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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Discussion after Geekmas Technical Weekend

Posted by dcorking (dcorking), 28 November 2004
I was privileged to attend the fantastic free Technical Weekend at Well House Consultants (having invited myself) http://www.wellho.net/mouth/62_Technical-Open-House.html

Being, as far as I can see, the first to get to the bulletin board, I am taking the liberty of starting a new thread for follow-up issues and discussions.

I enjoyed meeting everyone for the first time.   Thanks all for being so welcoming.

My respect for Perl was renewed - and here are some new things for my todo list (but not tonight)
  • I am inspired to experiment with PHP
  • I will take another look at MySQL, now that it not only has gained sub-queries, but there are alpha implementations of stored procedures and triggers
  • Python - well that has moved up my to do list thanks to some inspired advocacy by fellow delegates

Thanks all, especially Graham and Lisa!

Posted by Custard (Custard), 29 November 2004
Yes, indeed.  I would also like to thank Graham and Lisa for what I thought was a very interesting day (unfortunately, I could not attend the Sunday sessions).

And I was also impressed with the quality of the dedicated training facility which was reminiscent of a five-star hotel. (And I have never used such a posh toilet..

It was also great to rub shoulders with other like minded people, and also put a few faces to the names from Opentalk.

As David said, I am also inspired to look at Python and PHP,  particularly Python.

I was a little concerned at learning Rasmus' 'i dont care' attitude to non web-app applications though. Perhaps he doesn't, but I found it a little worryingly single minded.  

I was also upset that I couldn't make the second day as there were many topics that are close to my heart covered.

I shall be looking forward to next Geekmas!

Bruce

PS. Thanks to the other attendees for putting up with my '10 minutes'..

Posted by dcorking (David Corking), 29 November 2004
I agree with Custard's 'posh' comment - the photos on the website don't do the training centre justice.  The architect who did the toilet is a cool dude.

Back to business - Bruce (Custard), thanks for your '10 minutes'.   Your Perl coding style is very accessible to a non-perlmonger.  I was able to grasp some design pattern concepts that I hope will prove useful.

As for the second day, much of the morning was dedicated to a preview of Perl 6.   After he explained the background of the new internal engine, Graham presented the article he has published here http://www.wellho.net/solutions/perl-overview-of-what-we-re-expecting-in-perl-6.html .   The majority Perlmongers in the room sounded generally approving.  To all camps, it seems that Perl 6 is still Perl.

A live demo of the 'live demo' CD with embedded app servers was very impressive.
http://www.wellho.net/solutions/general-windows-running-apache-and-mysql-from-a-cd.html

Graham's insights from the training market suggested directions developers could take their careers, but I won't steal his thunder should he wish to present his views further on www.wellho.net


Posted by paddy3118 (paddy3118), 29 November 2004
Hey,
What a great weekend!
Ta Lisa and Graham I enjoyed myself. It was great to be able to discuss programming tools,  methods and methodologies with other folk.

What did I enjoy the most - Well, curiousely enough for a Python fan, it was the  "Whats new in Perl 6" talk and the Perl 5 Design patterns.

Perl 6 is definitely going to be Perl. There are some great ideas, but also some inelegant syntax surrounding the implementation of those ideas.

'Custards' OO design pattern talk had embedded examples that were wonderful examples of clear Perl - I never get to debug Perl like that  . This morning I downloaded perltidy from sourceforge at work and have emailed  the perl users to start a discusion going on raising the standard of perl coding with respect to maintainability.

I really must find time to actually write a Python 'taster'. Something like "From Doodle to Program, in Python".  Lets see... show interactive use within the included  idle IDE, mention ipython, move from writing a function at the command line to a function held in a file... show the quick edit/run cycle within idle, including interactive testing of the function in the file. I have got to show doctest - how a quick cut-n-paste of part of the interactive testing of the function out of idle and into the functions docstring can then become a unit test... the oh-so-useful interactive help() function, and pydoc. To end I'd leave you with a small program with integrated documentation and tests and a flavour of how program,, tests, and documentation can be built quickly and naturally in
Python.  Now all I have to do is complete it  


Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 30 November 2004
Many thanks for the comments / feedback everyone - we had a fantastic time too with our old and new friends around.  We have a (somewhat twee) saying "Come as a student, leave as a friend" .... well ... it may be somewhat twee, but it's pretty accurate at times.  David - a big "thank you" for stating this follow up thread.

Many of you hadn't been here before (I'm writing from "the conference room") as we've just been in touch be email or I've previously visited your offices .... but now that you know where we are, there's no excuse for not dropping by when you happen to be in Melksham - Custard, I'm sure you could get me talking on Perl 6 again and having had a chance to practise on the other folks I'm sure I would do a much more polished presentation  

I have followed up on "The Horse's Mouth" at  http://www.wellho.net/mouth/135_Too-many-Perls.html with a separate thread concerning why PHP's a great language and why I think Rasmus is correct in not turning it into a general language - wanted to answer that one, but this thread's not the place. You can add your comments on that too if you access it via the blog software at http://www.wellho.net/horse/.

Paddy, please do let us know when you write your Python taster and where we can read it - you've been an inspirational advocate of Python since I've known you, and you're one of the influences that pushed me (willingly) that way.

Posted by dcorking (David Corking), 21 December 2004
Google found this infantile poem for me and I could not resist sharing it
http://www.vacantcanvas.com/blog/332/merry-geekmas  
If you don't laugh then don't worry  - it is rare to find people who share my sense of humour  
David


Posted by John_Moylan (jfp), 1 June 2005
Hello Everyone.

I saw this and thought of...Paddy
http://www.pythonchallenge.com/
Paddy is forever synonymous with Python in my head

Hope your all well.
John

Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 2 June 2005
Warm, hot, slower days of late Spring.

I know that I, for one, am well.  Things have slackened off a little after a hectic start to the year - but perhaps that's because I've been so busy training that I haven't had a chance to do too much marketing and shouting about how great we are via our web site.

But we've got some fun projects underway .... more anon ...



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