PROGRAMMING PAGE
My skill set as a programmer began at an early age but the days of Basic and Turbo Paschal are over. Now most of the code I write is run on a web server and displayed via a web browser. I also utilize the power of relational databases, instead of storing data in flat files.
The use of the internet as my software platform has introduced me to a lot of network protocols and supporting languages. The most notable being cURL and SOAP utilizing XML. These technologies give you the power to efficiently share or transfer data between different software pieces. Writing good software is a mix of creative problem solving, strict data validation, and error handling. It is important to use the best available technologies when they are available and appropriate. It will save you development and debugging time.
Below I have giving a short description of the languages and technologies that I use most often.
PHP - PHP is currently one of the most popular open source server-side scripting languages on the Web. It is used in millions of web pages around the world. PHP allows interaction with a large number of relational databases, and has a very rich function library. Its mass appeal also means it has great documentation and many quality third party extensions.
.NET/C# - .NET is a flexible and robust framework for creating software for the Windows environment. This includes the functionality for ASP.NET which handles web applications running on Microsoft’s web server, IIS. When utilizing the .NET framework a developer has a choice of languages to choose from. I currently like to write my .NET code with C#, but have experience with Visual Basic and C++.
JavaScript - JavaScript is a scripting language with a syntax loosely based on C. It is mostly used as client-side scripter, and in support of ASP or PHP server-side generated pages. I mostly use if for client-side data validation and creating dynamic web menus.
HTML/CSS – While HTML and CSS are only markup languages and do not contain any real logic, all web developers need to have a firm grasp of these two technologies. They both are the backbone of any web applications’ user interface.
Frameworks - Software frameworks are libraries that also include controls on the flow of your application. They assist in building complex and reliable systems in a shorter amount of time. Frameworks do have the downside of boxing you into the constraints of the particular framework, but the rewards often out weighs the short comings.
IDE – Integrated development environments are used by my most developers. They are basically a software bundle of many usefully tools used in developing software. These tools usually include, source code editor, compiler, and debugger. I use the Zend Development Environment for PHP and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 for .NET.