Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

Today I finally managed to resolve some significant technical challenges for a web project.

They involved working with custom logical processing and data transformation for a custom content type in a content management framework. The process of discovering the solutions to the problems was time consuming and frustrating at times. Now, the proper approach is readily apparent and painfully obvious.

Now I will be able to apply the knowledge gained in solving a technical problem for this particular case in future projects, for dramatically increased productivity in any tasks involving similar objectives.

What was the difference in today's work that made it more effective? It was not a dramatic increase in knowledge and competence. Rather, it was the connection of a couple of new pieces of information coupled with a somewhat sizable body of knowledge previously gained.

Knowledge-intensive work such as software development requires continuous management of an astonishing number of facts. File locations, variable names, variable scopes, access control permissions, data types, input filters, user roles, and transaction processing systems are only a small subset of the potential items needing rapid mental referencing. This complexity in software development fosters complexity in shipped software. This tendency must be avoided.

Simple solutions are desirable, as they tend to reduce the number of errors. Bug-free software will never exist, but it is a good aim to be as close as possible to that ideal. How does one learn to design software with elegant simplicity? By mastering software construction. This mastery can only come through credible experience and much experimentation and exploration.

My code is terrible in comparison to what I believe it must be, but it is becoming better. Challenging projects are stretching my skills, and I am grateful to be working in the field of web development. I am fond of complex themes, but I am learning that challenging problems frequently have simple solutions readily discernible by those well suited to solve them.