Software Design and Development

Business utility programming and business forms in Visual Basic .NET - Visual C++ - ASP .NET
$17-25 per hour (or fixed-price contract)

SQL Server and Access Data Analysis - Database Design - Database Programming
$17-25 per hour (or fixed-price contract)

Software Application Design and Development - Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)
$17-25 per hour (or fixed-price contract)

Let us take the hassle, confusion, and (most of the) cost out of your software development projects. We are rapid application development programmers, and whether you need a graphical user interface for an existing application, an upgrade of a legacy application, or a complete new software application, we can fulfill your business needs rapidly, effectively, and efficiently.

Most software development (up to 90%, according to some industry experts) is wasted effort; applications are built "from the ground up," when the majority of code is readily available in thoroughly tested and debugged code modules from Microsoft and others.

In modern programming, Microsoft code modules--in the form of "dynamic link libraries" --are assembled into new applications in much the same way that various components are assembled to produce new versions of automobiles and other types of machinery. While it is possible to build an entirely new version of an automobile or software application, it is rarely necessary, and even more rarely cost-effective to do so.

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) maximizes the re-use of existing blocks of code to minimize the cost of software development. In 2010, there is no point whatsoever in developing new code blocks to solve old problems--the exact same problems that thousands of other developers have encountered and developed standard solutions to solve. Service-Oriented Architecture best practices take full advantage of existing and reusable code blocks at every opportunity.

We specialize in business utility programming and Service-Oriented Architecture using Microsoft technologies; Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++, ASP .NET, and SQL Server. By effectively leveraging the best tools, techniques, and technologies of Service-Oriented Architecture, we can provide cost-effective solutions to most business problems in days and weeks, rather than months and years.

We are professional contract business programmers:

We will build the specific functionality required to satisfy your business needs--no more and no less. Whenever possible, we integrate existing functionality into our applications, using the extensive (and thoroughly debugged and tested) Microsoft code libraries. We complete our software projects on time, on target, and within budget.

Every member of our programming staff has at least three years experience in developing efficient, cost-effective business solutions using Microsoft technologies: Visual Basic, Visual C++, ASP .NET, and SQL Server. All programming and solutions development takes place inside the United States. That means no offshore subcontracting, and no "98% complete" projects that cost more to fix and make functional than they cost to develop in the first place.

We are professional contract business solutions developers:

Our test-driven development, requirements matrices, and resource allocation processes eliminate ambiguity, "scope creep," padding, fluff, and assures absolute control of the development process at every step, with appropriate and meaningful metrics, regularly scheduled iterations, and thorough documentation.

Because we are professionals, we understand the needs, constraints, and realities of business at a level that is substantially above that of most "software consultants," software engineers, and web developers. Because of our background in management and business analysis, we understand that the "latest, greatest" software solution is often a waste of money, time, and effort.

Whether your company needs a cost-effective utility application to automate time-consuming data entry or other repetitive processes, a software application to organize and categorize your business intelligence, business analysis and project management services to complete a critical development project, implementation of a knowledge management system to capture and preserve organizational knowledge assets, a database-driven corporate website, or an online help system for your latest software product, we can provide solutions that consider your business wants, needs, and bottom-line at every step of the process.

Sample Utility Software Applications

Mailing List Utility Application

The utility application illustrated below is deceptively simple in appearance, while hiding a substantial amount of code-behind that makes creating and maintaining a mailing list quick and easy. Our client had several commercial mailing list programs already, and wanted to avoid the time lost wading through the "advanced functionality" that made them unacceptably slow and clunky.

At the client's request, we concentrated our design and coding efforts to minimize the number of keystrokes needed to enter each listing. Similarly, we implemented an auto-complete search function that makes updating existing listings extremely fast--as each letter is typed in the Name textbox, the application searches for matches, narrowing the search with each subsequent letter entered. If a match is found, clicking the mouse or pressing Enter loads the listing into the appropriate textboxes.

Similarly, entering the last three digits of the ZIP code automatically fills the City State and ZIP code textboxes, and selects the appropriate radio button for the City. Repeated entries for the same ZIP code require only name and address. Automated search-and-replace functions change "apt" in the Name textbox to "Apartments," "mfg" to "Manufacturing," and so on.




File Parsing Utility Application

This application completely automates cleaning and parsing of HTML files, extracts the data and converts it to a plain text, comma delimited file format, then saves it to a database for use by other applications. We created this application in 2009 for a client in New York who uses the stored data to pre-populate the textboxes in a race analysis and race modeling utility application.

The primary advantage of this simple application is a dramatic savings in time and effort. Information derived from this application had previously been entered by hand, including name of entry, morning line odds, purse value, jockey's name, trainer's name, and other information. In addition to saving several hours of data entry every day, this application virtually eliminated erroneous information caused by typgraphical errors, and eliminated the the need for $120 a month in subscription data downloads.




We created the application below for a client who publishes trainer and jockey ratings for Florida tracks. It has an auto-complete search function that makes updating existing listings extremely fast--as each letter is typed in the Name textbox, the application searches for matches, narrowing the search with each subsequent letter entered. If a match is found, clicking the mouse or pressing Enter loads the listing into the appropriate textboxes.

The real advantage of this application is the batch processing capability. Lengthy text files are parsed, new information in the text files automatically updates the appropriate entries in the embedded database, and manual updating of records is minimal. In addition to the substantial time savings, typographical errors in data entry are virtually eliminated.




Race Analysis and Race Modeling

In late 2009 we developed two graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and software applications for a Canadian wagering syndicate to cut down on the time spent entering race data. Functionality and algorithms were upgraded from their existing applications, consisting of more than 87,000 lines of code in 4 legacy applications. Data entry time was reduced more than 80% by pre-loading information freely available from online sources, and enabling data to be entered with 8 mouse clicks that had previously required more than 40 keystrokes.

Because they use their own proprietary race data, adjustments, and equalization figures, the clients prefer that their applications NOT rely on external data sources for anything more than the names of the entries, the program numbers, the names of the driver or jockey, and trainer.

The upgraded applications also automated the process of data modeling, enabling continuous multiple regression analyses of results, and continuous modification of the key algorithms to maximize the return on investment using an artificial intelligence (AI) "self-learning" engine. Calculations of track-to-track adjustments, surface adjustments, distance adjustments, and track variants are all fully-automated.




When the date, track, and race are selected, all information on that entry's performance in previous races, as well as driver or jockey and trainer information is automatically accessed from a database and used to pre-populate most of the textboxes. All buttons are instantly reconfigured to the range of normal values for the track selected.

Information and analysis that had previously required 30 to 45 minutes per race to generate is made available in 5 minutes or less per race, with the same accuracy, and using the same proprietary algorithms and adjustments, as the race analysis procedure previously used.




The results of calculations are displayed on a relatively simple form that hides the complexity of the code used to generate the results; for the thoroughbred application above, the processing of more than 55,000 lines of code is required to display the calculation results on the form shown below.




The application below was developed in early 2009 for a client in New York. Similar to the applications above, most textboxes are automatically pre-filled with data when the date, track, and race are selected. Proprietary algorithms were provided by the client for evaluations of Speed Ratings, Speed Points, Trainer Ratings, Jockey Ratings, Class Ratings, Projected PostTime Odds, and Pace Analysis.

All three utility applications shown above require a minimal amount of hand entry of data. Most textboxes are automatically pre-filled with information stored in an embedded database in each application. Typical time to handicap a race is five minutes or less. No subscription-based data downloads are used in any of the three applications.




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