Coding My Thoughts

May 2008
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05 07 08

$entry->title('CakeFest #2 coming up');

$entry->categorize('IT, Business, Programming, PHP, CakePHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(140);

Mark your calendars: first week of December, 2008 is the time for CakeFest #2, the second official gathering organized by the Cake Software Foundation to cover your favorite topic: CakePHP. This time, instead of sunny California, we are gathering on an exciting (also sunny) location: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

CakeFest Argentina 2008 will offer lectures in English and Spanish, so everyone is welcome! We expect a high turnaround so if you have a company, sign up for a sponsorship spot to get the prospectus, and then select your sponsorship level. If you have an IT topic that you master and would like to share with other bakers, then submit your lecture proposal.

If you are not interested in speaking nor sponsoring CakeFest, then signup as a visitor to attend. CakeFest #2 is shaping to be an exciting PHP / CakePHP event, so you better be there!

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(2); | $post->views(742);

05 06 08

$entry->title('How a one week getaway turns into a month vacation');

$entry->categorize('General'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(90);

So there we were, planning a one week getaway to Munich for Oktoberfest. Drinking all that fine beer and coming back to wonderful Germany sounded like a great idea. So great, that we've been extending our plan by days at a time.

If we can change our return flight, we are now looking at a one month stay. The idea is to set initial camp in Bad Wiesseen, then Munich, Esslingen, and then even visit Prague and other locations. Are you in the area? We'd love to share a beer!

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->add(); | $post->views(341);

03 12 08

$entry->title('A german in Cricava');

$entry->categorize('General'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(90);

Up until yesterday, and for the last month, we've been housing a fellow IT geek from Germany. He goes by the name of Daniel, and he's quite an energetic and fun person to hang out with. Here you can see him with yours truly (and a very nice caipirinha waiting for me)

That same night I gave him a lesson of how pool should be played. Look at this awesome picture of me shooting, taken by the very talented Claudia (who kicked my ass once or twice during that night):

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(1); | $post->views(9348);

03 08 08

$entry->title('Real life lessons: take your code and shove it!');

$entry->categorize('Programming, PHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(342);

It's been some time now that I've taken upon coding on an application that someone else's built. Now that's not unusual, I have done so on many other projects. What makes this endevour quite unlike many others is that it has made me realize how often we can find bad code. Sorry, scratch that, I mean really bad code.

It's not bad code as a result of ignorance, but worst, because of bad habit. Actually, scratch that too. I would say malice. Take this PHP class:

PHP:

class SomeClass {
    function someFunction($parameter = null) {
        // If the parameter is 1
        if ($parameter == 1) {
            // Launch a passing parameter
            return $this->__launchA($parameter);
        } else {
            // Give back error
            $this->error = 'Not good';
        }
 
        // Launch the default function sending parameter
        $value = $this->__launchDefault($parameter);
 
        // If value returned is ok, give it back
        if ($value > 2) {
            return $value;
        }
 
        // If not valid, return false
        return false;
    }
 
    function __launchA($parameter = null) {
        // Take action based on $parameter
        switch($parameter) {
            // If it's 2
            case 2:
                return 2;
            default:
                return $this->__launchDefault($parameter);
                
        }
    }
 
    // ...
}

Because of some NDA agreement that I have signed, I'm actually mocking what I have to deal with every day. But trust me, it's much worst than this. Get the picture? A huge chain of private methods, calling each other, and a comment ratio *way* about what is acceptable (what good is it if on a comment you are actually explaining what a very simple if statement is doing?). Now, you may be asking yourself, why do I call this (crappy) code malice? Because it is meant to generate mode source code lines. Therefore: more money to charge to the client.

I have seen this over and over lately, on a very big project I'm working on. And the truth is, as a member of an outsourcing software developing firm, I've come to realize that us (freelance developers) should be accountable for such bad code. The one who produced this kind of crappy code should be made accountable for the amount of hours it takes to refactor their code, and make it actually usable.

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(2); | $post->views(1529);

02 14 08

$entry->title('CakeFest was a success');

$entry->categorize('IT, General, CakePHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(249);

I came back to Buenos Aires the day before yesterday, after a wonderful experience in Orlando. CakeFest was not only a great opportunity to be a part of the first official CakePHP gathering, but most importantly to meet a lot of smart people. As I said to someone while in Orlando, eventhough all the talks were thorough and hands-down interesting, I found that the after hours were the moments where I got most out of the conference. Just hanging out with fellow bakers, drinking beer (lots of beer) and talking code to each other was an incredible opportunity.

I enjoyed my time there so much that I came back completely decided to host a CakeFest in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the first week of December, 2008. I am already taking care of the organization and will open up inscriptions very soon (so now you can't complain, you have almost 10 months of notice.) Some of the talks will be english and some in spanish, so everyone is invited to join. As a corolary, I'll leave you with some pictures taken in Orlando (wish I would've taken more). Click on the pictures to get their respective bigger size photos.

DOWNLOAD: In case you are interested, you can download the slides of my presentation entitled Behaviors: Making your Models Behave.

Lunch	Chit chat at salad bar
Gwoo and his Mac	Gwoo's keynote
Felix (the_undefined), Tim and me	Jeff (phishy) and me. Marc in the background.
Dennis and me	Some of CakeFest team

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(9); | $post->views(3974);

02 05 08

$entry->title('CakeFest starting tomorrow');

$entry->categorize('IT, General, CakePHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(110);

With just hours left to launch the first CakeFest conference, people are starting to show up and speakers are working 'round the clock with their presentations. However, something has been catching my attention since I came to the hotel: I am different. That's right, I am unique. I stand out as an oasis in the middle of the desert. Don't take my word for it, just look at my dear old Thinkpad standing in a pool of Macs. And in case you are wondering, people there from left to right are: Jeff Loiselle (aka phishy), Felix Geisendörfer (aka the_undefined), Tim Koschuetzki, and giving his back is Dennis Hennen.

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(1); | $post->views(1534);

01 25 08

$entry->title('My talk in CakeFest: behaviors');

$entry->categorize('IT, Programming, PHP, CakePHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(132);

With the recent release of the confirmed schedule for the CakeFest conference, you can see that my talk entitled Making your Models Behave has been allocated for Friday, February 8 at 11.15 am. Right after Nate's keynote, and before lunch, what an honor ;)

For those of you who are attending my talk will be focused in understanding and exploiting the potential of what I consider to be one of the coolest features CakePHP has brought us: model behaviors. And for those of you who are not going, what are you waiting for? There are still tickets available. Reserve your flight and your stay, and head on to the conference.

If for some reason or another you are not going, we will be releasing the presentation slides on the CakeFest site sometime in the feature.

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(4); | $post->views(1716);

01 02 08

$entry->title('CakePHP 1.2 beta released and CakeFest site launched');

$entry->categorize('IT, Business, General, Programming, PHP, CakePHP'); | $entry->author('mariano.iglesias'); | $post->words(105);

A lot has happened in the last few weeks, but it all came together today: CakePHP 1.2 has reached its beta status and the CakeFest website has launched officialy. CakeFest is the first official gathering related to CakePHP, and will be celebrated in Orlando, Florida, on February 6, 7, and 8, 2008. You'll get a chance to see experienced CakePHP developers (that's right, the core team will be there) sharing their knowledge in talks and different events. I will be there as well, regardless if that's good or bad news to you all. So don't wait any longer, go and find out about the CakePHP festivities and save your ticket ;)

$post->read(); | $feedbacks->show(1); | $post->views(3419);

	`class SomeClass {`
	`function someFunction($parameter = null) {`
	`// If the parameter is 1`
	`if ($parameter == 1) {`
	`// Launch a passing parameter`
	`return $this->__launchA($parameter);`
	`} else {`
	`// Give back error`
	`$this->error = 'Not good';`
	`}`

	`// Launch the default function sending parameter`
	`$value = $this->__launchDefault($parameter);`

	`// If value returned is ok, give it back`
	`if ($value > 2) {`
	`return $value;`
	`}`

	`// If not valid, return false`
	`return false;`
	`}`

	`function __launchA($parameter = null) {`
	`// Take action based on $parameter`
	`switch($parameter) {`
	`// If it's 2`
	`case 2:`
	`return 2;`
	`default:`
	`return $this->__launchDefault($parameter);`

	`}`
	`}`

	`// ...`
	`}`