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Artisanal software sale
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Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Jun 28, 2021 at 11:50 AM
What follows can be considered a brief ode to artisanal software, so in topic :)
I think I bought Easy Data Transform briefly after it came out. I used it for one particular thing which would have taken me hours to do otherwise, so it paid for itself straight away.
Since then I have used it no more than a few times, but each time it is the same: I need some data manipulation, I think that perhaps EDT will do it, and then find that it does.
(I remember years ago Steve Z. writing something similar about Zoot.)
On one occasion it didn’t (concatenate rows) so I thought of writing to Andy to consider adding it. By the time I got round to this particular to-do, version 1.18 was out and, of course, it had that function too:
https://www.easydatatransform.com/easydatatransform_v180.html
This ethic of constant improvement is characteristic of what I can only call a craftmanship attitude, going far beyond corporate kaizen.
I am certain that Mark Bernstein has chosen well other participants to this sale. It’s one of the few times that I wish I had a Mac.
The following video on the value of craft may be of interest to others who think alike:
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2019/02/new-documentary-the-future-is-handmade-reflects-on-the-values-of-craftsmanship
Amontillado wrote:
>Anyway, I hate to gush, but Easy Data Transform is really cool. IBM
>InfoSphere would do the trick, too, but I don’t know how I could hide
>the $2,500/month subscription from my wife. Altair has a nice solution,
>too, but at $2,000/year it would still leave a mark on my wife’s pesky
>spreadsheets.
>
>Given the price of other solutions, I owe you an apology for buying Easy
>Data Transform at the SummerFest pricing. Really crass of me, but, see
>above, my wife’s spreadsheets are a force.
Posted by J J Weimer
Jun 28, 2021 at 12:36 PM
The resoundingly positive accolades for Easy Transform had me questioning whether I would need it. I can usually cobble together a data transformation in some language or another on my own accord. It occurred to me however that I spend significant time on one particular transformation. We get grade reports from our LMS in an exhaustively full set of columns as a CSV. We have no way to limit the export of data at the LMS. I usually import the full dataset to a spreadsheet (Numbers), duplicate the tab, and then tediously cut out the columns that are of no interest.
Light bulb moment ...
* It might be easier if I pass the full CSV through a transformation first to remove the undesired columns.
* If I can create a useful set of transform templates, I can offer them to my colleagues.
* Easy Transform works on both macOS and Windows.
I’ve just taken advantage of the sale.
Thanks for the supporting discussions!
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jun 28, 2021 at 03:13 PM
So well said, Alexander!
Alexander Deliyannis wrote:
What follows can be considered a brief ode to artisanal software, so in
>topic :)
>
>I think I bought Easy Data Transform briefly after it came out. I used
>it for one particular thing which would have taken me hours to do
>otherwise, so it paid for itself straight away.
>
>Since then I have used it no more than a few times, but each time it is
>the same: I need some data manipulation, I think that perhaps EDT will
>do it, and then find that it does.
>
>(I remember years ago Steve Z. writing something similar about Zoot.)
>
>On one occasion it didn’t (concatenate rows) so I thought of writing to
>Andy to consider adding it. By the time I got round to this particular
>to-do, version 1.18 was out and, of course, it had that function too:
>https://www.easydatatransform.com/easydatatransform_v180.html
>
>This ethic of constant improvement is characteristic of what I can only
>call a craftmanship attitude, going far beyond corporate kaizen.
>
>I am certain that Mark Bernstein has chosen well other participants to
>this sale. It’s one of the few times that I wish I had a Mac.
>
>The following video on the value of craft may be of interest to others
>who think alike:
>https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2019/02/new-documentary-the-future-is-handmade-reflects-on-the-values-of-craftsmanship
>
>
>Amontillado wrote:
>>Anyway, I hate to gush, but Easy Data Transform is really cool. IBM
>>InfoSphere would do the trick, too, but I don’t know how I could hide
>>the $2,500/month subscription from my wife. Altair has a nice solution,
>>too, but at $2,000/year it would still leave a mark on my wife’s pesky
>>spreadsheets.
>>
>>Given the price of other solutions, I owe you an apology for buying
>Easy
>>Data Transform at the SummerFest pricing. Really crass of me, but, see
>>above, my wife’s spreadsheets are a force.
>
Posted by Andy Brice
Jun 28, 2021 at 04:07 PM
Deliyannis wrote:
What follows can be considered a brief ode to artisanal software, so in
>topic :)
>
>I think I bought Easy Data Transform briefly after it came out. I used
>it for one particular thing which would have taken me hours to do
>otherwise, so it paid for itself straight away.
>
>Since then I have used it no more than a few times, but each time it is
>the same: I need some data manipulation, I think that perhaps EDT will
>do it, and then find that it does.
>
>(I remember years ago Steve Z. writing something similar about Zoot.)
>
>On one occasion it didn’t (concatenate rows) so I thought of writing to
>Andy to consider adding it. By the time I got round to this particular
>to-do, version 1.18 was out and, of course, it had that function too:
>https://www.easydatatransform.com/easydatatransform_v180.html
>
>This ethic of constant improvement is characteristic of what I can only
>call a craftmanship attitude, going far beyond corporate kaizen.
>
>I am certain that Mark Bernstein has chosen well other participants to
>this sale. It’s one of the few times that I wish I had a Mac.
Alexander
Thanks for the kind words!
I just want to create software that I can feel proud of and other people find useful. I have no desire to be the next Google. I wrote a bit about that here:
https://successfulsoftware.net/2013/11/06/lifestyle-programming/
>
>The following video on the value of craft may be of interest to others
>who think alike:
>https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2019/02/new-documentary-the-future-is-handmade-reflects-on-the-values-of-craftsmanship
I will watch that when I get chance.
Andy Brice
Posted by Lothar Scholz
Jul 6, 2021 at 08:18 PM
Bought Nisus Writer Pro and may also buy Booksend soon.
Hope next year there is a larger selection of software.
Missing for example “The Brain” and “FoxTrot”