Stuart Mackay

Stuart started life designing microchips before moving into software where, believe it or not, it was actually possible to fix bugs AFTER you've shipped the product. His first loves were Objective-C and Smalltalk, when client-server apps were still a thing. From there he moved onto Java and the new-fangled internet. For the past 14 years he has been building web sites and applications with Django, and javascript when he has to.

In software, Stuart strives for simplicity, reliability, and maintainability. His latest quest is to use Large language models, not for code, but for generating real-world datasets for testing. Combining type hinting, design by contract (an old idea, but still unbeatable), runtime monitoring, and end-to-end testing frameworks like playwright, he is looking forward to building, reliable apps that are tested to a depth that is simply impossible with conventional test methodologies. Say good-bye to write-only suites of unit tests!

When he is not building apps, tending his Open Source projects, or providing a taxi services for the family, Stuart is out birding. His spirit bird in the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata).