Software Engineering

A collection of 56 posts

Productivity

Let's Talk About Developer Productivity

In the first post of my LinkedIn newsletter, Steve's Talking Tech Again, I unveiled the vast world of tech through my lens. But today, I'm peeling back another layer. I'm diving into a topic that's constantly on my mind and influences my

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

Software Architecture

Understanding System Interactions

When you drive a car, you're not just turning a key and pressing pedals—you're commanding a symphony of interconnected systems that work harmoniously to offer a seamless driving experience. A car, in its entirety, is a masterclass in system design, reflecting how multiple components, each

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

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

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

ESG

Code vs Conscience - A Software Engineer's Guide to ESG

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, it is imperative for companies to not only focus on their economic bottom line but also consider their impact on the environment, society, and governance structure. This triad, known as the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework, has become a critical determinant

Technology

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.

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

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

Meetups

Technically Speaking Meetup 6: 1st Birthday!

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending the Technically Speaking meetup organized by a group of passionate tech enthusiasts. The Technically Speaking group is a vibrant community dedicated to fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration among professionals in the field. Their goal is to create a platform where individuals can

Transcend Tech

Transcend Tech - Generative AI: Hype to Reality

As a software engineer with over a decade of experience, I am passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in the tech industry; I recently had the opportunity to attend the highly anticipated Transcend Tech meetup. This event focused on one of the most intriguing areas of AI: Generative

AWS

AWS Data Deep Dive Day

Data has become the lifeblood of modern businesses, fueling growth, driving innovation, and shaping decision-making processes. Organizations are constantly seeking ways to leverage advanced analytics and cloud computing solutions to tap into the full potential of data-driven strategies. AWS plays an important role in this domain, providing powerful tools and

Meetups Featured

🎉🌟 MCR DevCon 2023 🌟🎉

Are you ready!? Manchester's very own developer conference, MCR DevCon, is just around the corner! As a passionate member of the tech community, I am incredibly excited for this event that promises to bring together brilliant minds from different areas of the world. 😍 The lineup of speakers at

Software Engineering

Judge Dredd(ed Imposter Syndrome)

Imposter syndrome may feel like a never-ending sentence in Mega-City One, haunting even the most accomplished individuals. It's like Judge Dredd's arch-nemesis, constantly whispering doubts, eroding confidence, and casting a shadow of inadequacy over one's achievements. Even after a decade in the industry, I

Career

For The Love Of Tech

The joy of programming lies not only in its technical complexities but in the thrill of solving problems and finding innovative solutions.

Amazon Web Services

Choosing the Right Hosting Option for NextJS - Vercel vs. Self-Hosting

NextJS, known for its powerful features and developer-friendly environment, has gained significant popularity among web developers. As your Next application becomes more complex, you may find yourself in need of hosting options beyond the default choices like Vercel. In this informative blog post, we will explore different hosting options for

C#

Reflecting on Reflection in an open source library

Engaging in knowledge-sharing activities is an excellent way to enhance our development skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques. One particular talk that I had the privilege of delivering twice focused on the intriguing concept of reflection in an open source library. In this blog post, we

C#

Mocking with FakeItEasy

On September 18, 2019, I gave an internal talk to the Dootrix team about the C# mocking library, FakeItEasy. The talk was aimed at helping the team to understand how to use FakeItEasy to create mock objects for testing .NET applications. During the talk, I provided an overview of the

Microservices

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

Software Development

Codebase Gardeners

This article has also been published here I have been working in the IT industry for a while now, and I’ve seen my fair share of code. And there is definitely a pattern that I have seen across companies big and small… Let’s just say, you start off

Software Engineering

A Code Mentors Handbook

If you’ve ever had the joy of sharing a bit of knowledge with a peer, and seeing their face light up when things start to click into place, then you’ll definitely enjoy a career in mentoring. Experiencing mentorship A lot of my working career has involved being the

Augmented Reality

Getting started building Augmented Reality apps in Xamarin

One of the great benefits of working for Dootrix, is the ability to get time to work on new technology. A few months ago I was given the exciting task to build a capability demonstrator to show to new and current clients using Augmented Reality on iOS. Just looking for

Software Development

Building scripts to write code! 😵

Let me get things straight! I LOVE coding! I spend almost ALL DAY coding. But there are some aspects of coding that are a bit tedious! So today I am going to show you an example of how I try and avoid writing code that shares common behavior. Let me

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