Hi! I’m David and I own Programmation Pty Limited.
I’ve been working with computers all my adult life, starting with the Macintosh Plus, way back when they were the latest in cool.
After graduating with a Computer Science degree from Cambridge University I began my career working with 4th Dimension databases. I was there (actually in the audience in San Francisco) when 4D went Client-Server. I was still working with 4D when it went cross-platform and supported Windows as well as Macintosh.
The Pink Zulu Project
After nearly 25 years of working with 4D I decided to do something different and get into mobile development. An opportunity came up to work on a project called Pink Zulu, which was released to the Apple App Store in mid-2014.
Xamarin
I discovered Xamarin while working on the Pink Zulu app, and have been learning it ever since. In one sense you never stop learning something this big, but you do (eventually) get to a point where you know enough to begin doing something practical. That happened a while ago now and my focus now is on becoming an expert in the Xamarin mobile development space.
Family
I’m married to Melanie and we have 3 children. I was very fortunate to pick a partner who’s not only a beautiful person but also a great wife and mother.
More Information
I’m a bit of a omnivore. Developing apps is my main focus, but I also dabble in
Aviation
I have an Australian Commercial Pilot’s Licence, Single Engine Day VFR with Retractable, CSU and Tailwheel endorsements. Family and business commitments preclude having much air-time at present, so I confine myself to flight simulator sessions using the wonderful X-Plane.
I started my PPL in Cambridge (EGSC), but found progress too slow with lessons only every two weeks or so. Having discovered a place in California that did UK PPL training with US aircraft and at US prices, I spent two delightful weeks at Long Beach (KLGB) airport learning enough to pass the PPL flight exam, and passed my UK radio exam on my return to Cambridge. Since then I’ve never flown in the UK, because I came to Melbourne to do my Commercial training, based at Coldstream (YCEM). I flew all over Victoria for a year, and passed my CPL(A) just a few days before Christmas 2001. The next year I flew about 10 hours as a tour pilot at Phillip Island (YPID) and participated in a group safari to the Top End and back. The sheer size of the Australian outback was both wonderful and daunting.
Photography
Working on the Pink Zulu app gave me an opportunity to indulge my love of photography and get some new gear. I especially love taking pictures of aeroplanes, but landscapes and forests are also inspirational. Just occasionally I’ll get a good candid portrait that I’m happy with.
I take pictures whenever I can, which is not as often as I would like. Last time I was at an airshow (September 2014) I came away with over 1500 shots. I particularly enjoyed the dramatic skies on offer in Scotland during Autumn 2014. I publish the ones I like on flickr when I’ve had a chance to edit them.
Motorcycling
I learned to ride a (motor)bike as a teenager in Africa (long story). I got my licence in the UK, and after crashing my first two bikes on slippery roads in winter I spent many happy hours riding around the country in all weathers on a BMW K1100LT like this one:
That bike is still very close to my idea of a perfect touring machine. Low CG, bags of power, comfy enough to drive all day, useful accessory list, and huge fun for such a large bike.
Memorable highlights include
- A trip from Esher (SW London) to Cambridge (home) in the snow, with cars and bikes abandoned by the side of the road, but that BMW got me home safely and in relative comfort thanks to some heated handlebar grips.
- Riding to and around the south of France. Exploring the Pyrénées. Visiting friends near Perpignan. The trip down the valley and up the other side at Millau (there’s a spectacular bridge over the whole valley now, but back then it was either use the hairpin bends or jump). Breaking down near Clermont-Ferrand, when the BMW dealer there swapped a brand-new fuel pump out of the showroom model to put in my bike so I could make my hovercraft crossing from Calais, over 750km away. Making the trip Clermont-Ferrand to Calais in one go with only a couple of fuel stops, arriving past 1am on the morning of my hovercraft crossing.
- Doing 30000 miles in one year while living in Cambridge and working near Manchester, commuting back and forth every week. The trip home across the Peak District on Friday was worth the hassle of being on the road at 0600h each Monday.
I learned early on that ABS and the right safety gear are two things that make motorcycling much more enjoyable and much safer. I would also recommend anyone thinking of getting on a motorbike for the first time to get some experience and expertise driving a car first. Learning how roads work in a car is much safer - your first mistake on a motorbike can easily also be your last.
When I came to Australia in 2001, I got another K1100LT and rode it to Sydney (twice), Adelaide, and pretty much all over Victoria. Twice along the Ocean Road, to Phillip Island with some friends during the Grand Prix weekend, regularly into the Blue Mountains through Healesville as far as Echuca, and over to Ballarat and Bendigo on a few occasions.
Music
I play acoustic and electric guitar regularly in a band setting. I’m fortunate to own a Lowden O12c that I bought in London in about 1999. It’s hands-down the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever played, and it keeps getting better year by year.