Phil Copper
Systems Designer/Developer
Contact
Telephone: +44 (0)7595 022252
Email: pc@philcopper.me
Profile
I am a U.K. based freelance systems designer and developer with many years experience in both mainframe and web environments. I operate through my own limited company and am a member of the Professional Contractors Group. I carry full professional indemnity insurance.
Recent Design & Build Projects
- PHP/MySQL/ExtJS rugby club membership database;
- PHP/MySQL/JQuery artwork catalogue;
- PHP/MySQL guestbook;
- Joomla database plugin;
- Online appointment booking system;
- XML data feed into a large legacy Oracle system;
- Object-oriented PL/SQL backend for a web-services based Energy Performance Certificates system;
- Object-oriented PL/SQL extension to a legacy system to support the client's customer win-back strategy;
- Web Services and JMS/Oracle AQ interfaces from PL/SQL to JRules;
- Intranet test harness for an Oracle AQ XML messaging system;
- Web-based mobile phone fulfillment system;
- Ajax/PHP/MySQL image gallery.
Skills
| PHP 4/5 | Sun Solaris Unix | Oracle 8 |
| MySQL | Redhat Linux | Oracle 9i |
| HTML/XHTML | Fedora Linux | Oracle 10 |
| Javascript/JQuery | Apache | PL/SQL |
| ExtJS | Ajax | Oracle Forms 6i |
| CSS | Web Services | C/Pro*C |
| XML | Web Standards | |
| XPATH | Perl | |
| XSLT | Shell Scripting |
Recent Clients
British Gas
My current role is Solution Architect at British Gas working on enhancements to the company's web site. My responsibilities include liaising with business analysts and the development teams to develop and document a robust and scalable solution design that spans many back-end systems. For reasons of confidentiality I cannot, at this time, expand on the nature of the project.
Bromley Rugby Football Club
This is a voluntary role that involves maintaining the club's membership database and Joomla web site. I have recently created a web front-end for the database using PHP, MySQL and ExtJS over SSL. The site is hosted on my own virtual server. The system allows authorized officials to query, create and update members' records and to produce reports that can be delivered on screen, as CSV downloads or as dynamically generated PDF reports.
John Hubbard
I recently converted the web site of the artist John Hubbard (johnhubbard.com) from ASP/Access to PHP/MySQL/JQuery. The site provides a searchable catalogue of the artist's work. A suite of administration pages allows the site content to be maintained. No graphic design work was involved in this project as the client wished to retain the site's original design.
British Gas Services
I have worked for this client on several occasions in the past on a wide range of projects including:
Online Appointment Booking System
This project used SAP's Netweaver PI application server and required the definition of web service and JDBC calls between the web site and the legacy Oracle Work Management and CRM systems. My responsibilities included XML schema design, writing technical documentation and liaising with third-party suppliers.
Batch Appointment Booking System
This project involved the design of an external XML data feed into a large legacy Oracle system and the generation of engineer visit requests from the received data. The build and test work was carried out by an offshore third-party supplier. I was responsible for writing the technical documentation and ensuring the supplier's understanding of the system, the quality of their work and their conformance to system standards.
Energy Performance Certificates
This project was initiated in response to the Energy Performance Certificates legislation. The uncertainty surrounding the introduction of this legislation led to very tight deadlines, which were met. I designed and built an object-oriented PL/SQL backend for a web-based system that received XML inspection requests via web-services, parsed them, loaded them into the database and subsequently managed the full job life cycle.
LogicaCMG
Work undertaken for this client involved designing, developing and maintaining very large scale Oracle 9i systems for a major U.K. energy supplier.
Projects included:
- Web services in PL/SQL and simple Java;
- XML data transfer via JMS and Oracle Advanced Queues;
- Intranet test harness (Perl);
- XML/XSLT intranet reports;
- Object oriented PL/SQL;
- Perl batch processes;
- Pro*C batch processes;
- Oracle Forms 6i.
I also wrote proposals and functional specifications for LogicaCMG's client and technical and module test specifications for other developers.
Vanguard Plc
This client, a major mobile telephone supplier, required a web-based fulfillment system for internal use and also to offer as a service to their partners. The system includes:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM);
- Stock control;
- Order fulfillment
- Comprehensive reporting.
The system is written in PHP and employs replicated MySQL databases for fail-over and disaster recovery. The back-office processes are written in Perl and PHP. Data transfer from other CRM companies has been implemented using Secure FTP, Secure Copy, HTTP and PGP encrypted Excel spreadsheets. Some of the reports are generated as PDF files in real time directly from PHP. Initially, I also hosted and administered the system but Vanguard has now taken over this function.