Software Architecture - Steven Atkinson Tech Blog

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Software Architecture

A collection of 25 posts

Make It Dark - Hooking up the Engine to the UI

Make It Dark - Hooking up the Engine to the UI

After meticulously crafting the foundational classes like GridManager, LightToggleStrategy, WinConditionChecker, and assembling them into our "finely tuned engine," the GameEngine, the stage is set for the final act: bringing Make It Dark to life with a user interface. The groundwork in previous posts ensures the game's

Make It Dark - Putting the Engine Together

Make It Dark - Putting the Engine Together

After constructing the core classes for Make It Dark—GridManager, LightToggleStrategy, and WinConditionChecker—the next step is to develop the GameEngine. This phase involves integrating these components to work together seamlessly. The process so far has adhered to a Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach, ensuring that each component functions correctly before

Make It Dark - Turning Requirements into Code

Make It Dark - Turning Requirements into Code

Ah, finally, the moment has arrived where we transition from meticulous planning to the exciting phase of writing code. Up to this point, the focus has been on laying a robust foundation: establishing the project's architecture, embracing the principles of Test-Driven Development (TDD), and refining my coding style

Make It Dark - Linting and Testing Libraries

Make It Dark - Linting and Testing Libraries

In the development journey of Make It Dark, I emphasise maintaining high standards of code quality. This commitment extends beyond pursuing functional, bug-free code, embracing a holistic approach that incorporates meticulous linting practices, comprehensive testing frameworks, and the strategic implementation of Git hooks. This blend of tools and methodologies forms

Make It Dark - Game Engine, Software Architecture and TDD Prep

Make It Dark - Game Engine, Software Architecture and TDD Prep

As I move forward with the development of Make It Dark, I have reached a crucial point that needs to be addressed before diving into the core coding. This stage is called architectural planning, and it is of utmost importance as it creates a solid blueprint for the game'

Make It Dark - My First Look into Svelte

Svelte Featured

Make It Dark - My First Look into Svelte

As I continue to navigate the dynamic world of web development with React, which remains a staple in my day-to-day work, my journey has been one of continuous learning and adaptation. Over the past 7+ years, React has not just been a tool—it's been a crucial part

Rethinking Decomposition in Software Design

Software Architecture

Rethinking Decomposition in Software Design

Much like any intricate art form, software development is teeming with methodologies and patterns. As a seasoned developer, I've often found solace in the structured world of functional decomposition, segmenting colossal software juggernauts into digestible, functional services. This method, akin to a trusty old map, has guided me

Halt! Observer Pattern in Braking Systems

Software Architecture

Halt! Observer Pattern in Braking Systems

In my previous exploration, "Drive and Code - The State Pattern Meets Car Transmissions," we journeyed through the intricacies of car transmissions. We marvelled at the fascinating connection between software design patterns and vehicular systems. Our minds were set in gear (pun intended) to view the world of

Drive and Code - The State Pattern Meets Car Transmissions

Software Architecture

Drive and Code - The State Pattern Meets Car Transmissions

Ever since I took an interest in the inner workings of vehicles, I've been astonished at the sophisticated engineering and the intricate components beneath what seems like a simple action – driving. Most of us hop into our cars, drive from point A to B, and rarely ponder the

Singleton Design in Engines and Software Initialization

Software Architecture

Singleton Design in Engines and Software Initialization

The hum of a car engine starting, the vibration as it springs to life – it’s almost poetic. As a senior software engineer, I've come to appreciate that the mechanisms powering a car mirror, in many ways, the intricate systems of software design. Like a car, each software

Languages vs Problems

Programming Languages Featured

Languages vs Problems

In the ever-evolving landscape of software engineering education, coding bootcamps have risen as powerful players. Their rise mirrors the soaring demand for tech talent, even amidst the ebb and flow of the job market and the unfortunate downturns that some companies face. Delving into the curriculum of many bootcamps reveals

My Brain on Code - Part 2

Software Engineering

My Brain on Code - Part 2

🎉Thank you for joining me for PART 2! If you joined me in the first instalment, you'll remember our discussion about how I approach understanding the scale of projects, the art of dissecting mammoth tasks, and the nuanced decisions surrounding abstractions. Today, we're venturing further down

My Brain on Code - Part 1

Software Engineering Featured

My Brain on Code - Part 1

It's been some time since my last rambling, as I've been head-deep in multiple demanding projects. Ironically, as some of you might relate, I often find clarity amidst chaos. Being continuously engaged, and juggling between tasks, I keep coming to the conclusion that I think better

What will ST3 look like?

What will ST3 look like?

ST3 is not just another programming language; it is a glimpse into a future where quantum computing and multi-deterministic outcomes shape the very fabric of our code.

Fireside Chat with Google's Kelsey Hightower @ MCR DevCon 2023

MCR DevCon 2023 Featured

Fireside Chat with Google's Kelsey Hightower @ MCR DevCon 2023

The fireside chat was hosted by Vernon Richards, an esteemed Coach & Tester who has devoted his career to helping organizations, teams, and individuals understand the intrinsic relationship between quality and testing. His work is centred around enabling others to build better products and deliver more effective services, truly embodying

What's wrong with being tightly coupled?

Software Development Featured

What's wrong with being tightly coupled?

👇There are code examples that explain how to do this further down Are you ready to tackle the beast that is tight coupling? I promise it won't be as "constricting" as it sounds. Today, we'll unravel the "knots" of tight coupling in

Architecting Manchester — Breaking up the Monolith

Architecting Manchester — Breaking up the Monolith

What an amazing evening at the Architecting Manchester event. It is always a great experience to talk with other like-minded individuals about how they tackle technical architecture and dev ops. What is Architecting Manchester? Architecting Manchester is not your typical tech event. The majority of tech events around Manchester involve

Getting started building a simple Nancy API

Getting started building a simple Nancy API

What? Other than it being totally AWESOME?! Nancy is a framework for creating web applications. It makes sure to implement the super-duper-happy-path, which means it requires very little effort to get a website up and running. Here I will give a basic overview of how to build a Nancy API.

Component-based Classic ASP — React in Classic ASP??? 😮

Software Development

Component-based Classic ASP — React in Classic ASP??? 😮

Lately I have been working a lot with React and Redux, and have found the concept of creating reusable components to be very useful. I have also been blessed with working on some Classic ASP, which has got me thinking… Could we create reusable components using Classic ASP? I’ve

FEZ Panda II with Matrix Keypad

C Sharp Programming

FEZ Panda II with Matrix Keypad

After a few days of attempting to get this to work I thought I would save some time for anyone else attempting this particular activity. I am using the JM09K keypad that I bought quite a while ago. I am also using the FEZ Panda II A link to the

Deriving from our RegistryConfig class

C Sharp Programming

Deriving from our RegistryConfig class

Now we have our abstract RegistryConfig class ready to use we can create our new subclass. This will hopefully show you how easy it is to create properties that utilize the methods of the RegistryConfig class! Creating our subclass Lets call our new class TestConfig and build a constructor that

Extending the C# Registry-based configuration class

C Sharp Programming

Extending the C# Registry-based configuration class

So we now have our RegistryConfig class ready... but how can we make it better?! Use reflection! We will use reflection to perform initialization on the classes properties, so that the settings can be added to the registry straight away. This will ensure that the registry has all the properties

C# .NET Registry-based configuration base class

C Sharp Programming

C# .NET Registry-based configuration base class

I usually find myself wanting to be able to configure my application without having to change the underlying code. And although Visual Studio allows you to create application settings inside the IDE (saved to a .exe.config file), I would prefer to use the registry to hold my applications configuration.