Interview: Edmund Tan, author of .NET Compact Framework 3.5 Data Driven Applications

Edmund Tan is the author of .NET Compact Framework 3.5 Data Driven Applications which helps you build robust and feature-rich mobile data-driven applications with the help of real-world examples.

Ed is the CTO of a leading e-forms and workflows solution vendor based in Singapore. He holds more than 8 years of experience building performance-critical .NET e-forms and workflows solutions for smart devices on top of Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases for large companies and governmental institutions in Singapore.

He is also a regular public speaker at various conferences held in Singapore and Malaysia on the topic on-the-go BPM (Business Process Management) hosted on smart device technologies. During his free time he can be found engaged in his favourite pass time activity of exploring the innerworkings of the brain and mind, with the ultimate goal of writing intelligent software to emulate the behavior of the mind. He is also an avid believer in Technological Singularity.

Packt: Your book is published now. How is the feeling of being a published author?
It's truly been a great and rewarding experience for me. I had always wanted to write a book, and now it's done!

Packt: Why did you decide to write this particular book?
Ed: Most .NET Compact Framework programming books out there try to explain the framework feature by feature. I thought doing a book based on real world application scenarios would help developers see how the framework could be efficiently applied, rather than just how it worked.

Packt: How did writing a book benefit you in your specialist area?
Ed: I found that writing a book makes you rediscover the technology. You get to see it in a
different light and perspective than ever. I think when you research a particular subject intensively, you notice little things you've never noticed before. Writing this book was indeed an enriching experience.

Packt: Our authors usually have full-time jobs whilst writing for us. Was this the case for you and how did you approach managing your time?
Ed: Yes, I have a full time job. I did not do any actual writing work while being at office but often used to take notes in a tiny notepad as and when I got a good idea. Most of the actual writing waited till evening.

Packt: Whilst writing your book, did you find that it overshadowed personal life in any way? How did you deal with this?
Ed: Yes, it did. For a programmer dad like myself, most of the time I had for the book came out from the weekends, which is my family time but my family was quite supportive. Having an understanding family is important.

Packt: Do you have any advice for other authors who may be interested in writing for Packt, but are still unsure?
Ed: Don't hesitate! Just get to it.

Packt: Do you have any tips for other authors, or tricks that you learnt whilst writing, that you'd like to share?
Ed: Jot down the ideas before you lose them forever!

Packt: How did you find the overall experience of writing your book for Packt?
Ed: I had a lot of fun doing it, the Packt team was helpful and always understanding. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing your chapters get sewn together at the end into a book.

Packt: During the writing process, did you come across any issues/ difficulties that affected your writing and how did you overcome these?
Ed: Business trips can endanger your writing schedules. I had to go on a few during my writing, and I had to be constantly on the lookout for Internet hotspots. Some places won't have them, and that makes doing any research rather difficult. Give your schedule a bit more time and let your editor know early if you have to leave for a trip.

Packt: How did Packt’s Acquisition Editors help you - what kind of things did they help you with and how did they support you throughout the writing process?
Ed: My acquisition editor - David Barnes was the one who made it all happen. Having experience and knowledge on what sells and what doesn't, his advice was indispensable. He helped shape the general idea of the book in a way that could make it more engaging to the reader. He has a pretty entertaining blog full of writing tips too!

Packt: What projects, if any, are you working on at the moment?
Ed: None at the moment, but I am thinking of writing a second book :-)

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