Bienvenue! Welcome!
My goal is to help you work faster.
I must speak and teach until I hear 10 people say, "That thing you taught me? I used it! And it saved me time!"
(Ahem ... although maybe blogging slower than I'd hoped. Ugh, coders' repetitive stress injury.)
So check out the tutorials. Play with code. Tell me about your triumphs.
Intro to XML and JSON #4: XML Values
03 Apr 2019
In the previous article in this series, we used XML to define a “shirt” item (or, as one would say in XML, “element”) with some keys like “color” and “fabric” and “washable.”
Let’s learn how to fill in some values for those keys.
Intro to XML and JSON #3: XML Items & Keys
03 Apr 2019
We’ve seen XML from a “30,000-foot view.”
We understand what kind of data XML can help us with.
Let’s learn how to write XML!
Intro to XML and JSON #2: Data's Shape
25 Mar 2019
I mentioned that XML & JSON are for lists of lists, while CSVs are for tables. Let’s explore that concept.
Continue ReadingIntro to XML and JSON
16 Mar 2019
XML, JSON, & CSV.
All 3 are incredibly common “plain-text” file formats for transferring data between computers, particularly over the internet (e.g. over an “API“). But what’s the difference, and when should you use each one?
(Programmers, Salesforce business analysts, and database integration architects: you’ll want to know this!)
Salesforce REST APIs: A High-Level Primer
14 Mar 2019
Have you ever been told that you might need a “REST API” to integrate outside data with Salesforce?
If you’re confused, you’re in good company, because it means different things in different contexts!
Read on for a “30,000-foot view” of all 3 variations on the phrase “REST API” in Salesforce.
Python pour Salesforce: compte -> campagne
07 Mar 2019
Aujourd’hui, on complique une tâche Salesforce très simple en Excel pour voir comment achever le même but avec Python.
La tâche, c’est de constituer une campagne à partir d’une liste des contacts associés à un compte.
Setting up Python on Windows with Anaconda
05 Mar 2019
I keep warning students not to use real, corporate CSV files in Python with online “IDEs” like Repl.it or CodeBunk, and to install Python on your local machine instead.
Finally, I’ve written a tutorial to walk you through it!
These screenshots document the simplest approach I know of for installing Python on a Windows machine.
Setting up Python on Windows with Miniconda by Anaconda
04 Mar 2019
After documenting this process step-by-step, I’ve concluded that the best way to install Python on your computer is to follow these shorter instructions and simply:
Download & install software called “Anaconda”. Look for software called “Spyder” in your Start menu, run it, and start coding.
You’ll be much happier than you would following these instructions, which take you through installing “Miniconda” (made by the makers of Anaconda) and adding functionality like “Spyder” and “Pandas” by hand.
But Miniconda takes less space, and may be easier to install without admin rights to your computer, so it’s worth documenting step-by-step.
Plus, even if you install “big Anaconda,” as I like to call it, the instructions on installing & updating “modules” in this documentation may come in handy if you need to install extra modules like “Simple Salesforce” or if you want to update your Python installation in a year.
Logging into Salesforce's Marketing Cloud API (w/ Python or Postman)
26 Feb 2019
Sometimes, just getting a login acknowledgement from an API is half the battle of using it.
Here, with screenshots, is how I finally logged into Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s API.
I used Python, but most of the steps have nothing to do with code.
Any language that can do HTTPS POST requests will do.
Git and SourceTree setup with AWS federation on Windows
20 Feb 2019
Do you have “single sign-on” for your Amazon Web Services accounts, but need to set up your computer to talk to their CodeCommit git repository hosting?
If you have Windows, Python, and Git installed on your computer, here’s how you can do so without messing up any other plain-old-username-and-password repositories you connect to!
