James T. Savidge

Software Developer: 2/2007 - 9/2008

I helped with the testing and preparation of the ControlWORKS system for the latest 4.3.x releases. This included the updating and running of automated and manual test suites, as well as various types of ad hoc testing.

I helped a customer track down and diagnose a VisualWorks debugger problem. The bug would only become evident after they installed an emergencyErrorHandler . This was reported to the author of the debugger, Terry Raymond, and he provided a fix that I tested and then relayed to the customer.

In addition to these two projects, my work at Adventa has involved the enhancement and upgrades of various customers’ ControlWORKS based semiconductor machine control systems. ControlWORKS is a semiconductor manufacturing framework for VisualWorks that utilizes StORE and ENVY/Manager for version control management.

Programmer: 2/2005 - 2/2007

I designed and implemented a MISMO compliant request and response process to the existing request and response options of the ADAM and CreditToolkit credit platform applications. Our implementation of the industry standard XML interchange format received certification from the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization in April of 2006. 

In a smaller project, I added the option of including a LexisNexis ThinDex Score to credit reports requested through the CreditBrowser, CreditToolkit and Transaction Interceptor credit platform applications.

The applications are written in a proprietary Object Oriented version of Forth.

Programmer: 7/2004 - 1/2005

I helped maintain, extend and document a group of web-based and batch processing-based e-commerce applications in use by commercial retailers and their suppliers. The applications enabled viaLink’s customers to transparently synchronize data between multiple providers and subscribers and to have reports generated as the data moved through the system. The applications were written using VisualWorks 7.2.x. VisualWave was used to produce the webpages, and an Oracle database was used to store the Smalltalk objects. Some testing was done using Toad, and Cincom’s StORE was used for version control management. An official job description for my position is available.

Senior Software Developer: 11/1997 - 6/2004

My last project was a SEMI/GEM compliant host simulation program written in Visual C# and .Net utilizing the Cimetrix CIMConnect SECS/GEM communication protocol library. My work on this project also included writing the application user documentation. CVS and TortoiseCVS are used for version control management.

I also worked on Automation Monitor, a client/server application that uses digital and analog video cameras to remotely monitor and troubleshoot semiconductor-manufacturing systems. The software records segments of streaming video whenever user specified data values change or specified alarms or events occur on the monitored equipment. For this project, I created Smalltalk plug-ins for ControlWORKS systems that enable reporting of variable, event and alarm changes using TCP/IP sockets and the XML & SOAP protocols. I also made improvements to the user interface of the video archive viewer application using Visual C# and .Net. In addition, I researched and compiled a listing of commercially available Firewire cameras and C/CS mount lenses. CVS and TortoiseCVS are used for the C# version control management and ENVY/Manager is used for the Smalltalk/ControlWORKS version control management.

Prior to these two projects, my work at Objective Solutions involved the development of numerous semiconductor machine control systems using ControlWORKS. My contributions included providing software control systems for the hardware and software aspects of robots, front-loaders, aligners, and wafer coolers. I wrote numerous user interfaces for operator control of these systems and wrote code to help the systems comply with SEMI/GEM standards. Rational Rose was used on some of these projects to help with analysis and design. ControlWORKS is a framework for VisualWorks 2.x that utilizes ENVY/Manager for version control management. My recently released development tools are designed to improve the development process in these programming environments.

For information on my personal projects, see the details on my website.

Three years college towards a Computer Science/Engineering degree at Eastfield and Richland Community Colleges of the Dallas County Community College District.

Becky Cooper - My manager at Adventa - 972-543-1684.

Jimmy Freeman - My supervisor at DMS, Inc.

Cerena Hrasko - My supervisor at The viaLink Company.

Gregg Schwartz - My supervisor at Objective Solutions, Inc.

Jean Le Clerc - Owner and operator of Logiciels Malus Softwares.

Kevin Arledge - A co-worker at The viaLink Company and a fellow contractor when I was a Consultant to Sprint.