Scott Davis
Central Ohio Software Symposium
Columbus · June 12 - 14, 2009
Author of "Groovy Recipes"
Scott Davis is the founder of ThirstyHead.com, a training company that specializes in Groovy and Grails training.
Scott published one of the first public websites implemented in Grails in 2006 and has been actively working with the technology ever since. Author of the book Groovy Recipes: Greasing the Wheels of Java and two ongoing IBM developerWorks article series (Mastering Grails and in 2009, Practically Groovy), Scott writes extensively about how Groovy and Grails are the future of Java development.
Presentations
The Amazing Groovy Weight-loss Plan
“The central enemy of reliability is complexity.” (Dr. Daniel Geer)
Java is a powerful programming language. A smart developer can do nearly anything with Java. So the next question is, “How quickly can it be done? How many lines of code does it take to do common tasks?” Groovy greases the wheels of Java by decreasing the complexity of the language while preserving the raw power. At first glance, you might think that this talk is simply about how Groovy drastically reduces the lines of code you need to write. What this talk is really about is bringing simplicity, clarity, readability, and yes, beauty to your source code.
Groovy XML Ninja Skills
“XML is like violence: if it doesn't solve your problem, you aren't using enough of it.” (Anonymous)
XML is everywhere. Whether you are dealing with local configuration files (web.xml, struts-config.xml) or remote web services (SOAP, REST, RSS, Atom), the modern software developer needs to be able to request, slice, and dice XML with ease. That requires a set of razor-sharp tools that reduce the inherent complexity of the problem, not multiply it. Once you see XML tremble in fear at the awesome power of Groovy, you'll wonder what you ever did without it.
Lizard Brain Web Design
“There's an old story about the person who wished his computer were as easy to use as his telephone. That wish has come true, since I no longer know how to use my telephone.” (Bjarne Stroustrup)
The “lizard brain” is the oldest part of the human brain – the part responsible for autonomic functions like breathing, heart rate, and navigating websites. OK, maybe not that last part, but your website should be easy to use. Stupid easy. Lizard brain easy. Any time your user spends figuring out how to do something – even for a split second – is wasted time due to poor design. Inspired by Steve Krug's book “Don't Make Me Think”, this talk answers the question, “Why is that website so hard to use?”
Web 2.0 Checklist: Deconstructing Modern Websites
“The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned.” (Antonio Gramsci)
There are plenty of sarcastic “Web 2.0” checklists out there – be perpetually in BETA, when in doubt add rounded corners, etc. While we can all laugh at the superficial aspects of the Web 2.0 revolution, there are plenty of serious aspects to it as well. Is your website mash-up friendly or hostile? Do you tell your visitors when things change (via RSS or Atom syndication), or do you expect them to check in daily for updates? Is your website a silo or a part of a larger ecosystem?
Dim Sum Grails: A Sampler of Practical Non Database-Driven Grails Applications
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating. By a small sample we may judge of the whole piece.” (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra)
Most Grails tutorials demonstrate how easy it is to build simple CRUD (Create/Retrieve/Update/Delete) applications. While skinning a database with a web front-end is undeniably one beneficial aspect of Grails, it isn't the only thing Grails is good for. As you'll see here, Grails can be used to build a wide variety of web applications. You won't see a single HTML table with “edit” and “delete” links, I promise.
Groovy Testing
“Tests don't break things; they dispel the illusion that it works.” (Anonymous)
In this era of “Test-First” and “Test-Driven” development, the modern software engineer knows that testing is no longer an optional part of the process. You need to have the best tools at your fingertips: a set of utilities that maximize your results with a minimum of effort. Groovy offers Java developers an optimal set of testing tools.