Evolution

During our travels I tried various means of finding RV parks and planning trips. Software and online systems available at the time were useful, but none were entirely satisfactory. In fact, the computer program that I used the most got worse with each new version. I found my self using a large variety of web sites plus spreadsheets to do our planning.

As a software developer, naturally I felt I could do better.

After deciding to build a database of the information we had collected, I toyed with server-side Java (JSP) and found it to be horrendeously convoluted and just no fun to work with. I did build a small PHP/MySQL "single user" version that ran on a machine in our RV rig.

I developed the PHP/MySQL "single user" version that ran on a machine in our RV during the first half of 2006. As a natural-born Object Oriented programmer, I got frustrated with PHP's procedural orientation, and started looking for a class system for PHP. Along the way I checked out the state of Lisp and was discouraged. Then I ran across an article titled "Why Ruby is an Acceptable LISP", which lead me to Ruby on Rails (RoR).

Development History

This history picks up in June of 2006 when I started converting the PHP version of the trip planner to RoR.

2006: First Steps

Big learning curves in several areas.

2007: First Klunky Version

It worked, more or less. Only used maps to show individual RV parks. Awkward search functionality. Lousy trip editing.

2008: Head-Down Mode

Nearly complete re-write to simplify search, use maps more extensively, and get trip editing working properly.

2009: iPhone RV Park Directory

Started the year mainly focussed on development of service that can be used within a larger site or sites. Ended up developing Mac client (test purposes only), then an iPhone application.