Niamh Brown

I started working with PHP about a year after the first version was released. It is the server-side language I have the most experience with. I have created custom PHP libraries and developed large systems through-out the entire life-cycle, often on my own back. I have some experience with the Zend 2 framework, but I am not looking for further experience with PHP frameworks at this time. (Although I am aware of the basic concepts of MVC now due to Zend.) However, I am very happy to continue to work with PHP.

As I have always been involved in developing systems that were database driven, I have always had the need to use SQL. I have worked with MySQL for a decade and SQL Server for about 8 years. I have also been trained in SQL optimisation to improve loading speeds of queries and views. I have worked with T-SQL within stored procedures, as well as standard SQL. I've worked with, and created, large and complicated sql scripts on large datasets holding millions of records.

As I have always been involved in developing websites, I have always had the need to use HTML and CSS. I have used HTML in combination with both ASP and PHP based websites. As I am more of a back-end developer I have only about 3 years experience with CSS, but I do have about 9 months of exclusive front-end experience where the use of CSS was much more intensive. I have also recently started using more responsive design in my work and using the additional features of HTML5, including videos, place-holders etc.

I have been involved in using JavaScript from small client side functions to large stand alone scripts for a variety of websites. Most websites I've been involved in have used JavaScript to some extent, but I've only coded in it exclusively for about 18 months.

I have worked with MySQL a lot over the years in combination with PHP. I have little experience setting up MySQL databases on servers myself, or with using a terminal window to interact with MySQL. However I have worked locally using XAMPP or WAMP, and I've used phpMyAdmin or Heidi SQL to visually interact with MySQL databases, both locally and remotely.

I have worked on multiple systems that were migrating from ASP Classic to ASP.NET. I have been involved in developing some of the system architecture for a large .NET system from scratch, as well as debugging existing #C code. I am actively looking for more experience with ASP.NET and C# and welcome more challenges in this area.

I have only recently had the opportunity to learn jQuery and to apply it in the work place. Having 3 years experience with JavaScript has made it very easy for me to pick up jQuery and for me to see the vast potential it has. I have also worked with AJAX and JSON along side jQuery.