Web application developers vs script customisers...

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Fred
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Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by Fred » 2016-04-09 00:03

Looking at old posts I found a post by someone that said they replaced interakt/adobe development tools for a free CMS that is just the best thing...

Changing a development framework for a CMS is not quite a replacement. It could easily have been Joomla or Wordpress he could have chosen to be the "Most wonderful" replacement.

I am not shooting it down or criticizing him at all. For all I know it is the best thing since sliced bread, however in my opinion it is "giving up" on building custom websites.

Interesting how many modern day web developers call themselves web developers and then install a CMS and "customise" it with plugins and themes developed by someone else.

I am not saying the patched interakt stuff we are trying to keep going is still the best there is but it has given me the opportunity to think outside of the box and come up with unique solutions to unique problems.

I will never forget the day I had to come up with a mysql query to list in ascending order the distance a person can travel from a known geo location at $XX per mile to known geo located points taking the curvature of the earth into consideration and having a limited budget. Where the know destinations geo locations are listed in a mysql database.

I still see this as one of those "lightbulb" moments when developing became more than just "filling in blanks" and installing scripts for me but a challenge that needs solved.

For those interested here is the query.

Code: Select all

SELECT *,(((acos(sin((".$row_rs_location['deci_lat']."*pi()/180)) * sin((`deci_lat`*pi()/180))+cos((".$row_rs_location['deci_lat']."*pi()/180)) * cos((`deci_lat`*pi()/180)) * cos(((".$row_rs_location['deci_long']."- `deci_long`)*pi()/180))))*180/pi())*60*1.1515) as distance FROM destinations WHERE  %s  ORDER BY `destinations`.`full_name` ASC", $colnameAZ_rs_distance

Where "%s" is the maximum distance the person can travel within his budget.

antonio
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Re: Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by antonio » 2016-07-13 13:16

Hi Fred,
I cannot agree more with you.
In my experience, when you choose a CMS for your customers, you're shooting on your same foots.
The CMS si going to be ok for the very first day, but then the customer will ask for something that is not pre-configured in the CMS. And the nightmare begins...
Tony

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Fred
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Re: Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by Fred » 2016-07-21 09:54

Tony,
I am sitting with a similar problem. I had automated forum integration into XMS Systems as an option a couple of years ago. Sounds nice but the mission of maintaining the forums was just to much.

The problem became so big in the end that I not only disabled that module in XMS Systems but now actively disabling the forums and clients that still needs their forums I pass on to them to maintain themselves.
If your site is big enough to have a forum there is usually someone in the community that can manage it.

jlig
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Re: Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by jlig » 2016-09-28 16:42

Fred, as a data manager, programmer & web developer I'll add my two cents to this discussion:
I have a very good friend who is a contractor and builds/remodels houses. To stay competitive and in business he is using more and more "prefab" solutions that "automate" & speed up the "project." This includes "tools" that condense ten steps into one and "products" that save "hours of work." To me it just makes "$cents" to save time and money by using smart tools.

So when my boss comes to my office and says, "We need an application to manage/automate time off and leave requests" I do the following:
1) I first look at "off the shelf packaged solutions" (not ideal because they are not easily integrated into our other applications/data/framework)
2) Next I would look into building the app "from the ground up" (best for us since I can integrate it into our existing app workflow)
Ok, I'm going to need tables, entry forms, update forms, and queries, and email code, and validation, and css, and jquery.. so I use as many "prefab" & "prepackaged" solutions as I can to get the job done quickly, accurately, and most important consistently (from the user experience)

This is what I found in the Interact extensions and ADDT. Why would I want to waste time coding "forms" line by line when that is a basic building block (of any app) that can be automated using a smart tool? I still do the same thing today using "smart tools" like jquery, jquery mobile, Dreamweaver (pre-v6 CC). We need more, not less of these tools and I know our business model would support them and keep them in business for a long time.

I think there is a bit of an ego trip for many home builders. They frown & look down on you if you don't do everything "old school." There can be quality & craftsmanship in automation also.

Lastly, regarding the CMS... they actually benefit our company in helping our website with agility & maintenance.
But in the realm of our custom business applications, I have always found this ecosystem hard to beat:
- IDE: Dreamweaver
- Application Server:ColdFusion
- MySQL Manager: Navicat
- Framework: jQueryMobile, HTML5, CSS3
- Automation: Interact & ADDT

Long Live RIA, RAD, WEB 2.0 and may Interact/ADDT Live Again!

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Re: Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by Fred » 2016-09-29 09:57

LOL you starting of with "i have a good friends who build..." immediately made me thing that just maybe I can call myself a carpenter/cabinet maker nowadays because I buy flatpack furniture from IKEA and assemble them myself.

I don't have a problem with using "things" to make my live easier but I find it silly that some developers would boast they use notepad to do their coding.

The problem that I have with "prefab" / "flatpack" websites is that you are stuck waiting for the next fix from the 3rd party developer.
Yes in certain cases it would be silly to not use a flatpack website. I use WHMCS for my hosting. Difference is it is a highly specialised bunch of files doing a very specific task. It would be just be plain stupid to try and build that myself.

Had a client sending me an email yesterday about a developer advertising a website, plus hosting mind you, for R900 (US$65.00) for a year in South Africa.

JeramyMar
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Re: Web application developers vs script customisers...

Post by JeramyMar » 2017-10-13 15:19

That's a spot on analogy. Couldn't agree more.

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