I've been programming web applications since 2001 and figured I'd blog about what I've learned, the crazy things I've seen (and continue to see) and the little things that go a long way in becoming a better web developer.
September 01, 2012
PHP has a great magic method called __autoload(). Now, before you say that anything magic is dangerous and should be steered clear of, hear me out.
April 12, 2012
I recently had the pleasure of going through someone else’s code in order to make changes requested by the client. I was surprised to see so much “proper” code set up in there and realized how lucky I am to be using a more "practical" approach with magic methods.
January 27, 2012
Web applications can be complicated, so can the databases that drive them. Do they have to be? No, not if you incorporate simplicity into your design.
December 29, 2011
The singleton design pattern is one of the easiest patterns that someone can use. Basically, it lets you create one single object (a singleton) that is used during the execution of your code. This means that no matter how many times you try to create a new one, you’ll just get the first one you originally created.
November 21, 2011
To most people forms are a barrier which stand in the way of an end goal (to be a member of a web site, to purchase an item, to gain entry into a system). For this reason, developers should ensure that a form is kept simple and only asks what is needed to help someone achieve that end goal.
April 08, 2012
When leading a team you have to be both a leader and a manager. Leaders motivate staff to perform the work; managers put measures in place to ensure that the work is completed and that results are evaluated to better handle future projects.
January 28, 2012
What is a true professional? Is it someone that knows his/her stuff inside and out; someone that is 100% client focused; someone who is always organized; or, someone who gets everything - down to the last pixel - perfect?
December 18, 2011
All too many times people come to meetings with pen and paper, and then leave with nothing substantial written down. Unless you are one of those individuals with the incredible ability to recall everything that was said during a meeting, why would you not write down what was discussed?
November 14, 2011
Most of us have been there – being assigned the job of fixing or enhancing the functionality of someone else’s project. Someone whose code you’ve never encountered before; someone who you may not even know ... someone who did not leave any documentation!
November 12, 2011
I recently worked on a project where the layout, content and apparently the scope of the application were not finalized and kept on changing until an hour after launch. Needless to say, the project – while being launched on time – was one of the most stressful experiences I have had; not so much in terms of developing the application – that was easy – more so in terms of the change requests, bugs and constant emails that never seemed to end.