Developer Interview: Waheed Bhatti

Side by side upwards on our programmer interview schedule is Waheed Bhatti, Software Architect at Irtiqa. They are the team behind the London Travel (previously London Tube) app on the Windows Phone Marketplace, which is a must have for all who go near their business on the TFL (Transport for London) network.

Ride on past the interruption for the interview.

Tell united states of america about yourself, what yous do, groundwork effectually programming etc.

I am Waheed, 22 years old and a Microsoft fanboy. Well-nigh a year ago, afterwards completing my undergraduate course in Software Engineering I got together with a few friends and started Irtiqa (which means evolution). Information technology continues to be a very small visitor that heavily relies on outsourcing. At the moment I am a Software Architect at the company and accept helped design apps such as Nucleus, ContactPic and most recently London Travel.

My commencement encounter with code was back in 2002 through Microsoft Access' VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). It came along with documentation and I can call up reading about "Array" and thinking programming was too complicated for me. Shortly later I learned about Visual Basic 6 and thinking Windows and all other software was developed with that I dedicated hours to learning it.

2 years on I started learning C++ and in belatedly 2006 I discovered C# through a friend. Ever since I have spent most of my fourth dimension coding in C#. I've e'er been interested in network coding and I have some very heady memories to share but to keep this brief I'll practice that some other 24-hour interval.

What path(s) led you to develop for Windows Phone?

I was developing software for Windows Mobile vi (.Internet Compact Framework) prior to the launch of Windows Phone 7 so the natural path was to upgrade. Coming from a .Net background and having washed some Silverlight programming I plant it relatively piece of cake to start developing for the new platform. Microsoft was kind enough to send me a developer device and that actually gave me an advantage over most other developers who could simply test their apps through the emulator. London Travel (and so London Tube) was my kickoff WP7 project.

Why do you continue to develop for Windows Phone?

Microsoft has, without a doubt, the best evolution tools in the world. There is nix similar Visual Studio, and C# is a very cute linguistic communication (thank you Anders Hejlsberg) and .Net a very powerful framework - every bit a developer what else could y'all desire. Visual Studio, C# and .Internet permit me to rapidly develop apps with evolved experiences and that is why I keep to develop for Windows Telephone.

Do yous develop for other platforms, and if so how does your Windows Telephone experience compare?

I besides PM an Android projection and although I hardly code in it I hate whatever time I have to spend doing then. The IDE (Eclipse) is admittedly horrible, I have noticed information technology crashes more often on rainy days - oh and I still tin't get breakpoints to work. The Android SDK documentation is nothing like Windows Phone, where Microsoft would provide indepth information on an API, Google is happy to just tell you it exists.

In curt, if the development experience alphabetize (DEI) for Windows Phone is 7, that of Android is ii.

What's your take on the current state of Windows Phone development?

I am very happy with what Microsoft has provided for Windows Phone developers. I believe this will be reflected in the number of apps bachelor for the platform and the experience that these apps provide. Windows Phone 7 development tin can very hands overtake any other platform if Microsoft sells more than phones.

Where do y'all see Windows Telephone development going in the future, and will Irtiqa be creating future projects?

Windows Phone development, like Windows development, has immense potential. With the upcoming Mango release Microsoft has done a skilful task in opening upwards access to a lot of areas that were previously restricted to first-party apps. Developers will capeesh this and I am sure it volition besides attract a lot of new developers.

We have some very exciting projects on the drawing lath that make use of our network development library, Flames and we are hoping to take both the library and apps available by winter.

Given the opportunity, what'southward the one affair you'd change about the Windows Phone development procedure?

My only complain is that there is no piece of cake way to implement page transition animations. At that place are lots of methods on the internet but none of them has worked very well for us and the i nosotros utilize feels very much like a hack.

I likewise had another complaint almost the absence of sockets but Mango has them - good job Microsoft!

Thanks and so much for your fourth dimension. Whatever parting thoughts for the Windows Phone community?

Exist passionate near what yous do, information technology's the only style you'll beat your competition.

Wise words from Waheed. To find out more than nigh Irtiqa and the projects they're currently working on, bank check out their website. If y'all're a developer, be certain to proceed an eye on Flames.

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