http://visualstudiomagazine.com/rss-feeds/columns.aspx Not content with providing a solution for displaying information from the Content page on its MasterPage, Peter returns to the topic to solve the problem from another direction. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/Integrating-Master-Pages-and-Content-Pages.aspx Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:59:34 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/Integrating-Master-Pages-and-Content-Pages.aspx With a few tweaks, you can turn Visual Studio's basic unit-testing capabilities into a powerful and extensible tool for improving code quality. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/Fine-Tune-Unit-Testing-in-Visual-Studio.aspx Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/Fine-Tune-Unit-Testing-in-Visual-Studio.aspx Offshore application development has its merits, but sometimes, as one dev team found, it's just not worth it. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/The-Cost-of-Static.aspx Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/07/01/The-Cost-of-Static.aspx As Jeff shows, it's all about process, process, process. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/30/What-Is-TFS.aspx Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:25:32 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/30/What-Is-TFS.aspx Validator controls make handling errors and reporting them in the UI easy, but what you may not know is how easy it is to create your own Validator. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/25/Validators-Easy-Way-To-Build-Business-Rules.aspx Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:03:09 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/25/Validators-Easy-Way-To-Build-Business-Rules.aspx In his ongoing campaign to convince ASP.NET developers that User Controls are a simple way to start implementing customizable pages, Peter shows how to improve the integration between User Controls and ASP.NET's WebPart framework. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/18/Integrating-User-Controls-with-WebParts.aspx Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:34:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/18/Integrating-User-Controls-with-WebParts.aspx There's only one add-in that I have auto-loaded every time I fire up the Classic VB IDE. After disappearing from the market, it's back now, and it's free! http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/15/Only-Add-In-Always-Used.aspx Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:02:50 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/15/Only-Add-In-Always-Used.aspx If you're concerned about keeping critical information in your Web.config file, then you should encrypt it -- or at least the parts that you're concerned about. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/11/Encrypting-the-Web-Config-File.aspx Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:07:50 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/11/Encrypting-the-Web-Config-File.aspx Deciding how work items should relate to each other can be tricky, depending on which version of TFS -- 2008 or 2010 -- you're working with. Jeff guides you through the potential pitfalls. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/09/Relating-Work-Items-to-Each-Other.aspx Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:24:20 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/09/Relating-Work-Items-to-Each-Other.aspx Need to recreate that olde-timey Terminal look? There's a stock object built into every version of Windows that'll serve that need. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/02/Using-a-Standard-Terminal-Font.aspx Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:26:08 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/06/02/Using-a-Standard-Terminal-Font.aspx If you want to use Entity Framework in ASP.NET, you're going to need to handle concurrency problems. Here are some suggestions from a Microsoft "architect evangelist." http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/27/Handling-Concurrency-with-Entity-Framework.aspx Thu, 28 May 2009 01:28:03 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/27/Handling-Concurrency-with-Entity-Framework.aspx Peter revisits the problem of dealing with multiple updates to the same data, but this time he looks at a solution that involves the ObjectDataSource. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/26/Handling-Concurrency-with-ObjectDataSource.aspx Tue, 26 May 2009 20:58:37 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/26/Handling-Concurrency-with-ObjectDataSource.aspx In the last installment of this three-part series, Peter overcomes the final obstacle before achieving JavaScript nirvana: attaching a constructor to a JavaScript "item." http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/13/JavaScript-Constructing-Functions.aspx Wed, 13 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/13/JavaScript-Constructing-Functions.aspx Mickey shows you how the work item templates functionality helps you keep team members in the loop, set default templates quickly and make bulk changes without the need for Excel. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/11/Work-Item-Templates-Revisited.aspx Mon, 11 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/11/Work-Item-Templates-Revisited.aspx Peter continues to explore the differences between the .NET object-oriented, server-side languages he's used to and the world of JavaScript. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/06/JavaScript-for-the-ASPNET-Developer-Learning-To-Function.aspx Wed, 06 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/06/JavaScript-for-the-ASPNET-Developer-Learning-To-Function.aspx Here's the least complicated method for determining how long a given process has been running or how much CPU time it's actually consumed. This technique is used here to establish how long Windows has been running. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/05/Determining--Process-Times.aspx Tue, 05 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/05/Determining--Process-Times.aspx Learn how to create and debug templates using Microsoft's T4 templating language. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Visual-Studios-T4-Code-Generation.aspx Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Visual-Studios-T4-Code-Generation.aspx Covariance and contravariance are precise terms that describe which conversions are safe on parameters and return types. Learn practical definitions for those terms, what new constructs will be supported in C# 4.0 and how to live with the current limitations until Visual Studio 2010 is adopted by your organization. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Generic-Covariance-and-Contravariance-in-C-40.aspx Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Generic-Covariance-and-Contravariance-in-C-40.aspx Software development gone wrong: ASP plus Access not equal to secure Web portal. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Gatekeepers-of-Bad-Software.aspx Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/05/01/Gatekeepers-of-Bad-Software.aspx Peter has been experiencing culture shock as he adapts to working with JavaScript, starting with the discovery that JavaScript isn't an object-oriented language. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/29/JavaScript-for-the-ASPNET-Developer.aspx Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/29/JavaScript-for-the-ASPNET-Developer.aspx Work Item Templates allow you to work faster and more effectively with your TFS Work Item Tracking system. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/27/Using-Work-Item-Templates.aspx Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/27/Using-Work-Item-Templates.aspx Having looked at how to prepare an e-mail object, Peter turns his attention to getting the message mailed to someone. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/22/Getting-EMail-Out-the-Door.aspx Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/22/Getting-EMail-Out-the-Door.aspx Need to extract binary data from the registry? Here's a quick primer on reading and interpreting structures stored there. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/20/Mining-the-Registry-for-Structures.aspx Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/20/Mining-the-Registry-for-Structures.aspx The MailMessage object that's part of .NET lets you send e-mail notifications to your users and supports all the customizations you'd want in e-mail. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/15/The-MailMessage-Always-Delivers.aspx Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/15/The-MailMessage-Always-Delivers.aspx Need to work but can't connect to your Team Foundation Server? That's where Team Foundation Version Control comes in. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/14/Working-Offline-with-Team-Foundation-Server.aspx Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/14/Working-Offline-with-Team-Foundation-Server.aspx Peter returns to the topic of user interfaces to explain why you shouldn't waste any time helping your "expert" users -- and what you should be doing instead. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/08/On-UI-Forget-About-the-Experts.aspx Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/08/On-UI-Forget-About-the-Experts.aspx A painful legacy and death by aptitude -- software development gone wrong. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Coding-Catastrophes.aspx Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Coding-Catastrophes.aspx Learn how to free your application from dependencies and interchange implementations using Managed Extensibility Framework. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Working-with-MEF.aspx Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Working-with-MEF.aspx Set aside ASP.NET for now. Let's talk about the most fundamental error developers make in designing their site's user interface. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/U-Scream-I-Scream-A-UI-Rant.aspx Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/U-Scream-I-Scream-A-UI-Rant.aspx There are multiple ways to solve every problem. Strive for code that communicates your intent and makes your meaning clear for every developer who uses it. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Make-Your-Code-Clear.aspx Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Make-Your-Code-Clear.aspx To fully exploit User Controls, you need to treat them as object -- which includes having them fire events. If firing your own events is new to you, here's a step-by-step guide. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/25/Adding-Events-to-User-Controls.aspx Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/25/Adding-Events-to-User-Controls.aspx When it comes to our understanding of Unicode issues, the "Born in the USA!" chant (no matter how you feel about The Boss) can almost amount to a proclamation of cultural ignorance. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/23/Prisoner-of-Geography.aspx Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/23/Prisoner-of-Geography.aspx ASP.NET developers don't fully exploit User Controls -- until they start thinking of them as "User Interface" objects. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/18/User-Controls-as-Objects.aspx Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/18/User-Controls-as-Objects.aspx Jeff continues his exploration of the TfsWorkItemTracking database by showing you how to retrieve a record from a given point in time using some helpful SQL statements. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/16/Inside-the-TFS-Databases-Part-2.aspx Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/16/Inside-the-TFS-Databases-Part-2.aspx All you need to let your users customize their Web pages is the ability to create UserControls. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/11/Create-a-Reporting-Dashboard-with-WebPartZones-But-Without-WebParts.aspx Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/11/Create-a-Reporting-Dashboard-with-WebPartZones-But-Without-WebParts.aspx Get to know the ins and outs of TfsWorkItemTracking in the first part of this series covering the most useful aspects of the TFS database. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/09/Inside-the-TFS-Databases-An-Occasional-Series.aspx Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/09/Inside-the-TFS-Databases-An-Occasional-Series.aspx Peter continues his series on integrating cascading DropDownLists with databound controls. But this time, he looks at what's different when you're using the ObjectDataSource. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/04/Displaying-and-Updating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-ObjectDataSource.aspx Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/04/Displaying-and-Updating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-ObjectDataSource.aspx Most of the time it doesn't matter where the user puts your application's windows, but every now and then you really need to know -- or even decide this for yourself. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/02/Working-with-Multiple-Monitors.aspx Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/02/Working-with-Multiple-Monitors.aspx Learn how to display multiple pages in Silverlight and discover the tools and controls that ship with it; track down a bug in a case statement; and take advantage of helpful tips for trying to obtain a clean Code Analysis. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/01/Display-Multiple-Pages-in-Silverlight.aspx Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/01/Display-Multiple-Pages-in-Silverlight.aspx Taking a careful look at the capabilities the compiler gives to anonymous types provides an excellent tutorial on what you should consider when you create your types -- including whether they are classes or structs. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/01/Create-Anonymous-Types.aspx Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/03/01/Create-Anonymous-Types.aspx Peter continues his series on integrating cascading DropDownLists with databound controls and the SqlDataSource. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/25/Updating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-SqlDataSource.aspx Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/25/Updating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-SqlDataSource.aspx Part 1 covered the basics of project-level and server-level security in TFS. Mickey's follow-up tackles work item tracking and version control security. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Security-in-Team-Foundation-Server-Part-2.aspx Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Security-in-Team-Foundation-Server-Part-2.aspx You've given your users cascading DropDownLists to make it easy for them to find the item they want -- but now your page won't update. Peter has a solution for single-tier applications using the SqlDataSource. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/18/Integrating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-SqlDataSource.aspx Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/18/Integrating-Dynamic-DataBound-Columns-with-SqlDataSource.aspx Getting your content and master pages to work side-by-side is easy, thanks to UpdatePanel. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/11/Integrating-Master-Pages--Content-Pages--a-Little-AJAX.aspx Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/11/Integrating-Master-Pages--Content-Pages--a-Little-AJAX.aspx Unhandled runtime errors hit the best of us. But if you catch them at the Page and Application levels, you'll save yourself a lot of grief. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/04/Handling-Runtime-Errors-Globally.aspx Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/04/Handling-Runtime-Errors-Globally.aspx While moving code backward is nice, what really matters is that code can move forward. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/02/Forward-Compatibility.aspx Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/02/Forward-Compatibility.aspx Lambda expressions are nothing more than convenient syntax for delegates. So why can't you use them where the Framework expects a delegate? And more importantly, what can you do about it? http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/01/Use-Lambda-Expressions-for-Abstract-Delegates.aspx Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/02/01/Use-Lambda-Expressions-for-Abstract-Delegates.aspx Putting updateable controls in the ItemTemplate in a GridView gives developers what they want: the ability for users to change more than one row at a time. The cost is writing some extra code. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/28/Updating-Multiple-GridView-Rows.aspx Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/28/Updating-Multiple-GridView-Rows.aspx Mickey covers the basics of project-level and server-level security in TFS. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/26/Security-in-Team-Foundation-Server-Part-1.aspx Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/26/Security-in-Team-Foundation-Server-Part-1.aspx Peter provides an alternative to the default mechanism for accessing connection string -- and plugs his next book. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/22/Accessing-Connection-Strings-Reliably.aspx Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/22/Accessing-Connection-Strings-Reliably.aspx In these days of increasingly common least-privileged users, where should you store your application data? http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/19/Lemme-Tell-Ya-Where-To-Stick-It.aspx Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/19/Lemme-Tell-Ya-Where-To-Stick-It.aspx A release manifest should be more than a list of all the files in a release; it should also give users a better idea of what features are available. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/13/Creating-a-Release-Manifest.aspx Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/13/Creating-a-Release-Manifest.aspx Want to make life easier for your users? NET 3.5 SP1's routing technology has some extra features to let you do just that. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/07/Supporting-Routing.aspx Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/07/Supporting-Routing.aspx Learn how Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) 4.0 changes everything you thought you knew about workflow. Also, learn why using string primary keys is a bad idea; find out where to get a data grid for Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF); overcome the annoying issue of files not loading at runtime; and copy files into the executable directory. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/01/Windows-Workflow-Changes-Direction.aspx Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/01/Windows-Workflow-Changes-Direction.aspx Many developers have the misconception that targeting older versions of the Framework means you can't use any of the new C# language features. It's time to dispel that myth. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/01/Target-Multiple-NET-Frameworks.aspx Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2009/01/01/Target-Multiple-NET-Frameworks.aspx Can you name one thing Microsoft designed right the first time? http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/08/Got-One-Right.aspx Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/08/Got-One-Right.aspx You can use ASP.NET Routing to decode meaningful URLs into real physical path names. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/03/Decoding-Routes.aspx Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/03/Decoding-Routes.aspx Chances are C# is not your first programming language. Here are several tips that can help you leverage C# better if you already know VB.NET. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/What-VB-Devs-Should-Know-About-C.aspx Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/What-VB-Devs-Should-Know-About-C.aspx VB and C# share many similarities, but also have a handful of significant differences; learn what you need to know to program effectively in VB as a C# programmer. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/What-C-Devs-Should-Know-About-VB.aspx Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/What-C-Devs-Should-Know-About-VB.aspx The new branch visualization feature brings order to the chaos of branching and merging. http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/Branching-in-Visual-Studio-2010.aspx Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/2008/12/01/Branching-in-Visual-Studio-2010.aspx