Developer Spotlight: Innovating and Building OpenEdge Enterprise Solutions with Passion

Joshua, a 29-year-old software developer at FDM4, demonstrates the power of passion and adaptability in enterprise application development. With a robust background in technology and a keen enthusiasm for problem-solving, Joshua thrives on building impactful solutions using the Progress OpenEdge platform.

Early Ambitions and Career Shift

Joshua’s story begins at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his original dream was to develop video games. “I wanted to make video games, but I found the industry very competitive, so I transitioned to web development. Which is also competitive, but there’s more opportunities.” These opportunities led him to FDM4, a premier Progress partner specializing in integrated ERP, product decoration, warehouse management, e-commerce, and CRM software for the apparel and hardgoods industries.

Getting Started with OpenEdge

Joshua had no previous experience with OpenEdge development before joining FDM4. He was introduced to the language on the job and spent his early months training and getting adapted to the language.

His first impressions of OpenEdge highlight its dual nature: “At first, it’s surprising because it’s a database language and a programming language in one. It was easy to pick up because of the syntax, especially if you have previous experience programming.”

Day-to-Day Life as an OpenEdge Developer

Joshua’s role has evolved during his five years at FDM4. “Early on it was bug fixing but now I’m working on new UI for the company—inventory management, order processing, web pages, everything from order processing, warehousing to invoicing.”

When it comes to learning on the job, he credits company resources and collaborative work: “There’s already a ton of structure in how we use OpenEdge, so after 2–3 week training process of seeing what different parts of the application does, I was able to start developing with OpenEdge.”

Comparing Languages—And What Makes OpenEdge Unique

“In school it was C++ and Java. At FDM4, I was learning JavaScript and Progress OpenEdge. OpenEdge is different. It’s very English-like and verbose, but I like that. It’s strongly typed, which is good, especially when you work with data.”

Asked what he likes most about OpenEdge, Joshua says: “I like that the database data is very accessible, like programming with a database without having to use SQL or something similar. I also like the web support at Progress. They make it very easy to make requests and interpret responses from clients. There’s also a strong, well-documented library of OpenEdge objects and methods.”

He emphasizes the close connection between the language and its database: “I think it’s the coupling between the database and the language itself. I’ve never programmed in anything like that, but it makes it very easy to work with data and understand the language. Especially syntax wise.”

“With something like SQL, it’s taught separately. You’d have to learn a programming language plus a database language. So, when it’s combined together, you’re learning the programming languages while keeping database principles in mind at the same time.”

Advice for New Developers and Looking to the Future

When asked for advice to those starting with OpenEdge, he offers: “I would say be open minded and take your time learning. There are plenty of industries utilizing OpenEdge worldwide providing lots of opportunities and a stable career.”

Modernization and user experience are at the top of Joshua’s priorities: “I like web development. Especially UI. I’ve been working on a lot of UI projects and modernizing screens for FDM4 with Progress.”

Interested in doing a similar journey to Joshua? Become an OpenEdge developer today!