From Keyboard to Mouse: a Developer’s Journey
I couldn’t stop myself from looking over our analyst’s shoulder.
What’s odd about that? Well, for one, I’m a developer. Writing code and bringing ideas to life was what I’ve wanted to do ever since my dad brought home our first computer. I started building ridiculous beginner programs, and my career path was set.
About three years ago, I was involved in one of our ongoing projects, and it was getting “old,” given the IT standards at the time. It was time to rebrand it. One of our analysts was searching for the best tools for migrating to a web-based platform and he ended up choosing OutSystems.
It was a challenge — and don’t get me wrong, I’m always up for a good challenge. But I was a C# and .Net developer. OutSystems was the enemy for guys like me. I didn’t have to type; it was more mouse than keyboard. In six months, I was sure I’d forget everything I knew about programming — everything that I’ve learned since I built those fancy graphics on that crusty first computer.
I did a lot of research. I checked the videos and everything available on the website. I did the bootcamp and realized that maybe there was no need to fear the mouse. Truth is, OutSystems is easy to learn. You can start building things right away. But the real truth is, you can build things much quicker. The platform does all the heavy work for you. And it does it so well that you don’t realize how much it does, giving you more time to focus on the essence of the project. And the best part? I can work remotely. I can leave work at a drop of a hat, come home and spend time with my three kids.
I’m still a developer; I have no doubts about that. And if I ever miss coding, I can always go to Integration Studio and get my fingers dirty. On the other hand, I still have other projects in C# and .NET. So, I don’t think I’ll forget how to program after all.
