WanTii, Inc. Tech Blog

Any seasoned web application developer will say that every time a new framework is released, there are bound to be zealots touting the merits of said framework. Typically, a language or framework evolves because the core designer becomes frustrated with the state of affairs of the reigning platforms. Web application development is difficult because developers need many unique skills to create an application or site that people want to use. Often times customers or users are attracted by good aesthetics and miss the advanced functionality. Conversely, when users adopt a system that is attractive to the eyes, these same users will eventually complain of the lack of features or the slowness with which some components load. Read the rest of this entry »

All professional developers have heard the phrase – “When all that you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.” To many programmers, their preferred platform becomes their hammer. I will outline the reasons I prefer writing Java code, but this is mostly a response to the LAMP zealotry I come across regularly. As an experienced developer, I have learned to try to find the best tool for the job. Although this article may read like Java zealotry, I have recently written PHP and Perl code. Astute readers will also notice that this blog is based on Wordpress. So, I make an effort, as I believe all developers should, to find the best solution rather than retro-fitting my own preferred platform to the current project. Read the rest of this entry »

So I decided to start blogging… Why not? It’s only been about 5 years since blogging has became cool. My goal is really to help people with issues that I come across while I am working. I have had some success as a software engineer, but that has less to do with my specific knowledge of advanced technology and more to do with some really good troubleshooting skills. To write software, it does not take a CS degree or thousands of dollars of training, it takes the ability to understand and absorb what you read. Most reference documentation is written by other programmers who would much rather skip the documentation step. This is often apparent just by reading the docs. This is not meant as a complaint or insult, but the hardest step to hurdle for most mortals is wading through the documentation that often only presents more examples of code that the reader is already having problems understanding. Read the rest of this entry »