Simply Imagined

Evolution of the Alphabet

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0500

A few years ago I ran across a video on YouTube about the Evolution of the Alphabet. Every now and then I remember it and spend some time amazed at how we got the alphabet we all take for granted.

Finding the Fix

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:00:00 -0500

This is the story of a bug I never saw coming, which manifested in a code path I never imagined or planned for. Certainly, good testing would have shown this earlier, but I don’t have test coverage of this module. I wanted to but I still have more to learn, and that’s a lesson for a future time.

Building a Clock With Nerves

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:36:00 -0500

Them: “Hey, what time is it?”
Me: “Let me check this clock. Hmm, let’s see… that plus that plus 4…”
Them: “Just glance at the clock and tell me.”
Me: “Ok, just a second, the digits changed, let me redo this.”
Them: “Seriously, how hard can this… Oh.”

Designing the Puzzle Component

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:43:31 -0500

After deciding to do a clone of what is perhaps the most popular word game, I realized that never having played it could be a liability. I’d heard descriptions, seen everyone post their score pictures to Twitter, and read up on strategy. I’ve yet to even open the website. Let’s get started!

Subtle

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:43:31 -0500

After working through a book or two I decided I needed to step aside and work on a project of my own. This would let me take what I’d learned and put it to work on something different, without training wheels. The question was what to work on. Should I build a Twitter™ clone with in 15 minutes?

Gig City Elixir

Sat, 20 May 2023 13:34:05 -0500

This year I was able to attend Gig City Elixir in Chattanooga, TN. I had been searching for Elixir meetups near me when I ran across this conference and realized it was happening just two hours down the road and only two weeks away. I was quite nervous booking a ticket, as I was just learning the language while reading through books, but I’m so glad I went.

Programming Phoenix Liveview

Wed, 10 May 2023 14:23:07 -0500

A few years ago I had read about Elixir but didn’t get very far. This year I was determined to take another look. I had seen a bit on LiveView on YouTube and decided that’s where I wanted to start. At Prag Prog I found Programming Phoenix LiveView by Bruce Tate and Sophie DeBenedetto. It’s still in beta, but I’ve always had good experiences with Prag Prog books.

Enchanting Elixir

Tue, 02 May 2023 13:43:31 -0500

Previously, I’ve dicussed my experiences and that I’ve been exposed to a lot of different languages and development environments. When I ran across Seven Languages in Seven Weeks I was intrigued by functional programming. I’d never seen anything like it. Somewhere after this I heard about Elixir and ended up buying Programming Elixir.

The Story So Far

Mon, 01 May 2023 13:43:31 -0500

I have been fortunate to experience changes from the very first home computers to our handheld pocket marvels today. I began with a 300 baud modem, thought 1200 baud single duplex was amazing, and now multi-gigabit ethernet. I began on an Apple ][ and have used PCs, mainframes, Sparc stations, embedded systems, and now phones and the web. I have written games, a stadium card-stunt generator, embedded scientific instruments, medical devices, factory assembly line software, multi-platform hardware configuration UI, iPhone apps, and now web apps.

About me

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m Dan Anderson, a software developer living near Nashville with my wife and son. I enjoy solving puzzles, woodworking, and anything near the water. Currently, I’m learning Elixir and its libraries with a goal of joining an amazing team to build software that matters. The deeper I get the more I enjoy this ecosystem.