Dot Net Monkey

Over on CodePlex there is a free guide to developing with TFS. Looks like a How To / Best Practice kind of document.  I'm currently using TFS in my current work engagement, however, I'm pretty sure we are not using it as it was intended. 

Maybe it's time to download and read this guide.

Just thought I'd keep some links to web based javascript photo galleries.

CSS Play ~ Slideshow

Lightbox 2

Interesting framework for implementing a Rules Wizard (ala Outlook style) within your own applications over at The Code Project.  This is the kind of thing that I suspect is a lot more difficult to write than you first think.  File away under Useful Frameworks.   

Here is a link to the Code Project Article

I strongly believe that to be a good developer you need to have a firm grasp on the various shortcuts and productivity tools within your development environment. The problem is that with so many tools and so many things to remember it becomes a problem trying to hold it all in your head.  Let's face it, there is no shame in keeping a set of cheat sheets close by to prompt you into using your tools in a more productive manner.  I'd much rather keep brain cells for more abstract and solution based things rather than shortcut keys. 

Here are a bunch of cheat sheets for the tools I use:

• Visual C# 2005 Keyboard Shortcut Reference Poster: This poster contains the default keybindings for Visual C# 2005, and is available as a PDF download in either color or grayscale for you to print.
• ReSharper 2.5Default Keymap: That's right, the ReSharper 2.5 default keymap.  You can gain some really great productivity gains if you can reference these puppies!
• .NET Format String Cheat Sheet: String.Format is awesome in every way, including the bizarre number of combinations of format strings.
• John Sheehan also keeps an excellent collection of .NET Cheat Sheets on his blog.

Keep checking back as I plan to keep adding more in the future...

I'm a bit of a sucka for coding standards and style guidelines.  That's why I thought I would throw up a quick link to the Microsoft article Reviewing Managed Code. It's all pretty straight forward really, but would make an excellent checklist for an anally retentive organisation. (or maybe if you are doing something uber-important like building third-party components, aircraft avionics or rollercoaster braking systems).

Jeremy D. Miller has put a collection of good links on Test Driven Development on the awesome website CodeBetter.com

Have a look here: Best of the Shade Tree Developer

Everyone loves open source... well everyone who hates Microsoft loves Open Source.

For those who can't decide, here is a list of C# Open Source Projects

Some more links to writing secure code

ConnectionStrings.com is an awesome site that deserves your attention.  If you ever needed to construct some obscure connection setting then you'll love this. Check it out

Related Resources
ConnectionStrings.com

BITS stands for Background Intelligent Transfer Service and is designed to perform downloads of large files in the background and to support download resuming. It's intelligent because it can suspend automatically when the network connection is needed for other (foreground) tasks and will automatically resume when the needed resources become available. And, it also can maintain file transfers through network disconnections and computer restarts.

I'm intending to do some work with BITS so I thought I would post some resources for future reference:

• Duncan Mackenzie has written an article on creating a download application that uses BITS
• Don Jones has a nice article "Get Your Bits... As Slow as You Like"  that describes how to use the BitsAdmin.exe utility to transfer files
• Philipp Richter has written a utility called WinBITS that wraps BITS with a nice little GUI
• MSDN Article Using Windows XP Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) with Visual Studio .NET which provides a reference for wrapping the BITS library
• MSDN Site for BITS - the ultimate reference

Related Resources
Background Copying - Duncan Mackenzie
WinBITS Utility
Get Your Bits... As Slow as You Like
Using Windows XP Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) with Visual Studio .NET
MSDN Site for BITS

Keith Brown has written an introductory article about Code Access Security (CAS).  This is something that all .NET developers should look at (me included).  Check it out here.

Related Resources
An Introduction to Code Access Security

Scott Hanselman has posted a great list of questions that he believes all great .NET developers ought to know.  It's a big list, it's a thorough list, it's a scary list!  It's a great list to sharpen any .NET developers skills.  Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to go through this list and make sure I know the answer to each of these questions.  Then I will be a Great .NET Developer. 

Related Resources
What a Great .NET Developer Ought to Know (More .NET Interview Questions)

I've done a little playing around with the Enterprise Library and it's way cool.  Thanks MS!  There are already some great resources out there, so if you haven't played around with Enterprise Library do so IMEMDIATELY!

Here are some resources for you:

• Enterprise Library Demonstration and Powerpoint Presentation - Doug Rohrer's presentation to the Cincinnati .Net users group meeting as well as some code
• Ohad Israeli and Ido Samuelson C# user group presentation - Don't freak out about the Hebrew on the first few slides, it's just there to throw you! 
• Tom Hollander bangs on about Instrumentation in Enterprise Library - Which is a good thing.

Microsoft have now got their own Nuggets.  MSDN Nuggets.  Full of information, packed with intellectual nutrition and only 3 grams of fat.  Check them out!

Okay, so it's really just a bunch of short 10 minute videos highlighting a particular feature and/or task.  But I like em.  In fact I've often thought about doing something like this myself.  Damn you apathy!

Jake Lawlor has posted an article called Portrait Of An Agile Development Process which describes what an Agile Process should be.

According to the man:

The term agile refers to a set of patterns and practices that builds a highly collaborative partnership between the business and IT, promotes team communication and delivers functional software releases in iterative cycles. By delivering business value early and often, the process allows for a natural feedback loop to adjust and improve the software.

The difference between an agile process and other processes is that an agile process is crafted to integrate seemlessly into its environment. Rather than dictating rigid process practices that may not apply, the team selects the right process fit for the environment and makes adjustments every iteration, tuning it, to result in an increased team output and quality.

The great thing about this article is that he outlines a bunch of agile patterns and practices in nice easy to understand paragraphs.  All in all a great piece.  Now if only my companies agile process was just as ... erm... agile.

Related Resources
Portrait Of An Agile Development Process

Everyone loves a good fiddle, and if you say you don't then you are probably lying.

Okay, enough shinanigans!  Fiddler is a Microsoft PowerToy that slots itself nicely into your HTTP stream as a proxy allowing you to have a look at all that traffic going to and fro.

There is a good MSDN article about configuring and running Fiddler which is well worth a read. Also from the Fiddler site there are some pointers to some good references.  Such as:

• HTTP Response Codes - pretty handy for working out what a 404 really means
• Header Field Definitions - understand what all that crazy header stuff means
• HTTP 1.1 Specification - if you read this you are a geek! (no exceptions)

So there you go, lots of great stuff about fiddling with yourself.

Related Resources
Fiddler Powertoy
MSDN Article - Fiddler PowerToy Part 1: HTTP Debugging
HTTP Response Codes
Header Field Definitions
HTTP 1.1 Specifications

I have just been listening to Joe Stagner's Webcast on Security and quite enjoying it.  At the moment the Digital Blackbelt series of webcasts is still very much in the early days but Joe is a great presenter and the series promises much.  Couple of things to take away from the presentation are:

• Establish threats early
• Design Security into the apps (hard to retro-fit)
• Try and get security as part of the practice
• Read some good books about security

Related Resources
Microsoft Thread Modeling Tool
Microsoft Security Developer Center
Microsoft Threat Modeling Website
Digital Blackbelt Website

Keith Brown has written a great introductory article about Code Access Security (CAS) in .NET. His conclusion is:

Deploying code over a network is dangerous without a comprehensive security system to verify and constrain that code, and Code Access Security is Microsoft's solution to the problem. It's a flexible, if somewhat complex beast, and as a developer working on smart clients, you should learn all you can about it, as it will play a big role in your life!

I think he's right so you should go read this article now.

Related Resources
An Introduction to Code Access Security

Now and again I keep threatening to write an application that integrates tightly into Outlook.  Hence, when I came across this link to OutlookSpy I just had to post it so I don't forget about it when eventually I get off my arse and write some Outlook stuff.

What is OutlookSpy?

OutlookSpy is the ultimate Outlook developer tool. Integrated directly into Outlook, it provides fast and convenient access to all Outlook Object Model objects, lets you examine values of the properties, call functions, browse object hierarchy and monitor Outlook events. CDO is supported too!

Whilst we are talking about Outlook, here is a reference to the Outlook 2003 Integration API

Related Refrences
OutlookSpy
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Integration API Reference