BenkoBLOG

Intro to Win7 for Developers Webcast

benko — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:30:34 GMT

This week we’ll be bringing another installment of BenkoTips Live & On Demand with a webcast that will introduce Windows 7 for Developers. You can register at:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032417600&Culture=en-US

MSDN Unleashed Code is Posted!

benko — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:02:59 GMT

I’ve uploaded the code from this quarter’s MSDN events to http://www.benkotips.com/code. If you’re interested here’s the links from this quarter’s session on IE8 …

MSDN: Subscribing to content with Web Slices
Official IE team blog blogs.msdn.com/ie
IE developer center msdn.Com /ie
IE compatibility center msdn.Com /iecompat
MIX09 sessions.visitmix.com
Giorgio Sardo’s blog blogs.msdn.com/Giorgio

…and Win7 for Developers…

Windows 7 Engineering Blog http://blogs.msdn.com/e7
Windows 7 for Developers Blog http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/developers/default.aspx
MSDN Windows Developer Center http://msdn.microsoft.com/windows
Channel 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/tags/Windows+7
Windows 7 Taskbar: Developer Resources http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Windows7Taskbar
Windows Ribbon Framework: Developer Resources http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/ScenicRibbon

SharePoint for Developers Tour Part II

benko — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:03:30 GMT

I’m back in the field for another installment of the SharePoint for Developers Roadshow. Last time we talked about configuring a development workstation, workflow, customizing the master pages and the collaborative features of Windows SharePoint Server 3.0.This time we’ll be taking a look at Web Parts and how they fit into SharePoint. Specifically using them for the Silverlight and SharePoint Story, and then we talk about SharePoint Designer and the Data View Web Part.

SharePoint Designer and the Data Form Web Part

Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 is a powerful tool for customizing the look and feel of your SharePoint sites. However, did you know that SharePoint Designer can also help you to build interactive dashboards? During this session we look at the magical Data Form Web Part and how you can use it to display SharePoint data in all new ways. We also look at how to display data from external data sources and how to create custom new and edit forms without writing any code.

SharePoint Designer and Silverlight

Rich User Experience is getting easier to create with the release of Silverlight. In this session we show how Silverlight takes advantage of XAML and provides an easy way to build compelling user interfaces. We will demonstrate using Silverlight to allow the developer and designer to collaborate to build exciting new applications and how these new tools can be leveraged within the SharePoint environment. We will cover the basics of Silverlight as well as what configuration steps need to be taken to deploy it.

I know it’s short notice and seating is limited, but if you're interested here are the links to register:

Some links of interest for this session:

May Webcast Schedule

benko — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:44:19 GMT

BenkoTIPS Live & On Demand continues to roll with more webcasts scheduled in May. The current sessions include:

5/6/2009 9:00 AM Visual Studio Debugging Demystified
5/13/2009 9:00 AM Building Windows Mobile Applications
5/20/2009 9:00 AM Exploring Silverlight 3.0
5/27/2009 9:00 AM Using the Virtual Earth Silverlight Control

See you online!

Working with ADO.NET Data Services

benko — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Some links of interest:

MSDN Data Tools Site and Resources

http://msdn.microsoft.com/data

ADO.NET v1.5 CTP1 Download

Mike Flasko’s blog

Pablo Castro’s blog

Curl

http://curl.haxx.se/download.html

Article on using with AJAX by Granville Barnett

http://dotnetslackers.com/articles/ajax/InteractingAstoriaDataServices.aspx

Windows Client Road Show Featuring Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8

benko — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:54:00 GMT

ArcReady – Brain Food for the Architect
The client (or presentation) tier of our applications is taking on an increasingly important role. Users are expecting more compelling user interfaces, but they also want more functionality from their applications. In this ArcReady we examine how to design and deliver well architected client applications that will be easy to maintain and extend.

Topic 1: Trends and Patterns on the Client Tier
In our first topic we will take a vendor and platform neutral look at some of the trends and emerging technologies that can be used on the client tier. We will look at techniques like Mashups, technologies like Natural User Interfaces (NUI) and the increasing importance of the mobile platform. We will also look at some common patterns that can be used in the architecture of the client tier.

Topic 2: Applying Microsoft Technology on the Client Tier
In our second topic we will take some look at how we can use Microsoft technologies to create well architected and compelling client applications. We will look at technologies like Silverlight and WPF that can be used to create compelling clients. We will also look at technologies that can be used to make your applications more extensible for future development. We will also examine some architectural guidance developed by the Microsoft Patterns and Practices group.

MSDN Events Unleashed – Get Your Dev On
Internet Explorer 8 recently released to the web, and with that release comes a wide range of new capabilities that developers can exploit. Of even more impact to developers everywhere is the upcoming release of Windows 7, also bringing with it several new capabilities for consumers and developers.

Topic 1: Internet Explorer 8 for Developers
The Windows Internet Explorer 8 browser makes it easier to explore and interact with the web. Did you know that there will be a new standards mode by default? While it can easily be turned off, knowing the potential to impact this may have on many sites that have been crafted around various features in past versions is a good idea. Attend this session to learn which current practices you need to change and how the new standards mode affects your development techniques and your existing sites. We review tools that are built into Internet Explorer 8 to help developers debug and create Web pages. We also discuss Web Slices, Accelerators, and Search Suggestion – all of which are key new features in this latest release.

Topic 2: Developing on Microsoft Windows 7
Building applications that are easy to use, visually appealing, and offer high performance is a challenge that developers face every day. Innovative applications can greatly improve the user experience, empowering companies to differentiate their services and solutions. However, developers are increasingly asked to do more in less time, while also optimizing the power and performance requirements of their applications. The Windows 7 platform makes it easy for developers to create engaging, user-friendly applications by providing familiar tools and rich development features that allow them to take advantage of the latest PC capabilities. In this session we will explore the new Taskbar and Jump Lists, the Scenic Ribbon, file management with Libraries, and Windows Web Services among many other enhancements to the new operating system.

TechNet Events Unleashed – Supporting the Backbone of the Industry
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and Internet Explorer 8 represent both a wave of change and disruption to IT operations as well as an opportunity for IT professionals to have a big impact on their organizations.

Topic 1: Windows Server 2008 R2 – Optimize Your Time
Get a jump start on your peers with Windows Server 2008 R2 by joining us for this no nonsense technical session, where we will discuss the critical improvements in the next version of Windows Server. Some have argued that, given the impressive scope of new functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2, it should not be an “R2” release, but rather should be given a completely new name. They point to features such as Direct Access, Branch Caching, Live Migration, Powershell 2.0, and VDI that will help you cut down on the amount of time you spend doing mundane tasks, reduce end user frustration and support headaches, and give your mobile workforce a competitive edge through ubiquitous access to company data. There’s a good chance that by attending this session you’ll find a way to save time and money with Windows Server 2008 R2, and so you’ll get the time you spend with us back many times over.

Topic 2: Windows 7 – Maximize Your Potential
In designing Windows 7, the engineering team had a clear focus on what we call ‘the fundamentals': performance, application compatibility, device compatibility, reliability, security and battery life. Early reviews of Windows 7 seem to indicate that the choice to focus on the fundamentals is resonating well with many users and professionals. And, IT professionals will further benefit from the enhancements to manageability and security. You’ll also learn how your investments in testing and evaluating Windows Vista will pay off in the transition to Windows 7. Come see firsthand what all the buzz is about in this demo-intensive session where we explore the UI improvements, performance gains, and manageability enhancements in the next client operating system from Microsoft.

Topic 3: Internet Explorer 8 – Get Excited About the Browser Again
Internet Explorer is currently the most widely used browser in business, and while we’ve seen nice incremental improvements to IE in recent history, we haven’t seen as many truly earth shattering changes. Well, many agree that the next release of IE, Internet Explorer 8, provides the most compelling upgrade to IE in many years. In a typical day, users spend 2 hours or more per day in the browser, so significant improvements here can have tremendous impact on productivity and the way we work. The browser needs to be thought of in the same terms as an operating system—it has to be rich, robust, interoperable, easy to use and secure. Internet Explorer 8 is a browser that meets these needs and more for users, enterprises, IT professionals and developers alike. Come learn how the new improvements, too numerous to mention here, are driving many to get excited about the browser again.

Event Schedule
Here is a quick summary of the events scheduled this spring, starting in late April and concluding in mid-June.

ArcReady	MSDN Events Unleashed	TechNet Events Unleashed
Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 9:00am	Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 1:00pm	Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 3:10pm
Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 9:00am	Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 1:00pm	Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 3:10pm
Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 9:00am	Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 1:00pm	Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 3:10pm
Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 9:00am	Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 1:00pm	Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 3:10pm
Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 9:00am	Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 1:00pm	Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 3:10pm
Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 9:00am	Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 1:00pm	Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 3:10pm
Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 3:10pm
Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 3:10pm
Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 9:00am	Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 1:00pm	Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 3:10pm
Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 9:00am	Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 1:00pm	Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 3:10pm
Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 9:00am	Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 1:00pm	Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 3:10pm
Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 9:00am	Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm	Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 3:10pm
Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 9:00am	Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm	Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 3:10pm
St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 9:00am	St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 1:00pm	St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 3:10pm
Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 9:00am	Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 1:00pm	Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 3:10pm
Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 3:10pm

Technorati Tags: ArcReady,MSDN Events Unleashed,TechNet Events Unleashed,Windows 7,Internet Explorer 8

Code from this week is available!

benko — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:46:10 GMT

Thank you to everyone who joined me in KC and Chicago this week...I've posted the code from the sessions on the downloads page of my site. These include the sample code from the Windows Mobile session as well as the SharePoint and Silverlight examples.

Enjoy!

Join us for some In Person Events!

benko — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:17:23 GMT

Register today

Here is a quick summary of the events scheduled in March.

ArcReady	MSDN Events Unleashed	TechNet Events Unleashed
St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 9:00 AM	St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 1:00 PM	St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 3:00 PM
Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 9:00 AM	Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 1:00 PM	Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 3:00 PM
Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 1:00 PM	Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 3:00 PM
Knoxville, TN – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Overland Park, KS – March 10, 2009 1:00 PM	Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 3:00 PM
Overland Park, KS – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 1:00 PM	Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 3:00 PM
Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 9:00 AM	Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 1:00 PM	Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 3:00 PM
Nashville, TN – March 13, 2009 9:00 AM	Columbus, OH – March 20, 2009 1:00 PM	Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 3:00 PM
Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 9:00 AM	Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 1:00 PM	Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 3:00 PM
Columbus, OH – March 20, 2009 9:00 AM	Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 1:00 PM
Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 9:00 AM	Mason, OH – March 27, 2009 1:00 PM
Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 9:00 AM	Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 1:00 PM
Bloomington, MN – March 25, 2009 9:00 AM	Waukesha, WI – March 31, 2009 1:00 PM
Cleveland, OH – March 26, 2009 9:00 AM
Mason, OH – March 27, 2009 9:00 AM
Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 9:00 AM
Waukesha, WI – March 31, 2009 9:00 AM

WPF Toolkit Webcast

benko — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:46:16 GMT

In this week's edition of BenkoTips Live & On Demand we talked about the WPF Toolkit and the Office Ribbon UI. We covered a lot of material and wrote a lot of code. To help out I'm providing a link here to both the webcast and the code so you can try it out. As usual there were a few links of interest that may help you get going including:

Get Started with Mobile Dev

benko — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:08:47 GMT

We're delivering some sessions this quarter on how to build applications with Windows Mobile 6 and I wanted to provide some links to help you get started. Although I will be doing my development with Visual Studio 2008 you can also use VS 2005 with the Mobile 5 SDK as well. To build a development environment here are some links:

Try Visual Studio 2008 Professional (download a 90 Day trial copy here...)
Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 with .NET 3.5 sp1
Windows Mobile 6 Refresh SDK
Mobile 6.1.4 Emulator Images
Virtual Hands On Labs for Mobile

Some related links with additional resources include

Developer.WindowsMobile.com
Windows Mobile Team Blog
Windows Mobile Developers Wiki
Windows Mobile Developer Center
MyMobiler - Share your Mobile Screen on your PC
Visual Studio Magazine article on Mobile Deployment
Andy Wigley does Sync Framework

By the way, look for some QuickTip Screencasts coming soon to help you get started. Stay Tuned!

March & April Webcasts are Scheduled!

benko — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:49:39 GMT

I’ve been asked a few times for the update, so here is the list of upcoming webcast topics in the series “BenkoTips Live & On Demand” as well as the links for registering.

3/4/09 A Lap Around .NET 3.5 SP1
3/11/09 A Conversation About CSLA .NET with Rocky Lhotka
3/18/09 An Introduction to the ASP.NET MVC Framework
3/25/09 Silverlight 2.0 Demystified
4/8/09 Internet Explorer 8 for Developers with Robert Boedigheimer
4/15/09 An introduction to ADO.NET Data Services

See you online!

March Technical Events

benko — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:39:39 GMT

It's been a long time coming, but we finally have our event plans locked in for March 2009. And we have an exciting addition to our event plans – we've added TechNet Events Unleashed to our rotation in a handful of cities for interested IT Professionals. Let's start with those new events. And if you want to skip the details, just take a look at the event schedule.

TechNet Events Unleashed
Working in partnership with our IT Professional Evangelists, we're very excited to introduce TechNet Events Unleashed to our schedule, and the first topic digs into Windows Server 2008.

Windows Server 2008
In this session we will look at Windows Server 2008 and the improvements that have been made to Microsoft’s premier server operating system. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet, designed to power the next generation of networks, applications, and Web services. With Windows Server 2008 you can develop, deliver, and manage rich user experiences and applications, provide a highly secure network infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency and value within your organization.

Windows Server 2008 introduces several new capabilities including 64bit virtualization, a robust web and development platform, improvements in networking, security, high availability and disaster recovery. In addition, there is a new “Core” installation option that reduces the operating system overhead by removing the graphical user interface thus freeing resources and lowering the potential security attack surface. Come see demonstrations on many of the features in a technical deep dive you won’t want to miss!

After we discuss Windows Server 2008, we’ll briefly discuss the improvements coming in Windows Server 2008 R2 which is in development and now available for beta testing.

ArcReady
For our next ArcReady, we will explore a topic on everyone’s mind: Cloud computing. Several industry companies have announced cloud computing services . In October 2008 at the Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft announced the next phase of our Software + Services vision: the Azure Services Platform. The Azure Services Platforms provides a wide range of internet services that can be consumed from both on premises environments or the internet.

Session 1: Cloud Services
In our first session we will explore the current state of cloud services. We will then look at how applications should be architected for the cloud and explore a reference application deployed on Windows Azure. We will also look at the services that can be built for on premise application, using .NET Services. We will also address some of the concerns that enterprises have about cloud services, such as regulatory and compliance issues.

Session 2: Mesh and Live Services
In our second session we will take a slightly different look at cloud based services by exploring Live Mesh and Live Services. Live Mesh is a data synchronization client that has a rich API to build applications on. Live services are a collection of APIs that can be used to create rich applications for your customers. Live Services are based on internet standard protocols and data formats.

MSDN Events Unleashed
Enhance your coding capabilities with new tools, tips, and inside secrets from MSDN Events. You’ll see how developing for a Windows Mobile phone leverages your current coding skills and can make it simple to build, deploy and debug cool new devices. Additionally, we’ll be showing you how to take full advantage of the Visual Studio debugger. We’ll offer some great tips and tricks to help you debug faster and more efficiently, while applying fresh techniques to ramp up your problem solving abilities.

Session 1: Tips & Tricks for the Visual Studio 2008 Debugger
The Visual Studio debugger is a highly underutilized tool for many developers. In this session, you’ll learn how to use it like a pro, while picking up new techniques to fast-forward your problem solving and debugging abilities. We’ll show you how to use advanced breakpoints, advanced watch window / Expression evaluator tricks, modifiers, assertions on the fly, remote debugging, and more. Whether you’re writing C#, VB, WPF, ASP.NET, Windows Forms, or services, we’ll provide tips and tricks that will have you debugging faster and much more efficiently. The debugger is your primary tool for finding bugs, so join us and learn how to make the most of it.

Session 2: Developing for Windows Mobile Devices
Mobile development is growing fast, and Windows Mobile is at the forefront with over 18 million phones shipped last year and many more cutting-edge devices on the way. Visual Studio developers have tremendous opportunities in this space. Why? Developing for a Windows Mobile phone leverages your existing coding experience and takes it to new heights. In this session, we’ll look at some of the coolest new devices, you’ll learn how to set up Visual Studio with the latest SDK and device emulators, and you’ll see how to build, deploy and debug Windows Mobile applications. We’ll also explore how Internet Explorer Mobile 6 provides new AJAX capabilities that offer the richness of the desktop with pan and zoom features tuned for mobile devices.

Event Schedule
Here is a quick summary of the events scheduled in March.

ArcReady	MSDN Events Unleashed	TechNet Events Unleashed
St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 9:00 AM	St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 1:00 PM	St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 3:00 PM
Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 9:00 AM	Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 1:00 PM	Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 3:00 PM
Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 1:00 PM	Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 3:00 PM
Knoxville, TN – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Overland Park, KS – March 10, 2009 1:00 PM	Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 3:00 PM
Overland Park, KS – March 10, 2009 9:00 AM	Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 1:00 PM	Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 3:00 PM
Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 9:00 AM	Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 1:00 PM	Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 3:00 PM
Nashville, TN – March 13, 2009 9:00 AM	Columbus, OH – March 20, 2009 1:00 PM	Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 3:00 PM
Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 9:00 AM	Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 1:00 PM	Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 3:00 PM
Columbus, OH – March 20, 2009 9:00 AM	Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 1:00 PM
Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 9:00 AM	Mason, OH – March 27, 2009 1:00 PM
Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 9:00 AM	Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 1:00 PM
Bloomington, MN – March 25, 2009 9:00 AM	Waukesha, WI – March 31, 2009 1:00 PM
Cleveland, OH – March 26, 2009 9:00 AM
Mason, OH – March 27, 2009 9:00 AM
Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 9:00 AM
Waukesha, WI – March 31, 2009 9:00 AM

Technorati Tags: ArcReady,MSDN Events Unleashed,TechNet Events Unleashed

IIS 7.0 Code Posted

benko — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:30:50 GMT

This morning we delivered the 15th webcast in the BenkoTips Live & On Demand series. We talked about changes in the architecture of IIS 7.0, security, custom modules and how to configure IIS 7.0 for PHP applications.

We showed how the configuration works, including the ApplicationHost.config file for server settings and Web.config for application specific settings.

The custom module we wrote translates the language from French to English by use of a simple dictionary with some phrases defined. I've posted the code to the download section for registered users.

Some links we talked about during the webcast that might be helpful in getting the most out of this tool include:

Next week we'll have special guest Raymond Mitchell on to show us how to take advantage of the SharePoint Data Driven Web Part to build some very cool data integration with SharePoint Designer.

Application Services Code Posted

benko — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:41:04 GMT

As requested I've posted the code from today's webcast on Application Services. We covered how to take advantage of the membership and profile providers and leverage the login controls that come as part of the .NET framework. We also looked at how AJAX and WinForms applications can build off the same provider database.

If you're interested in diving deeper into Application Services and/or have suggestions of topics you'd like to see covered in this webcast series, click the "Talk to me" link in the left hand pane of www.BenkoTips.com to send me an email with your ideas. I'm always looking for your feedback.

Thanks!