Adventures with Apex

I have been trying to learn Oracle's Application Express (a.k.a. Apex).  Not for my own personal pleasure, for a class, fittingly enough named Oracle Technologies.  And I am still rying to find out where the express part of it comes into play.  So far, after working with Perl, PHP, ASP.net (using VB for the code behind), and Flash and ActionScript 3.0,  I find Apex the most confusing to work with.

Something as simple as a select list was a 3 hour nightmare.  I can get more done in less time with plain html and Perl than I can with Apex.  At least in Perl, I know what the code does.  I wrote it.  In Apex, I am constrained by the way the Apex developers have envisioned a web application.

And that's my rant on Apex.

For those wiching to tackle Apex, you may need this:

Getting Ready for Stage

My last post was a while ago. Almost two months ago. My goal of posting something every week has been tossed out the door. Or more like tossed for me.

24 hours in a day, and only 7 days in a week feels like a cruel joke. Whoever cam up that system was obviously not balancing work, school, and an actual life. Or this person had "people" working for them. Looking forward at how much work needs to get done to finish the semester, I am trying to figure out how fit it all in, without alienating the girlfriend. There is still an Oracle application to implement (if anyone knows of a simple guide to Apex, please let me know), a shopping cart in ASP.net to finish, a mail server to install and configure, and a message board written in php to produce.

As the end of the semester gets closer, we also have to get ready for our stage (a.k.a. internship for those outside of Quebec). I have already been to two interviews. Each at very different companies (nameless companies of course, just in case).

My first interview was at a small start up. A tiny little office that barely fit the five desks. Basically a cafe that, for one reason or another, is producing all their management software in house. Probably to bring to market in the near future. Very anti corporate guys, and looking at their website, very community oriented. The more casual style of this company fits my style very much.

The second, which was self defined as a small to medium business, had a more cutting edge feel. And cutthroat. Though my interviewer was impressed by my C.V., despite the immense lack of IT experience. I felt like fumbling idiot at this one.

Neither place asked a for quick programming test, like others in my class had to perform. Both places what projects I had in progress outside of school.

Outside of school, my life is ruled by work, and a friends. And I am starting to get a feel for this industry, and while whatever skills and knowledge acquired on my own can only be beneficial, my interviewers seemed surprised how I do not live and breathe programming outside of a work/school environment.

Having a side project looks like the norm in this industry, and sleep and friends take a back seat.

Semster Number Five

Year two, semester five.  What ever my teachers want me to call it, it's busy.  5 computer science classes, plus I will have to get a math class done if I want to move onto next semester.  The joys of the Quebec education system never cease to amaz me.

Problem is, I don't have time for all this.  There is also the reality of life where rent and electricity have get paid every month.  And, my boss weems to think I live at her beck and call.  That is, when I'm not in class, I'm available to work.  She seems to think that all my work magically gets done when I'm in class.  Which, as anyone who's been in computer science, or any other post secondary school, does not happen.

Any way, so enough of that, on to assignments that lead up to full web app.

Later,
Mike D.

p.s. Went to Rio this summer.  Pics to come.

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