Damien
@cforthecurious.com
Principal Software Engineer in scale-up making collaboration software.
Web technologies, microservices, domain-driven design and distributed systems.
Web technologies, microservices, domain-driven design and distributed systems.
Today I realized something critical about myself: I really want to feel like I'm in control when I'm leading projects.
This makes me want to choose any methodology or tool to reduce the uncertainty. Just because of the promise of it.
I feel like I must learn to embrace uncertainty though.
This makes me want to choose any methodology or tool to reduce the uncertainty. Just because of the promise of it.
I feel like I must learn to embrace uncertainty though.
February 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Today I realized something critical about myself: I really want to feel like I'm in control when I'm leading projects.
This makes me want to choose any methodology or tool to reduce the uncertainty. Just because of the promise of it.
I feel like I must learn to embrace uncertainty though.
This makes me want to choose any methodology or tool to reduce the uncertainty. Just because of the promise of it.
I feel like I must learn to embrace uncertainty though.
Strangely, I am really getting an enormous amount of fun out of studying AWT and Swing - and just composing and throwing together desktop apps for fun.
January 26, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Strangely, I am really getting an enormous amount of fun out of studying AWT and Swing - and just composing and throwing together desktop apps for fun.
My highlight of the work week:
- Assigned to begin a new product capability
- Read the book on User Story Mapping
- Build first map with a small team
- Already reaping rewards: shared understanding, spotted potential issues, clear way forward
- Assigned to begin a new product capability
- Read the book on User Story Mapping
- Build first map with a small team
- Already reaping rewards: shared understanding, spotted potential issues, clear way forward
January 22, 2025 at 8:40 PM
My highlight of the work week:
- Assigned to begin a new product capability
- Read the book on User Story Mapping
- Build first map with a small team
- Already reaping rewards: shared understanding, spotted potential issues, clear way forward
- Assigned to begin a new product capability
- Read the book on User Story Mapping
- Build first map with a small team
- Already reaping rewards: shared understanding, spotted potential issues, clear way forward
Finally finished my TodoMVC implementation in Java Swing, including a reasonable architecture.
Complex stuff:
- Layout rules
- Build custom components that compose well
- State and event handling, nested observables, leaky event handlers - OUCH
Result: I appreciate declarative UI frameworks A LOT!
Complex stuff:
- Layout rules
- Build custom components that compose well
- State and event handling, nested observables, leaky event handlers - OUCH
Result: I appreciate declarative UI frameworks A LOT!
January 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Finally finished my TodoMVC implementation in Java Swing, including a reasonable architecture.
Complex stuff:
- Layout rules
- Build custom components that compose well
- State and event handling, nested observables, leaky event handlers - OUCH
Result: I appreciate declarative UI frameworks A LOT!
Complex stuff:
- Layout rules
- Build custom components that compose well
- State and event handling, nested observables, leaky event handlers - OUCH
Result: I appreciate declarative UI frameworks A LOT!
Make a Trade... What are you doing with your life!?
YouTube video by KryptoNight
m.youtube.com
January 15, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Typically, Claude can come up with better answers than I can find myself using search.
I guess the training data included a lot of stuff that is either not indexed or not prioritized.
I guess the training data included a lot of stuff that is either not indexed or not prioritized.
January 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Typically, Claude can come up with better answers than I can find myself using search.
I guess the training data included a lot of stuff that is either not indexed or not prioritized.
I guess the training data included a lot of stuff that is either not indexed or not prioritized.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, the current state of my rabbit hole:
Study Software Design -> Learn History of OO -> Practice with Chess Engine -> Make Chess Engine Fast -> Performance Tune JVM -> Visualize Data in JFreeCharts -> Combine charts into app -> Learn Swing ...
Study Software Design -> Learn History of OO -> Practice with Chess Engine -> Make Chess Engine Fast -> Performance Tune JVM -> Visualize Data in JFreeCharts -> Combine charts into app -> Learn Swing ...
January 12, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Oh, and in case you are wondering, the current state of my rabbit hole:
Study Software Design -> Learn History of OO -> Practice with Chess Engine -> Make Chess Engine Fast -> Performance Tune JVM -> Visualize Data in JFreeCharts -> Combine charts into app -> Learn Swing ...
Study Software Design -> Learn History of OO -> Practice with Chess Engine -> Make Chess Engine Fast -> Performance Tune JVM -> Visualize Data in JFreeCharts -> Combine charts into app -> Learn Swing ...
Current status: learning #java Swing by trying to reimplemented "TodoMVC".
I'm wasting a huge amount of time trying to lay things out well and find myself thinking "if only I had CSS ...".
However, I wonder if CSS is actually easier / more straightforward to learn (or if it is just my experience).
I'm wasting a huge amount of time trying to lay things out well and find myself thinking "if only I had CSS ...".
However, I wonder if CSS is actually easier / more straightforward to learn (or if it is just my experience).
January 12, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Current status: learning #java Swing by trying to reimplemented "TodoMVC".
I'm wasting a huge amount of time trying to lay things out well and find myself thinking "if only I had CSS ...".
However, I wonder if CSS is actually easier / more straightforward to learn (or if it is just my experience).
I'm wasting a huge amount of time trying to lay things out well and find myself thinking "if only I had CSS ...".
However, I wonder if CSS is actually easier / more straightforward to learn (or if it is just my experience).
It was surprisingly difficult to find good resources about #java Swing and AWT.
I was looking for high-level guides with a focus on architecture and internals. Most things were just "this is how you use this component".
This was the only great guide I found: - web.archive.org/web/20030212...
I was looking for high-level guides with a focus on architecture and internals. Most things were just "this is how you use this component".
This was the only great guide I found: - web.archive.org/web/20030212...
The Swing Connection
web.archive.org
January 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
It was surprisingly difficult to find good resources about #java Swing and AWT.
I was looking for high-level guides with a focus on architecture and internals. Most things were just "this is how you use this component".
This was the only great guide I found: - web.archive.org/web/20030212...
I was looking for high-level guides with a focus on architecture and internals. Most things were just "this is how you use this component".
This was the only great guide I found: - web.archive.org/web/20030212...
Management: "Great idea, in each person's performance review, we're going to highlight the number of pull requests. Oh, and there's also a public leaderboard. And stack ranking."
Conversation with a dev today "no worries, we have fake repos with fake PRs and fake reviews".
Funny if it wasn't true.
Conversation with a dev today "no worries, we have fake repos with fake PRs and fake reviews".
Funny if it wasn't true.
January 7, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Management: "Great idea, in each person's performance review, we're going to highlight the number of pull requests. Oh, and there's also a public leaderboard. And stack ranking."
Conversation with a dev today "no worries, we have fake repos with fake PRs and fake reviews".
Funny if it wasn't true.
Conversation with a dev today "no worries, we have fake repos with fake PRs and fake reviews".
Funny if it wasn't true.
Having fun with #java, JFreeCharts and Swing (currently exploring the performance of my chess game algorithm with custom tooling).
Amazed at how quickly I was able to throw together a decent UI!
Amazed at how quickly I was able to throw together a decent UI!
January 4, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Having fun with #java, JFreeCharts and Swing (currently exploring the performance of my chess game algorithm with custom tooling).
Amazed at how quickly I was able to throw together a decent UI!
Amazed at how quickly I was able to throw together a decent UI!
“For years, tech firms were fighting a war for talent. Now they are waging war on talent.“
www.rosspettit.com/2024/08/for-...
www.rosspettit.com/2024/08/for-...
For years, tech firms were fighting a war for talent. Now they are waging war on talent.
In the years immediately following the dot-com meltdown, there was more tech labor than there were tech jobs. That didn’t last long. By 20...
www.rosspettit.com
January 3, 2025 at 4:21 PM
“For years, tech firms were fighting a war for talent. Now they are waging war on talent.“
www.rosspettit.com/2024/08/for-...
www.rosspettit.com/2024/08/for-...
I think I didn’t mention this before, but I was on a year-long sabbatical (but returned to paid work this week).
It’s been an amazing time, and I can only recommend it to anyone who can afford to do it! Especially, if you’re feeling like you need a larger change.
It’s been an amazing time, and I can only recommend it to anyone who can afford to do it! Especially, if you’re feeling like you need a larger change.
January 3, 2025 at 11:22 AM
I think I didn’t mention this before, but I was on a year-long sabbatical (but returned to paid work this week).
It’s been an amazing time, and I can only recommend it to anyone who can afford to do it! Especially, if you’re feeling like you need a larger change.
It’s been an amazing time, and I can only recommend it to anyone who can afford to do it! Especially, if you’re feeling like you need a larger change.
It's always a pleasure to find a use case for working with AWK - today I had to do a bunch of CSV processing and AWK is just great for that!
January 2, 2025 at 9:02 PM
It's always a pleasure to find a use case for working with AWK - today I had to do a bunch of CSV processing and AWK is just great for that!
Today, for the first time ever, I managed to link my own bit of assembly into a C project - it adds two numbers, nothing more.
But I'm overjoyed, b/c many pieces of knowledge came together for this and combined into a deeper understanding!
.text
.global _my
_my:register!
add w0, w0, w1
ret
But I'm overjoyed, b/c many pieces of knowledge came together for this and combined into a deeper understanding!
.text
.global _my
_my:register!
add w0, w0, w1
ret
December 24, 2024 at 3:09 PM
Today, for the first time ever, I managed to link my own bit of assembly into a C project - it adds two numbers, nothing more.
But I'm overjoyed, b/c many pieces of knowledge came together for this and combined into a deeper understanding!
.text
.global _my
_my:register!
add w0, w0, w1
ret
But I'm overjoyed, b/c many pieces of knowledge came together for this and combined into a deeper understanding!
.text
.global _my
_my:register!
add w0, w0, w1
ret
The aggregate design pattern from #dddesign took me a while to really grasp and understand, but it has become a valuable part of my tool belt, one that I use pretty much all the time.
Benefits: easier persistence, understandability, performance, testability, abstraction, evolvability, on and on..
Benefits: easier persistence, understandability, performance, testability, abstraction, evolvability, on and on..
December 23, 2024 at 4:07 PM
The aggregate design pattern from #dddesign took me a while to really grasp and understand, but it has become a valuable part of my tool belt, one that I use pretty much all the time.
Benefits: easier persistence, understandability, performance, testability, abstraction, evolvability, on and on..
Benefits: easier persistence, understandability, performance, testability, abstraction, evolvability, on and on..
I've found a great use for Claude: generating high-level overviews for classes and APIs, especially great when docs are poor e.g:
"Write a short two page guide about how to use Java’s HexFormat class with a high level overview and code examples as well as a motivation and historical perspective."
"Write a short two page guide about how to use Java’s HexFormat class with a high level overview and code examples as well as a motivation and historical perspective."
December 22, 2024 at 2:01 PM
I've found a great use for Claude: generating high-level overviews for classes and APIs, especially great when docs are poor e.g:
"Write a short two page guide about how to use Java’s HexFormat class with a high level overview and code examples as well as a motivation and historical perspective."
"Write a short two page guide about how to use Java’s HexFormat class with a high level overview and code examples as well as a motivation and historical perspective."
How is it that I just learned about the super useful HexFormat class in #java? :coneofshame:
docs.oracle.com/en/java/java...
docs.oracle.com/en/java/java...
HexFormat (Java SE 17 & JDK 17)
declaration: module: java.base, package: java.util, class: HexFormat
docs.oracle.com
December 21, 2024 at 9:44 PM
How is it that I just learned about the super useful HexFormat class in #java? :coneofshame:
docs.oracle.com/en/java/java...
docs.oracle.com/en/java/java...
Looking forward to my evening read for the net couple of days :)
December 20, 2024 at 7:59 PM
Looking forward to my evening read for the net couple of days :)
Things that really warm my heart and don't at all make me reevaluate my choices:
when the web app for my brokerage account keeps throwing JS errors and signs me out every third click ...
when the web app for my brokerage account keeps throwing JS errors and signs me out every third click ...
December 17, 2024 at 1:08 PM
Things that really warm my heart and don't at all make me reevaluate my choices:
when the web app for my brokerage account keeps throwing JS errors and signs me out every third click ...
when the web app for my brokerage account keeps throwing JS errors and signs me out every third click ...
@ruthmalan.bsky.social with the holidays approaching, I've run out of spare time to participate in the Avent of System Seeing.
Just wanted to thank you though - both for preparation and for the interactions. I've learned a bunch of stuff I can't wait to apply at work next year!
Happy holidays!
Just wanted to thank you though - both for preparation and for the interactions. I've learned a bunch of stuff I can't wait to apply at work next year!
Happy holidays!
December 17, 2024 at 9:30 AM
@ruthmalan.bsky.social with the holidays approaching, I've run out of spare time to participate in the Avent of System Seeing.
Just wanted to thank you though - both for preparation and for the interactions. I've learned a bunch of stuff I can't wait to apply at work next year!
Happy holidays!
Just wanted to thank you though - both for preparation and for the interactions. I've learned a bunch of stuff I can't wait to apply at work next year!
Happy holidays!
"He was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature. He was not immoral, but merely unmoral"
Great character description, could have been a Terry Pratchett one.
– London, Jack. “The Sea-Wolf.” Standard Ebooks,
Great character description, could have been a Terry Pratchett one.
– London, Jack. “The Sea-Wolf.” Standard Ebooks,
December 17, 2024 at 9:07 AM
"He was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature. He was not immoral, but merely unmoral"
Great character description, could have been a Terry Pratchett one.
– London, Jack. “The Sea-Wolf.” Standard Ebooks,
Great character description, could have been a Terry Pratchett one.
– London, Jack. “The Sea-Wolf.” Standard Ebooks,
Not entirely sure if I understood correctly, but I wanted to see some action next, e.g. "If I turn this nob over here, what will happen over there".
I chose a diagram similar to D.H. Meadow's Thinking in Systems diagrams of stocks and flows.
But as always for me, things just got too complex to see
I chose a diagram similar to D.H. Meadow's Thinking in Systems diagrams of stocks and flows.
But as always for me, things just got too complex to see
Day 13 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Name the Moves
1. Look back over the work we have done so far, and name the system seeing moves we have used so far. For example,
Day 1, Draw a Bicycle: Part-Whole
Day 7, Context Scan: Zoom Out
2. What would be most helpful to do next? Name your move.
3. Do that!
Name the Moves
1. Look back over the work we have done so far, and name the system seeing moves we have used so far. For example,
Day 1, Draw a Bicycle: Part-Whole
Day 7, Context Scan: Zoom Out
2. What would be most helpful to do next? Name your move.
3. Do that!
December 16, 2024 at 7:46 PM
Not entirely sure if I understood correctly, but I wanted to see some action next, e.g. "If I turn this nob over here, what will happen over there".
I chose a diagram similar to D.H. Meadow's Thinking in Systems diagrams of stocks and flows.
But as always for me, things just got too complex to see
I chose a diagram similar to D.H. Meadow's Thinking in Systems diagrams of stocks and flows.
But as always for me, things just got too complex to see