I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had time to update this.  But, I got a new job. I started the first week of January at Redcard Systems, through Phase5 Consulting. This is a 6months-to-hire contract.  I freakin love this place.  The code is amazing, the people are awesome and the location is damn near superb.  I'll write more later.

Everytime someone mentions certification, I get all amped up to get certified again.  I got my MCSD (Microsoft Solution Developer ... for Visual Studio 6.0) back in 1999, and while it didn't give me superpowers, it was certainly nice to have that little graphic on my resume.  That certification has long since expired, and with each new version of Visual Studio, I am constantly reminded of just how "out of date" I am.  

This morning, I was asked if I knew my MCP ID, and it reminded me that I have been meaning to look into certification again, now that my company has a training budget reimbursement program.  It's always a little more incentive to complete when someone else is picking up the tab.  Weird how that works. lol

Well, so I went out to the MCP site and started poking around the tests, requirements, etc and found the process is still very much the way it was 10 years ago; only now things are more expensive.  And, as usual, Microsoft doesn't even offer training materials for all of the tests. Specifically, the Windows Communication Foundation (70-513) MCTS test.  No e-books, no self-paced training kits, just a 3 day course that costs far too much and yields far too little information. Similarly, the final exam to get the MCPD certification, is the test: PRO: Designing and Developing Web Applications (70-519); which also has no training materials other than a FIVE day training course.

Now for the big dilema: Do I get the self-paced training books or the interaction practice tests?  In the past, I've used the books along with the practice tests with decent success.  The books are a nice precursor and the practice exams (at least the Transcender exams) provided a more "real life" test, and gave high detailed results, along with information relating to each and every question - if it's wrong, if it's right, why it's wrong or right.  I don't have a lot of spare time on my hands, so whichever I get will be a long and random process; it could take, perhaps even a year for me to get the certifications (I hope not, but I've known people who haven that long).  Also, books cost half of what the practice tests cost; although I expect (hope) the practice tests are more thorough and a better overall preparation.

Now, granted, I am looking at certification materials for VS 2010, not 2008, so it's a bit newer and it could take some time to get them released, but still, there's no mention of when the new testing materials might be released.

However, here's why I don't like looking into certification.  Here's a practice test question:

<asp:EntityDataSource ID="dataSource" runat="server" 
ConnectionString="name=EntityConnection" 
DefaultContainerName="AccountingEntities" EnableFlattening="False" 
EntitySetName="Invoices" 
Select="it.[InvoiceNumber], it.[Amount]"> 
</asp:EntityDataSource> .

I don't know of a single programmer who uses scripted datasource objects in their web forms, yet all the documentation and courses teach that method.  It reminds me that being an MCP only means that I've learned how to take the tests; but has no bearing in the real world.  So, each time I think about getting certified, I end up talking myself out of it.  However, I know the market value for certified people and employers do like abbreviations after your name...

Guess I'll buy a book and see how it goes; then re-evaluate the situation.

I'm no spring chicken, but I'm no dinosaur either.  However, I have been around long enough to remember when using HTML templates and populating them in some server-side compiled DLL was all the rage in high-powered web development; a precursor even to VB6's WebClasses.  Do any of you remember the ridiculous hype those WebClasses received - particularly at VBITS 1998 (maybe it was 99, I'd have to check my tote bag to be sure)?  Well, anyway, it was super-duper showcased.  All the power of VB6 in a dll, but still running on a webserver, serving up html pages like pancakes at an IHOP.

Now, do you remember actually doing any real development with those webclasses? I bet most of you tried it, realized the one major flaw, and quickly abandoned the technology.  If you wanted to make so much as a single character edit to the HTML page, you had to recompile the DLL, stop/start the MTS package hosting the DLL and most likely stop/start the IIS website as well.  Not exactly the most developer friendly deployment scheme.

Now... imagine that same situation, but instead your code engine is Power Builder.  Add to that, an enormous amount of Javascript, some of it custom, the rest as part of old js-based menu system (Joust - remember?).  For that extra little topper, toss in multiple framesets.  Ooh, that's right. I said it. I said frames.  HOW COOL where frames when we got HTML 3.2?!? Oh man, they were the best thing ever.  How many corporate websites ran on frames? Just about all of them.

The point to all of this reminiscing is that some places have not realized the sins of the past and still, to this very day, run setups exactly as described above.  I know this because my newest client site is one of those places.  Yes. A major entity in the area is powered by classic asp, powerbuilder, javascript and frames (not even iFrames, real life frames. You remember:

<frameset cols="100%" rows="72,*">
	<frame name="title"   src="/webap_buildTitlePage.htm"  scrolling='no'   marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' APPLICATION='yes' noresize>
	<frame name="menu"    src="/webap_plan_menu.htm"  scrolling='auto' marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' APPLICATION='yes'>
</frameset>

Yep. It must be one of the dirtiest secrets in all of this city's IT departments.

Now, for the title of this post... I was recently handed, literally, hand-delivered 40 (FORTY) printed pages of Power Builder code and told to use this a guide to replace one function of a classic web app with a new .net page.

I understand the department doesn't have the resources or time for a full site redesign, development, etc... but this is not the first time we've tried this "lets replace this one function with .net and stay on the migration path" idea.  I'm reminded of the adage: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Yes, it's good to start thinking about moving away from PB/JS solutions, but trying to do it in this patchwork style only leads to bad things.

Oh, and lastly, when you deliver this stack of wasted paper and explain how you were the lead architect for the system 12 years ago and still brag on its flexibility and power, maybe you should realize that you've hired a "new age tech guy" to replace all of that stuff and this isn't your hayday anymore.  

It's a cold, harsh truth that, especially in IT, the *moment* you think you're finally ahead of the curve, you realize you've just been lapped.  I'm still fighting to stay in the race and as proud as I am about some of my past victories, I certainly would not expect any one of them to still be around today.