Our developer in Las Vegas: Michal opened the way to Orchard Harvest in Prague

Míšo, what is Orchard Harvest?

It is a community conference for developers working with the Orchard Core system. Every year, people from different countries meet there – they present new tools, share experiences, and showcase specific projects. Whether you are a developer just starting with Orchard or someone who has built dozens of websites on it, you will always find something valuable there.

How did you get to the conference in Las Vegas?

Anyone who has something to say about Orchard can register for the conference. However, they directly approached us to see if we would like to participate. We filled out a proposal with the topic of the portal solution we built for the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ), and the organizers selected us. Then it went quickly: flights, passports, presentations… and Vegas.

You also presented at the conference. What specifically?

I introduced the participants to the tools we developed at PUXdesign that allow Orchard Core to be used as a portal solution. We can launch the basic version of the portal within a few hours. At the same time, we prepared it so that the client can handle it directly, not just the developer.

Can you tell us more about these tools?

I presented Olive Grid, Table Builder, and Importer. These are tools that simplify our work with data – whether it’s managing tables in the administration, importing from CSV or Excel, or filtering and sorting data in reports. All of them were created based on real projects where we repeatedly dealt with the same situations. Previously, we developed all the tools custom for clients. At a certain point, we decided that some of them could also help others. And so we released our first open-source module.

Was there interest in it?

There was – for example, the design of our administration really caught the attention of colleagues from the Orchard community. In the end, they approached us to see if we could help them prepare a starter template that anyone could use. We discussed the template with other community members and openly shared our proposals and experiences. This eventually led to a version that is now available to everyone as an open-source module.

How much time did you have to prepare before Vegas?

We found out we were going last July. However, the conference was already in September. We didn't have passports, we didn't have tickets, and most importantly, we had completely different plans. On top of that, we were fully working on a project for ERÚ, so we handled everything else in the evenings – running around offices, paperwork, tickets, accommodation… everything was last minute. In the meantime, I downloaded an app for pronunciation practice so I wouldn't sound like Google Translate on stage. I practiced individual sounds in the bathtub – at home, sometimes someone found it more amusing than I did.

Was it worth it?

Definitely. The reactions were great, many people came to ask for details, and overall it opened up new opportunities for us. Because we presented something new and functional, for the first time there was also mention that the entire Orchard Harvest could meet in Prague this year.

Why do you think it makes sense to present at such events?

You make yourself known – as a person and as a company. When you show what you do and why it makes sense, it can lead to new contacts or collaborations.  And even if not, it always advances you as a developer. You receive feedback, see how others approach it, and get inspired.

What feedback did you receive from the community?

Mainly personal contacts. When you know, who is behind what, and you can simply write to that person, everything is resolved much better. Moreover, thanks to the conference, we have an overview of what is coming – what will be in the new version or what makes sense to follow. The Orchard community is quite active, friendly, and open. And this is evident not only in reality but also in development.

Thanks to your activity in Vegas, Orchard Harvest will be held in Prague this year. What does this mean for you?

It is a huge opportunity. Firstly, we want to involve more people from the team, who usually work on Orchard. And  we will also be directly involved in the organization. Since the event will take place in Prague, we won't have to decide who will go – more of us will attend. And lest I forget, we will finally be able to bring the PUX banner, because you can't easily take it on a plane. 

This is what Orchard Core looks like in practice – check out our projects

We have built more than 50 websites on Orchard. Features that we originally developed just for ourselves are now used by others as well. And as you can see, our work has something to say to the world – literally.

If you are considering a new website and looking for reliable technology and a team that knows how to work with it, contact us. We are happy to share our experiences – and maybe even some code.