Tech Blender

Microsoft pops out a number of interesting downloads this week.

Sample Code Generator 1.4.2.1 - What a terrible name for something that "takes an XSD schema as input and generates sample code showing how to mark up C# and VB.Net classes so that when serialized with the XML serializer, the resulting XML will be valid according to the original schema."

DHTML Editing Control for Applications Redistributable Package - This isn't actually interesting, except that the notes seem to indicate that Access 2003 is at least partially incompatible with Vista.

POS for .NET 1.1 SDK - Need to talk to a bar code scanner, magnetics card reader, or reciept printer?

Microsoft Standard User Analyzer - Nifty.  Built on top of the Microsoft Application Verifier, this utility will let you launch an application and analyze it as it runs to see if it would run as a standard user.  I tried it on a .NET app of mine, and it spit out all kinds of indications that the app won't run as a standard user, but the errors appear to be just stuff that the .NET framework is doing in the background.  Not sure how useful this would be for managed apps.  Seriously, what am I supposed to do about this?

CreateFileMappingW: Section (Global\netfxcustomperfcounters.1.0.net clr networking) is denied '' access with error 0x5.

Vista's glass won't hold Java

If you have sufficient hardware, Vista will render the UI using a feature that Microsoft referrs to as "glass" where portions of the windows are semi-transparent.

Microsoft Watch is reporting that if you use applications that fire up the Java VM it turns glass off, system-wide, until you shut down the app.

Which Microsoft Products Are/Aren't Supported on Vista

Petitions are all the rage.  Maybe we should start a petition to have Microsoft publish a comprehensive list of what products will and won't be supported on Vista.

Just a few that I've come across:

Product	Supported?
Visual Studio 2005	Supported
Visual Studio 2005 SP 1	Not currently supported.
Visual Studio 2003	Not supported
Visual Studio .NET (2002)	Not supported
Visual Studio 6	Supported
Visual Studio 6 SP 6	Maybe supported?
XNA	Not supported. Will be when Vista goes RTM.
SQL Server 2005 (Everything but Enterprise Edition)	Sort of supported (Installs, but complains about needing SP2, which doesn't exist yet.)
SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition	Not supported
SQL Server 2000	Not supported
Access 2003	Mostly?
Virtual PC 2004	Not supported

Ok, I'm not going to count on Microsoft providing a comprehensive list, so if you know of other products that are/aren't supported then post them as comments, and I'll update this list.

Updated 2006-09-30: Access 2003 may not be fully supported on Vista.

Updated 2006-10-20: Added more details about SQL Server running on Vista.

Updated 2006-11-07: Added information about Virtual PC 2004.

Info on keeping IIS up and running

Want to maintain Web site uptime even if hardware fails?  The IIS blog points to how Microsoft does it.

PAG Explorer

First, who writes ScottGu's blog for him?  It's just hard to believe that someone at his level has the time to write this amount of blog content with the frequency that he does.

Second, he points to something that looks pretty cool.  An explorer that lets you drill through a database of best practice recommendations.

Want to develop for the .NET Micro Framework?

Microsoft has released a Beta developer kit for the .NET Micro Framework.

I guess the .NET Subcompact Framework just didn't have the right ring to it.

Copy Constructor vs. Clone

If you're interested in the merits of copy constructors vs. clone methods (and ICloneable), there's a debate going on over in the MSDN Wiki.

A nano-second is still a foot

Larry O'Brien points out that while time may be money, it's also distance, and chip makers have to take that into account these days.

Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1 (Beta)

Microsoft has just released the beta for VS 2005 SP1.  While I'm salivating over the option of installing an SP for VS 2005, hopeful that it will fix the many bugs that I experience, I just can't recommend installing a Beta service pack.  But, I hope someone does, because if it has bugs, I want them fixed, and if it's solid, I want it to ship.

Genetic Algorithms in the Linux Kernal

The idea is to have the kernal figure out how to self-tune.

More Help for the VB6 developer

Microsoft has just released the Visual Basic 2005 Power Packs.  This release brings 2 significant pieces of functionality:

1. PrintForm is back.
2. The Interop Forms Toolkit makes it easier to create .NET forms and use them from existing VB6 applications.

Slated for possible future releases:

• A repeater control.
• Easier (VB6ish) printing
• Line and shape controls

Go vote for what you'd like to see next.

Windows Vista: Now is the Time!

I hate to do this, but this is so bad that it really can't be just left alone.  First, the time for Windows Vista is not "Now".  Maybe I'm a literalist, but I interpret "now" to mean now. The product hasn't even shipped!

Are you ready for Windows Vista? We know the world is!

Really!  A a lot of what I read about Vista says "Beware!!!"  Your hardware probably won't fully support it, and a number of your applications likely won't run.  But other than that, "The world is ready!  We have that information from a reliable source!"

Barring any unforeseen quality issues such as bugs around data corruption, resiliency, or security, we remain on track for business availability of Windows Vista later this year, with our consumer launch in January. Those of you who have started using RC1 can see how stable the product already is. We are very close to being done.

Windows Vista is going to give you, developers, new opportunities on a scale you haven't seen since Windows 95.

Yes, assuming that you want to ditch managed code, and program in unmanaged C++, Vista has a lot of new, cool, Vista-only features.

Industry analysts predict that some 200 million people will be using Windows Vista within the first 24 months of launch.

Hey, 24 months.  That sound almost like 2 years.  Pop quiz: On the eve of 2009, how many computers will there be in the world?  Answer: A hell of a lot more than 200 million. It's going to be a very long time before you can build apps that use Vista-only features, and still deploy those apps to the majority of your customers.  Most of that 200 million will be new PC sales.  I have a hunch there aren't going to be that many upgrades, based on my own upgrade experience with RC1.

We're rapidly approaching launch, and then millions of people will be looking for applications. People will flock to software that is new, compelling, and "cool." You have GOT to be ready for this opportunity.

Holy crap.  This is must be what it sounds like when you turn the hyperbole volume up to 11.  I don't know, are you currently scampering about looking for applications to flock to?  Will you be one of the millions who will say, "Wow, that's so cool.  Here's my money, and my old PC.  I brought it with me just in case I saw something 'cool'.  Take it you scalawag.  JUST TAKE IT!!! I HAVE TO HAVE THAT APP!!!"  It certainly remains to be seen if there will be a killer app for Vista that makes home users and/or business users feel like they need to throw their existing machine into the blackberry bushes and run out and buy a new one so that they can flock with the rest of the flock.

We have invested heavily in both the .NET Framework 3.0 and traditional Win32 APIs in Windows Vista.

Ok, let me rewrite that sentence so that it's not misleading.  "We have invested heavily in the .NET Framework 3.0.  As a completely separate and unrelated effort, we have invested heavily in traditional Win32 APIs for Vista.  The .NET Framework 3.0, and Vista, have nothing to do with each other.  You can run the .NET Framework 3.0 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Vista.  It's all managed code goodness.  Vista, on the other hand is an unmanaged OS.  We keep trying to make you think that the .NET Framework and Vista have something to do with each-other.  They don't."

With Visual Studio you can create applications that are visually stunning, connected, workflow-enabled, and secure.

Without Vista.  Again, these are features of the .NET Framework 3.0.  The .NET Framework 3.0 runs just fine on XP and Windows Server 2003.  You get all of this without Vista.

You can get a preview of some of the great features in the upcoming next release of Visual Studio that will make development for Windows Vista even more powerful. And the new line of Microsoft Expression products will make it much easier for developers and designers to collaborate on creating great experiences for Windows.

Ok, let's get a couple of things straight.  Saddam did not fly any of the 9/11 planes.  Vista and the next version of Visual Studio are not fundamentally related.  Microsoft keeps talking about them in the same breath, and that creates the impression that they're related and/or the same thing, but the only way they're related is that the next version of Visual Studio will ship with a C++ compiler, and you'll need that C++ compiler to get to most of the Vista operating system functionality.  The .NET Framework 3.0 is something separate.  The Expression products are useful for building applications with, or without, Vista.

More than 1,000 companies are engaged in our early adopter programs, and some of the initial work I've seen has simply blown me away. People will just love these applications - from new DX10 games to cool Sidebar gadgets to new rich visual enterprise applications. Some of these apps are mind-bogglingly cool.

Like Office 2007!!! Oh wait, that runs just fine without Vista.  Really, Microsoft, you're a world leading software company, and what app are you planning on shipping that requires Vista to run?  What???!!??  You're not building Vista-only apps??!!??

And, some of the best work is being done by small companies that many of you probably haven't heard of, so the opportunities for changing the world are clear. We've created a showcase so you can see what some of your peers are doing.

I really hope there is a killer app for Vista.  Really I do.  It will be great to have Vista pre-loaded on any new box I buy.  I'm not going to recommend that my mother-in-law upgrade.  I don't have that kind of tech support time.

What do you need to do to be ready? First of all, make sure your application is compatible. We have made tremendous investments in Windows Vista to ensure backwards compatibility, but some of the system enhancements, such as User Access Control, changes to the networking stack, and the new graphics model, may require code changes on your part. You should work hard to run as standard user.

Read the above as: Some of your favorite applications aren't going to run on Vista.  Hopefully whoever you bought them from will give you a Vista compatible version for free.

We've got tools to help you:

• The Application Compatibility Cookbook will give you in-depth information on the new capabilities in Windows Vista and how they may affect existing applications.
• The Windows Vista site on MSDN includes the latest technical material and gives you pointers to our upcoming worldwide launch events.
• Visit the Innovate on Windows Vista portal to get access to tools, resources, and Windows Vista logo program information. I strongly encourage you to apply for the Certified for Windows Vista Logo.

If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your Microsoft representative, post to MSDN Forums, or send us feedback directly.

We'll feel your pain, but ready or not, here we come!!!

As I said, the opportunity will be tremendous.

Stupendous, humongous, outrageous, bodacious, and totally bitch'n.

If you want to ride the wave we're creating with Windows Vista, the best way is to have your application ready by the time we ship! And that is very soon.

thanks,
jim

Jim Allchin
Co-President, Platforms & Services
Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Releases VSTO 2005 SE Beta

If you're interested in building against Office 2007, check this out.

.NET Framework 3.0 Pirate Radio Station

Microsoft seems to have a habit of proping up pirate Web sites outside of the pervue of MSDN.  The latest: NetFX3.com.  (via Frank La Vinge)

High Level White Papers on the .NET Framework 3.0

These papers introduce you to WF, WCF, WPF, WTF, and Cardspace.  (via Mike Gunderloy)

Office 2007 Developer Resources Roundup

If you’re interested in Office 2007 development, Martin Parry has a good roundup of resources to get you pointed in the right direction.

A Fix for the AJAX "Back Button Problem" in the Works?

One big problem with sites that use a healthy dose of AJAX is that the browser back button is no longer useful. Nikhilk has a prototype fix for Atlas UpdatePanel controls.

SqlDataReader.Close can cause a timeout exception

Did you know that calling close on a DataReader causes it to read all the remaining data from the stream?  Check out this tip on preventing this from happening.

Reason #8235 why I love the MSDN Wiki.

Atlas to Ship Off-Cycle

Scott Guthrie has announced that Atlas is going to ship as a stand-alone release by the end of the year. Check out his blog post for the details.

Can your box handle Vista?

Run the Microsoft Vista Upgrade Advisor and find out.

Update: One of my boxes apparently can't even handle the upgrade advisor:

CSS Control Adapter Toolkit Update

Microsoft has released an update for the CSS Control Adapter Toolkit, which makes it easier to style your ASP.NET controls using CSS.  ScottGu has the scoop.

Microsoft changes the definition of Release Candidate

When Microsoft called something a "Release Candidate", it used to mean that unless significant new bugs were found, the product was just about ready to ship. But Vista RC1 is no where near ready, Microsoft knows it, and should have been called Vista Beta 3.

Information Week has a nice writeup on this.

Ruby on Rails said to be 20x more productive than .NET or Java

Some say that developers using Ruby on Rails are 20 times more productive than developers using Java or .NET.

Really?  20x?

CSLA.NET 2.0 on DotNetRocks TV

If you prefer to code with business objects instead of DataSets, then you should be looking at Rockford Lhotka’s CSLA framework. These DotNetRocks videos will get you started.

Advice on Catching Exceptions

Peter Richie has posted good advice for catching exceptions, and IMHO, he posted it in the best possible place; it's posted right in the MSDN docs.

Microsoft Posts Free Office 2007 'Save As PDF' Add-on

Originally, Microsoft said this would be baked into Office 2007.  Then, they had to drop it.  Now, it's available as a download.