Tools Articles

We’re curious people by nature. And we love to teach others what we’ve learned. So explore our blog to gain fresh insights from our expertise in areas ranging from culture to AI.

SEP Wins TechPoint’s 2024 Innovation Service Partner of the Year Mira Award

SEP Recognized as Indiana’s Top Innovation Service Partner, Winning TechPoint’s Prestigious Mira Award Westfield, Indiana - SEP has been named the Innovation Service Partner of the Year by TechPoint at the 25th annual Mira Awards. The Mira Awards, Indiana’s largest…
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Curiosity as a tool

SEP has asked us to write about the tools of our trade. I’m a software engineer at a decently-sized software engineering company, so it’s pretty clear that I have several tools in my programming toolbox. Things like Sublime Text for scripting, DiffMerge for file diffs, Stackoverflow for Q&A and community, and even music for getting in the zone. But there’s one tool I […]
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The Design Eye — Tool of the Designer Trade

One of the innate talents of a good designer in any design industry is having a good eye for design. But what does it mean to have a good eye for design? It’s one of those things that is hard to put into words. It’s part instinct that has been developed based on years of […]
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My Favorite Tool That I Struggle With

What tool do I use more often than any other, often while using other tools? What tool am I certain can be an aid in solving almost any problem, if used properly? What tool do I struggle with the most, even though I probably complain about other tools much more often? What tool have I […]
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What’s in your Utility Belt?

When developing software, we engineers have to use a variety of tools to deliver the right product to our clients. As Batman has practically everything in his utility belt, let’s see what I keep up my sleeve as staples of software engineering. The Soft Skills These are the skills I use for software engineering and […]
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Sometimes the Tools of the Trade Take Time

I’m not a very good woodworker. I rush things. I have a general rule when I do work with wood and saws, I only work for about two to three hours at a time. If I try to work longer, I find myself getting anxious to finish. Not to quit for the day, but to […]
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Teaching StructureMap About C# 4.0 Optional Parameters and Default Values

This week I ran into wanting to use C# 4.0 optional parameters, but wanted StructureMap (my IoC tool of choice) to respect the default value specified for those optional parameters. The Problem In this example, we’ll be pulling a command out of the container.  The important part is the optional constructor parameter (level), and it’s […]
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Don’t Single Me out!

In my few days of being a developer, I’ve heard and seen lots of talk about Singletons.  Things like Singletons are teh suck.  Don’t use them.  EVAR. to Singleton’s saved my life and marriage! In fact, I might’ve been the person that said both of these… gasp! I never like to speak in absolutes, so […]
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Every team needs a toolsmith

Every software project is different, and there are subtleties associated with each one.  Every project  requires unique and specific tools, and we need someone to build them, or each member of the team needs the freedom and responsibility to do it him/herself. I have very little (zero?) tolerance for waste when it comes to automatable […]
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Do You Own Your Tools?

I saw this tweet from @unclebobmartin the other day. Why do we feel like our company ought to buy our tools for us? This is an interesting concept to me, because, as of late, I’ve been considering pimping my work area to be mine… just as any other craftsman might. My dad is a skilled […]
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