Always under construction!

Be sure you have your Hard Hat!

Here is one of the sections where I can just have fun.

Hi. I'm S.J. Straith. I live and work (doing temp work <sigh> as I was laid off in March of 1998) in Silicon Valley.

My roommate and I have been building this page for me since before I was laid off [We both have fun playing with handing coding HTML <G>]. Because of this, I can almost guarentee that I will never "complete" these pages <G>. As you can see though I have made some decisions. (Until she tells makes some more, she gets what she gets, and I get to play. - ljl) [Hey! I'm not complaining! We're both having fun, and I'm not paying her for her share of the work. - sjs]

Who am I?

My main interest is database programming on a PC platform. I work primarily in Paradox using Paradox ObjectPAL. (And if you don't think it's a real application language, you've never really tried it. - ljl) I also am no stranger to data input , which helps when it comes to designing functional input screens.

Update on above paragraph. While I am still very much interested in doing Paradox ObjectPAL programming, I have gotten little call for it in the last few years. However, if someone offered me the chance to work with it again, I would happily do so.

However, I am switching over to Delphi, which is Object Pascal in an IDE. (Integrated development environment, not a hard drive controller. ;-} - ljl) It comes with the Borland Database Engine, although it can be used with third party database engines. It can also act as a front-end tool for larger databases, and supports SQL. (She's got versions 1, 2, and 3 in house. - ljl)

Besides the Delphi and Paradox, I am working with both Visual dBase7 and Java, primarily in the form of the JBuilder IDE, (having copies of both helps), just to round things out.

Still not up to a truly proficient level with Delphi And Java *sigh*

I am interested in learning Oracle and Sybase. I believe that my Paradox and Delphi skills will make the cross-platform switch easier, and give me an advantage over someone who has no other database experience. (Short form: "I know some, I want to know them all..." - ljl) [You betcha! -sjs] Happily, I now have some actually training with Oracle.

I have also been building websites for myself and a couple of groups for the last few years. I am presently working on a site for which I will actually get paid. <G>

For those that really prefer MicroSoft software, I also have a great deal of proficiency with MicroSoft Office. I have MSOS certificates in Word and Excel and have done quite a bit of working automating spreadsheets and Word documents using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). In fact I have started putting some of them up on a seperate website called LittleNifties.

As a member of a household full of techies (And a mad scientist or two - ljl), I have access to a great deal of experience and peer support (and nitpicking - ljl) to aid me in my endeavors. I am currently exploring the possibility of working more intensely in the database programming area. (Translation - more fun, more challenge, more $$. - ljl)

Here is my resume . As I said, I was laid off March 1998, so I am definitely willing to entertain new possibilities. (Please, make the time we've spent putting her resume into HTML format worthwhile. - ljl) [Yeah. Especially since we both prefer to code HTML in a straight text editor, it was a bit of a hassle. <G> But fun. <G> - sjs]

Some of my other interests are:
Software (maps, graphics, etc.), reading (science fiction, fantasy and mysteries), singing and occasionally writing.(and bugging me... ;-} - ljl) [snicker - sjs]

Other Details

Email me at data page comments. If you do not wish to be entered into my address database, please say so when you write.

Please come back soon and visit me (And see what we've done to the page now, he, he, he - ljl).




If you wish to return to the main page click here. Home

This page is a cooperative mangling by S. J. Straith and L. J. Laubenheimer , who's homepage can be found here: Laubenheimer Home.

Updated June 13, 2005.