Kenneth Kousen

Groovy Workshop

9:00 AM MDT

This workshop will bring you up to speed on the specifics of the Groovy programming language. We'll touch on most of the major features of the language, from collections and closures to builders, AST transformations, and metaprogramming. Specific examples will cover topics from Groovy itself and will be supported by unit and integration tests and built using Gradle.

Featured topics will include: collections, closures, operator overloading, scripts and classes, unit and integration testing, AST transformations, parsing and building both XML and JSON, and working with SQL. If time is available, other projects from the Groovy ecosystem, like Gradle, Spock, and GPars, will be included.

A minimum comfort level with Java is assumed. Some exposure to Groovy would be helpful but not required.

Spock Workshop

8:30 AM MDT

The Spock framework brings simple, elegant testing to Java and Groovy projects. It integrates cleanly with JUnit, so Spock tests can be integrated as part of an existing test suite. Spock also includes an embedded mocking framework that can be used right away.

In this presentation, we'll look at several examples of Spock tests and review most of its capabilities, including mock objects and integration with Spring.

Spock Workshop

10:30 AM MDT

The Spock framework brings simple, elegant testing to Java and Groovy projects. It integrates cleanly with JUnit, so Spock tests can be integrated as part of an existing test suite. Spock also includes an embedded mocking framework that can be used right away.

In this presentation, we'll look at several examples of Spock tests and review most of its capabilities, including mock objects and integration with Spring.

Grails Workshop

3:15 PM MDT

Build a Grails application from start to finish in this half-day workshop. We'll start with domain classes, apply constraints, add controllers and services, apply both unit and integration tests, and then add additional functionality through plugins.

This rapid introduction to Grails will take advantage of the newest features of Grails 2.0 using the interactive scripts and db console. In addition to building an application, existing samples will be reviewed as a source of good practices and plugins.

Some knowledge of Groovy is assumed but not required.

Grails Workshop

5:00 PM MDT

Build a Grails application from start to finish in this half-day workshop. We'll start with domain classes, apply constraints, add controllers and services, apply both unit and integration tests, and then add additional functionality through plugins.

This rapid introduction to Grails will take advantage of the newest features of Grails 2.0 using the interactive scripts and db console. In addition to building an application, existing samples will be reviewed as a source of good practices and plugins.

Some knowledge of Groovy is assumed but not required.

Bayes' Rule Says You'll Attend This Talk

5:00 PM MDT

Statistics is hot lately, due in part to the easy availability of large data sets and the successes of people like Nate Silver. These aren't your father's statistics, however. A quiet revolution has swept through the field, shifting it from traditional frequentist methods toward a more Bayesian approach. This talk will discuss Bayes' Theorem and show you how to do simple, back-of-the-envelope calculations to apply it to a wide variety of problems.

In addition, we'll also talk about common errors non-experts make when dealing with statistical conclusions, ranging from small sample size issues to the use of arbitrary endpoints to the problem of overfitting and more.

Beyond Managing Your Manager

1:30 PM MDT

This is a revised and updated version of the previous talk, with current thinking from practice and the literature. The talk presents why conflicts with your manager are inevitable based on differences in priorities and perspectives, and how to plan for them. The goal is to show you how to build the loyalty relationship that allows you to get what you need when you need it.

Topics covered will include diagnosing communication styles, lessons from game theory, working within the organizational hierarchy, and lessons on how to build a relationship with your manager that still allows you the freedom to express yourself and what you really want.

Making Java Groovy

3:15 PM MDT

Groovy isn't designed to replace Java – it just makes Java cleaner and easier to develop. This presentation will look at various tasks Java developers need to do and demonstrate ways Groovy can help.

Topics will include building and testing applications, accessing both relational and NoSQL databases, working with web services, and more.