Visual Studio (all versions), Dreamweaver, Flash, Adobe Photoshop CS3.
Operating Systems: DOS, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Linux, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, MacOS, Windows 7.
Interests: Electric Guitar, Music, Gigs, Bowling, Computing, Motorsport etc!
My main interest is Music! I love going to gigs all over the place, I hardly drink Alcohol; hate the whole Binge Drinking thing we have over here in the UK. In general, society seems to think that it’s great fun to get totally drunk every night.. I don’t see how that’s remotely *fun* although when I was younger I used to get drunk a lot at gigs and something happened which really made me stop drinking (well not loads now). But, I’d sooner have all my organs intact!
I have had an interest in Computers ever since my first computer back in 1993 which was a 486. I have been designing websites ever since the internet first started, both commercial and personal. When I left school I planned to go on to do an Electrical Apprenticeship, but after 6 months of traveling around building sites and the aspect of ‘Health and Safety’, I decided against pursuing that career path. A year after leaving school I decided to go into full time education learning about Information Technology and Programming.
In 1998 I was asked to help out with both Software Support and running of tournaments for Wireplay UK Plc, which was based in London and owned by BT.
Programming Background:
My Programming background has mainly been Database use for Advanced Document Management Systems; both intranet and Win32 based applications. After completing my Visual Basic courses at College I started creating General Applications for Gaming. The first real application I developed was developed in 2000 which was called ‘Quake 3 Utilities’, the application was created for Item Timing in Quake 3 linking to the game itself. I also created a ASP application where users could look-up specific player names and aliases by the actual Punkbuster ID, this used a Access Database at the time.
Whilst in full time education at Strode College I got offered a placement for Work Experience at a company in Wincanton, which did Advanced Document Management Systems (only Windows based Applications at the time as ASP and Web Applications were only just taking off then). I worked there on Work experience for two weeks, after the two weeks I got a phone call offering me a full time placement when I finished my course fully! Whilst on work experience there I created some call logging software which linked to a access database, this is where my programming with databases really started fully.
When I left college I started working for the company at Wincanton, they took me on as a .net Developer right away as they said they knew I was capable of doing the job. Straight in at the deep end really, they kept on throwing things at me to do, to push me to my limit and see what level I was at in a programming sense. The software I was working on was their main intranet based system for Document Management (used by many well known large companies). At first I had to write support applications for the support group. Then they gave me a very advanced application to write which would be used to create a new SQL database by Company name from the main database, the database had 20 interlinking tables and actual stored document images (document streaming). I loved doing this as it was a big challenge and a lot to think about in a SQL sense.
I was also instructed to create a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system which would be used across the Intranet, this was the full cycle of programming from the start through to creating Install scripts. The application had the ability to upload files and had server based services for indexing the uploaded files through FTP.
I was then handed the document management system to support it along side of the CRM system, to write out any bugs and any more support applications. This was just after working there as a Developer for 1 year! The company unfortunately went bankrupt (or should I say a deal was done?). Complications with shares in the company would be more of the point, but I cannot really go into detail! I was taken on by the main director of this company for a ‘new company’, it was just the three main Developers from the other company basically. I was contracted to write their main product which would be the backbone to the new company, along with support of the old Software.
I went on to create ‘Quake 4 Utilities’ which is linked on this website, basically it was a piece of software which did the same as the previous project ‘Quake 3 Utilities’.
WordPress Plugins
Well, recently I have created a number of WordPress Plugins which I figured would be handy for myself to use. I have created a IP Logging plugin which writes to a new table in the WordPress Database, this logs the date, referring URL, what page the user was viewing (by name obviously in the administration), IP address and hostname. This plugin is purely an Administration plugin. I have also been working on other applications which are incorporated within WordPress and all other types of web applications, and stand alone php applications, this includes a gallery app.
MCSD – Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
Well Microsoft are currently changing all the exams within application development within Visual Studio, after reading through half of the MCSD kit they dropped the exams for that course and all the other courses based on them being out dated now. The MCSD original exam was created in 2002 and since then up until the recent closure of this qualification it was based on Visual Studio 2003. I am currently looking for other up to date exams, although most of the MCSD kit contained things that I have already learnt in a working development environment.
Android Application Development
At the start of 2010 the Android phone really took off to new heights, everyone within the tech industry knows that smart phones running Android have became far superior to the iPhone now, not only in their usability but also in their technical specifications. I started learning about Android Development at the end of 2009 and have recently became a developer for it, am working on some applications at the moment, but plan on working on new ideas for apps that are not available yet on the market.
