Tag: Photos

Thanks to all those who joined us at the April meetup. A massive thanks is also in order for Codeweavers for graciously hosting our event once again. Their continued support is genuinely appreciated!

Our speaker, Matthew delivered his talk discussing the complexities of managing a large codebase, likening it to tending a garden. He showcased ts-morph for mass refactoring and explored how AI could play a role in crafting code transformations.

We wrapped up with our open discussion session led by Natasha. The topics of conversation followed on from Matthew’s talk, covering AI and its role in higher education—as well as whether we should thank machines for their help during interactions (and if so, will our polite gestures be remembered during the machine uprising?).

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Accelerating Code Evolution – Transforming Your Codebase with TsMorph and ChatGPT

Matthew Kemp — Senior Frontend Developer, Codeweavers

Matthew’s talk highlighted the challenges involved in managing a large and intricate codebase. With the backdrop of a new version of Angular, Matthew likened the codebase to a garden in need of consistent upkeep. Updating code to accommodate new syntax and methodologies is time-consuming, and the business case for doing so can be difficult to justify. While acknowledging the challenges of codebase evolution, Matthew emphasised its necessity and benefits.

Matthew demonstrated a method for mass refactoring code using ts-morph. This library offers an API that allows you to access, traverse and modify code by working with Abstract Syntax Trees (AST). This automation of code transformation can lead to substantial reductions in time and effort.

Matthew then explained how ChatGPT can be used to write the refactoring formula, offering insight into how best to generate code with ChatGPT. He also discussed common pitfalls and tips for using this tool effectively.

Matthew’s vision for the future of codebase maintenance is one in which efficiency and innovation go hand-in-hand. He showed how leveraging artificial intelligence alongside automated tooling offers developers a faster route to solutions while minimising menial tasks.

Thanks to all those who joined us at the March meetup. A massive thanks is also in order for Codeweavers for graciously hosting our event once again. Their continued support is genuinely appreciated!

Greg’s talk illustrated how minor, easy-to-apply optimisations in PHP and JavaScript can provide a noticeable performance boost.

We wrapped up with our open discussion session led by Simon. This session is inspired by the Lean Coffee format, allowing attendees to collaboratively set the agenda. This offers a unique opportunity for all participants to actively contribute and sparks engaging discussion.

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Low Effort PHP and JS Micro-optimisations

Greg Mayes — Lead Engineer, AviationValues

Greg’s talk centred around practical micro-optimisation strategies in PHP and JavaScript, emphasising the concept of the aggregation of marginal gains. By carefully tweaking and fine-tuning code, he demonstrated that developers could achieve minor but cumulative performance enhancements. The micro-optimisations presented were not only simple to implement but also resulted in noticeable speed and efficiency gains. Greg’s expertise provided valuable insights, guiding developers on how to improve their code’s performance in an impactful way without succumbing to the inefficient pursuit of minimal returns.

Thanks, Ian Knight, for photographing the event for us.

Thanks to all those who joined us at the February meetup. A massive thanks is also in order for Codeweavers for graciously hosting our event once again. Their continued support is genuinely appreciated!

Natasha’s talk underscored the importance of the KISS principle in UX design, advocating for simplicity and user-centric approaches. The talk sparked a flurry of conversation, as participants shared their own UX design encounters.

We wrapped up with our open discussion session led by Phil. Loosely inspired by the Lean Coffee format, allowing attendees to collaboratively set the agenda. This session offers a unique opportunity for all participants to actively contribute, sparking engaging and thought-provoking discussion. It never fails to entertain!

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KISS – A UX Designers Approach

Natasha Wylie — Lecturer, Staffordshire University

Natasha took the stage to share her insights into the philosophy that less is indeed more, particularly when it comes to user experience design (UX). Her talk covered the “keep it simple stupid” (KISS) principle and its role in creating intuitive, user-friendly designs.

Through a series of real-world examples, Natasha highlighting the stark contrasts between effective UX designs and those that fail to meet user needs.

Natasha pointed out the notorious example of Ling’s Cars—a site that is intentionally chaotic in its design, reminiscent of the early days of web design. In contrast, she presented the Nespresso website as an example of good UX design. Highlighting its seamless navigation, which effectively guides the user journey, making the shopping experience both intuitive and enjoyable.

The session was a reminder of the power of simplicity. It encouraged professionals to cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters: their customers’ needs.

We hope you’ve had a fantastic start to the year! With January’s meetup behind us, it feels like we’re back in the swing of things. First and foremost, we’d like to express our gratitude to all who attended. Once again, we’re grateful to Codeweavers for hosting us in their office.

A member of our group recently suggested we trial run a series of social events in addition to our regular meetings. We started off in December with a trip to the bowling alley—it was great to see old friends and make new ones while having fun!

We’re excited to announce that we’ll be organising more socials throughout the year, providing plenty of opportunities to get involved.

In January, we were fortunate to have James Brooks, a Core Laravel Developer, speak at our meetup. Originally, he was slated to present at our March 2020 gathering. Unfortunately, this was canceled due to the escalation of the COVID pandemic. It was a delight to finally host James at our event.

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Documenting Laravel APIs

James Brooks — Core Laravel Developer

Writing a third-party integration would be impossible without API documentation and yet we continue to push it down our list of priorities or we create half-baked solutions that become immediately out of date.

Thanks, Ian Knight, for photographing the event for us.

We’d like to thank everyone who attended our November meetup—the last one of 2023. We would also like to thank Codeweavers for graciously hosting our event once again. Your continued support is genuinely appreciated!

Elliot Evans gave a talk this month entitled “What can we learn from eSports when developing software?”. Just as in the world of eSports, success in software development comes from a well-coordinated team pursuing a common goal. Elliot’s talk drew parallels between the fast-paced, challenging world of professional gaming and software development.

This year marked our comeback from a break brought about by the widely known disturbance to face-to-face events. As we put a wrap on this year’s meetups, we would like to extend our gratitude for the support received from all the attendees and speakers.

Stay tuned for exciting announcements about our upcoming 2024 meetups.

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What can we learn from eSports when developing software?

Elliot Evans — Senior Consultant – Front End, Ensono

A 45-minute talk about how software teams can look beyond our industry to create better processes and embrace different ways of development.