http://visualstudiomagazine.com/rss-feeds/columns.aspx Mickey wraps up his series on Web Testing with a look at validating Web tests. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/09/vsts08-web-testing-validation-rules.aspx Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:53:40 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/09/vsts08-web-testing-validation-rules.aspx Peter looks at a strategic issue: When to do validation? The answer isn't "Everywhere" but it could have been. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/04/validation-in-the-middle-tier.aspx Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:09:22 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/04/validation-in-the-middle-tier.aspx Classic VB provides no simple method to create nested directory folders, but it certainly provides the tools to make such a method. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/04/creating-nested-folders.aspx Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:18:25 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/04/creating-nested-folders.aspx In the second column of a series, Mickey shows you how to run a Web test using Visual Studio Team System 2008. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/02/vsts08-running-a-web-test.aspx Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:45:17 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/02/vsts08-running-a-web-test.aspx Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, an internal support application at Joe R.'s company suffered a slowdown in executing queries and returning data. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/01/weekend-drive.aspx Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/01/weekend-drive.aspx Extend runtime sorting and filtering of data with ASP.NET 4's QueryExtender, which provides a single interface for DataSources. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/01/the-queryextender.aspx Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/02/01/the-queryextender.aspx Visual Studio 2010 and Team Foundation Server 2010 deliver a number of changes to Microsoft's flagship family of IDE products. Here is what to expect when Visual Studio 2010 is released in April. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/28/understanding-visual-studio-2010.aspx Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:08:11 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/28/understanding-visual-studio-2010.aspx Peter Vogel continues to extend his client-side case study by using jTemplate to extend a table to support inserts -- and then sending the user's data to the server to update the database. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/28/inserting-with-jquery.aspx Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:53:19 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/28/inserting-with-jquery.aspx Mickey Gousset shows you how to record a Web test using Visual Studio Team System 2008. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/26/vsts08-web-testing-part-1.aspx Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:41:45 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/26/vsts08-web-testing-part-1.aspx Peter continues to extend his jQuery/jTemplate case study by supporting deletes of multiple rows with a single mouse click. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/21/deleting-with-jquery-and-web-services.aspx Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:09:52 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/21/deleting-with-jquery-and-web-services.aspx The new MTLM is a professional functional testing tool that gives developers the ability to write, run and execute manual tests. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/19/introducing-microsoft-test.aspx Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:39:56 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/19/introducing-microsoft-test.aspx Peter continues to exploit jQuery in his client-side code to integrate an ASP.NET page with a WCF service -- this time to support updating data. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/14/updating-from-the-client-with-jquery.aspx Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:33:40 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/14/updating-from-the-client-with-jquery.aspx A combination of client-side code, WCF services, and jQuery lets you retrieve data from your sever and display it to the user using Web Services and client-side code. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/07/defining-templates-with-jtemplate.aspx Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:37:20 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/07/defining-templates-with-jtemplate.aspx With the use of portable devices on the rise, you may find a need to monitor how much life is in the system your application finds itself running on. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/05/monitoring-system-power-status.aspx Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:08:50 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/05/monitoring-system-power-status.aspx After nearly eight years of working as a C++ developer at Rik V.'s insurance company, a certain coworker was finally laid off. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/modular-process-improvement.aspx Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/modular-process-improvement.aspx Interfaces can make your applications easier to test and maintain. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/interface-based-programming.aspx Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/interface-based-programming.aspx Silverlight offers impressive talents and more than a few frustrations. From customizing your application UI to battling obscure bugs and error messages, this column helps with the transition to Silverlight tools. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/mastering-silverlight.aspx Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2010/01/01/mastering-silverlight.aspx Windows provides an ongoing stream of general system notifications that you can fairly easily hook into. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/17/listening-to-thundermain.aspx Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:11:39 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/17/listening-to-thundermain.aspx Peter looks at the options for client-side development and the practicalities of leveraging ASP.NET. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/10/where-are-we-now.aspx Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:58:11 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/10/where-are-we-now.aspx Peter deals with all the people who want to disable the Back button. First, he tells them to stop asking but (finally) breaks down and suggests a solution. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/07/suppressing-the-back-button.aspx Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:40:03 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/07/suppressing-the-back-button.aspx DataViews fire a range of events that you can use to ensure that data is correct before it goes to the database -- and they're especially useful when you're using the GridView or DetailsView. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/03/maintaining-data-integrity-from-the-dataview.aspx Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:05:29 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/03/maintaining-data-integrity-from-the-dataview.aspx The jQuery library makes it easier to create applications that execute in the browser. By leveraging existing ASP.NET technologies and merging them with jQuery, you can create faster, more responsive applications. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/01/integrating-jquery-web-services--ajax-and-aspnet.aspx Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/01/integrating-jquery-web-services--ajax-and-aspnet.aspx With more than 340 billion trillion quadrillion (and that's no typo) possible values, the probability of having two identical GUIDs is basically non-existent. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/01/a-more-unique-identifier.aspx Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/12/01/a-more-unique-identifier.aspx All Classic VB apps have at least one top-level window. Normally out of reach, you can put them to good use if you know how to get to them. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/16/no-such-thing-as-a-windowless-vb-app.aspx Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:10:17 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/16/no-such-thing-as-a-windowless-vb-app.aspx At design time, you can tie parameters in the DataSource to a variety of data sources. But sometimes the source for your values can't be set at design time. Here's how to set those values at runtime. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/12/dynamically-setting-parameters.aspx Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:24:26 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/12/dynamically-setting-parameters.aspx You can't always make all of your data retrieval decisions at design time -- sometimes you have to wait for the user to tell you what data to get. Peter shows you how to work with a DataSource to retrieve data dynamically at runtime. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/05/dynamic-data-retrieval.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:18:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/05/dynamic-data-retrieval.aspx NTFS offers an almost unknown way to obscure streams of data behind the most innocent looking files. Find out how to do this with VB6. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/03/inside-alternative-data-streams.aspx Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:15:33 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/03/inside-alternative-data-streams.aspx Nobody believed the French. Not the entire country, or Frenchmen in general, but rather the folks who worked at the European Branch Office in Paris. The bug they described-their computer's internal date was randomly changing-reeked of user error and seemed far too implausible to be caused by the corporate reporting system. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/trans-atlantic-time-trap.aspx Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/trans-atlantic-time-trap.aspx Learn how to work through debugging challenges posed by stable composition in MEF Preview 7, and get insight into using MEF with Silverlight. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/stable-composition-in-mef.aspx Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/stable-composition-in-mef.aspx How factoring out common patterns in your Azure worker roles can improve development. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/the-azure-factor.aspx Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/11/01/the-azure-factor.aspx The FileUpload control and the ASP.NET Response object let you move files between the browser and the server. And moving in each direction just requires a few lines of code. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/29/getting-files-to-and-from-the-server.aspx Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:30:01 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/29/getting-files-to-and-from-the-server.aspx After years neglecting the VB6 community, Microsoft seems to be missing something. Us! http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/27/microsoft-vb6-support-strategy.aspx Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:36:54 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/27/microsoft-vb6-support-strategy.aspx The MultiView control allows you to swap sets of controls on and off the page. But the MultiView control also makes it easier for you to generate new page content and add it at run time. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/22/generate-complex-pages-with-multiview.aspx Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/22/generate-complex-pages-with-multiview.aspx By converting composite controls into their templates, you gain full control over the makeup of the control and individual controls within it. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/15/customizing-the-login-control.aspx Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/15/customizing-the-login-control.aspx After using a given API for a decade or more, you tend to just take it for granted that it works. Karl Peterson shows how he worked around a challenge when it didn't. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/13/finding-an-associated-executable.aspx Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:22:16 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/13/finding-an-associated-executable.aspx Peter wraps up his solutions for getting junk off the page when the user wants to print out a copy. This time by working with Themes and JavaScript. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/08/supporting-a-printer-friendly-page-button_part-2.aspx Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:34:10 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/08/supporting-a-printer-friendly-page-button_part-2.aspx Peter investigates three solutions for getting junk off your page when the user wants to print a copy. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/supporting-a-printer-friendly-page-button_part-i.aspx Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:43:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/supporting-a-printer-friendly-page-button_part-i.aspx ASK KATHLEEN: Readers explore Managed Extensibility Framework, using callback delegates and how to create the equivalent of a C# partial interface in Visual Basic. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/getting-current-on-mef.aspx Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/getting-current-on-mef.aspx DEVDISASTERS: After three long interviews for a .NET developer position, Maxim received a fairly generous offer and accepted it on the spot. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/oldmail-method.aspx Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/10/01/oldmail-method.aspx Peter asks if business developers should be thinking seriously about social networking and knowledge management. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/29/developing-around-social-networking-and-knowledge-management.aspx Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:12:20 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/29/developing-around-social-networking-and-knowledge-management.aspx Peter Vogel dives deeper into the challenge of presenting ASP.NET Web pages in multiple languages and cultures. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/23/supporting-multiple-languages-and-cultures-part-2.aspx Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:18:27 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/23/supporting-multiple-languages-and-cultures-part-2.aspx Tired of wondering which version of dumpbin or link is executing? Would you like to copy that tool you use all the time to another machine, but can't seem to find it? Here's a little utility that can help. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/22/finding-the-right-tool-for-the-job.aspx Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:17:58 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/22/finding-the-right-tool-for-the-job.aspx ASP.NET can simplify the difficult task of internationalizing your Web pages. Peter Vogel shows you how. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/16/supporting-multiple-language-and-cultures.aspx Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:00:46 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/16/supporting-multiple-language-and-cultures.aspx The last in a series of articles on working with VSTS2008 shows how to make existing unit tests data driven. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/15/unit-testing-with-vsts2008-part-3.aspx Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:44:59 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/15/unit-testing-with-vsts2008-part-3.aspx Mickey shows some other unit testing options, and how to enable code coverage, in Visual Studio Team System 2008 http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/10/unit-testing-with-vsts2008_2.aspx Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:07:45 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/10/unit-testing-with-vsts2008_2.aspx Mickey shows you a basic example of unit testing with Visual Studio Team System 2008. Part 1 of 3. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/08/unit-testing-with-vsts2008.aspx Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:09:08 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/08/unit-testing-with-vsts2008.aspx Careful planning can help improve the manageability and quality of your next-generation Silverlight applications. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/applying-mvvm-in-silverlight.aspx Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/applying-mvvm-in-silverlight.aspx Optional and named parameters were added to the C# language for COM and Office interoperability, but these features are actually useful in a variety of ways. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/optional-and-named-parameters.aspx Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/optional-and-named-parameters.aspx When all you have is a hammer, should everything look like SMS? http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/cell-phone-buzz.aspx Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/09/01/cell-phone-buzz.aspx The final installment in Peter's series on how to use the GridView without a DataSource explores how developers can perform inserts. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/27/ad-hoc-inserts-with-the-gridview.aspx Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:53:25 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/27/ad-hoc-inserts-with-the-gridview.aspx The difference between a successful program and a complete flop may come down to how you treat your users. Here's one simple way to avoid needlessly annoying your users. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/25/its-the-little-things.aspx Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:52:54 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/25/its-the-little-things.aspx Peter adds the code to support doing updates and deletes with an unbound GridView. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/20/ad-hoc-updates-and-deletes-with-the-gridview.aspx Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:51:30 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/20/ad-hoc-updates-and-deletes-with-the-gridview.aspx Creating and persisting new environment variables can be surprisingly tricky in Classic VB. Here's how to avoid a common trap. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/18/persisting-environment-variables.aspx Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:09:58 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/18/persisting-environment-variables.aspx If you want to let your users edit repeated rows of data, you can use the GridView -- even if your data isn't in a table. You need to do pick the right design for your data but you can enable all of the functionality of the GridView for data held in memory. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/13/ad-hoc-databinding-with-the-gridview.aspx Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:14:34 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/13/ad-hoc-databinding-with-the-gridview.aspx ClassicVB was created in a pre-Mousewheel era, hard as that may be to conceive. Here’s how you can watch for, and react to, the user spinning that now-ubiquitous device. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/11/reacting-to-the-mousewheel.aspx Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:10:58 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/11/reacting-to-the-mousewheel.aspx Sorting in the GridView is simple to implement, as long as you want simple sorting. For more complex sorts you have to take control of the Sorting event. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/06/extend-sorting-in-the-gridview.aspx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/06/extend-sorting-in-the-gridview.aspx A Junior Developer Learns that Seniority Doesn't Mean Smarter. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/01/collections-class.aspx Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/01/collections-class.aspx Exceptions are a way of life in the .NET world. You must follow the rules to make your classes easy to use for other developers. Conforming to the standards will make everyone's life easier. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/01/working-effectively-with-exceptions.aspx Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/08/01/working-effectively-with-exceptions.aspx Peter returns to .NET RIA Services to look at the client side of creating an application. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/07/29/net-ria-services-on-the-client.aspx Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:31:14 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/07/29/net-ria-services-on-the-client.aspx Subclass multiple controls with a single class module to add the missing MouseEnter and MouseLeave events. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/07/28/hooking-the-mouse.aspx Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:19:16 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2009/07/28/hooking-the-mouse.aspx