Matthew McCullough

Build Lifecycle Craftsmanship Tools

You've heard a bit about Git, Gradle, Jenkins, and Sonar, but are you putting them to use? Are you maximizing what they can offer in terms of standardized project models, faster incremental compiles, automated commit-triggered builds, and rapid source code analysis? In this intense presentation, live demonstrations will be given for all of the latest versions of the aforementioned tools and what they have to offer a highly proficient Java developer.

Sonar Code Metrics Workshop (Bring a Laptop)

You're serious about improving the quality of your code base, but with 10,000 lines of code, where do you start and how do you ensure the greatest ROI for the re-work your team members will perform?

Sonar is an open source tool that brings together the best of breed static and dynamic analysis of Java projects. The result is a unified view of problematic areas of your code on a time-line basis, allowing the team to attack the problems with the best ROI, and maintain a more watchful eye for positive and risky trends in the codebase in the future.

Git Workshop

Git is a version control system you may have been hearing a bit about lately. But simply hearing more about it may not be enough to convince you of its value. Getting hands on experience is what really counts. In this workshop, you'll bring your Windows, Mac or Linux laptop and walk through downloading, installing, and using Git in a collaborative fashion.

Gradle Workshop (Bring a Laptop)

Gradle. Another build tool? Come on! But before you say that, take a look at the one you are already using.

Whether your current tool is Make, Rake, Ant, or Maven, Gradle has a lot to offer. It leverages a strong object model like Maven, but a mutable, not predetermined one. Gradle relies on a directed acyclic graph (DAG) lifecycle like Maven, but one that can be customized. Gradle offers imperative build scripting when you need it (like Ant), but declarative build approaches by default (like Maven). In short, Gradle believes that conventions are great – as long as they are headed in the same direction you need to go. When you need to customize something in your build, your build tool should facilitate that with a smile, not a slap in the face. And customizations should be in a low-ceremony language like Groovy. Is all this too much to ask?

Adam Smith Builds an Application

Economics, psychology, game theory, and marketing; those fields of study imply a distinct lack of semicolons and curly braces. However, even the venerable Adam Smith, were he alive today, would recognize the applicability of those seemingly tangential components to the business we call software.

Many of us self-identify with the hard core branding of “geek” and “nerd,” or the softer choices, “programmer” and “developer.” However, we rarely hear mentioned “business person,” “saleswoman,” salesman,” “inventor,” “strategist,” or “economist,” yet they are equally, if not more accurate in the description of the talents of a software craftsperson. Though unstated, we, as developers, are expected to be skilled in each of those areas. Rarely in business are so many combined talents expected from an individual contributor.