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Once Upon a Time, Microsoft Opposed Open Source Development

Those days are long gone, but Microsoft was at one time a notorious anti-open source company. It's turned that notion upside down within a decade, and is now a member of several foundations whose purposes are to steer open source development deep into the cloud.

Why Do Some Developers Prefer Python?

It's a programming language darling of those working in the data science/machine learning space, which might explain why Python takes the top spot in a recent IEEE survey. Plus: .NET Insight Podicast 11 explores coding camps.

PowerShell Roadmap Shows Scripting Language Straddling Developer, Operations Roles

PowerShell Core, the version aimed at providing scripting capabilities across a number of platforms, will eventually supersede the Windows-only version. A beta is available now, with a full release planned for end of this year.

Lots of Microsoft Press Books for Free, Including Developer Titles

Among an explosion of free offerings in the Microsoft imprint are resources for mobile development, available to Microsoft Virtual Academy members. Plus, MS Press is discounting certification-related titles by more than half off if bought in bulk.

Microsoft Commits to Three More Azure OpenDev Events

Keynotes and general sessions from the Azure event in June are now available on-demand. Also announce is a series of OpenDev events online at least two more times. And in this week's .NET Insight Podcast: How a bug (real, not the computer variety) figured into the making of the iconic Windows XP desktop.

Rapid UWP Creation with Windows Template Studio 1.1

Windows Template Studio, the wizard-based coding engine for Windows 10 UWP apps, gains momentum with a newer point release this week. Also, in this week's .NET Insight Podcast, we ask: Who are your programming heroes?

Viva, Visual Basic! Or, Does VB Have a Future?

Long live the programming language that is still running strong well into the second half of its third decade. What might help it is a provision for VB-based .NET Core and .NET Standard libraries in an upcoming VS 2017 release.

What's in WWDC 2017 for Microsoft Stack Devs?

Apple uses the conference as a launch point for its products and services, and it behooves Microsoft developers, especially cross-platform app builders, to pay attention to new capabilities of the Apple platforms.

Random Finds Friday: Electron Supports TypeScript, MCSA Exam Name Changes

Electron now includes TypeScript support with a TypeScript definition file that's included automatically in all installs. And several developer-related certifications are renamed to highlight Microsoft-specific technologies.

Xamarin University To Host Free Webinars in June

C# developers can dive into the basics of Xamarin.Forms, and go beyond with customizing them, learning how to target game development for various mobile platforms, and integrate it with Azure Machine Learning to build "smart" apps. It's all free in this once-weekly webinar series.

Missed Build 2017? Try the Build World Tour

Demo-heavy sessions from Build will be circling the globe at select international cities. Also, this week's .NET Insight Podcast features excerpts from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's Build keynote, in which he gives some weight to the sheer amount of data that represents developer opportunity for decades to come.

Feature or Flaw? Microsoft Outlook's View Code Might Be Hackable

Sensepost says it has discovered a method for hackers to compromise Microsoft Outlook by way of a Visual Basic-embedded shell. The catch: It requires a feat of social engineering to pull it off.

Tugging at the Heartstrings at Microsoft Build

Microsoft's Day 1 Keynote was one of information overload, with a slew of product announcements. But there was one bit of emotional overload that I couldn't let go. Also: an interview with Paul Pardi and Selina Winter of the Microsoft Learning Group in this week's .NET Insight Podcast.

What We Expect To See at Microsoft Build 2017

Microsoft's big developer shindig often sets the agenda for Microsoft's development efforts for the next year and beyond.

Video Sessions from VSLive! Now Available

We've updated the videos recorded at the Redmond, Boston and Orlando shows. This week's .NET Podcast features a podcast stream of John Papa's session in Orlando on choosing a mobile direction for your company.

Updates: .NET Framework 4.7 and TypeScript 2.3 Now GA

.NET Framework 4.7 now supports Windows versions besides the Creators Update, and the TypeScript team gets cracking on new PRs for version 2.4.

Visual Studio 2017 Help Resource Available Offline

New Help Viewer option allows Microsoft books and resources for the newest VS version to be available and updated with more recent and timely information. Plus: MSDN Editor-in-Chief Michael Desmond offers his Microsoft Build insights on this week's .NET Insight Podcast.

New, Updated C++ Tooling in Visual Studio 2017, VS Code

Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code are a bit more C++-friendly now that tools have improved support. Plus: Windows 10 evaulation VMs are now updated and available.

Update: Windows 10 Creators Update and SDK, .NET Framework 4.7, More

Platform tools get some exposure on this week's roundup of news for developers in this week's podcast. Also: Who's listening, and who should we interview next?

Link Roundup: Visual Studio Code Tips on GitHub, CodePlex Shuttering, Developer Podcasts

The Visual Studio Code page on GitHub hosts a slew of tips, and CodePlex will be shutting down later this year. Bonus: Inaugural .NET Insight Podcast!

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