End Your If

Finding That Inner Calm

Published on Jun 18, 2013 by Jamie Munro

I’ve played sports my entire life and I find certain sports for me it’s easier to find that inner calm. When your head is clear and only exactly what you are about to do matters. This is always when I’m at my best. Everything around me slows down, if I’m aiming at something, the target becomes clearer – almost as if I’m pulling the target to me – and there is no way I can miss it.

I wish I could say this statement is true when I’m writing code. Oftentimes, my mind is racing with needing to get something done and having a thousand more things to do. At times it can take me a little while before I realize that I’m actual moving slower because my mind isn’t focused.

I’ve found a great technique that I’ve learned by playing golf that helps me focus better!

Tags: performance | stress | Theory | organization | Rants

If You Don't Start You Won't Finish

Published on Jun 13, 2013 by Jamie Munro

I really wish that I didn’t need to tell myself this 5 to 10 times a day, but unfortunately it’s always just too easy to not start.

If you don’t have kids, you truly have no understanding of how many toys they have and how much of a mess they make. If you only have 1 kid, it’s probably a lot, but I’ve been blessed with 3 – and let me tell you that each and every day there is at least 10 to 15 minutes of clean up in every room!

The honest truth of the matter is though, if I don’t start, it won’t get done – unlike the story about the Shoemaker and the Elves, they are not coming to clean my house each day!

This of course is a very simple example, but I find this reminder useful even at work.

Setting Up CakePHP with IIS

Published on Jun 11, 2013 by Jamie Munro

I’ve found myself doing this several times over the past little while as I had to switch computers. Each time I would struggle with a few of the steps, so I thought I would document them this time and share for future me (or you if you like).

Tags: CakePHP | php | PHP | mysql | iis

What Do You Care Most About When Reviewing Someone Else’s Code?

Published on Jun 10, 2013 by Jamie Munro

I wrote an article a few months ago called Compelling Interview Questions where buried deep in the middle under several open-ended technical questions I asked the question “What Do You Care Most About When Reviewing Someone Else’s Code?”

The funny part about this when you read a few lines below I follow it up with I’m not looking for anything in particular; just some generic catch-phrases that most people throw out there. E.g. properly indented code, no large comment blocks, documentation to explain a complex block of code, etc…

Ask me today what I expect from this question and my answer is totally different! Today being as I write this article – ask me in the present and let’s see if my answer changes…

Developers are Authors

Published on Jun 6, 2013 by Jamie Munro

This is truly a concept that has only dawned on me recently - in fact, probably within the past day or two. The ironic part about this, I’ve actually considered myself an author for the past 3 years, since the release of my first book. And most developers I meet or work with seem to have the same reaction when I tell them, “Oh you’re an author, that’s pretty cool.” When in fact – as the title states – all developers are authors, including you! Now let me tell you why.

Tags: Optimization | Theory | Rants | rants