Sometimes the simple things can be challenging. Zend Framework has a "plugins" concept, where you can write code that will be executed at certain points in the process of rendering a page. Before rendering, after rendering, etc. This is a great thing as it allows the developer to do many things in a relatively easy manner without placing random blocks of code throughout the application. Logging all requests can be done from a plugin, making sure a user is logged in before viewing a page can be done from a plugin, etc. However, getting plugins to work properly can be a lesson in humility.

One of my apps is using Zend Framework to integrate with Windows Networking for security. In other words, you use your network login to login to the application, and the system administrators can grant granular access to the application via network groups and arbitrary application roles. For example, user "joe" may belong to the "hr" group on the network, and the "hr" group can "manage resumes" in the application. So when "joe" logs in, we need to determine if his account can "manage resumes". This is the requirement I was asked to implement.

I recently picked up a new monitor - a 24 inch widescreen Samsung SyncMaster 2494 HM. So far this is an awesome monitor. But, I have run into an issue with it that I didn't find documented online. So, here's a quick post to hopefully help someone else with a similar issue.

Problem: Occasionally the front control buttons stop working. The power light may start a slow flash (I observed one). The monitor continues to work just fine, but you can't use the controls in any way.

Today I received a rude introduction to how easy it is to be caught on the wrong side of Copyright concerns. No, I didn't get sued or anything that bad. Instead, I am potentially facing a lot of work to redesign a shirt we were getting printed, and thereby possibly missing the timeframe we were aiming for. hmm.. that's not a good start. Let me back up and tell the full story.

The more I work with Zend Framework and other frameworks (Rails, CakePHP, etc.), the more I come to a realization that there is a hidden cost to using a framework. That's the time it takes to learn the framework, and the amount of work needed to do something relatively simple.

Sure, there are good points about frameworks - code reuse, flexibility, etc. And most times these points outweigh the downsides. Especially on larger applications.

When using Zend Framework, you can set different configurations for different environments. For instance, you may use a local database copy in a development environment, and a different centralized database in a production environment. Getting the environment defined properly can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. DASPRiD on the IRC channel #zftalk, has devised a method that seems to work well and posted it to the the inter-web for all to see: http://www.dasprids.de/blog/2009/03/25/determining-the-environment-in-yo...

Looking at my blog, I see I have been absent for a while. Which seems odd - it feels like the last post was done just a short while ago. I think I'm seeing the summer days fly by way too fast.

But here is a quick update on what I've been working on:

• Business Coding - I continue to make my living writing code (awesome!!). In this area most of my time is spent on the occasional support request for a long established app, and working on the next major overhaul of that app (which leads into some of the other items on this list).

One full week. That's how long it took me to recover from COSSFEST 2009. Mainly because of all the effort that went into setting up the event. The Friday night dinner/karaoke/drink-a-thon didn't help any either.

Planning a big event sure is lots of work. As some of you may know, I'm involved with planning COSSFEST 2009. This is a technology conference exploring the use of Open Source software in business environments, and the communities that stem from these projects. While I have plenty of experience setting up (and giving) presentations for CLUG, COSSFEST is radically different.

I recently did a presentation on Design Patterns. This was an intro level talk and was primarily focused on awareness and where to get more info.

When I was posting the file to my blog here, I found an older presentation file on design patterns that I created but never did give - I think. So rather than just replace it, I'll make it available here as well.

For those who may like to see that presentation, you can check it out here: