I’m Mark Heppell and this is how I work April 20, 2015
Posted by Duncan in How I work, TW.trackback
Next up in the 2015 ‘How I work‘ series is Mark Heppell. Mark is one of Cedar’s longest serving employees having been with us for 16 years. As a consequence he’s been on almost all our client sites, so he’s one of our better known and most beloved consultants.
Mark is one of Cedar’s key PeopleSoft developers and is one of the first people that we all turn to when there’s something beyond our abilities. He’s currently waist deep in some great looking Fluid work (I’ve had a sneak peak).
Name: Mark Heppell
Occupation: Lead Technical Consultant
Location: Home office, Marlow, UK
Current computer: Dell Latitude E5520 laptop and Acer Aspire X3400 desktop
Current mobile devices: iPhone 4, iPad Air
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
I love any home automation gadgets. I’ve got solar panels automatically turning on immersion heaters and everything in the lounge is controlled from my iPad. It’s kind of an insurance policy, because without me, my wife can’t turn on the TV and would be sitting in darkness.
Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without?
I’m not sure if it’s actually a gadget but if the broadband ever went down I think my teenage son’s world would end.
What’s your workspace like?
It’s good. With Remote Desktop and Skype there’s very little need for me to leave my house. If I get lonely I talk to the bonsai.
What do you listen to while you work?
At the minute I’m listening to Imagine Dragons, Hozier and AWOLNATION, or I just put on the radio.
What PeopleSoft-related productivity apps do you use?
The usual PeopleSoft stuff, App Designer and SQL Developer. Paint.net if I have to do any graphics, Notepad++ for html and trace files, FileZilla for Unix and ExamDiff for file comparisons. With the advent of Fluid I seem to be spending more and more time looking at browser developer tools, generally Firebug for day to day stuff and Chrome for mobile device emulation.
Do you have a 2-line tip that some others might not know?
When creating javascript use something along the lines of
javascript:%SubmitScriptName(%FormName,..
or your javascript won’t work when the user clicks the “New Window” link.
What SQL/Code do you find yourself writing most often?
Working with HR,
Select * from PS_JOB J where J.EFFDT=(Select Max(J_ED.EFFDT) from ......,
will generally make an appearance a couple of times a week.
What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?
Better at than anyone else is a bit of a stretch, but I do seem to end up with the more complicated/abstract client requests.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I’m sure my Dad gives me some wonderful advice, but he’s a Geordie and I can only understand 1 in 3 words he says.
The PeopleSoft Tipster Blog 