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Alexandre Desplat - The Shape Of Water[^]
Saw this movie last week and one of the good things about it is the soundtrack 
The soundtrack somehow reminds me of Amelie and Air Doll because of the atmosphere.
The movie itself was nice, but not great.
I'll probably be talking about the soundtrack a lot more than about the actual movie.
So Sound of the Week, enjoy
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Is it me or are Windows application developers becoming an endangered species?
My company needed a web developer earlier this year and found a great one in only about two weeks through ZipRecruiter.
Now we need a Windows desktop/UWP/Xamarin developer and haven't gotten a single qualified applicant. (Plenty of people with web experience apply, apparently without reading the job requirements).
Has anyone else gone through this? Any tips?
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Some advice : firstly, make sure your expectations are reasonable. Do not expect five years of experience in technology that is two years old. This is far more common than you might realize. Secondly, if you are striking out with your current requirements then consider relaxing them a bit. Someone with a lot of related experience can probably learn the specifics you need and do a reasonably good job for you. This is something I have seen a lot of. People sometimes set very high expectations and refuse to moderate them after repeated failure.
These are just two things I noticed from my last job search.
-edit- I have experienced what you have from both the interviewer and interviewee perspectives and both can be frustrating.
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UWP/Windows Store Apps have been around at least 5 years as I was doing Windows Server 2008 R2 management (and development) in 2012.
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The time spans I stated were not specific to those technologies listed. They were examples.
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I would have to say this is age related. Most young developers focus on mobile first since it has the best chance of landing them a job. I would surmise that anyone who knows their way around the Windows API is already tenured and not looking for a job. Not to mention that the learning curve for Windows development is practically vertical. I find that WPF is fantastic and it grows on me each time I use it but it is definitely not the easiest thing to pick up. I've been working with it for years and I still don't half of it.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); }
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I would entertain changing jobs, but I would rather drive a Chevy than move to - or even fly over - Chicago.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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I've been doing Windows development since the days of VB5. At almost every stop along the way in my career, whether it's been a web dev position, architect, or even CTO of a startup, I have developed apps, utilities and support tools in Windows Forms, WPF and UWP, not to mention all of my personal projects.
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Try using LinkedIn. If you cannot find the right candidate, look for similar technologies like WPF in their skillset. A decently experienced WPF developer can very easily transition to UWP/Xamarin.
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Another option is to hire remote. If you are trying to hire in Chicago, unless you are ready to pay 10-20% above market wage, you may not be able to get anyone, especially if you are a smaller/unknown company. Get someone from the mid-west and have them work remote, and fly them in once a month for in-person meetings. Good luck in your search. 
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Peter Moore - Chicago wrote: Now we need a Windows desktop/UWP/Xamarin developer
IMNSHO, that's why you're not finding anyone. While I know mostly Windows developers, nobody's even remotely interested in UWP. There's more interest in transitioning from Windows to other platforms than UWP.
You'd be better off skipping that requirement so you don't scare anyone away. Instead look for someone who can adapt to new technologies.
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dandy72 wrote: IMNSHO
I had to use a search engine for that one... we need a mouseover window to translate these slangs.
Best Wishes,
-David Delaune
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We just need to use real words.
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Some people use IM[NS]HO (or IM[NSH]O), which arguably might make it a little more recognizable...
I don't know. Myself, I tend to avoid abbreviations except perhaps for things that have been around for years.
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I agree with you but UWP is not a requirement. It's an example of the skillset we're looking for.
Our product is actually WPF right now, but we want to port it to Xamarin or maybe Avalonia longer term if that project winds up panning out. And we also just need help maintaining it because out of our three developers, I (the original founder) am the only one who can do WPF.
These are the actual requirements posted:
- 5+ years’ experience developing Windows desktop (WPF or Windows Forms), UWP, or Xamarin Forms applications using C#/.NET and XAML
- Knowledge of the MVVM pattern
- Basic understanding of SQL
Doesn't seem super esoteric, but I agree it's not what the kids would call trendy.
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Peter Moore - Chicago wrote: Doesn't seem super esoteric, but I agree it's not what the kids would call trendy.
Y'all would know. I'm still working mainly using C++. 
But admittedly, I most certainly do use something else much simpler instead when and where possible.
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As long as it's not MFC we won't judge.
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Peter Moore - Chicago wrote: As long as it's not MFC we won't judge.
I know I've been guilty of that crime in the past, but now I'm rehabilitated, and...
...I use QT.
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I use MFC C++ for windows user mode stuff, and its fine. Does the job every time. 
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Exactly. If the tools are adequate for the task at hand, why change them?
Ad astra - both ways!
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Very much, indeed! I am using QT only because most code is cross-platform. When I need to whip up a native desktop application with an UI, it's going to be MFC all the way.
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OK, you cant do fancy modern UI stuff with it, but quite frankly, I hate the modern UI. Give me grey buttons and edit windows! Thats all I Want! 
I work mostly in the kernel, and that really hasnt changed for ages. In fact since the days of NT!
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote: If the tools are adequate for the task at hand, why change them?
Because of course that is simplistic.
I did work at a company sometime ago where a contract required an update to an app running on Windows 3.1 written in Visual C++ 1.52. The only way we succeeded was because I am a technology packrat and so I had the CDs (not DVDs) with that environment. I still do. The company did not and no one else at the company did either. And I threw out the 3.5 inch disks with Borland C++ on it quite some time ago so no going back on that one.
Same is true for something like Java 6. Apps still exist but the VM is no longer supported. So one risks leaving security holes open unless one wants to patch them in house. Even things like timezone changes would need to be patched in house.
Beyond that one must also be able to hire someone to keep maintaining it because those with experience either move on, retire or even die. I spent years with C but even quite a while ago I found going back to it very difficult. So difficult that my solution actually was pseudo OO rather than structured because I found it impossible to think in structured terms. Nothing wrong with the application that I was working on, but the skills to use it did not exist (I was the one most qualified to work on it by far.)
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If you intend to accept contracts requiring maintenance of legacy software, you naturally must keep the necessary tools and runtime environments. No argument there.
My original point was directed more at new development. I do not believe that using the latest (and supposedly greatest) framework is always necessary or desirable. If an older framework is still supported by the tool chain, and it meets the requirements - there is no benefit to writing the application using the latest buzzword technology.
Ad astra - both ways!
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