Poka-yoke everything!
February 24th, 2026
I have come to a stage in the big(ish) project where I design something that reads data from an XML file and processes that data to a
small degree, as this is just an example piece at the moment. The concept of reading data or processes from text files is not new, it
has been useful and convenient from the days when hole-punched cards became obselete, but it still has pitfalls. One of them is that
typing up anything, however small, in an environment that contains distractions can lead to mistakes and those mistakes can be
difficult to find once the file is deemed completed. This is especially true of files designed to contain or model large amounts of
data. It's no surprise that when I am trying to concentrate, I will get a tap on the shoulder or a cry for help.
So, it seems that I need to find a way to mistake-proof the process of creating the input file which invokes the Japanese concept of
poka-yoke. The easiest way to do this is to create a program to request the desired input variables and write it to a file.
The problems of having the wrong input variables are not in my domain to solve but there can be some basic tests for validity at
this point before it is further processed in the main program.
While I am setting this up, I get called to help someone with their new mobile phone. Despite many people being dependent upon these
new devices of advanced technology but with little clue as to setting up, particularly when it comes to making sure their data and
apps remain intact and are usable as soon as possible. While I am fluent with most things techwise, many people are not and I am
not certain that software is designed with that in mind. After all, these are the consumers, the customers, that keep such businesses
rolling. I have faced it a little myself and it is always fun when patronising turns to panic at the point where some software
engineer finds out that I am more qualified than they are. The 'feature, not bug' reply will only go so far when covering mistakes.
So design things with this in mind. Make the process as simple as possible and keep the complexities behind a virtual curtain. In
short, poka-yoke everything!
And now I will sign off for this month, I have been given the less-than-technical task of unsticking a jammed SIM tray, not sure how
they managed it but it is now my problem!.
First big(ish) project
February 1st, 2026
I hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday season but many I suspect are very glad it is over. Well, I am anyway. Post December is always
a good time to detox in as many ways as possible, which is why I have avoided posting on here. It gives me time to think about how
these pages are going to take shape and allows me to give attention to other parts of my life. Coming up with little things now-and-
again is all very well but I wanted to try and build something more substantial. I have the beginnings of an idea but will take this
bigger idea in small steps. The idea is fairly simple, I am an engineer at my core and the most basic of structural engineering is
a truss framework. I can show the build up in terms of defining connection points, structural members, setting boundary conditions etc.
The end will be all of this working together with a view to finding out how much further things can be developed. The overall idea is
to develop something one small piece at a time rather than sinking into something that eats up all spare time available. The
additional idea is that this subject is a good half-way compromise between computer programming and engineering mathematics, engineers
should not find the programming concepts too difficult and vice versa for those less confident with the maths part.
As this new project will be build up in small steps and require a modular approach, I am going to take this as a first opportunity to
try something in Java. I can work on single small classes and put them together, the standard Agile project management approach, and I
can place things on these web pages as I complete them. It's not world shattering but it is a plan. It's a matter of finding out how
large a result will be created from looking after some acorns, something will be learned even if all of them turn out to be bonsai
size.
Aside from the above, I am currently decluttering. I am trying to sort things into the following catagories:
- Junk that should be dumped
- Stuff I don't need that someone else may want or need
- Stuff I could use for physical projects
- Stuff I would like to start using again
It sounds simple but there are always more good intentions than allowable time. I started with an old camera which I managed to get
working again with a couple of bits of tin foil. Now it's working, I have no idea what to do with it as digital cameras have made
their mark since this device was last in use. In fact, I even have a very old out-of-date digital camera that needs to be sorted
into the above catagories. My life needs to be a lot more leaner, so it may just have to go.
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem of modern consumerism.