A History of Software Development | Jamil Geor

Software development is the process by which we develop computer software. The term covers a wide range of industries but can be most simply understood as the process of designing, writing, testing, and correcting code that determines how a computer system operates.

Software development is an ancient practice. We have historical data on the subject and can trace its evolution. In the early days, there was a dedicated research effort into software problems and solutions fundamental to machine operations. We see the beginnings of assembly language and attempts to develop software tools for analysis, design, and programming in this era.

Then, as computers became more common in commerce and industry, software patents began to be needed. Many important software concepts were patented. The first of these was a method for interpreting language. As computers became more prominent and influential, it became possible to develop software tools.

This era saw the introduction of structured programming and other concepts that became cornerstones of modern software development.

The early days of programming were typified by one programmer doing all the work, from writing code to testing it, logging bugs, and fixing them. This style continued in commercial software development until the mid-1980s when environments like Borland Turbo Pascal allowed several programmers to work in a unified environment where bugs could be fixed quickly and automatically. It was a crucial step in computer operations, as it permitted programmers to concentrate on the tasks relevant to their code's intended function.

The mid-1980s also introduced object-oriented languages and development environments like Smalltalk, which allowed a programmer to take several functions and combine them into a single class. This idea had been attempted before in C++ with templates and templates for an inheritance, but Smalltalk created an interface that codified this idea. The next generation of programming languages would build on this idea, and the programming language Java was a direct descendant of Smalltalk.

The mid-1990s saw the rise of the Internet and the advent of websites. These sites required special software modules to interact with users and display data in a browser window. A whole new set of software tools was needed to create these pieces of software, and enterprising young developers began creating free tools like Perl and Javascript to help them achieve their goals. This period also marked the introduction of popular IDEs like Microsoft's Visual Basic, making it easier for young students to begin programming computers.

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About Jamil Geor

Living and working in Auckland, New Zealand, Jamil Geor is a skilled entrepreneur, tech professional, and software developer who has more than two decades of experience working with companies ranging from Fortune 500 to startups to build and deliver software solutions. Now serving as the Director of Pattern, a software and technology consulting firm, Jamil Geor first started building the foundation of his knowledge and career at Auckland University of Technology – the third-largest university in New Zealand – where he enrolled in 1997. During his academic career, Jamil studied Business Computing and Applied Science with a specialization in Software Development.

While a student, Jamil worked with AA Insurance Ltd. as an Analyst Programmer who developed solutions and help manage IT infrastructure. Jamil Geor co-founded Cereteq Ltd. in 2002, where he worked as a Developer, offering psychometric and data analysis tools to enterprises both large and small throughout New Zealand. Later, Jamil left to join Deep Animation – where he started as a 3D Animator and Developer it was here that he started working for Go Virtual Medical as a Lead Developer. In this role, which he held for nearly three years, Jamil was responsible for developing and designing most of the platform code for his project while also assisting other developers.

From there, Jamil joined Ogilvy NZ Limited as a Senior Developer before joining SIMTICS in 2009 as Principal Architect. His duties included software architecture, project management, and managing customer and third-party relationships and day-to-day developments. In January 2011, he left SIMTICS Ltd. to found Pattern, a software development consultancy, which he has been running for the past decade.

As someone who’s dedicated most of his career to working in software development, Jamil Geor loves that the industry is always changing. He’s always developing new things and learning more about new business problems by understanding how organizations operate differently. Since there are constantly new developments and improvements, there are always new things to learn and more innovative ways to solve problems and create solutions.