JOSEPH M. NEWCOMER, PH.D.

610 KIRTLAND ST., PITTSBURGH PA 15208

(412) 243-8492 (voice)           email    newcomer@flounder.com

45-Year Track Record in Software Innovation · Microsoft MVP Since 1995

Published Author and International Speaker · Hold 3 Patents

         Published major works on Windows and related programming; many have become industry standards for reference. Expert on Windows GUI and NT Device Drivers.

         Pioneered desktop publishing — wrote one of the earliest word processing programs for a high-resolution xerographic printer (the “XGP”, ca.  1970, was a predecessor to today’s laser printers).

         Architect and developer of one of the earliest platform-independent data interface systems permitting sharing of complex information among heterogeneous computing platforms —  led to the development of the Interface Description Language (IDL), which became an Ada implementation standard.

         Architect and manager of a project specifying a common intermediate language for Ada compilers, which led to the DIANA specification now widely used in the industry.

         International and domestic instructional experience in software technology, specializing in Microsoft Windows. Delivered international presentations in major venues.

         18 years of advanced studies, research and instruction for a leading technological university.

         Prior to initiating doctorate dissertation, pursued studies in Psychology to understand “the other half of the interface”, as most systems seem to be designed with little consideration for human limitations.  Knowledgeable of interface design with awareness of the human factors.

         Knowledge of digital music; worked on one of the earliest MIDI-based scoring systems.

         Authored a user manual for the Personal Composer computer music product, reviewed as “one of the best user guides...in the music business”.

         Author of numerous articles in Dr. Dobb’s Journal, covering topics such as performance measurement, real-time embedded system debugging techniques, and Microsoft Windows.

         Web site has over 100 technical articles on Windows programming.

EDUCATION

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURGH, PA

School of Law

Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and the Law

Certificate in Forensic Science and the Law

(Awarded 23-Aug-08)

CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURGH, PA

Ph.D., Computer Science, 1975

SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE, LATROBE, PA

B.S., Mathematics, 1967

PATENTS HELD

Packet Filter Engine. (Large J., Newcomer J.M. and Thibadeau R.) U.S. Patent No. 5,608,662. Granted 4 March 1997. Filed 12 January 1995.

Method of Identifying Set-Top Receivers.  (Thibadeau R., Newcomer J.M, and Touretzky D.) U.S. Patent No. 5,565,909. Granted 15 Oct 1996. Filed 3 Feb 1994.

Television Receiver Location Identification. (Thibadeau R., Newcomer J.M. and Touretzky D.) U.S. Patent No. 5,432,542.  Granted 11 Jul 1995. Filed 21 Aug 1992.

APPLICATIONS AND INNOVATIONS

         Developed many “explorer” programs that illustrate how Windows APIs work; many of these programs generate code the user can incorporate directly into an application.

         Developed controller program for mass spectrometer.

         Major development and deployment of distributed site-management software system for centralized control of HP workstations and Windows NT Servers.

         Controller software for distributed embedded-system application.

         Developed controller program for liquid CO2 chromatograph.

         Developed user interface software for SensorFrame VideoHarp MIDI controller. Developed file system for embedded controller.

         Worked with a client on design and implementation of a distributed information system, resulting in 5 patent applications (3 granted, 2 abandoned).

         Developed Windows-based graphical query language for distributed information management system — used Attribute Grammar methodology to guarantee end user could construct only syntactically and semantically well-formed queries.

         Developed an interface that allowed RISC-based workstations to debug embedded DSP systems operating as coprocessors on a standard IBM-compatible PC.

         Wrote sensor-driven software for interpreting infrared (IR) remote control devices and building IR device databases.

         Implemented platform-independent graphics package for X-Windows/Windows-3.0/Macintosh application portability.

         As consultant and programmer for CMU, developed object-oriented C to Modula-3 translator using automated design recovery techniques.

         Worked on Tactus Distributed Interactive Multimedia Toolkit, the first project to support distributed multimedia, including audio/video synchronization of independent sources over networks.

         In studying issues of real-time scheduling as they apply to multimedia, identified weaknesses in real-time models and their inapplicability in the domain of multimedia.

         Developed “Report Writer’s Workbench”, a Windows 3.0 application supporting automatic report generation from a database — addressed report writing language, and allotted for full support of a compiler, interpreter, interactive debugger, and diagnostic tools.

         Created geometric pattern recognizer that distinguished scanned “cover pages”— used image recognition and algorithms to detect orientation and isolate handwritten notations. Integrated a bar-code reader.

         Developed a working file system for a ROM-based controller using an embedded PostScript-like interpreter — reverse-engineered existing disk drive to discover signal protocols.

         Key player in refining Personal Composer — developed laser printer typesetting system and a PostScript music font, worked closely with its creator on the system/2 release, and created a software manufacturing environment to handle a system of 300+ source files (representing nearly 220,000 source lines).  Generated graphical interface for synthesizer voicing, completed integration of LISP system with the music editor.

TRAINING and USER MANUALS CREATED

         Authored online hypertext manual for Personal Composer — 1200 hypertext frames and interconnections using own hypertext system enabling end-user and third-party vendor incorporation with own online help that predates all PC hypertext help systems. (Reviewed as “one of the best user guides...in the music business” by Music Technology, July, 1988.)

         Co-authored a course in Writing Windows NT Device Drivers, 5-day hands-on course with interactive labs. Authored a course on NT System Programming.  Actively teach both courses.

         Major rewrite of a Master’s-level program on Internet technology for CMU, Summer 2001

INSTRUCTIONAL INVOLVEMENT

         CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (CMU),  PITTSBURGH, PA — Taught one semester graduate-level course on Internet technology using Java and Java Server Pages

         UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — Courses in distributed multimedia and Windows programming (porting X-Windows applications to Windows 3.1). Fall, 1993.

         CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (CMU), PITTSBURGH, PA — One-semester graduate-level Seminar on real-time scheduling issues. Developed a PhD-level course on hardware implementation, including the development of a student hardware laboratory.

         TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE COMPANY, BURLINGTON, MA — Courses in Windows, Windows API Programming, and Introductory and Advanced Programming Windows with the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library. Developed course on Windows NT Device Drivers.

         HANDS-ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, CHELMSFORD, MA –- Developed and teach courses in Windows NT System Programming and Windows NT Device Drivers.

PRESIDENT/CEO … FLOUNDERCRAFT LTD., PITTSBURGH PA                                                          2002 to Present

Incorporated version of The Joseph M. Newcomer Company.  Software Consulting and Contract Programming · International  Clientele · Microsoft MVP

OWNER … THE JOSEPH M. NEWCOMER COMPANY, PITTSBURGH, PA                                              1971 to 2002

Independent Consultant ·  Software Consulting and Contract Programming · International  Clientele · Microsoft MVP

INSTRUCTOR … HANDS-ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, CHELMSFORD, MA                              1999 to present

Teach Windows Courses to Professional Programmers on Contract Basis: System Programming, Device Drivers, Network Programming, and MFC.

INSTRUCTOR … TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE COMPANY, BURLINGTON, MA                                    1994 to 1999

Teach Windows Courses to Professional Programmers on Contract Basis: Win16 API programming; Win32 API programming; MFC Programming; Advanced MFC Programming; System Programming.

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURGH, PA

ADJUNCT SENIOR SCIENTIST, SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE                                                                  2001

Taught a course on Internet history and technology, including low-level network programming in Java and use of Java Server Pages.

ADJUNCT SENIOR SCIENTIST, SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE                                                   1996 to 1998

Consultant on Windows technology for speech understanding research.

SENIOR SYSTEMS SCIENTIST, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER                                                      1991

Research on distributed multimedia.

COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT                                                                                                                 1967 to 1981

RESEARCH COMPUTER SCIENTIST                                                                                                                 1980 to 1981

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE                                                                                                                                         1975 to 1980

GRADUATE STUDENT                                                                                                                                           1967 to 1975

SR. COMPUTER SCIENTIST, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE, PITTSBURGH, PA               1984 to 1987

Department of Defense Subsidiary · Slashed Technology Transition Time · Interfaced with Contractors and Vendors to Assure Competitive Implementations · Chaired Several Strategy Groups During Initial Formation

SENIOR TECHNICAL STAFF, TARTAN LABORATORIES, PITTSBURGH, PA                                          1981 to 1984

Instrumental in 3-Year Explosive Growth from 3 to 50+ Employees · Handled Internal CASE Tooling, Product Development, Product Configuration Management · Set Software Development Standards · Expedited Launch of Compiler Product Technologies · Key Player in Installation of Secure Site

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

         Responsible for writing up and defending patent applications, responding to objections from patent office, worked closely with patent attorneys during entire process leading to three successful patents.

         Have been an expert witness in cases involving patent litigation, copyright litigation, software performance/contract disputes, and questioned documents (computer-generated documents).  Have given testimony under deposition in many of these cases, submitted expert reports in all of them.

         Certificate in Forensic Science and the Law program at Duquesne University School of Law.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS and HONORS

Microsoft MVP (Most Valued Professional) in Windows programming — 1 of approximately 5000 individuals worldwide nominated, 1995 to 2007. IFIP Working Group 2.4 (Programming Languages for System Implementation), 1987 to present. Association for Computing Machinery, 1966 to present. Special Interest Groups: SIGPLAN, 1967 to Present. SIGOPS, 1974 to 1977. Founding Member, Computer Museum, Boston MA.


JOSEPH M. NEWCOMER, PH.D. PUBLICATIONS

Principal Publications

Edward N. Dekker and Joseph M. Newcomer, Developing Windows NT Device Drivers: A Programmer’s Handbook, Addison Wesley Longman, 1999.

 

Brent Rector and Joseph M. Newcomer, Win32 Programming, Addison-Wesley, 1997. 1,500 pages.

 

John R. Nestor, Joseph M. Newcomer, Donald L. Stone, Paola Giannini, IDL: The Language and Its Implementation, 604pp, Prentice-Hall, 1990.

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, Personal Composer System/2, user manual for the Personal Composer system, 605pp, 1988.

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “IDL: Past Experience and New Ideas”, presented at the International Conference on Advanced Programming Environments, held at Trondheim, Norway, June 1986.

 

Mary Shaw, Guy T. Almes, Joseph M. Newcomer, Brian K. Reid and Wm. A. Wulf, “A Comparison of Programming Languages for Software Engineering” Software--Practice and Experience, Vol. 11, 1980, 1-52.  Reprinted in abbreviated form in  Comparing and Assessing Programming Languages, edited by Alan Feuer and Narain Gehani, Prentice-Hall, 1984, pp 197-225.

 

Other Publications/Presentations

A collection of over one hundred essays on Windows programming can be found on http://www.flounder.com/mvp_tips.htm. These cover diverse topics including design issues, implementation issues, and development strategy issues on Microsoft Windows using C++ and the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) libraries.

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Tokenized Databases”, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, November 1994.

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “A Generic About... Box”, Dr. Dobb’s Sourcebook: Windows Programming #218 (Fall 1994).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Avoid PATH Cram with FreePath”, Dr. Dobb’s Sourcebook: Windows Programming #218 (Fall 1994).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Faking DDE with private servers”, Dr. Dobb’s Sourcebook: Windows Programming #205 (Fall 1993).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Debugging Real-Time Systems”, Dr. Dobb’s Journal 18,7(July 1993).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Modeless Dialog Boxes For Windows”, Dr. Dobb’s Journal 18,5 (May, 1993).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer and Bruce Horn, “Undocumented Windows: The Windows ‘Region’ Structure”, Dr. Dobb’s Journal 18,3 (March 1993).

 

Joseph M. Newcomer, “Profiling for Performance”, Dr. Dobb’s Journal 18,1 (January 1993), pp.80-87, 106.

 

J. M. Newcomer, “Heap Storage Damage Detection”, the C User’s Journal, October, 1989.