Denis Howe

Senior Developer - Perl Guru, SQL, Web, VB

Perl: 12 years Unix, Windows, OO, DBI, Win32, networking, CGI

SQL: 4 years MS, 3 years Sybase, 2 years Oracle

Web: 12 years HTML, JavaScript, XML, XSLT, CGI

Other: C 8 years, VB 2 years, Java 1 year, VBA, VBScript, Tcl, assembler, shell scripts, Lisp.

Networking: 12 years TCP/IP, DNS, programming, Unix, Windows.

Business: team leadership, requirements capture, project management, presentations, Microsoft Office

During my career I have had an extraordinary breadth of computing experience, from integrated circuit design to artificial intelligence; from embedded systems to theoretical computer science; from industrial research to the commercial sector. I make it my business to understand what I'm doing and find I quickly become "departmental guru".

Though technically inclined, I put a lot of effort into communications and teamwork. I have also done a fair amount of requirements capture, project management, and team leadership.

Other Programming Languages and Operating Systems

• Assembly code (15 years – 68000, SPARC, 6502, 8086, transputer, ARM)
• Basic (20 years – Acorn)
• Documentum (four years – API, DQL, WebQL, RightSite)
• Fortran (ICL), Lisp, Prolog, Miranda, Haskell, Parallel C, Occam, Tcl
• Windows: 8 years (95, 98, NT, 2000, MS DOS)
• Unix: 21 years (Red Hat Linux, Nextstep, Openstep, Version 7, BSD, System V, SunOS, internals, X Window System)
• ICL George 4, Multijob, VMS, RISC OS

Work Experience

July 2003 - Present: BBC

Software Engineer, News Interactive

• Documentum 5.2: DFC, API, DQL, Java Methods, Server install and customisation, WDK, docapp, Workflow, Media Services.
• Java: J2EE, WebObjects, Tomcat, Web Services, SonicMQ JMS, log4j
• Oracle, MS SQL
• Ant, Nant, make, Eclipse build tools
• Perl: OO, CGI, Win32, Test, GD
• Apache
• VSS, Perforce source code repositories, FogBugz bug tracking system
• Testing: 3-day Parity course leading to ISEB certification
• Test tools: Empirix e-TEST, WinRunner
• ASP, VB6, C#
• .NET: practical + 3-day Developmentor course

May 1995 – March 2003: Linklaters

E-mail System Technical Consultant/Developer

• Collaborated with external developers in diagnosing and fixing bespoke NEXTSTEP e-mail system, enabling successful international roll-out.
• Wrote Tcl and shell programs to perform administrative tasks.

Web Analyst Developer

• Lead technical consultant and developer for Blue Flag (innovative service selling legal advice over the Internet).
• Requirements analysis and product selection.
• Oversaw evolution of system, worked with FrameMaker, Documentum document management system, C, Perl, shell scripts, HTML.
• Liaised with lawyers, external web designers, and hosting companies. Maintained and enhanced the system.

Knowledge Management Systems - Analyst Architect Developer

• Successful international roll-out of three generations of knowhow system.
• From limited access, inflexible data model, "green screen" interface to highly configurable, open data model, web interface, available on every desktop.
• Maintained all the code for first system: Documentum, DQL, WebQL, and DocBasic (Documentum languages for dynamically generating HTML based on the contents of the DMS) and an Active-X control in VB5.
• Contributed to data modelling; fixed and enhanced code for second system: WebObjects (Apple's object-relational mapping), Java, Sybase, SQL, JavaScript.
• Third system: "Knowledge Index" – dynamic object model on relational database.
• User requirements capture (UML use cases), high-level design, feasibility studies.
• Sole responsibility for successful migration of knowhow in a variety of complex formats: Perl, SQL, DQL, MS DOS.
• Designed and implemented sophisticated algorithm for dynamic generation of SQL to implement user queries created using a query builder interface, itself driven by the dynamic object model.
• Studied behaviour of MS SQL Server 2000 query optimiser.
• Coding: VB (MSXML, MTS), ASP, JavaScript, XSLT, and SQL.
• Evaluated enterprise full-text search software for a number of applications including the company intranet, resulting in the successful global deployment of Verity K2E.

Development Team Leader

• Lead team of seven full-time developers producing intranet and Internet web content and ASP applications and developing knowhow applications.
• Guided or contributed directly to successful international roll-out of three generations of intranet: static, Documentum RightSite, Documentum WebPublisher.

1991 - 1995: Imperial College

• Studied for Ph.D. in the Computing Department of Imperial College. Topic: implementation of functional programming languages.
• Integrated and extended two of the largest functional programs yet written to apply semantic analysis to program optimisation, transformation, and compilation.
• Studied SPARC cache performance.
• Maintained Sun workstation running Solaris, including installation of new system software, writing utility programs.
• Participated in public domain software projects, submitting modules, bug reports, and fixes for packages such as GNU Emacs.
• Ran Internet services including FTP, Gopher, and World-Wide Web servers.
• Created and still actively maintain the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC) – first such Internet site and still one of the best, currently servicing ~2000 queries/day from users around the world.

1980 - 1991: GEC Hirst Research Centre, Wembley, Middlesex

Hardware, Embedded Systems, System Programmer, System Manager, Unix Guru, Networking

• Won degree sponsorship from GEC. Summer holiday jobs then permanent job.
• Programmed in C, FORTRAN, 8086 assembler, 68000 assembler
• Analysed IC fabrication techniques, e.g. plasma etching.
• Wrote Unix device drivers. Understood Unix kernel, real-time systems.
• Designed and debugged hardware.
• Maintained and debugged an Emacs-like screen editor. Installed departmental MMDF mail system.
• Installed and managed network of Unix computers and PCs.
• Fixed Unix kernel networking code using only the machine code debugger, adb.

Research - Parallel Computers, ICs, AI

• 1986 – 1991: ESPRIT project "PADMAVATI". Built a parallel computer for AI.
• Team and Project leader (four graduate researchers plus summer students).
• Contributed to all aspects of the design and construction of hardware and software in the project.
• Designed Content Addressable Memory (CAM) integrated circuit.
• Developed C simulation and test software resulting in right-first-time chip.
• Managed various groups involved in its fabrication and testing.
• Negotiated with the other partners in the project.
• Reported to the European Commission.

1979-82 – BSc Physics (I), Imperial College, London

1978 - 1979 – Culham Laboratory, Oxfordshire

FORTRAN, simulation, numerical methods,3D vector algebra, Multijob.

1977-78 – GCE 'A'-levels

1975-76 – GCE 'O'-levels - 11 subjects

Languages

• Persian (conversational)
• French (enough to get around)

Activities and Interests

• Maintaining FOLDOC
• Karate (Shotokan purple belt)
• Reading, especially SF
• Mountain climbing and walking
• DIY
• Cycling

Personal Details

• Date of birth: 15 October 1960
• Nationality: UK
• References: available on request