I have a vast range of experience and technical knowledge gained from designing and developing websites and web based business applications since 2001.

ASP.NET

After crossing over from Classic ASP development I have been developing web based business applications and CMS systems using ASP.NET with C# and VB since August 2007. My CMS of choice is Umbraco as it is by far the most usable and customisable CMS I have come across during my career.

Classic ASP

My career started off developing web based applications using Classic ASP way back in 2001. I have found this to be a great advantage for my career as from time to time you come across a client with an old website developed in Classic ASP. I have developed large business applications for many well known companies such as B&Q in Classic ASP and in 2009 I worked on a significant upgrade to the Graduates for Business website for Scottish Enterprise.

Database Administration

Throughout my career I have mostly used SQL Server as the backend for my websites and applications. I learned a great deal regarding the correct way to write queries and stored procedures during my time at Logical Innovations where they had a full time Database Administrator. I am now completely responsible for the development and administration of databases as the companies I have worked for since then have not had any dedicated staff in this area. I also have a great deal of experience using MySQL, which I have used for a number of clients who have not had the budget to use the more expensive hosting and resources required for SQL Server.

Front End Web Design and Development

From my experience I have noticed that it can be very hard to find a web developer that can design websites as well. I am not saying that I am going to take up a new career in web design however I do think that it is important to have a good eye for what works and what doesn’t when developing interfaces for your clients. I have been building websites using HTML/XHTML since I started my career and I have picked up skills in Flash, Actionscript and Photoshop along the way. I use jQuery and Ajax in the websites I develop and have occasionally used Flex for backend interface design.

PHP

The open source tools available in PHP are endless and there is no escaping the need to know what your doing when it comes to PHP coding. This website uses WordPress which is written in PHP. WordPress is a great tool for creating blogs and websites requiring a CMS and the possibilities of what you can do with it if you know a bit of PHP are limitless. I have been using PHP on and off since I started at GRP in 2005 however my language of choice is still ASP.NET