Welcome to Aztec Development Group
Aztec Development Group is a small software development company located in Western Massachusetts near the Quabbin Reservoir. Our primary focus is the design and development of the Aztec Programming Language, the core Aztec Engine software and other related Aztec development tools.
Aztec Programming Language
Aztec is a general purpose object oriented programming language with a large number of features including multiple inheritance, parameterized classes (templates), flexible and consistent multi-threaded event handling, global methods and data, type-safe method references, 'satellite' classes, a powerful and compact class framework, and a highly optimized virtual machine. The entire Aztec Programming Language and associated Aztec Engine software was designed and developed by Tom LaFlamme at Aztec Development Group.
♦ The Aztec Programming Language and Aztec Engine software are described in detail, including language definition, class framework definition and Aztec Engine user guide
♦ The Aztec Engine software and sample Aztec source code is available for free from the website
♦ Object oriented, true multiple inheritance and polymorphism
♦ The ultimate scripting language
♦ Strongly typed OO programming language with only four primitive data types
♦ Primitive data items are real objects with a comprehensive framework
♦ Strongly typed language, yet it allows implicit data identifiers, global data and methods
♦ Methods support overloading, default arguments and method arguments can be passed as values or references
♦ Completely type-safe method references
♦ Rectangular arrays with any number of dimensions, with jagged arrays to be supported in the future
♦ Intuitive object oriented program startup
♦ Innovative and unique compile-time logic evaluation
♦ Full logic and mathematical expression evaluation at compile-time, with file I/O and other system level features
♦ Powerful self-modifying code features
♦ Code can be compiled at run-time and integrated directly into existing Virtual Machine run-time environment
♦ New methods and data can be dynamically added to existing classes
♦ Virtual method tables are updated dynamically to reflect new code
♦ Flexible, consistent and easy-to-use event handling
♦ Event support is built directly into the Virtual Machine
♦ A single event can easily be dispatched to multiple threads
♦ Every Aztec class inherits the ability to process user defined events with the Virtual Machine
♦ Each event handler receives an optional user specified object reference
♦ Exceptions are events so handlers can be set up for specific exceptions
♦ Event handler in a separate VM thread can run in parallel with the exception handling in the thread where the exception occurred
♦ Aztec Engine software is powerful, compact and efficient
♦ The single 1.8 MB executable contains the Aztec Compiler and Build utility, Aztec Virtual Machine, Aztec Class Framework and a network based UI Display Server
♦ The Aztec Engine consists of more than 380,000 lines of well commented and well tested C++ code
♦ The Aztec Engine is also available as a C++ callable library that can be embedded in a 3rd party application as a scripting language
♦ Some Aztec Virtual Machine features
♦ Maintains a completely safe run-time environment
♦ Controls all object and resource access and fires applicable exceptions
♦ Automatic memory management with flexible object cleanup options
♦ User can control foreground vs background cleanup at program level, class level and object level
♦ Foreground cleanup provides the basis for "deterministic destructors"
♦ Some Aztec Class Framework features
♦ The class framework is written mostly in C++ and talks to the engine using a proprietary plug-in application interface
♦ Primitive class methods are implemented as VM instructions for efficiency and to keep the language operator list as small as possible
♦ Easy-to-use multiple thread support which uses a separate OS thread for each VM thread
♦ Flexible synchronization and thread-to-thread communication facilities
♦ Some other classes provided include Script, Thread, Synchronization, Stream I/O, Events, Exceptions, Time and Date, Sockets, Metadata, Sorting and User Interface
♦ Remote UI Technology
♦ The UI can be seamlessly displayed remotely across the network or internet with UI events processed in the local client script
Aztec Development Group Consulting Services
While software consulting is currently not a main focus of the company, we have been involved in a variety of successful consulting projects over the years. We have many years of experience with the entire software development process, and we can work closely with our customers to design and develop a custom software solution that is reliable, efficient and meets or exceeds the intended customer requirements.
Software development is much more science than art. A solid engineering process and two way communication during all phases of the design and development process help to ensure a timely delivery of well-tested, stable software that meets all customer requirements. Aztec Development Group will work closely with the customer to ensure agreement with software requirements and project schedules before development begins, and we will provide project tracking, design reviews and code demos for the customer along the way.
The level of detail required for the development process and the number of reviews and demonstrations for the project can be mutually determined by Aztec Development Group and the customer based on the complexity of the application, customer expectations, project timeline and other factors.
♦ Software Design and Development
♦ Object oriented analysis, design and implementation
♦ Application development in Windows and Linux/Unix environments, client or server, website and cloud development
♦ Waterfall or Agile development methodologies
♦ Expertise in C++, Java, JavaScript and Aztec and experience with AngularJS, C#/.Net, HTML, XML, SQL, Python, R and MATLAB
♦ We will also work with an interested customer to integrate C++ code into the Aztec environment, creating Aztec classes and methods using legacy C++ code
♦ Aztec handles all project management, milestone tracking and risk assessment tasks for the project
♦ Project status meetings, design reviews and software demonstrations will be scheduled as appropriate based on mutual agreement
♦ Experts at object oriented design, algorithm design and creating multi-threaded, message driven programs
♦ We can also partner with a familiar group of senior level cloud, web and data science engineers when needed
♦ We offer several contract models for customer flexibility
♦ Design and develop software per customer specification
♦ We work with the customer to understand business processes and define requirements to create an optimized programming solution that meets the customer's needs
♦ We maintain close communication during the entire project life cycle for status reviews and code demonstrations to assure customer satisfaction with the final product
♦ We also provide temporary/contract software engineering services
Professional Summary for Tom LaFlamme, President of Aztec Development Group
Tom is a seasoned, dedicated, rigorous and passionate engineering professional with experience in a variety of industries. He has substantial experience and expertise in two separate disciplines, structural engineering and software engineering. His mechanical engineering background with an emphasis on process and rigorous problem solving, coupled with strong math and engineering analytical skills, have also served him very well in a long, successful software development career. Tom has always been a strong advocate of a solid engineering process for software development, with many successful projects delivered on-time and with high quality code as a direct result. His attention to detail assures solid, pointed testing to validate the boundary conditions that are pertinent to a particular problem, as well as comprehensive user level testing to verify that the application meets the entire set of requirements.
♦ Proven success leading development teams and mentoring junior engineers in software and mechanical engineering disciplines
♦ Twenty-two years of full-time software design and development experience
♦ Strong C, C++, Java and JavaScript design and development skills, with experience on a variety of platforms, technologies and other programming languages
♦ Substantial experience with the entire software development process
♦ Business process analysis
♦ Functional design and requirements analysis
♦ Technical design, code development, project lead, project planning and reporting
♦ Testing (unit, integration, application and regression)
♦ Peer reviews, cross functional development teams, user documentation, and application support
♦ A long history of solid designs and well tested code with minimal defects
♦ TCP/IP socket communications, UI development in Web, Windows and Linux/UNIX environments, and some real-time development
♦ Database experience includes MongoDB, SQL, Oracle, Sybase and Java Hibernate technology
♦ Software development experience in the Healthcare, Insurance, Aerospace, WIreless Communication, Garment and Nuclear Industries
♦ Fourteen years of mission critical aerospace structural engineering experience
♦ Responsible for designing jet engine components to survive engine induced vibration and thermal loads
♦ System natural frequency tuning to minimize exposure of electronic engine controls to critical jet engine vibration loads
♦ Normal rotor induced vibration, Fan Blade Off and Windmill vibration
♦ Vibration and stress analysis with environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock and HALT) to prevent fatigue failures of jet engine components
♦ Finite element analysis (ANSYS, MSC/NASTRAN, FEMAP) and hand calculations
♦ Created and approved formal engineering and qualification test plans and reports
♦ Helped perform Weibull reliability analysis of complex solder joint fatigue life
♦ Coupled fatigue life test results with analytical models to probabilistically predict solder joint failures in service and feed the MTBF reliability analysis
♦ Presented formal design reviews to customers and the FAA during all stages of the design process
♦ Worked with jet engine manufacturers and the FAA to validate requirements compliance and achieve component flight qualification
♦ Author of Aztec Programming Language and Aztec Engine software
♦ Designed the Aztec Language syntax, Aztec Virtual Machine Instruction Set and Aztec Class Framework
♦ Designed and implemented all C++ code for the Aztec Engine, including the following components
♦ Aztec Compiler and Build system
♦ Aztec Virtual Machine
♦ A TCP/IP socket based communication system
♦ A socket based UI Display server for remote UI technology
♦ An application programming interface for creating Aztec framework classes in C++
♦ Designed and implemented all C++ code to implement the Aztec Class Framework
♦ Independent software consulting experience
♦ Developed custom software applications for several local companies
♦ A real-time liquor inventory control and management system, written using the ACL scripting language described below
♦ A "frequent customer" sales incentive system for a dental products company
♦ A highly customized Industrial Engineering process control system
♦ Designed and developed an MS-DOS based scripting language named ACL
♦ Interpretive programming language with a flexible text based UI system, data structures, simple database, and self modifying code capabilities
♦ Provided hooks for external C code to integrate with the ACL interpreter and gain control when needed
♦ Written in C and 8086 Assembler
♦ Education and Professional Development
♦ B.S. Cum Laude in Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, May 1982
♦ Cum. Average: 3.63
♦ MIT Professional Education 'Data Science: Data to Insights'. Certificate awarded, July, 2017
♦ Technical classes include Advanced Java, C#, Visual Basic, OO Analysis and Design, Hibernate and JUnit
♦ Contact Information
Tom LaFlamme
Aztec Development Group
tom.laflamme@AztecDevelopmentGroup.com
