Curriculum Vitae
Stephen Edwards
Nationality: British
Mobile: +44 (0)7717 147 383 Skype: StephenDenisEdwards
E-Mail: rehakova@vodafone.net
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Brief Career Description |
15 years experience as developer of commercial software for the Microsoft Windows platform and web-based environments;
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Primary development tools and technologies |
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OVERVIEW
I have extensive knowledge and experience with Microsoft development platforms from Windows DNA, COM, COM+, right up to the latest version of the .NET framework, mostly within an enterprise environment.
I have extensive relational database experience particularly with SQL Server and have done plenty of database design work. I have experience using alternative database technologies, including native XML and object databases.
I try to keep abreast of new technologies and research projects, particularly from Microsoft and am currently looking at F#, Haskell (Functional programming languages), PFX (Parallel framework) Library, PLINQ (Parallel LINQ), STM (Software Transactional Memory) and parallelism generally as well as code generation, DSL (Domain Specific Languages) and the ADO.NET Entity Framework.
I am very able in client facing situations. I am self motivated. I like challenging work and am always prepared to share knowledge and to learn from others. I have a recently started a blog and forum and contribute other forums and occasionally attend .NET user group meetings.
I have worked in many development environments, large and small, following various development styles including Agile, and waterfall environments.
I have used Test Driven Development (TDD), Domain Driven Design (DDD), and have used Use Case Driven Object Modelling (the ICONIX process combined with TDD) usually within an Agile environment.
My core skills centre around the .NET framework using primarily the C# language, although I have used both VB.NET and managed C++ (as well as research languages such as F#).
Fundraising Innovations Limited (London, UK)
August 2008 – Current
I was Team Lead/Senior Developer on a project to re-design and re-build current high volume ASP.NET energy price comparison web sites and web applications. I am also responsible for the technical architecture.
Within the Agile environment we used the ICONIX process approach for upfront design and incorporated Test Driven Development (TDD) techniques with this process. The N-Tiered application architecture was designed to accommodate TDD and this included the decision to use ASP.NET MVC (beta) rather than traditional ASP.NET. It also influenced the innovative repository design based on LINQ and LINQ to SQL allowing unit testing of ALL domain code, including underlying LINQ to SQL queries, without requiring a database. This proved to be a very effective design, as well as being efficient as it greatly reduced the amount unit test code required and improved the ease of refactoring test code.
The site aims to have a AAA accessibility rating and in order to gain this rating graceful degradation was built into all areas of the site. JQuery was used for all JavaScript libraries and for client side AJAX, DHTML and validation functionality etc.
We also adhered to the rules of unobtrusive JavaScript.
Position: Senior/Lead Programmer/ Architect
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, Analysis and Design.
Key Skills: VS 20088, C# 3.5, ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC, ICONIX Process, Agile, TDD, DDD, CruiseControl.NET, SQL Server 2005, MSBUILD, Subversion Source Control, LINQ, LINQ to SQL, JavaScript, JQuery, CSS, AJAX, Unit Testing, NUnit, TeamCity, Mingle.
Huaassgati, (Bangkok, Thailand)
April 2008 – July 2008
I was contracted in a consultative capacity to aid in the joint evaluation process of the CSLA.NET 3.0 and 3.5 Framework for use in developing the company’s n-tier enterprise solutions for appropriate clients. This included evaluation of a number of code generation tools for use with CSLA.NET including the use of the Visual Studio 2008 Domain Specific Language tools to create a (Domain Specific Language) DSL for CSLA.NET to allow graphical modelling and code generation of CSLA.NET business object models.
The evaluation process involved following the full lifecycle, from Use Case Driven Object Modelling using Enterprise architect, to the build based on the CSLA.NET n-tier framework, of a sample application with both a Winforms and ASP.NET front end.
I also helped in evaluating LINQ to SQL and ADO.NET Entity Framework for use in the company’s current n-tier Framework and in the context of CSLA.NET, as well as for 2-tier application development.
Position: Consultant
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Evaluation consultant.
Key Skills: VS 2008, C# 3.5, .NET 3.5, CSLA.NET 3.5, Enterprise Architect, VS2008 DSL Tools, Winforms, ASP.NET, LINQ to SQL, ADO.NET Entity Framework.
Red Letter Days, (London, England)
April 2007 – April 2008
The systems at RLD had developed over time in a very haphazard fashion. Much of the business relied on a now unsupported version of a data driven Pivotal CRM Windows based client/server system that had been highly customized in an unstructured manner over time. The result was that business logic was widely fragmented (some in VB6 COM+ components, some in .NET DLLs, stored procedures and some in Pivotal’s own proprietary graphical expression language). The database was also in a very poor state due to the difficulty of re-factoring it. The web site also duplicated much of the business logic and was forced to use a very convoluted process if it needed to update the database, hindering development of the web site.
So, the goal was to unify the business logic in a single unified .NET middle tier and provide a migration path off of the Pivotal CRM system to.NET based solutions (Winforms, ASP.NET and Web Services) and allow the database to be easily re-factored over time.
The solution I came up with and implemented was based on the CSLA.NET n-tier framework (by Rockford Lhotka). This framework was chosen for its flexibility in object persistence and the advanced features that simplify the creation of Windows Forms, Web Forms, WPF, WCF, WF and Web Services interfaces.
This framework was extended and modified to allow low level transactional data access via the Pivotal data access COM+ API (necessary for providing a migration path). This allowed the OO design and development of the unified business layer that was not tied directly to the database schema allowing both for the gradual migration from the Pivotal CRM windows application and ancillary services to .NET WinForms, Web, Web Service applications and eventual re-factoring of the database.
I developed code generation tools to aid in the migration of existing legacy business logic to the new unified framework.
As technical team lead and architect it was also my responsibility to mentor the existing team in the use of the new framework.
I also implemented Enterprise Continuous Integration (ECI) (with binary dependency) using CruiseControl.NET, MSBUILD with Subversion source control replacing the existing SourceSafe.
I used an Agile approach using Use Case Driven Object Modelling (ICONIX) combined with TDD, driving test identification from robustness diagrams and this was also my first attempt at incorporating Domain Specific Language Development (DSL) into the process for CSLA.NET.
Position: Senior/Lead Programmer/ Architect
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, Analysis and Design.
Key Skills: VS 2005/8, C# 2/3/3.5, CodeDom, CruiseControl.NET, ECI, SQL Server 2000/2005, NUnit, NANT, MSBUILD, NANTS, VB6 (Legacy Code), COM/COM+/Enterprise Services, Subversion Source Control, Pivotal CRM, VB 6, Windows PowerShell.
Global Care Solutions, (Bangkok, Thailand)
October 2006 – February 2007
Global Care Solutions are the creators of Hospital2000 which is one of the very few integrated hospital management systems on the market today. Most hospitals currently use separate departmental systems.
I initially did some performance profiling of the very extensive hospital2000 n-tier framework and was able to improve performance of the ORM (object relational mapping) components by 30%. Profiling was done using NANTS.
I then worked on the architecture, design, and implementation of an HL7 messaging integration module for Hospital2000 in C# 2.
HL7 is an internationally used messaging standard allowing medical applications and equipment such as X-Ray and MRI scanners to communicate with each other, however the standard is open to different interpretation by vendors making integration difficult and requiring a high degree of configurability and the ability to test and monitor those integration configurations.
The graphical configuration UI for the integration server was a WinForms application and utilised a number of user controls and made use of a graph library (C#) that I had developed over the years.
I was able to use some of the new threading features of C# 2 also. The back end was a multithreaded windows service that ran within the Hospital2000 Server Applications framework. Some Socket programming was involved in this.
System installed at Bumrungrad Hospital(Thailand), Franco Vietnamese Hospital(Vietnam), SGH(Singapore)
GCS was acquired by Microsoft mid 2007 and the product renamed to Amalga.
Best described as an (Extreme Programming) XP environment (Agile).
Position: Senior programmer
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, Analysis and Design.
Key Skills: C# 2, MSMQ, UML, CruiseControl, NUnit, NANTS, NET Multi-threading, Reflection, Team Source Control, HL7 Standard.
Reed Business Information (RBI) (East Grinstead, England)
Reed Elsevier Business Publishing Group
April 2006 – October 2006
Kellysearch has been established as a business directory for nearly 200 years. Today it still provides a business directory via the Kellysearch web site - http://www.kellysearch.com. It is a B2B search engine.
Kellysearch is backed by the Reed Elsevier Business Publishing Group – making Kellysearch one of the largest business search engine resources in the world.
Kellysearch uses a well known search engine technology called FAST Data Search (FDS).
I was employed on a contract basis to analyse the requirements, design and develop a middle tier to sit between the Kellysearch web site and the FAST Data Search search engine backend.
As a search engine, FDS has no relational type query capability built in. One of the requirements extracted from my analysis was the need to extend the query capabilities of FDS to allow the creation of relational type queries to service clients (web sites). Another requirement was to insulate the web site development team from FDS and to abstract FDS itself within the middle tier. The most important consideration was that the middle tier had to be very fast and efficient.
The result was an API incorporating a stored query management system for which queries, including relational queries, and their output XML format could be written. The API was exposed as a web service for use primarily by Kellysearch but also for other client applications.
I also wrote a WinForm based GUI to allow the development of queries and their output XML formats using a friendly front end. This also allowed for query analysis.
During the course of developing the API I used tools such as NANTS and DevPartner Studio to check and optimize performance and memory usage. Extensive load testing was also carried out using LoadRunner and our own soak test software.
We used a CruiseControl with SourceSafe for continuous integration with NUnit for unit testing.
This was an Agile environment using TDD.
Position: Senior programmer
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, Analysis and Design.
Key Skills: C# 2, Web Services, ASP.NET, UML, CruiseControl, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, NUnit, NANTS, NET Multi-threading, Reflection, Visual SourceSafe.
Transport for London (TfL) (London England)
June 2005 – April 2006
Initially I was hired to work on TrackerNet; a real time model of the London Underground rail network. TrackerNet receives raw real time event data from various sources (signalling computers, RTUs (Remote Terminal Units), Power Controllers etc) that it uses to calculate the current location and destination of trains on the network as well as signal and point state and other network state. The model is a high profile business critical enterprise application within LU and provides data to many other applications such as crew management and service quality, as well as providing web based real time and historical graphical views of the network. Much of my work on TrackerNet was to implement recommendations that were the result of a comprehensive review by the TrackerNet team, including myself, in conjunction with outside consultants with the aim of making improvements to the systems architecture and design in order to improve performance, accuracy, resilience and up and out scalability. We also looked at the systems manageability and at improved instrumentation to monitor data feeds and performance.
The second project that I worked on was a complete redesign of the related Train Lists application which had previously been an integral part of the TrackerNet network model application. I took a lead role in managing the full lifecycle from architectural and application design to implementation. This application takes TrackerNet event data and calculates train arrivals and departures for every platform on the LU network. The new design required the building of a routing topology model of the LU rail network and using that model to process train location and destination data from TrackerNet into platform train lists. The re-design was required because the original application design was not easily capable of handling the complexity of some of the additional line coverage being brought into TrackerNet and due to fundamental architectural flaws in the original application design - limiting its scalability and resilience. The new Train Lists application was built using C# 2 and the design process was aided by use of Enterprise Architect (EA). A proof of concept prototype was iteratively built to meet a number of pre-written unit tests, aimed at progressively more complex lines, as part of the design phase. The prototype was later re-factored and optimized for performance and incrementally deployed side-by-side with the existing application - starting with simpler lines. The system also included an AJAX based web front end and a WinForms graphical administration application.
Both applications run as windows services, are multithreaded and conform to the LU solution architecture. Both had two week release windows. CruiseControl was used for continuous integration from source control (initially Serena, then VSS and then ClearCase!!). The TrackerNet and Train Lists team consisted of 7 developers.
Agile SCRUM environment.
Position: Senior Analyst/Programmer/Architect
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, Analysis and Design.
Key Skills: C#, C# 2, Web Services, ASP.NET, AJAX, SQL Server 2000, Enterprise Architect (EA), UML, CruiseControl, MSMQ, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, NUnit, NAnt, NDoc, MS Enterprise Application Blocks, NET Multi-threading – Reflection – Dynamic Compile, .NET Remoting, RUP, Agile methods, SVG (Scaleable Vector Graphics), OPC, OPC gateway, Visual SourceSafe, ClearCase (later), N-tier dev.
Proximity(London England)
April/May 2005
A short contract to build a database schema and data access layer. Also to develop data-aware .NET custom web controls for use in an intranet application in ASP.NET. I also advised on advanced ASP.NET techniques and solutions architecture.
Position: Programmer
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Programming, DB Design.
Key Skills: C#, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, Web Services, ASP.NET, SQL Server 2000, CruiseControl, NUnit.
TWI Interactive(London England)
March 2004 – March 2005
Initially I worked on a project to migrate an in house VB6/COM object database API (named “ObjectStore”) to the .NET framework in a manner that would not break existing COM applications and classic ASP web sites that used the ObjectStore API while extending functionality for new .NET client applications.
I was then appointed to a project to research, design and build a robust, extensible, load balanced, rule based distributed process integration framework based on a messaging architecture aimed primarily, though not exclusively, for long running processes mainly concerned with media conversions and delivery.
Initial evaluation of BizTalk was carried out with Microsoft in order to ascertain whether BizTalk would be capable of providing the functionality we required. It was determined that it was not ideally suited to our specific purposes.
Once at the build phase I was part of the process of selecting a team.
The project included the design and build of an “Orchestration” server to allow for the orchestration of processes based on an XML vocabulary and using the distributed framework to execute processes. The project was the core of a larger “content factory” system that managed the processing of video and other media content. Orchestrations would typically include processes for converting and processing video and sound formats, muxing, content encryption, certain editing functions (eg: adding trailers etc), manual processes, and final delivery of processed content by various means to various consumers. This was is to become a core product of TWIi. Clients for the system included BT, 3 and Vodafone and many more worldwide.
The project required extensive understanding of the .NET framework including threading, reflection, dynamic compilation, serialization, application domains and processes, COM interoperability, XML, Remoting, Web Services and WinForms as well as ASP.NET.
The project also demanded a good understanding of OO techniques in general including use of design patterns. It also required a good understanding of messaging architectures, in particular MSMQ.
On this project we experimented with some elements of the Agile programming methodology. We wrote unit tests first (NUnit), we pair programmed all production code, and would frequently refactor the design and implementation.
The project also required development of media processing components using Windows Media 9 SDK and development of DirectShow filters (DirectX) in C++ along with some optimization work in assembler (Intel IA-32).
Position: Programmer / Architect
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design and Architecture, Systems Architect,
Programming.
Key Skills: C#, C++, MS Macro Assembler, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, Web Services, .NET Remoting, UML, MSMQ, .NET Multi-threading – Reflection – Dynamic Compile, WSE 2.0, ASP.NET, COM, DirectX, WM9, SQL, SQL Server 2000 BizTalk 2004, Extreme Programming, NUnit testing.
AKQA (London England)
January 2004 – 3rd March 2004
A project to extend the MSCOM (Microsoft.com) MNP 2.5 framework (a Microsoft in house framework used for Microsoft web site development) to allow for site personalisation and local search for websites running in Microsoft’s secured cluster where the standard MS search spider is unable to access. This involved prototyping my designs, and testing them, and then documenting my designs and recommendations. This required the ability to rapidly gain a detailed understanding of the MS MNP framework. I also looked at MNP integration with MCMS and the implications for current and future development for MNP sites and advised the client accordingly.
Position: Programmer / Design and Analysis
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design & Protoype Development, Systems Architecture.
Key Skills: C#, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, XInclude, Javascript, VBScript, Web Services, .NET Remoting, UML, Microsoft CMS 2002, MSCOM MNP2.5, SQL Server 2000.
Syzygy AG (London England)
November 2003 – December 2003
A short contract to design, develop and test an API for an XML based query protocol for a major auto manufacturer accessed via a Web Service. The API, developed in .NET (C#), needed to be capable of being exposed via interop to COM clients including scripting clients such as traditional ASP pages and VB6. Web Service client (required SOAP extensions) designed as a Windows Service exposing a .NET remoting server accessible by .NET remoting clients used with traditional ASP pages via interop. The API also allowed access to a J2EE Server using Borland’s Janeva and .NET remoting.
Position: Programmer / Design
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design & Development, Systems Architecture, Lead
Key Skills: C#, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, Javascript, VBScript, VB6, bi-directional COM Interoperability, SOAP, ASP., Web Services, .NET Remoting, UML, Borland Janeva. Unit Testing (NUnit).
Incisive Media Plc (London England)
April 2002 – September 2003
Incisive Media is medium sized financial news publishing organisation targeting both print and online media to financial professionals. It has a number of well known publications, web sites and portals. It also syndicates financial news. In addition, it has a large finance related events business.
Initially I was hired for a six week period to make some changes to classic ASP web sites.
My contract subsequently extended to carry out new developments. I designed and developed:
· Survey system
· Events management system
· Bulk Emailer
· FTP News syndication system
· ISAPI filter to plug SQL injection vulnerability on old sites (C++).
· .NET caching data tier for use by existing traditional ASP pages via COM or ASP.NET applications.
Except for the ISAPI filter, these were all written in C# in a SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and n-tier architecture.
I was then tasked with migrating web sites to ASP.NET (C#) and to improve site performance and scalability.
In addition I installed and configured new IIS web and SQL database servers.
After five months I became the head of development and began an extensive review of systems and the development framework. After extensive research I put together a proposal for an XML standards based cross-media news content management and development framework. The benefits of this proposal were presented to and accepted by management and I began work on detailed design (using UML) and prototyping. At the heart of the system was an XML database.
I carried out extensive evaluation of XML database products including TextML (IXIASoft), Tamino (Software AG), eXist (Open source) and SQL Servers none native XML capabilities. TextML was chosen on the basis of performance, ease of use and flexibility and cost.
The project was ambitious and included the following components all written in C# and again using a SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and n-tier architectures where appropriate.
· News document base (based on the IPTC NITF XML Schema)
· Events document base(based on a bespoke XML Schema)
· News categorisation system (Based on an IPTC vocabulary)
· FTP, Web Page and Web Service based news feed and syndication mechanisms
· An in line query parser that extended the TextML query capability and provided additional functionality (Eg: Transforms, Time functions etc, along with business related functionality)
· .NET Web controls to facilitate the essential requirement of very rapid web site development.
· Web Services Interfaces to the TextML XML Database server (TextML has a native COM based API), including custom marshalling.
· Document validation (including content validation)
· XML based configuration mechanism
· Web based XML editor for news stories – journalists would enter articles via this web application.
· A windows based query analyser for the XML database (akin to the SQL Server Query analyser) and system management console.
· Extended database security architecture.
· XML Database to Quark interface via Roundtrip Software for print publishing.
· Document version and revision tracking mechanism
· Legacy data replication from multiple SQL Server 2000 databases to unified XML Database. Extensive use of multi-thread techniques.
· A subscription and user account sub system.
Most of the above listed infrastructure was designed and implemented over an intense ten month period.
During this time I developed extensive XML skills including the use of XML databases (Tamino, TextML, eXist etc) as well as XML Schema, XSLT and other XML standards. Also I gained much experience of Service Orientated Architectures with Web services and .NET Remoting along with the .NET framework in general and UML using Visio. I have also had some experience with WSE 1.0 (Web Service Enhancements). All the usual relational database programming and design skills were also required, mainly using SQL server 2000 and including transactional processing using COM+ via .NET Enterprise Services, stored procedures, triggers, index design, normalisation etc.
Position: Senior Analyst / Programmer and Systems Architect / Team leading
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design & Development, Systems Architecture, Lead
Key Skills: C#, .NET IL, .NET Enterprise Services, Some VB.NET, XML, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, XHTML, TextML XML Database Server, ASP.NET, Custom .NET Web Controls, Javascript, VBScript, SQL Server 7/2000, MySQL, Some C++, IIS, ISAPI filters, VB6, ADO.NET, bi-directional COM Interoperability, SOAP, ASP., Web Services, .NET Remoting, SOA, Unit Testing.
MediSys (Malaga, Spain)
January 2001 * January 2002
Requirements capture, analysis, design and, build of a Medical Patient and Treatment tracking system for use in a widely dispersed drug treatment programme where electronic means of communications was not possible in certain situations. Individual users had to be able to work off-line most of the time, connecting to the Internet, or even via snail-mailed diskettes to update a centralized SQL Server database with changes and to receive new referrals and transfers from other users etc.
The project was built as a component based three tier development with eventual migration to the .NET framework in mind. It made extensive use of XML.
A Web based client was developed for on-line work. An XML driven VB client application was written that could be used on or offline. This used a robust data transfer and interchange protocol that was developed using XML and XML Schema. The same protocol allowed data interchange via diskette in situations where the client could not connect to the internet. Much of the client functionality was implemented with XSLT. Extensive use was made of the MSXML3 XML processor on both the client and server sides.
Finally the project was migrated and re-factored to the .NET Framework in C# making extensive use of .NET Remoting and web services.
Position: Senior Analyst / Programmer
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design & Development
Key Skills: C#, Visual BASIC 6, VBScript, JAVA (applets) JBuilder, JavaScript, HTML, DHTML, XHTML, ADO, COM/DCOM, IIS, ASP, SQL Server 2000, SQL, OOD/OOA (Visual Modeller), Windows DNA Architecture, XML, XML Schema, XSLT, MSXML3.
Warner Brothers (London, England)
August 2000 * January 2001
I was part of a small team of developers working on the design and implementation of a Web based global B2B DVD ordering system and supplier chain management system. Part of the project involved the collaborative design of XML Schemas to replace existing none XML protocols used between WB and their suppliers.
Extensive use of XML and XML Schemas in a Windows DNA architecture. All data access via Oracle stored procedures, with XML aware middle tier components.
Position: Senior Analyst / Programmer
Status: Contract
Responsibilities: Analysis, Software Design & Development
Key Skills:
Visual BASIC 6, Site Server, VBScript, JavaScript, HTML, DHTML, ADO, COM, DCOM, MTS, IIS, ASP, Oracle 8 (Triggers, Constraints, SPs etc), SQL, OOD/OOA (Visual Modeler), Windows DNA Architecture, XML, XML Schema.
Prior Positions are listed below: (Details available on request)
Pilat Media Limited (Division of Pilat UK Limited) (London, England)
February 2000 - August 2000 (2nd Contract - see February 2000)
London Borough of Islington (London, England)
July 1999 - February 2000
Interactive Media (London, England)
May 1999 - July 1999
Pilat UK Limited & Pilat Media Limited (London, England)
August 1995 - February 1999
Binary Systems Limited (London, England)
July 1994 - January 1995
Data Systems International Limited (London, England)
January 1994 - June 1994
Position: Analyst/ Programmer
Compaq Computer GmBh (Munich, Germany)
July 1993 - October 1993
Position: Analyst/ Programmer/ Consultant
Bristol Myers Plc (London, England)
April 1993 - June 1993
Position: Analyst/ Programmer/Consultant
Greenpeace (Australia) Pty (Sydney, Australia)
September 1991 - January 1993
Position: Systems Co-ordinator and developer
BS Microcomp Pty - (Sydney, Australia)
August 1989 - August 1991
Position: Programmer/ Support consultant
Self Employed Trainer - (Sydney, Australia)
February 1988 - January 1989
Position: Trainer
Micro-X Limited - London, England
January 1986 - February 1988
Position: Technical Director and Analyst/ Programmer
References Available On Request
Full detailed CV Available On Request