Moved to a new & IMPROVED Blog Platform

I have a new & IMPROVED blog.. Here is the link: 

APEX Software Blog

Please come and enjoy my New Blog and offer up any comments you might have..

New Year, Same Good Stuff!!!

Plane Tickets purchased, hotel reservations made.. Now all I need is get my presentation in order..

So along comes my topic, Plugin Based Authentication Scheme's or in particular a table based authentication scheme...

This plugin, which I will be releasing it to the APEX community for it's use & abuse.. Is based upon a package of functions & procedures I have used for a few different client sites, but I am still deciding how much functionality needs to be exposed at this time..

In it I have the ability to limit the # of login attempts, to display specific error messages when login errors occur and so on...  I just wonder if I should make it plain and bland and then update it with the newer features after a few people try it and see how it works for them...

Always the question, how far to go when releasing a product... 

Ohh, it has been a few rough months and I am glad for this time to reflect as to what has happened....

In November of 2012 my father passed away after suffering with Alzheimer's...  I was able to visit before Christmas and see my oldest brother who was also ill..  We spent a nice few days together with my mom and all enjoyed the limited time.

In January of 2013, my oldest brother who I just visited with back in Montana passed away from complications from his cancer surgery. 

So I will say it again, it has been helpful taking my mind off my family losses to work on this presentation and getting BACK into the groove of answering questions on the APEX support forum..

So Keep Asking Those Questions and Let's See How Far We Can Go with APEX today!

Tony Miller
Ruckersville, VA
3 Feb 2013

(Oh yes, sorry 49'ers, really wasn't your day huh?)

Just when you thought it was safe to move....

Been a few weeks (okay, months) but I am back with a new and improved blog posting!!!

Since we last talked (blogged),  there have been a few changes in the life I lead..  Let's see, they would include:

Attended Kaleidoscope 2012 in San Antonio, TX

1. Presentation went over okay, met a TON of the best people you will ever meet
2. Met many of the TRUE Guru's of APEX There and asked MANY questions.. Some of my questions actually were intelligent...
3. Took home a new appreciation of the community I belong to..

Decided that working in Dallas, TX for the FDIC was NOT what I wanted to be doing.  So my family and I decided to move to Virgina for a new job!!!

Yes, leaving Texas was kind of hard (will miss the people we became friends with, but will keep those friendships up over the distance..)  However, we are making new friends here in Virgina and have found a WONDERFUL place to live..


We are about 20 miles outside of Charlottesville, VA, in a small little town called Ruckersville.. Actually we are on the outskirts of Ruckersville.. Off in the country, with a 20 minute commute to work each day.. Almost reminds me of Montana in the fall, where we are having a true Northeastern Fall....

Also as I speak (type) we are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (damn, and I thought we'd get away from those &^*$%#$)(^&*^% hurricanes moving to Virgina....

No power, blown down trees and branches, high temperatures in the 40's lows in the 30's...

But I am enjoying the work and the people I am working with here..  Light years better than what I was doing in Dallas.  There were a few good people I worked with Dallas, but the environment was so bitter and caustic towards the contractors I could not wait to leave every day.  A benefit of moving here is, that my family and I see each other every night too!!!

Lastly, I am preparing for Kaleidoscope 2013 and my presentations..  I hope too to meet more of the APEX community that I have spoken to through the APEX support forum & Indeed.com.  I am in the midst of working on an APEX plugin to demonstrate and promote for the conference, hopefully it will meet the needs of the APEX community..

Till another day...

Texas_Apex_Developer (now in Virgina)

I AM AT KSCOPE 2012!!!

No friggin way!! I am attending Kscope 2012 and meeting all the APEX gurus..  I have learned so much in just two days it makes the me realize how much I still need to learn....

Also have run into MANY people from the support forum, and I now how to admit, I have helped a few folks...  Please understand, I understand I have posted many answers to questions there, but I look at it that I am giving back to the community that has helped me get where I am..

But so many people have come up and said how I have helped  them with questions or examples, that I was touched...

I try not to give myself too much credit, or put stock in how people think I am such a smart guy....  Why is simple, if I start believing all the accolades, I will get complacent and in this business that can be VERY dangerous....

I believe that I am just another guy who knows a TINY bit about APEX and how to develop in it.. I take it day by day and we see what happens...

Well, gotta head off and test my presentation later..  I am the 2nd to last presenter of the conference and if more than 10 people show up I will be impressed..

March is Over Already??

 Its been a few months again since I posted here, but I guess enough has changed to warrant an update..  To the left is a hint as to some of the changes!


I have been given the chance to do a presentation to my peers @ one of the largest Oracle APEX developer conference in the world!  This summer I will be meeting people that live and write about Oracle APEX every day in San Antonio.

I guess my years of offering support on the APEX support forum and in my day to day duties as a contractor have caught a few people eyes...

I am honored and also terrified to go in front of these people, since a lot of them I have followed through the years and bought the books and read the articles that publish.  I have been doing Oracle HTML-DB/APEX development work for 7-8 years, and am still learning new things everyday (Sometimes good, sometimes not so good..).

I just hope that I can offer a perspective in my presentation that will help others understand APEX better and the many different situations you can encounter with it's usage in government agencies.

Now I am off to work on my presentation and check the forum to see if I can offer any help or learn something new..

Ohh, I also started a new gig, in Dallas, TX.. I am now a contractor for FIS (Fidelity Information Services) working as a contractor to the FDIC (Federal Depository Insurance Corporation, they guarantee your deposits in your bank, up $250,000).  I am part of a team developing and implementing internal web-based applications for their reporting needs.  Very interesting work and very interesting people to work with...


Till another day...
Tony Miller

Texas.Apex.Developer on the APEX Support Form

We live for the One. We die for the One..
Rangers Oath from Babylon 5
 

New Job, New adventures..

Sorry if its been a while since I posted here.. Let's catchup with what has happened...  My contract position with MRE Consulting ended with NASA at the end of Sept 2011..  My contract was for only 4 months, but they decided they liked me and I liked them, so we went further..  I was supposed to show them APEX, but at the 3 1/2 month portion of the contract, they decided they did NOT like APEX.  However, could I maintain Forms Applications.. Yea, sure it will pay the bills..

Relocated myself to Raleigh, NC for this 6 to 9 month contract.  Should I change my handle & blog title? Nah.. I am just here for a 6 to 9 months with the Department of Public Instruction..  Unless..... You never know

Funny, my first job outta college (that paid) was as a Foxpro developer for the Montana Office of Public Instruction.  Developing applications in Foxpro for DOS on OS/2 based machines..

Now look at me, I am an accomplished Oracle APEX developer, working on a major project for the Office of Public Instruction in North Carolina..


Back then I was a major advocate on CompuServe with the Foxpro forum.. Actually I was know across the Foxpro users groups..  Went to conferences and classes

Now with APEX I am know across the APEX support forum, and even being asked to help with KScope 2012...  ( I am know as .. texas.apex.developer on the Oracle APEX support forum)

Till another day.. Enjoy








Times they do change, but seems to be the same at the same time..

Welcome to my Humble Blog...

I finally did it.. I joined the land of the bloggers.  After reading so many of my fellow APEX developers blogging (to be blogged, blogged by science) , I decided why not... (Also that I have been receiving a number of people asking for code samples I can post them here, for all to use and abuse..).

First off, a number of folks have asked for my custom authentication code that forces a password change upon first login.  Later tonight I will be posting that code....

For now, it's back to work I go....