An old opportunity

Tonight, here and alone, I just remember an opportunity I missed in the past. I think it was a good opportunity, but I didn't catch it when I could and now I must regret.

4 years ago, I graduated the university and started to work at Hobo Hanoi. It's a small company with about 15 members. There was a place I will keep it in my memory for a long time where I had the first job, where I improved my little knowledge and my experience.

Most of jobs I did in Hobo Hanoi at that time relate with NorthShore project (more extractly, some projects). It's a real state management system for NorthShore Inc. and we deveploped a client/server version (with Visual Basic) and 3 web versions (2 with ASP, 1 with Java). The Java version started but never finish. The most interesting things are in 2 ASP versions: The client required us to develop a "grid style" form to support they enter data.

We did it. It's not perfect solution but it's good enough to satisfy client's requirement. Our "grid" can enter text, number, date (with validation and format), calculate total for "number" column (result will be showed in footer). It can has combo box columns, also radio button and checkbox. It supports dependency between columns (example: when you change this combo box, values of the depended combo box will be changed). It only update the rows you changed. You can delete some rows at one time. Also you can add a new row on the "grid" (don't need to use another form). But it's very hard to reuse because we didn't implement it as a component. And now you can guess what was my opportunity.

At that time, as I searched, there was only one grid component for ASP, ASPGrid. But they only supports in basic level (enter text, number, date with validation and format, combo box column). They created a ActiveX component and use an XML configuration file. All the things developer need to do is creating an XML configuration file and do Server.CreateObject() in ASP pages. Developers don't need to use Response.Write() to write the grid out 'cause ActiveX component did it.

I implemented a very simple ActiveX component, it supported to enter text only (no validation, no combo box, no format,...) But I threw it away, at that time .NET Framework is released in beta. I decided to move to Java 'cause at that time in Java field, there wasn't any "grid" component. (display:tag can show data only with sorting). I read JSTL, JSP tag libraries. But... Now I must regret.

Some days ago I have an opportunity to move to another company, they work in RIA (Rich Internet Applications - more detail: Java/Flash/Flex). But I decided to stay. I'm having a challenge (at current company) and I want to win it. If I win, it will open a big opportunity for me. But if I fail, no problem, I will have a good lesson and I will find another one.