Resume of

Greg McFarlane

January 1997

Experience summary

Education

B.Sc (Sydney University 1978)

Years in software industry

16

Positions held

Software developer, R&D researcher, University tutor in computer science.

Processors

Sparcs, Apollo, NCD, Pyramid, Vax, NEC PC98, IBM PC

Operating systems

Unix (Solaris, SunOS, Domain, Xenix, Interactive, SCO), MS DOS

Languages

C, C++, python, perl, sh, awk, tcl, itcl, Pascal, Fortran, 8086 assembler

Tools

imake, make, RCS, SCCS, cvs, vi, sed, FrameMaker, TeX, troff, pic, tbl

Communications

BSD sockets, TCP/IP, Sun RPCs, ISDN

Graphics

Xlib, Athena widgets, Motif, InterViews, Andrew Toolkit, Xview, DevGuide, Parallax Xvideo, XDesigner, DataViews, Tk, Python/Tk

Databases

Oracle

Experience

Contract software developer
International Network Management Systems, Telstra, Sydney

July 1993 to present
Developing graphical network management systems for use by the Network Operations Section. Used a number of external tools such the OSE C++ class libary, XDesigner, DataViews, Tcl/Tk, [incr Tcl], the AudioFile System and Python. Also used in-house systems such as a C++ templated class library and an agent-based publish and subscribe messaging system. Responsible for:

• Implementing a new version of the messaging system debugging tool.
• Working on several graphical network management systems for fax, satellite, switching and SDH transmission networks.
• Developing configurable applications to display graphs of historical data.
• Creating several agents for the messaging system, such as an audio alarm agent and an agent for mirroring other agent's messages.
• Making enhancements to existing systems.
• Writing system documentation for existing applications and libraries.
• Writing extensions to Tcl to access the messaging system and embed DataViews views in Tk widgets.
• Managing the configuration and building of Tcl and its extensions.
• Managing the Tcl development environment.
• Creating a class library of widgets using the [incr Tcl] language.
• Being involved in the decision to move from Tcl to python for new deveopment.
• Being part of a team developing a python megawidget library.
• Developing several graphical network management applications in python.
• Developing python interfaces to the Oracle database.
• Being involved in the implementation and release of a major systems upgrade to all INMS operational software, including the development of a distributed process management tool for use when maintaining the system and also during failover.

R&D contractor
Multimedia Communications Group, OTC R&D, Sydney

July 1990 to June 1993
Researching Broadband networks and the services and applications that can benefit from the higher bandwidths provided by them, such as computer supported collaborative work and desktop video-conferencing. Responsible for:

• Designing and implementing an X application-sharing system with conference control and X protocol multiplexing.
• Designing and implementing an X event record and playback tool and an interactive X protocol monitor for testing and debugging X applications.
• Building and maintaining an analogue multimedia network, including the design and implementation of a name server and connection server.
• The specification and project management of an external research project to develop a film and video collaborative pre-production system over ISDN.
• Enhancing and maintaining a LAN-based multi-point desktop video conferencing system.
• Designing and implementing a video-in-a-window application using video overlay.
• Creating and presenting multimedia computer supported collaborative work demonstrations at exhibitions, conferences, trade shows, launches and OTC customer centre.
• Giving advice on X and C to other sections within R&D.

Software developer
Expert Solutions Australia, Sydney

April 1989 to June 1990
Working with a software development team on graphical applications for external clients. Responsible for:

• Creating the functional specification and designing and implementing the graphical modules of an interactive graphical interface to an aircraft scheduling system.
• Creating rapid prototypes of the scheduling system for early evaluation by the customer.
• Managing the project's source code management environment.
• Implementing the graphics modules of an interactive train monitoring system.

Software developer
ASCII Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

April 1985 to November 1988
Working with the System Development Unit. Responsible for:

• Porting the X11R2 X Window System server to MSDOS for NEC PC98, NEC XL2 and IBM AT machines with EGA graphics, using cross-development from Unix platfrom.
• Implementing a number of demonstration clients such as a kanji troff previewer and a plot(1) interface to X.
• Working with GSS in Oregon, USA to port the X11 server to 386 machines running Xenix.
• Implementing a controller for the Canon LBP20 laser printer running on an NEC PC98 using bit mapped memory and troff, TeX or kanji fonts.
• Developing lpr filters for the controller, including plain ascii, troff, plot, GKS and sun screen dump.
• Developing related software including a troff previewer for NEC PC98 using ROM kanji fonts or font files and a system to incorporate GKS/SPP graphics into troff text.
• Converting a number of programs to handle 2-byte Japanese characters, including Metafont, GKS, troff text formatter and bibtex and its style files.
• Technical rewriting of documents from Japanese into English.

Computer Science tutor
Department of Computer Science, Sydney University

June 1980 to December 1984
Responsible for:

• Tutoring in a full range of courses over all years, including Programming (Pascal, Fortran, PDP-11 Assembler), Numerical Methods, Digital Machinery, Graphics and Image Processing, Languages and Translators.
• Preparing course material, student notes, CAI program scripts and software.
• Research included the development of a computer animation system running on an Imlac vector graphics display and recording on 16mm film.

Pubications

• McFarlane, G., "Xmux - a system for computer supported collaborative work", Proc. 1st Australian Multimedia Communications, Applications and Technology Workshop, OTC, Sydney, 1991
• McFarlane, G. and Beadle, P., "Distributed Applications and the X Window System", submitted to Journal of Software Practice and Experience, 1992
• Beadle H.W.P., Judge, J., McFarlane, G., and Hayes, L.M., "The human side of multimedia telecommunications", Proc. 2nd Australian Multimedia Communications, Applications and Technology Workshop, Melbourne, 1992
• Beadle H.W.P., Judge, J., McFarlane, G., and Hayes, L.M., "Desktop teleconferencing for broadband networks", Proc. 2nd Australian Multimedia Communications, Applications and Technology Workshop, Melbourne, 1992
• Beadle H.W.P., Judge, J., McFarlane, G., "Enabling software technologies for multimedia telecommunications", Proc. 2nd Australian Conference on Telecommunications Software, Wollongong, 1993
• Chandler, A., Gidney, E. and McFarlane, G., "Computer supported collaborative work for film pre-production", Proc. 3rd Australian Multimedia Communications, Applications and Technology Workshop, University of Wollongong, 1993

Professional courses

1992

"World Class Software Technologies for the 1990s", Edward Yourdon, 2 days

1989

"Object Oriented Programming in C++", Mike Mowbray, 2 days

Other work

Other qualifications

Other interests