An Interview with Christoph Körner

Christoph is the CTO of GESIM, a Swiss start-up company, where he is responsible for their simulation software and web interface built with Angular and D3. He is a passionate, self-taught, software developer and web-enthusiast with more than 7 years’ experience in designing and implementing customer-oriented web-based IT solutions.

Curious about new technologies and interested in innovation Christoph immediately started using AngularJS and D3 with the first versions. We caught up with him to get his insights into writing with Packt.

Why did you decide to write with Packt, what convinced you?

Initially, I wasn’t sure about taking on such a big project. However after doing some research and discussing Packt’s reputation with my University colleagues, I was sure I wanted to go ahead. I was also really passionate about the topic, Angular is one of my favourite tools for frontend JavaScript.

As a first-time Packt author, what type of support did you receive to develop your content effectively?

I started off working independently, researching papers, developing code for the project and reading other books on similar topics, and I got some great initial feedback from my University colleagues. As the project progressed with Packt, I received a lot of valuable feedback from the technical reviewers and the process really provided a lot of valuable and constructive insights.

What were your main aims when you began writing with us, and how did Packt in particular match those aims?

I was aiming to help other people get started with an awesome front-end technology stack (Angular and D3). I love to look closely at topics that interest me, and enjoy exploring all the angles, both practical and theoretical, and helping others understand it. My book experience was great and Packt allowed me to explore all the theory and practical concepts that the target reader will find really interesting.

What was the most rewarding part of the writing experience?

The most rewarding part of writing is getting constructive, critical feedback – particularly readers who leave comments about the book as well as the comments from my reviewers. It was a pleasure to have such skilled, motivated and experienced reviewers on-board who helped me develop the concepts of the book. And of course, holding your own book in your hands after 6 months of hard work is a fantastic feeling.

What do you see as the next big thing in your field, and what developments are you excited about?

The next big thing will be Angular 2.0 and Typescript 1.5; and this will have a big impact on the JavaScript world. Combining – for example – new Typescript features such as annotations with D3js, opening up a whole new world of writing visualizations using annotations for transitions or styling – which will make the code much cleaner.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Proper planning is the key, it will take time to write, draw graphics and develop your code at the same time. Don't cut a chapter because you think you don't have time to write it as you wanted – find the time! And get feedback as soon as possible. Experienced authors and users can give very good tips, advice and critique.

You can connect with Christoph here:

Github: https://github.com/chaosmail
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisiKrnr
LinkedIn: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/christophkoerner
Blog: http://chaosmail.github.io/

Click here to find out more about Christoph’s book Data Visualization with D3 and AngularJS