There are rules engines, business processing engines, and all these other engines.  After spending years working on these engines I figured I would sit down and create a Transit Engine.  If you read any of my other blogs or know me personally you know why I've decided this is something I want to create.  There are however other reasons.

One of the main reasons for creating this project is that I want to have something to provide as a web portfolio, interface portfolio, coding patterns, and all those cool things I learn how to do portfolio.  All too often I don't feel I have a good reference point for what I've done.  With nothing more than my mere promise to customers I've often felt uncomfortable expecting trust.  With immediate reference point I have a little bit more for them to go on to find that customer trust.

I'll include all of the project's documents ranging from UML Diagrams to actual code implementation along with some good ole' unit tests for good measure.  Of course all the documents won't get dumped out here on the site at one time, it'll take me a little while to accrue all of the pertinent items.  I will provide step by step instructions for where I'm heading, what I'm attempting to acheive, and the intended or unintended results of the project goals.

With all that done - I'm getting started.

For one of my main personal projects I've been using Community Server from Telligent Software.  It's a pretty awesome package of Web Applications.  Since I'm now using Vista - as current readers know now - there are a few work arounds to seting up IIS 7 and SQL Server 2005 so that Community Server will run.

I tried running the user.sql file on the SQL Server setup I have.  The SQL Server 2005 setup and IIS 7 setup are basically default, at least default for Vista.  For more on that read my last Vista Post.  I set the SQL Server Security settings to integrated security per the instructions but when runing the user.sql file there seems to be no ASPNET user now.

Since I knew that my point of deployment would be a straight copy of the database that I have local, I decided to give the cs_3.0_CreateFullDatabase.sql file a go round.  It ran flawlessly since my logged in user had dbo rights.  So unless you want everything 100% identical, I'd run this shortcut to get it setup locally for development.

Next per the default instructions I went ahead and created a default community.

exec dbo.cs_system_CreateCommunity 'localhost/cs', 'dev', 'admin@example.org', 'AdminUserName', 'AdminPassword', 0, 0

The command executed perfectly without flaw.  Now that the database was all setup proper for the website, I moved right along with installing the website.

For the website, setup was insanely simple.  I did however have to do one thing that was a sidestep from what is suggested.  Since Vista won't let me run apps properly that need windows, forms, or other authentications on the localhost instance of IIS I needed to run the Community Server via the virtual server.

Step one for setting up Community Server 7 for this particular scenario was to unzip the download.  Once unzipped then open the solution file.  The solution file will open the entire project (if you get any errors shoot me a comment) list.

Step Two is also almost as simple.  Right click on the "CommunityServerWeb20 (Internal)" project and click on the "Properties" option.  From there click on the "Web" tab on the left hand side of the "Properties" Screen.  Mid screen you will see a "Servers" section that has two radio button options.  The out of the box (zip) option is the "Use IIS Web Server" option, change it to "Use Visual Studio Development Server".

I haven't tried any of the other options, but this selection should get one up and running with Community Server 7.0.  Now, I'm off to figure out what I have to do next!

I've tried many things, including the Visual Studio to Word to Microsoft Live Writer to sometimes editing the blasted HTML myself to get a good code paste for my blog.  Now that Z has created a tool to do this for me, I'm rather euphoric!  Check out there add on over at his blog BloggiZ.

This tool should come in very helpful as I start writing components, modules, and other parts for Community Server.

I had for the last few months a Sprint PCS PC-5470 card.  I've used it extensively and loved having access.  I didn't realize that it was a piece of junk, wouldn't have Vista Drivers, wasn't supported anymore, nor did I realize that it wasn't as fast as the other cards I could get.  Well today I went down to the ole' Sprint PCS store on Broadway in downtown Portland.

After a short time a Sprint PCS Sales Person took care of me and hooked me up with a Sierra Wireless AC595 1xEV-DO Network Adapter Card.  The Sierra Air Card is insanely cool.  It's faster, works with Vista, is going to have ongoing support, and has two AWESOME cool blue lights.  Yeah, that's what I said, not one, but two cool lights!  (btw - I like blue lights and blue things in general)

So if anyone is in the market for an Air Card/Wireless Card w/ Service I would highly suggest Sprint.  Just so you know, I'm not endorsed, this opinion (and fact) is entirely me, myself, and I.  Also note - I've used Verizon cards, and other services before - NONE hold a candle to the performance of Sprint's Wireless Internet Network.

So recently I've had a few tasks to complete that involved me, a software engineer, doing more of a requirements collection and analysis of those requirements.  It got me thinking, as I have in the past about this, what are the benifits and negatives of having a single person do the business analysis and software engineer work?

Negatives: 

The largest issue that looms overhead is that a software engineer is what they are because that is solely what they want to do.  A business analyst is usually a business analyst for the same reason.  Being they are distinctive functions having a single person complete the tasks usually means one of the functions will suffer dramatically.  Many software engineers are not practiced, coherent, or even good at collecting requirements.  Many business analysts could not develop a single window basic windows application.  When crossing functions like this it is almost gauranteed to slow down the development schedule.

Positives: 

The largest positive for combining the roles is that the software engineer becomes intimitately familiar with the business functionality (which I strongly believe should be the case, regardless of split roles or not) and also is familiar with the functional application side of that business function.  This can lead to faster turn around time on defects, bugs, etc.  However, in some cases, and definitely in large corporate development environments this is absolutely not the case.  Even attempting to combine business functionality into a software engineer's scope is impossible as the functional knowledge required to develop and maintain large corporate applications is far more than a single person can perform.  In small development environments it is crucial to combine these roles as closely as possible.

I really need to dig up some of the efficiency charts for divisions of labor like this.  It would be interesting to know, see, or even figure out where the efficiency points cross.  Is it in teams of 4-5, maybe as large as 6-7 before a business analyst is needed, or maybe vice versa?  Feel free to toss me a comment on any data one might know about in studies related to this.

This "HTTP Error 500.19 - Internal Server Error" and "HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error" have become the bane of my existence lately.  I've been trying to run two of my projects via the localhost IIS Server.  The errors listed have basically rendered the local IIS Server useless.

I've checked out a lot of entries and other blogs in regards to this error, but none of the "solutions" have done anything for me.  With that in mind I've attempted to run the various solutions without the localhost.  So far, the solution is, is to use the virtual dev server.  If you need windows authentication or something you'll have to set it via the properties of the project.

The aspnet_regiis.exe tool is very valuable.  I often can't remember where it is, thus I've attached this link to all sorts of info on the executable.  Anyone that does web development either knows exactly where this file is or has at least commonly used it in the past.

So feel free to check it out, I'm merely posting this link because I've had to use it more than once because of configuration issues.

aspnet_regiis.exe

I added a whole bunch of categories that I intend to write entries for a few days ago.  Each of these categories has to do with past contracts and work I've done, plus a few for the specific projects I am currently working on and preparing to deploy via this blog.

The My Projects Category is going to be a "parent" category with subsequent job title and company specifics being secondary categories.  Hopefully these will be somewhat interesting stories of my yesteryears.

Until then, and as always, stay tuned.

This entry is going to entail the following.  Links to other entries that revolve around what I am doing to get up and running on a Windows Vista machine to develop against IIS 7.0.  So far it's been a pain in the ass.  I'm almost there, but not yet.

ScottGu as always writes up a good one on using IIS 7.0 with Visual Studio 2005.  There is also a good entry over here, which the entire blog has great stuff (just like ScottGu's).  Last but not least, Microsoft's MSDN Entry.

...and that gets you running on IIS 7.0 and Visual Studio 2005.  What a ridiculous hassle.  One would think Microsoft would have fixed something of this calibre before release of Vista.  Even with this workaround it seems rather cludgie - almost hackish like.

Martin Fowler hit on some keen topics over the last few months.  I say they are keen topics because they are things that need worked on at the current project I am on.  I must add, we have all gotten much better, but it seems a quick read over of these entries of Fowler's would do us all a little bit of good, reduce stress, solve world hunger, etc.

First Article

The first entry topic is It's Not Just Standing Up: Patterns of Daily Stand-up Meetings (and note, it's not actually by Martin Fowler, but Jason Yip).  This article brings up some obvious points.

Some of the points I think are of important concern are what differentiates the stand up / SCRUM from a regular status meeting.  A stand up is supposed to be short.  Above all it assists developers which are often in ridiculously hectic and multi-task oriented positions, to refocus and prepare for their specific tasks each day.  Without these meetings most developers will get side tracked and lose focus.  Daily scrums prevent this by allowing a clear focus to be maintained.  As quoted in the entry by Mr. Yip, "We want everyone to be moving in the same direction. The stand-up is used to continually remind the team what that direction is."

The other point that is brought up that I feel we all need to work on, that could help out the team substantially is brought up in the particular "feel" of what a SCRUM should provide. 

As quoted, "Quickness and high energy support the goal of setting focus. Long, low-energy meetings tend to distract and mute the day."  We all need to work on our energy an supportiveness in these meetings.  Every person involved in a SCRUM should know that what they are contributing is a vital to the success of the project.  With that they should bring good motivation and a strong positive attitude about what they've competed.  This should be brought up with enthusiasm and any blockages should be discussed without pointing fingers.  The later focus our team has mastered.  Our problem resolution has finally gotten a strong process and is starting to work smoother and faster than at any time before.

This brings up the second point, "Good stand-ups will feel supportive."  Offers of assistance, parallel pair programming, and other efforts should be mentioned whenever applicable during the stand up.  Pointing out the strong players for pieces of technology.  The team at current is fairly decent at doing this, but a little more could be done at some points.  Maybe a little more attention could be brought to this so that strong players could be identified and used better to ramp up new developers?

Also, be sure to click on the link to Yip's write up and read all the way through it.  The "Pig and Chickens" section is priceless!

With that I'll just say, our teams are starting to really kick some code ass.  Our leads, Mr Jim and Mr Eric are doing excellent jobs leading the team SCRUMs.  Some streamlining of teams is still left, but the massive tasks at hand are finally within a reasonable grasp.  We just need to do that Nike thing now and "Just do it!"  (Hopefully they won't sue me for usage of that)

The Other Article

The other article I don't have read 100%.  But is directly related to unit tests and how we're doing testing against our objects and business layers.  I need to finish up the article and then I might have 2 cents to share, otherwise I think I'm familiar with the difference between mocks and stubs so I'm going to read the article and see if I am clear on the topic.

  Weeeehoooo!  Off I go to onto other topics.