Tim Long
Mentor
(6 reviews)
US$29.99
For every 15 mins
7
Sessions/Jobs
ABOUT ME
Experienced (12+ years) C# and .NET developer with a commitment to SOLID and Test Driven Development
Experienced (12+ years) C# and .NET developer with a commitment to SOLID and Test Driven Development
My business, Tigra Astronomy, specializes in producing software, instruments and automation systems for astronomers. The majority of our work is hardware/software interface and observatory automation and we specialise in ASCOM drivers using C# and .net but we also do many other things.
I've used C# and .Net almost exclusively for more than 10 years ever since it was first introduced in 2001. In total, I have more than 30 years' experience of software development, spanning embedded systems, telephony, communications, web/ecommerce, astronomy and things too numerous to list.
I'm dedicated to the concept of continuous self-improvement and I try to adopt modern, agile practices and our internal processes are based around Atlassian Jira, Stash and Fisheye; Git with GitFlow; and TeamCity continuous integration and build. We unit test using the MSpec framework and FakeItEasy.
We can mentor you through developing a software development process, as well as with specific projects in C# and .Net languages.
English
London (+01:00)
Joined December 2013
EXPERTISE
13 years experience
I have used C# and .NET ever since it was first introduced in 2002. Before that I had used C++ a little bit, but did a lot of work in C, ...
I have used C# and .NET ever since it was first introduced in 2002. Before that I had used C++ a little bit, but did a lot of work in C, so C# seemed like the logical progression. Today I use C# for all of my development work, including embedded stuff with Netduino and Raspberry Pi. I've worked on everything from low level hardware/software interfacing through to eCommerce systems and web content management.
I'm in the top rated 7% of Stack Overflow, so I know my beans. I also have a 5-star rating here on CodeMentor, simply because I refuse to have an unhappy customer. I will make sure you are happy with my work, or you won't pay, it's that simple.
I use modern techniques based on the SOLID object-oriented design principles and, where possible, test driven development. In my own work, I use Agile project management based on Atlassian Jira, continuous integration build based on TeamCity, and Git for version control. However I do have experience of other tools.
10 years experience
I was, for a few years, part of the core platform development team and provided the development systems for the team. I have developed se...
I was, for a few years, part of the core platform development team and provided the development systems for the team. I have developed several drivers for companies such as Technical Innovations, Optec, AWR Technology, and some private projects. I pioneered the use of .net in ASCOM and produced the first ever C# driver.
20 years experience
I have developed software for astronomers since 1999. I particularly specialize in ASCOM and writing instrument drivers. I moderate the A...
I have developed software for astronomers since 1999. I particularly specialize in ASCOM and writing instrument drivers. I moderate the ASCOM-Talk group and for several years I contributed to the core platform development. I was a key collaborator in moving ASCOM to open source.
12 years experience
I have used .NET ever since it was first introduced in 2001.
I have used .NET ever since it was first introduced in 2001.
3 years experience
MSpec (Machine.Specifications) is a BDD unit testing framework that we have standardized on. We particularly liked MSpec because of the w...
MSpec (Machine.Specifications) is a BDD unit testing framework that we have standardized on. We particularly liked MSpec because of the way it lets you write 'null tests' which will compile and run, but contain no code. This makes it easy to write acceptance tests ahead of time, before the unit-under-test exists.
2 years experience
We adopted Git internally for all our projects after some initial trepidation over the quality of tools and IDE integrations. We now oper...
We adopted Git internally for all our projects after some initial trepidation over the quality of tools and IDE integrations. We now operate our own Git server both for behind the firewall and public projects, based on Atlassian Stash. This has worked out very well for us and we integrate Git into our development workflow and our C.I. build. Our experience could be useful to individuals who are new to Git and want to become more 'agile', or small teams/startups who want to take their development practices to the next level.
4 years experience
Continuous Integration goes hand in hand with things like TDD and unit testing, and GitFlow. We have several years' experience of doing C...
Continuous Integration goes hand in hand with things like TDD and unit testing, and GitFlow. We have several years' experience of doing CI using JetBrains TeamCity and we have a public facing TeamCity server where we host some open source projects.
REVIEWS FROM CLIENTS
(6 reviews)
Ricky
May 2015
Can break down an issue step-by-step and can explain the issue thoroughly.
Ricky
May 2015
Very helpful and patient. He can breakdown a complex issues and explain it very well.
Delia Lunsford
July 2014
He really came through for me!
Craig Cocker
March 2014
Tim has taken quite a complex task and helped me (beginner) both with some mentoring around code and also helped me to understand the approach that I need to take.
It was a big hurdle for me to jump over and I'm now looking forward to moving on with my project.
SOCIAL PRESENCE
MSpec Json.NET deserialization test fails in ReSharper but passes in NCrunch
Clearly there is an odd runtime effect going on due to some subtle difference in behaviour between NCrunch and ReSharper. The failure is definitely telling...
How to upgrade nuget packages if the installed version is missing?
The best solution I've come up with for this is to manually edit the Packages.config file(s) and set the version number to whatever you want. Restore should...
EMPLOYMENTS
Software Architect
TiGra Astronomy
2009-01-01-Present
TiGra Astronomy produces software that helps to automate telescopes, observatory buildings and other astronomy-related equipment. Our sof...
TiGra Astronomy produces software that helps to automate telescopes, observatory buildings and other astronomy-related equipment. Our software is in use in observatories around the world, including the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, NASA and other professional and amateur installations. We helped to commission the largest operational optical telescope in the British Isles. We actively support the ASCOM Initiative, a loose collaboration of developers who promote standards and produce interfacing software within the astronomy sector.
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Small Business Technology Specialist
TiGra Networks
2005-11-01-Present
TiGra Networks specialises in providing and managing IT and Communications Technology for small and medium businesses. We'll get involved...
TiGra Networks specialises in providing and managing IT and Communications Technology for small and medium businesses. We'll get involved in any computer-related task or problem and our Managed IT Plans are designed to provide worry-free, secure, reliable computer networks for businesses of any size. Our particular speciality is Microsoft Small Business Server for businesses with 5 to 75 computers. I'm responsible for most of the technical functions at TiGra, from building computers to installing, configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting software and networks. I also act as a business IT advisor. I am a Microsoft Certified Professional and an accredited Microsoft Small Business Specialist and in 2007-2010 I was awarded the prestigious "Microsoft Most Valuable Professional" award for my work with Windows Small Business Server. TiGra Networks is a Microsoft Partner and has a strong focus on providing business solutions founded on Microsoft software.
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Partner
N/A
2008-07-01-2012-12-31
LiveCRM.biz is a subscription-based, hosted Customer Relationship Management system. While working with LiveCRM.biz, I designed and imple...
LiveCRM.biz is a subscription-based, hosted Customer Relationship Management system. While working with LiveCRM.biz, I designed and implemented the server hosting infrastructure, created the public web presence based on Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server and designed the logo and branding.
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