What Did I Create as an Asset Manager CTO
I plan to write more about being a coding CTO, but in the mean time, to set my credentials, I posted an article on Noverse describing, at a high level, what software and systems I have built for Asset Managers. Take a look at What Did I Create as an Asset Manager CTO.
Optimizing Short Form Writing for Developers
The vast majority of non-code writing performed by software engineers is short form standard format, defined here as:
- Short Form: A small amount of headings and text up to 1000 words
- Standard Format: The same standard structure or pattern of document repeated over and over again
Yet even though its short form and standard format, it takes too much time and effort to produce these, so we developers conveniently “forget” to create these valuable documents (or mess up structure of them).
I have found my way to optimize the creation of these so I can spin them up quickly, deliver the information needed correctly, send them out and get back to coding.
Code Review is not all about the Code
We all understand the benefits of the code review process in reducing the risk of software issues making it out into the wild, and in improving the skills of developers. Frequently though, the code review focusses wholly on the code and on an eyeball search for potential bugs and no more. There is a better way. As developers, we read and write code all day, it’s our superpower and wholly inside our comfort zone.
Working from Home ... 88 Days Later
Follow on post to Working From Home … Here We Go! written in March. 88 Days ago in New York we all started working from home. 88 Days ago we stopped commuting, sat down for the first time at our fledgeling home workspaces, launched our first Zoom or Slack meetings and started figuring out how best to do our jobs from there. 88 Days later, we’re still doing it and will be for the foreseeable future.
Working from Home ... here we go!
It’s been many years since I worked from home and much is different since I ran Noverse from here. First, my wife has taken over my workspace as hers, so the desk, good keyboard, mouse and monitor are her domain now. Secondly, it’s likely this is not a one-day disaster recovery test, so I need to find a way settle in instead of use the laptop on the dining table. And thirdly, Slack has changed the way we communicate internally, which makes it as easy to maintain contact as it does in our open plan office.
The Theater was Empty
Johannesburg, 1977 It was a crisp, sunny Saturday morning and my grandmother was in town. As we always did when together, we went to the movies. The theater nearby was old, run down but comfortable and in walking distance. I’d go there later again many times on many Saturday mornings. For the first time, though, I was more excited about the movie than I was about going with grandmother. I was about to turn 10.
An iPad and a Pencil
In 2018, I switched to using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil when not using my computer, replacing notebooks, scraps of paper, Post-It notes, and ink-leaking pens. After a year of being digital, here are some of the processes and habits I have picked up. The Setup I have a late 2017 iPad Pro 10.5" 256GB Cellular model, with an Apple Smart Keyboard and the original Apple Pencil. It’s running the latest iOS 12.
Testing C++17 Projects in Xcode with XCTest
The vast majority of development I perform is in C++17 on an Apple Mac Computer using Xcode. For a while now, I have been using Catch2 as my Unit Testing framework, and its absolutely excellent. But its not integrated into the Xcode IDE and I wanted the ability to use Xcode’s excellent testing and test debugging tools to improve my productivity and workflow. In this post I will show you how to set up a simple standard C++17 library project in Xcode 10 and then add XCTests to it.
On Removing Comments
Today I removed the comments from hiltmon.com for one reason and one reason only — the comment service, Disqus, that I used — was tracking you across a multitude of sites and is selling your data to strangers without your (or my) permission. I no longer want hiltmon.com to be one of those collection points. I’m going to miss the comments though. Your comments had been insightful, gracious and a wonderful way to connect with my readers, and to allow my readers to connect with each other.
Stop and Think
When I started out as a developer and designer, I know I was clever. When folks asked me to design and develop a software product, I would ask a few questions to confirm that I understood what was asked of me, listen to their answers, then set about making the product. Request, build, ship. Easy! My mentor, who was definitely smarter than me, used to yell at me to Stop and Think.