Eric Barro
ebarro at afsweb.com
Tue Mar 30 21:13:18 CST 2004
Steve, I have a day job working for a company utilizing my computing skills and I do work on the side not so much to earn big bucks but moreso to increase my exposure to new and different ways to implement technology solutions. 1. I started developing applications using MS Access. I built the app for this company I'm working for and I maintained it for 4 years until it was put to rest last year after we replaced it with a web-based workflow system utilizing classic ASP and SQL server 2000. I still use Access but mostly as a front end to SQL server (to create tables, queries, stored procedures). I use ADPs. 2. Most of my development work is now web-based utilizing classic ASP and SQL server 2000. I have had the chance to learn .NET and also had the chance to develop a full-blown web-based application for our workflow systems. This project utilizes a dozen ASP.NET pages with a framework I built to handle the back end processing. I am currently utilizing .NET for new development projects and will soon be migrating over my classic ASP projects to .NET. 3. I quickly adapted to the .NET framework and I attribute it to my experience with Visual Basic and database management systems development. I also attribute it to the fact that I wasn't scared to throw away what I already had in terms of classic ASP development. .NET leverages a full fledged VB or C# environment and not just scripting technology. My many years of experience in networks and Windows server technologies also helped a lot in understanding how the .NET framework interacts with networks. .NET basically compiles everything in a DLL and executes the DLL. Because of this it is faster and more efficient since the code doesn't have to be interpreted before it is run. In fact I can write a whole .NET application and utilize the compiled DLL and have one line of code on my ASP.NET page referencing the DLL. Classic ASP exposes all the code to anyone who can get to the ASP pages. By compiling the code behind into a DLL a developer can "protect" his/her development work. I am currently developing a .NET tool for developers that will address the need for rapid development of web-based forms. This tool takes care of the backend integration with a database management system. Think in terms of concentrating on the design of your web-based ASP.NET forms and leaving the database integration to this tool. I can't say anymore before it's officially released though. :) --- Eric Barro Senior Systems Analyst Advanced Field Services (208) 772-7060 http://www.afsweb.com -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Steven W. Erbach Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 8:16 AM To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving Subject: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as well-connected as JC Dear Group, This is for the independent developers only. If you work for a company and you'd like to take the survey, just let me know that you're not an independent developer when you reply. I'm curious about what you independent developers have had to learn to keep up with the changing marketplace. 1) If you've managed to maintain a significant clientele by developing Access applications, what have you done to sharpen your skills to make you more attractive as the developer of choice in a competitive field? That is, have you developed a framework like JC, or have you gone more towards developing front ends for SQL back ends like Arthur? 2) If you've moved away from Access development as your primary source of income, what other platforms have you learned to make a living? Do you now do mostly .NET development, ASP, SQL Server, PHP, what? 3) If you're doing .NET development, what kind of things are you doing? Has it lived up to the hype? Last year about this time I was searching the want ads for positions before I decided to stick with my own business. I was amused by the ads that profiled the "ideal" candidate as one who had deep .NET experience. The stinking product had only officially been on the market for one whole year with another year in beta before that. Sheesh! Have you seen any real live .NET implementations that are worth bragging about...or have you created any? In short, what have you had to do to make yourself useful as an independent developer? I know that William works quite a bit with SBS and LANs. Have any of you developed proficiency with cabling and routers and such to increase your marketability? Do you do any security consulting, say? Do you build custom-order PCs? Do you do LAN management, e-mail server management and setup, web site development? One final thing: Years ago when I started I took advantage of the swing of the pendulum that put PC power in users' hands. That is, the PC was a great analysis tool for mainframe data. Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE III, Paradox, etc., were the tools that enabled users and departments to fiddle with the data without having to wait for the IT department to get around to their little pissant application requests. Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Security concerns and scalability and distributed networks / VPNs and web-based database applications have all made the pendulum swing back towards centralized control...and the IT guys are loving it. Or am I reading it wrong? What do you think? Regards, Steve Erbach Scientific Marketing Neenah, WI 920-969-0504 Security and Virus information: http://www.swerbach.com/security --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. 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