Code Capers

The web site of software developer and author Ashley Davis

Welcome to the personal web site of Ashley Davis.

Software craftsman, technologist, author, CTO of Sortal, creator of Data-Forge Notebook and algorithmic trader.

Follow me on Twitter

See how you can support my work.

Consulting / Contracting

I’m available for consulting and contracting work.

I can you help with the following:

Please reach out to me

Bootstrapping Microservices

My new book, Bootstrapping Microservices with Docker, Kubernetes and Terraform, is a practical and project-based guide to building distributed applications with microservices.

The early access program for Bootstrapping Microservices has started. This is your opportunity to support this new book at an early stage. Get the chapters as they are published and give feedback that can influence the direction of the book as it is developed!

Data Wrangling with JavaScript

My first book Data Wrangling with JavaScript is a comprehensive overview of working with data in JavaScript. Please let your friends and collegues know about it!

Public speaking

In October 2020 I live streamed on infrastructure as code, see the recording here.

In January 2020 I spoke at the Microservices Conference in Ankara, Turkey.

I’m a regular speaker at the Brisbane JavaScript meetup (example), occasionally speak for other meetups and have spoken as a mentor at Coder Academy.

I also have a YouTube channel that’s mostly for Data-Forge Notebook.

Data-Forge and Data-Forge Notebook

Data-Forge is my open-source data transformation and analysis toolkit for JavaScript/TypeScript. It is inspired by Pandas and LINQ and is my goto tool for slicing and dicing data.

Data-Forge Notebook is my notebook-style desktop app for data analysis, transformation and visualization in JavaScript and TypeScript (kind of like an IDE for working with data). Delivered to 100+ customers on Windows, MacOS and Linux. My first indie application! Check out the video.

Background

In recent years I have focused on building distributed applications with microservices running on Kubernetes, but I have a long history in software development with many years in apps, web apps, backends, serious games, simulations and VR. I make technology work for business. I architect and build bespoke software solutions that span multiple platforms.

I manage development teams, prepare technical strategies and architect software products. I explain complicated technology to senior management. I have delivered cutting-edge products in fast-paced and high-pressure environments. I know how to focus and prioritize to get the important things done.

I am a passionate technologist and agile practitioner. I have had great success with TDD and am convinced of its ability to produce better code that stabilizes more quickly while being evolved rapidly. I’m a fan of functional programming principles and their potential for safety, predictability & concurrency.

I contribute to open source and have founded multiple industry groups.

I’m also a keen algorithmic trader, currently trading stocks on the ASX.

Please find me on LinkedIn for my full history.

Open-source

I have plenty of open-source code available on my personal Github, the Data-Forge org, the Grademark org, Task-Mule and MiniQL.

I also did open-source work while at Real Serious Games, you’ll find some very useful code for working with Unity and Node.js on the Real Serious Games Github org.

Quantitative and algorithmic trading

I’m a keen systematic trader, currently trading stocks on the ASX and exploring quantiative and algorithmic trading strategies.

I created a stock market simulator called Market Wizard which has a small, but loyal following.

These days I mostly test trading strategies through backtesting because papertrading is too slow. I have built extensive personal software for this purpose. I am slowly open-sourcing my backtesting code under the Grademark org.

Blogs

I have two blogs.

The Data Wrangler is my current blog - with writings on data analysis and general coding.

What could possibly go wrong? is my older game tech blog, I no longer update this - but it’s preserved for posterity and to occasionally remind myself of just much I have written.

Industry groups

I founded Game Dev Brisbane and Game Tech Brisbane and continued to organise them for 5 years.

I organised Brisbane Unity Developers for multiple years.

Contact

Need help with development? Want to talk tech?

Please reach out.

Support my work

You can support my work in any of the following ways:

Support my work
Data-Forge Notebook
Exploratory coding, data analysis and visualization for JavaScript and TypeScript
Learn more
Bootstrapping Microservices with Docker, Kubernetes and Terraform
A project-based guide to building a microservices application with modern tooling
Learn more
Data Wrangling with JavaScript
A practical and comprehensive guide to working with data in JavaScript
Learn more