CFUNITED 2007 Speaker Interview: Kurtis D. Leatham

Jun 06, 2007

by Clark Valberg

I'm here with Kurtis Leatham to discuss his upcoming talks at CFUNITED 2007 in Bethesda Maryland. Kurtis is owner / operator of KomputerMan.com, a ColdFusion development and consulting company based on Boise, Idaho. Kurtis is presenting two different Boot Camp (beginner-level) track topics, "Databases" and "Structures, Arrays, and practical uses for both".

Clark Valberg:

Kurtis, thanks for joining me today!

Kurtis Leatham:

No problem... It was a bit of a challenge getting here but KMan is up for this daunting task!

CV:

So I'm sure we've met personally at previous TeraTech events, but I think this is the first time I've seen you on the speaker list.

KL:

I also spoke at last year's event. I am pretty much going to be covering the same topics I did last year with a few refinements. Because the topics I am speaking about are boot camp topics, I took the feedback from last year's event and modified the presentations I am giving accordingly.

CV:

So you and I have something in common?

KL:

Oh, what's that, Clark?

CV:

We're both obsessed, crazy, driven, or just plain foolish enough to run our own businesses. [smiles]

KL:

You left out a little sadistic too! After all I have a two year old and four year old around while I am trying to work! Nothing like having to change a diaper just as you are checking the nicely formatted XML object you just created in a CFC...

CV:

I think I read somewhere that the definition of an entrepreneur was someone who works 18hrs a day for himself just to avoid working 8hrs a day for someone else.

KL:

My cousin is a lot like that, but I only take on as much as I can do so for me it isn't to bad. Although I just started writing in Flex 10 months ago and I have lots to learn still. But by working from home and for myself I get the priceless benefit of raising my kids and not paying somebody to do it for me!!! Although there are times I think I would be better off going into an office just so I don't have to sing the alphabet song twenty five times.

CV:

Tell me a bit about your company. When did you start it?

KL:

About eight years ago I was doing WAN / LAN / intranet management for a company called Trus Jois. Just when the company was being sold I had an opportunity to write an application for a company called Amkor. They were offering me a 6 month consultant contract which was more stable that the Trus Jois job was with the merger in process. I already had incorporated my business so I decided to go for it. Basically, I started working for myself out of necessity. I've been doing this ever since.

CV:

So I see on your bio you're located in Boise, Idaho.

KL:

Home of the Boise State Broncos!!! Rock on Broncs!!!

CV:

What's the ColdFusion atmosphere like out there in Boise? Are you a member of a local user group?

KL:

There is a group but we meet like once a year. I am much more a member of my daughters soccer club!!! I am so Soccer Dad!!!
Since I started working for myself, I have fallen a bit out of touch with the community needs around here in terms of CF development. The State has a bunch of ColdFusion applications so most of my work comes from them. But I have only seen a handful of jobs listed in the help wanted ads in Boise that are looking for people skilled in ColdFusion. Really is a shame, too, because ColdFusion can just rock when used by a skillful developer!

CV:

You're presenting on two different boot camp tracks. Personally, I tend to think teaching beginner classes can be tougher than presenting to seasoned developers. It definitely takes a special kind of talent. Do you have a background in training?

KL:

Yes, it can be, but as long as I am talking with a group of people who want to learn something it doesn't really matter to me. I taught an Introduction to Information Management Systems at Boise State a few years ago. In that class, I was talking about different types of accounting software to future accountants. I learned quickly that you had better get your terminology right or they will jump all over you!!! Who knew accountants could be so aggressive!!! I also taught several Introduction to Relational Database Design and Development classes. Those classes had some people in it that had a clue, but for the most part I was the guru. The down side to speaking to a group of novices is that every now and then you will lose a class for a few moments and without feedback it can be hard to find them again. When you are talking with a bunch of developers, there is always feedback.

CV:

I see you're doing a session on databases as well. What can you tell us about that?

KL:

Databases are the single most important aspect of any application. An average developer can create a masterpiece with a solid database back-end, but the best developer in the world can only create a mediocre application from some disastrous database back-end. But this class doesn't really go into that to much. Instead we are going to be discussing how to connect to the database and interact with it. This is one of ColdFusion's real strength, in my opinion; its ability to communicate with other datasources is just amazing to me! Not to mention it is so simple to set up... It is so easy it is almost unfair to Microsoft.

CV:

I know a lot of programmers don't work in an environment where they have a dedicated DBA so that sounds quite helpful. I see you're also doing a session on structures and arrays. Tell me about that.

KL:

Structures and arrays are two of the most useful tools in any developer's toolbox. I don't think there is even a language out there that doesn't have some version of these tools available. In this section, we will be discussing how to create these containers, how to populate them, and how to get stuff back out of them. We will also have a few real-world examples where structures and arrays are used. We will also be creating a multidimensional array that contains a multidimensional array that contains a structure. The cool thing is that ColdFusion can show you what that looks like! They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I will be showing thousand word pictures depicting structures and arrays.

CV:

So what should a developer know before attending one of your sessions?

KL:

Just have a basic understanding of what ColdFusion is. That and be ready to do some geek speak because we will be talking code and looking at examples that will be available for download.

CV:

Sounds like you have some good stuff planned. Thanks for chatting with me today, Kurtis. Look forward to seeing you at CFUNITED.

KL:

No problem, Clark. I have already got my schedule planned out; I can't wait!!!

Those who wish to enjoy Kurtis' presentation at CFUNITED 2007 can register at https://secure.teratech.com/cfunited07/register.cfm. The conference takes place on June 25th- June 30th, 2007, with options for a four-day, three-day and one-day (Saturday only) conference package.

About the Speaker

Kurtis D. Leatham is the owner and chief developer for KomputerMan.com, a ColdFusion application development consulting company based in Boise, Idaho. He has been working in the Information Technology field since 1987, with the last six years exclusively as a CF Consultant. During this time, he has designed, developed, and implemented two enterprise wide applications that run the Idaho Real Estate Commission offices and the State of Idaho Public Works Department. He has also performed work for the Central District Health Department of Idaho, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and Amkor Technology. Kurtis taught a Relational Database Design course at Boise State University for 3 ½ years.

Sessions

Structures, Arrays, and practical uses for both

Databases

Clark Valberg is President of Epicenter Technology Consulting. Epicenter provides software design and consulting services to organizations of all shapes and sizes. Clark's under-visited and under-authored blog can be found at this cleverly worded URL: http://www.clarkvalberg.com/

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