A Quiet Success

There's lots of good news about SynApp2. Things are happening. The program is steadily evolving along with documentation, examples and videos. A SourceForge project has been established and a wiki is taking shape. It's remarkable how much has been done.

So far, I've been wearing all of the hats. Collaboration happens, but mostly through Q & A exchanges. It all seems to transpire quietly in the background. As more people become involved, there will hopefully be more online discussion. Nevertheless, excellent feedback is being provided and has resulted in valuable functionality being developed and incorporated.

Throughout 2010, practical capabilities were added to SynApp2. Each new thing was designed and implemented in a general, reusable way. Features to manage images and documents were quickly and easily incorporated. Even though changes were added to support specific customer projects, everything was done in a way that anyone can use. So, not only were the customer requirements satisfied, but also the framework was extended.

All of the customer solutions and the SynApp2 enhancements were delivered very quickly. That speaks to the effectiveness of the underlying software design and implementation.

Over and over again, SynApp2 has proven to be powerful and extensible. Features like user authentication and login are neatly integrated with customizable control over access to program features and data. That makes precisely managed collaboration, not only possible, but almost effortless to deploy and maintain.

One way or another, the well kept secret is going to leak out. SynApp2 is cool.

Built for Speed and Comfort

Addressing the needs of a discriminating audience with a generalized product is a study in compromise. Race cars are not known for plush suspension and a smooth ride. Pillow-barge class land yachts are not especially adept at quick, flat cornering. When you combine qualities from multiple categories, something has to give.

What’s true for automobiles is true for software. And, for both, it’s not a big deal unless someone makes it one. The art of compromise is in full play. But, if you do it right, you can come up with something that’s fun and pleasant to drive, for a sizable, yet varied, group of individuals.

In the case of a web application generator, perhaps the largest segment of potential enthusiasts is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the software development and database gurus. It’s proving to be quite a challenge to court the sensibilities of both. What attracts one group may repel the other. It may seem obvious to address a narrower constituency, but that may not always be the best move.

There are hurdles to clear when it comes to preferences and pet-peeves. Perceptions about software can be highly subjective. First impressions are critical. Just the words "code generator" are enough to disenchant some – often without the slightest exploration. Other times, it’s the user interface doesn't look or work the way they imagine it should. Does it matter if the software could be useful and easy to use? It doesn't unless people get beyond the initial encounter.

If SynApp2 isn't skinned the way you'd prefer, or the number of comments, function naming conventions or coding style isn't the way you think it should be done - give it a chance anyway. The number of details that have been encapsulated is staggering. Things are well structured, extensible and maintainable. There's a reason for everything, and it's not necessarily obvious. Keep an open mind.

SynApp2 isn't aimed at developers creating portals for millions on the frontier of the wide open Internet. But, if you create and maintain applications for use by and within any organization, based on MySQL or similar database engines, or if you're running a business with spreadsheets, and you don't see how SynApp2 can be very useful, then you haven't objectively and practically evaluated the product. Get some help (contact me) and look again.

With a small project and an army of one, completely fulfilling a vision is next to impossible. But, with clear purpose and steady progress, the potential can be increasingly illuminated while practical benefits are achieved.

So, while there’s a lot of talk about using and supporting open source software, it’s rare that a big impact can be made without a steady influx of support from a larger enterprise. Outside of a corporate womb, promising concepts and practical ideas can briefly flare without really being noticed. SynApp2 deserves to be noticed.

Having your computer do the grunt work of creating distributed web applications around sensible database designs is good idea. If you can do it [almost] as effortlessly as opening a document in a word processor or spreadsheet program, that’s more than worthy of some of your energy to make it happen.

Whether you're a grizzled professional or a newbie, a student, a professor, or a frazzled manager trying to juggle data in a bunch of spreadsheets and data files, put some effort into exploring a cool thing. And don't just do it quietly on your own. Plug into the project. Communicate. Share ideas. Ask questions. Do not just walk away without adding some energy to the reaction.

If you're looking at SynApp2 and reading the documentation let me know. If you don't think SynApp2 would be useful to you, I'd like to find out why. If you're struggling to get SynApp2 running, or to understand how you can use it, I'll be happy to shed some light and lend a hand. And if you're using SynApp2 to do anything, you'd make my day if you shared your success.

Any email to @synapp2.org shows up in my inbox. Feel free to address it to Richard. There’s also LinkedIn group, a Facebook page and group, a Twitter thing, and this blog.

Please mention SynApp2 and post a link to SynApp2.org on your favorite forums and blogs (only if it’s on topic – we don't want to promote spam).

Learn about SynApp2, put it to work, and support the effort by adding your voice.

Identity and Open Source Software Projects

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a name that's meaningful, catchy and not over saturated in Cyberspace? Okay - well it's hard. Trust me on that.

Here's what I came up with:

Syn - synthesize
App - application
2 - my second formal effort

Here's what a Google search for SynApp2 produced in April 2008:



Here's what it looks like in May 2010:



It's hard to get the word out about something that isn't on the tip of everyone's social networking tongue's. Virtually everything on the Internet, about SynApp2, was seeded by me. Anything you can do to help will be appreciated. Please add a link (somewhere) to SynApp2.org. Say something in a forum or blog. It's for a good cause.

If you support Free and Open Source Software, then support SynApp2 with a link or a mention.

Three Years On

Well, I'm three years into an interesting ride. I pulled the plug (jerked it right out of the socket) on my job, without any idea what would happen next. Have you ever wanted to do that? Something came over me, and I bailed out on a Thursday afternoon in May.

I'm a software engineer and I have to write software. I can't stop. I'm good at it. I love it.

After a few months of this and that, my habitual software tinkering rekindled my interest in application program generators - something I put quite a lot of effort into back in the 1980's.

Being a typical geek/nerd, I've done lots of R & D on my own nickel. At my former rate of pay, three years worth of R & D represents a big investment.

I've created something that's worth your time to investigate. If you have even the slightest interest in database management and web application development, look at what I've done.

Flat out - if you don't find value, you're not giving it a fair shake. Don't walk away. We'll both miss out if you do.

I'm anxious to hear from anyone and everyone about this project, so please don't just lurk - say something.

Getting Started

Welcome. I hope you'll find this blog informative and useful - perhaps even entertaining. It is a blog, so it's hard to say what will end up here. I'll just dive in and we'll see where it goes.