.Netter Tech Blog

Serverless Architecture in 2026: Benefits, Challenges, and When to Use Ii

2026-10-10T02:52:32.293-07:00

Serverless architecture (utilizing services like AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Vercel) has matured immensely. It promises a world where developers focus entirely on writing business logic without worrying about provisioning servers, scaling clusters, or managing operating systems.

The Major Benefits:

True Pay-As-You-Go Pricing:: You pay only for the exact milliseconds your code executes. If traffic drops to zero, your hosting cost drops to zero.
Automatic Scaling: Serverless platforms scale up instantly during traffic spikes and scale down just as fast.

The Challenges to Keep in Mind:

Cold Starts:When a function hasn't been invoked recently, the initial request might experience a slight latency delay while the container spins up.
Vendor Lock-In: Migrating serverless functions from AWS to GCP or Azure can require substantial rewrites due to proprietary event triggers and SDKs.

Verdict:

Serverless is ideal for event-driven processing, APIs with fluctuating traffic, and rapid MVP development. For heavy, continuous workloads, traditional containers (like Docker and Kubernetes) may still be more cost-effective.

5 Essential Cybersecurity Practices Every Software Developer Must Follow

2026-09-27T08:08:55.424-07:00

With cyber threats evolving rapidly, security can no longer be an afterthought handled solely by the IT or operations team. Security must start in the IDE—a concept known as **Shift-Left Security**.

Here are five essential practices every developer must implement:

1. Never Hardcode Secrets:

Always use environment variables or secure secret managers (like AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault) for API keys, database credentials, and tokens.

2. Automate Dependency Scanning:

Integrate tools like Snyk or GitHub Dependabot to catch vulnerabilities in third-party libraries before they hit production.

3. Implement Strict Input Validation:

Never trust user input. Sanitize and validate all incoming data on both the client and server sides to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.

4. Enforce the Principle of Least Privilege:

Ensure that microservices, database accounts, and internal APIs only have access to the exact resources they need to function—nothing more.

5. Regular Code Reviews and SAST:

Use Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools to scan your codebase automatically during your CI/CD pipeline builds.

Cheers,

Samitha

How to Fix Excel Dates Copying Incorrectly into SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)

2026-09-21T20:44:29.158-07:00

If you have ever tried copying date cells straight from Excel into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and ended up with weird numbers or import errors, you are not alone.

When you copy standard date cells, Excel places both the formatted view and the raw serial number onto your system clipboard. SSMS often captures that raw serial number instead of the actual date string, causing formatting conflicts.

Here is a quick, foolproof workaround to ensure your dates paste correctly every single time.

The Solution: Use Excel's TEXT Function

To force SSMS to accept your data as a proper date during a direct copy-and-paste, you need to convert the dates into a clean text format in Excel first.

Create a temporary helper column next to your original data. Use the TEXT function to convert the date into standard ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD). For example, if your original date is in cell A2, enter this formula in your helper column:

Excel
=TEXT(A2, "yyyy-mm-dd")
Drag this formula down for all rows, then copy these new text-formatted values (and **Copy > Paste Values** if you want to strip the formulas).


2. Verify the destination column type:
In SQL Server Management Studio, make sure the target column type is explicitly set to `DATE` or `DATETIME` (and not `INT` or `FLOAT`). If the column is numeric, SSMS will force the pasted text back into a number.


3. Paste the data into the SSMS grid:
 Right-click your table in SSMS and select **Edit Top 200 Rows**.
Scroll down to the bottom, empty row marked with an asterisk (`*`).
Click the row selector header on the far left, and press `Ctrl + V` to paste.

Verification: Click away from the pasted row to commit the changes. The dates should save successfully as `YYYY-MM-DD` calendar dates instead of numbers.

Cheers,
Samitha

GitHub Copilot vs. Cursor AI: Which Coding Assistant Wins in 2026?

2026-09-19T07:07:37.348-07:00

Artificial Intelligence has completely revolutionized how we write code. Gone are the days of manually looking up syntax or boilerplate templates. Today, developers have powerful AI tools integrated right into their workflows. Two names dominate the landscape: **GitHub Copilot** and **Cursor AI**.

Let’s break down how they compare:

GitHub Copilot:

The pioneer of mainstream AI code completion. It integrates seamlessly as an extension into VS Code, JetBrains, and other IDEs. It excels at inline code suggestions and multi-file context understanding.

Cursor AI:

A standalone fork of VS Code built from the ground up specifically for AI pair programming. Features like deep codebase indexing, the "Composer" mode for multi-file edits, and chat panels make it feel like a true co-pilot rather than just an autocomplete tool.

Which one should you choose?

If you love your current IDE setup and want reliable, fast inline suggestions, GitHub Copilot is a safe bet. If you want a deeper, conversational workflow that can refactor your entire project structure automatically, Cursor AI currently takes the crown for raw innovation.

Cheers

Samitha

How to Exclude the Docs Folder from MSBuild and Static Web Assets in .NET

2026-09-13T02:05:32.008-07:00

If you are managing a .NET solution where documentation files reside in a root-level docs folder, you might run into issues where MSBuild or static web assets unnecessarily scan, compile, or include these files in your build output.

You can easily prevent this by adding a targeted MSBuild configuration to your project file (.csproj).

The MSBuild Snippet

Add the following <ItemGroup> snippet directly into your project's .csproj file:

<ItemGroup>
     <!-- Prevent static web assets and MSBuild from scanning the docs folder -->
     <Content Remove="..\..\docs\**" />
     <None Include="..\..\docs\**" />
</ItemGroup>

Why Use This?

Content Remove: Stops MSBuild from treating the files inside the parent docs directory as web content or publishable assets.
None Include: Ensures that while the files are ignored by build pipelines and static asset scanners, they still remain visible within your solution explorer (depending on your IDE settings) without triggering build actions.
Path Traversal (..\..\): Adjust the number of ..\ segments depending on how deep your .csproj file is nested relative to the root docs folder

Cheers,

Samitha

Fixed: Visual Studio Git Changes Not Showing Modified Files

2026-09-06T08:43:31.132-07:00

Fixing the "Git Changes Not Showing Modified Files" Issue in Visual Studio

Have you ever made a bunch of code changes, only to look over at the Git Changes window in Visual Studio and see... nothing? It’s a frustrating glitch that can grind your workflow to a halt.

This issue is usually caused by file-system watcher sync lags, multi-repository root settings, or a minor UI state desynchronization. Fortunately, it’s usually quick to fix. Here are the most effective ways to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

1. Manually Refresh the Git Status

Visual Studio relies on background file watchers to detect changes in your workspace. If it misses an update:

Click the Refresh icon (the circular arrow) at the top of the Git Changes window.
Run git status in an external terminal (such as Git Bash or the Developer Command Prompt) to verify if Git itself recognizes the modifications.
How to verify: If the command line shows your modified files but Visual Studio doesn't, you are dealing with a pure UI sync glitch.

2. Close and Reopen the Git Changes Window

A quick way to force Visual Studio to re-initialize the tool window control is to toggle it off and back on:

Close the Git Changes tab.
Go to the top menu and select View > Git Changes (or press Ctrl + 0, Ctrl + G).

3. Check for Multiple Repositories or Solution Roots

If your solution contains projects spread across different folders or Git submodules, Visual Studio might simply be looking at the wrong repository context:

Look at the top of the Git Changes window to check the active repository context.
Use the repository selector dropdown to ensure you are targeting the exact root folder where your files were modified.

4. Review Excluded Files and `.gitignore` Rules

Sometimes files fail to show up because they match a newly added or updated .gitignore rule, or because Visual Studio's filters are hiding them:

Double-check if your untracked files were accidentally ignored.
Ensure your view filters aren't hiding untracked or specific file types.

5. Restart Visual Studio or Clear the Component Cache

If the underlying Git integration service has crashed or locked up internally:

Restart Visual Studio completely.
If the problem persists, clear the MEF component cache by deleting the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\[Version]\ComponentModelCache folder. This forces Visual Studio to rebuild its internal component extensions on the next launch.

Have you encountered other Git quirks in Visual Studio? Let us know how you solved them in the comments below!

How to Fix Weird .NET Build Errors Using dotnet clean and NuGet Cache Clearing

2026-08-22T23:08:54.812-07:00

If you work with .NET long enough, you will eventually run into a baffling build error where your code looks completely correct, but the compiler stubbornly refuses to cooperate. Often, the culprit isn't your code—it's stale build artifacts or corrupted package caches.

In this quick guide, we’ll look at two powerful commands every .NET developer should have in their toolkit: dotnet clean and dotnet nuget locals all --clear.

What does dotnet clean do?

When you build a .NET project, the compiler generates temporary files, compiled binaries, and cache files stored inside the bin/ and obj/ directories of your project folder.

The dotnet clean command deletes these build outputs (the contents of the bin and obj folders).

Why use it?

To force a completely fresh build from scratch.

To resolve issues where old compiled files aren't being updated properly during incremental builds.

Before packaging or publishing your application to ensure no old artifacts sneak in.

Bash

dotnet clean

(Note: This only affects the local project directory and does not delete your source code.)

What does dotnet nuget locals all --clear do?

While dotnet clean clears local project build outputs, NuGet handles external library dependencies. .NET stores downloaded NuGet packages in global machine caches (such as http-cache, global-packages, and temp) so it doesn't have to re-download them every time.

The dotnet nuget locals all --clear command completely wipes out all local NuGet caches across your machine.

Why use it?

To fix stubborn package restore errors (e.g., NU1101, NU1202).

When a package download was interrupted or corrupted, causing constant build failures.

To force .NET to fetch fresh copies of packages from NuGet.org (useful when working with prerelease packages or packages with the same version number updated locally).

Bash

dotnet nuget locals all --clear

When should you use them together?

If you are experiencing mysterious build errors that won't go away after a standard rebuild, try running them in sequence as a "nuclear option" to reset your local environment:

# 1. Clean local build artifacts

dotnet clean

# 2. Clear all global NuGet caches

dotnet nuget locals all --clear

# 3. Restore dependencies and rebuild fresh

dotnet restore
dotnet build

Sql Server offset 0 usage

2026-08-07T18:00:59.449-07:00

In SQL Server, OFFSET 0 ROWS instructs the database to skip exactly zero rows before returning data.

On its own, skipping zero rows doesn't change the output, but when paired with the FETCH NEXT clause, it becomes the standard, ANSI-compliant way to implement pagination (specifically, grabbing the "first page" of results).

Basic Syntax

SQL
SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name
ORDER BY sort_column
OFFSET 0 ROWS 
FETCH NEXT n ROWS ONLY;

e.g 1: The "First Page" of Results

Imagine you have an Employees table, and you are building a UI that displays 5 employees per page, starting with the highest earners.

To get Page 1, you use OFFSET 0:

SQL
SELECT EmployeeID, FirstName, LastName, Salary
FROM Employees
ORDER BY Salary DESC
OFFSET 0 ROWS 
FETCH NEXT 5 ROWS ONLY;

How it works:

ORDER BY Salary DESC: Sorts the employees from highest to lowest salary.
OFFSET 0 ROWS: Starts at the very first row of that sorted list (skips nothing).
FETCH NEXT 5 ROWS ONLY: Grabs exactly 5 rows and stops.

(To get Page 2, you would change it to OFFSET 5 ROWS FETCH NEXT 5 ROWS ONLY).

e.g 2: Dynamic Pagination in a Stored Procedure

The most common real-world use case for OFFSET 0 is inside stored procedures where pagination math is calculated dynamically using variables.

When a user requests Page 1, the math automatically calculates to OFFSET 0.

SQL
DECLARE @PageNumber INT = 1; -- The user wants the 1st page
DECLARE @PageSize INT = 10;  -- The user wants 10 records per page

SELECT EmployeeID, FirstName, LastName, Department
FROM Employees
ORDER BY LastName ASC
-- The math: (1 - 1) * 10 = 0. So this resolves to OFFSET 0 ROWS
OFFSET (@PageNumber - 1) * @PageSize ROWS 
FETCH NEXT @PageSize ROWS ONLY;

Important Rules

ORDER BY is Mandatory: You cannot use OFFSET without an ORDER BY clause. The database needs a definitive sorting order to know exactly which rows it is skipping.
FETCH is Optional: You can use OFFSET without FETCH. If you write OFFSET 10 ROWS without a FETCH clause, SQL Server will skip the first 10 rows and return everything else.
No mixing with TOP: You cannot use TOP and OFFSET-FETCH in the same query block. OFFSET-FETCH was introduced in SQL Server 2012 specifically as a more robust replacement for using TOP for pagination.

Cheers

Samitha

Visual Studio 2026 overview

2026-07-26T23:21:58.301-07:00

Visual Studio 2026 delivers a major leap forward, focusing on deep AI integration, architectural speed, and a refreshed interface. Designed alongside .NET 10 and C# 14, it aims to drastically cut down boilerplate code, enhance real-time responsiveness, and streamline modern development workflows.

Key Highlights

1. AI-Powered and Agentic Workflows

Intelligent Agents: Built-in C# and C++ coding, debugging, and profiling agents help isolate root causes and optimize build paths seamlessly.
Adaptive Paste: Automatically rewrites pasted external snippets to match your active project's naming conventions and structure.
Model Context Protocol (MCP): Advanced [GitHub Copilot Chat] capabilities supporting custom skills and server management.

2. Performance and Architecture

Decoupled Build Tools: Separates the IDE from underlying compilers, allowing you to update Visual Studio independently from toolchains.
Reduced UI Freezes: Startup time is snappier, and UI unresponsiveness during heavy enterprise solution loads has been cut by over 50%.

3. User Experience and Tooling

Fluent Design: A modernized, distraction-free interface featuring cleaner icons, accessible color tokens, and full color emoji support across logs and comments.
Unified Settings: A streamlined, embedded settings tab that enables direct editing via JSON configurations.

sql server get open connections

2026-07-12T02:45:55.065-07:00

To get the active and open connections in SQL Server, you can use a few different methods depending on how much detail you need.

Here is the cleaned-up, fully corrected version of those scripts and explanations, free of formatting artifacts:

1. The Quick Count (By Database)

If you just want a quick headcount of how many connections are open on each database, query sys.sysprocesses:

SELECT

DB_NAME(dbid) as DatabaseName, COUNT(dbid) as OpenConnections

FROM sys.sysprocesses

WHERE dbid > 0

GROUP BY dbid;

2. The Detailed View (Recommended)

For a modern, detailed breakdown of who is connected, what application they are using, and where they are connecting from, use sys.dm_exec_sessions.

This script filters out internal system connections so you only see actual user traffic:

SELECT

session_id, login_name, host_name, program_name, status, cpu_time, total_elapsed_time

FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions

WHERE is_user_process = 1; -- 1 filters for user connections, 0 for system processes

3. What Are They Currently Running?

If you want to see the open connections and the exact SQL query they are executing right now, join the sessions DMV with sys.dm_exec_requests and sys.dm_exec_sql_text:

SELECT s.session_id, s.login_name, s.host_name, s.program_name, r.status, st.text AS ExecutingQuery

FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions s

INNER JOIN sys.dm_exec_requests r ON s.session_id = r.session_id

CROSS APPLY

sys.dm_exec_sql_text(r.sql_handle) st

WHERE s.is_user_process = 1;

4. The Built-in Stored Procedure

If you don't want to type out a long query, SQL Server has a classic built-in stored procedure that gives you a massive dump of all current processes and connections

EXEC sp_who2;

Look at the SPID column (anything above 50 is typically a user connection) and the DBName column to see where the action is happening.

kill many process in sql server

2026-07-04T06:42:26.932-07:00

To kill multiple processes in SQL Server, you cannot pass a list of IDs directly into a single KILL command. Instead, you have to generate and execute individual KILL <spid> statements.

Here are the three most efficient ways to do this, depending on your needs.

Method 1: The Quick Filter Script (Recommended)

If you want to kill processes tied to a specific database or a specific user, you can run a query that automatically generates the syntax for you.

Run this script to generate the list of kill commands:

SQL

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = '';

SELECT @sql += 'KILL ' + CAST(session_id AS VARCHAR(10)) + ';' + CHAR(13)

FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions

WHERE database_id = DB_ID('YourDatabaseName') -- Filter by database

AND is_user_process = 1 -- Only target user processes, not system tasks

AND session_id <> @@SPID; -- Do not kill your current connection

-- STEP 1: Preview the commands to make sure they look correct

PRINT @sql;

-- STEP 2: Uncomment the line below when you are ready to execute them all at once

-- EXEC sp_executesql @sql;

Method 2: The Cursor Approach (Fully Automated)

If you want a single script that finds and drops connections instantly without a copy-paste preview step, you can loop through them using a CURSOR. This is highly effective if you are preparing a database for a restore or a drop.

SQL

DECLARE @spid INT

DECLARE @kill_cmd NVARCHAR(50)

DECLARE spid_cursor CURSOR FOR

SELECT session_id

FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions

WHERE database_id = DB_ID('YourDatabaseName')

AND is_user_process = 1

AND session_id <> @@SPID;

OPEN spid_cursor

FETCH NEXT FROM spid_cursor INTO @spid

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0

BEGIN

SET @kill_cmd = 'KILL ' + CAST(@spid AS VARCHAR(10))

EXEC sp_executesql @kill_cmd

FETCH NEXT FROM spid_cursor INTO @spid

END

CLOSE spid_cursor

DEALLOCATE spid_cursor

Method 3: Kick Everyone Off via ALTER DATABASE

If your goal is to kill every single connection to a specific database right now (for instance, to perform maintenance, rename it, or drop it), the fastest and safest approach doesn't require looking up SPIDs at all. You can forcefully transition the database into SINGLE_USER mode, which automatically terminates all other active connections.

SQL

USE master;

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName

SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;

-- Perform your work here...

-- Don't forget to set it back to multi-user mode when finished!

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName

SET MULTI_USER;

Note on ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE: This option specifies that any open transactions in the database will be instantly rolled back, and their underlying connections severed immediately.

Best Practices & Precautions

Check Status: If you kill a long-running write transaction (like a massive data import or index rebuild), SQL Server must roll back the changes to ensure data integrity. If you check sys.dm_exec_requests, you might see the status as KILLED/ROLLBACK. Do not restart the SQL service to speed this up, as the rollback will simply resume upon startup and often take longer.

Avoid System SPIDs: Always include is_user_process = 1 or filter out session_id <= 50 to avoid accidentally targeting background SQL Server engine processes.

Cheers

Samitha

create a new table based on an existing view

2026-06-28T07:05:33.061-07:00

The absolute fastest and cleanest way to create a new table with the exact same schema (structure and data types) as an existing view in SQL Server is to use a SELECT ... INTO statement combined with a WHERE 1 = 0 clause.

The WHERE 1 = 0 condition acts as a false flag—it forces SQL Server to clone the structural definition of the view without actually copying any of the rows into your new table.

Run this script in your SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):

SQL

-- Creates an empty table with the exact structure of the view

SELECT *

INTO q2AIR_MDPL_RPT_TimecardSalaryReport

FROM q2vAIR_MDPL_TimecardSalaryReport

WHERE 1 = 0;

Cheers

Samitha

CSS focus ring

2026-06-20T17:27:34.004-07:00

The CSS focus ring is the visual indicator (usually a blue or dotted outline) that appears around interactive elements like links, buttons, and inputs when they are focused via keyboard navigation (like pressing the Tab key).

It is a critical feature for accessibility (a11y), allowing users who don't use a mouse to see exactly where they are on a page.

The CSS Focus Pseudo-Classes

To style the focus ring, you will primarily use three pseudo-classes depending on how you want the ring to behave:

:focus: Applies whenever an element receives focus, whether by keyboard, mouse click, or touch. (Can look messy when mouse users click a button and get a big ring).

:focus-visible: The modern standard. It only applies the focus ring when the browser determines it’s helpful—typically only for keyboard users, leaving mouse users with a clean interface.

:focus-within: Applies to a parent element when any of its child elements gain focus.

How to Style the Focus Ring

Historically, developers used outline, but modern CSS gives us much better control using outline, box-shadow, and outline-offset.

1. The Modern Standard (:focus-visible)

Use this for 95% of your use cases to keep things accessible for keyboard users without annoying mouse users.

CSS

/* Target buttons and links when focused via keyboard */

button:focus-visible,

a:focus-visible {

outline: 3px solid #3b82f6; /* Thicker, vibrant blue ring */

outline-offset: 2px; /* Pushes the ring away from the element */

}

2. The Custom Glow Effect (box-shadow)

If you want a smoother, curved focus ring that matches an element's border-radius, box-shadow is excellent. Note that you should always pair it with a transparent outline so users with Windows High Contrast Mode can still see it.

CSS

input:focus-visible {

outline: 2px solid transparent; /* Fallback for high-contrast accessibility */

border-color: #3b82f6;

box-shadow: 0 0 0 4px rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.5); /* Soft outer glow */

}

3. Styling the Parent (:focus-within)

Great for form cards or search bars where you want the entire container to light up when the input inside is active.

CSS

.search-form-container:focus-within {

border-color: #10b981;

box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

}

The Golden Rule: Never Just outline: none

⚠️ Accessibility Warning: Never use outline: none or outline: 0 without immediately providing a custom, highly visible focus alternative. Removing the focus ring entirely breaks website navigation for millions of keyboard and assistive technology users.

If you hate how the default focus ring looks on mouse clicks, don't kill it completely. Just use :focus-visible instead:

CSS

/* Bad: Breaks accessibility completely */

button:focus {

outline: none;

}

/* Good: Removes default for mouse, keeps/customizes for keyboard */

button:focus {

outline: none; /* Reset default */

}

button:focus-visible {

outline: 3px solid #ff4757; /* Custom keyboard focus */

}

Cheers

Samitha

Best way to crop image without losing quality

2026-06-05T21:01:53.882-07:00

Cropping itself does NOT reduce quality — it simply removes unwanted pixels. [wildandfreetools.com]

Quality loss usually happens because of:

Saving as low‑quality JPG
Re-compressing multiple times
Resizing after cropping [picovert.com]

Recommended steps

Upload your image to a crop tool
Drag the crop box to exclude the right side (text)
DON’T resize unless needed
Export with: PNG (best quality, lossless) OR JPG at 90–100% quality [fixtools.io]

Best FREE online crop tools (no quality loss)

Here are reliable ones:

1. Adobe Express Crop Tool

Easy drag-and-drop cropping

Keeps high quality

No signup needed

https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/image/crop [adobe.com]

2. FixTools (Lossless crop)

True lossless cropping

Lets you control export quality precisely

https://www.fixtools.io/image-tools/crop-image-without-losing-quality [fixtools.io]

3. FastConvert Crop Tool

Supports custom dimensions (good for your unusual size)

No registration required

https://fastconvert.co/crop-image [fastconvert.co]

4. FormatFuse Cropper

Pixel-accurate cropping

Keeps original format (lossless for PNG)

https://formatfuse.com/tools/image-crop [formatfuse.com]

5. ArtsFlick Crop Tool

Designed to crop without blur or compression

https://artsflick.com/features/crop [artsflick.com]

For UI banners or screenshots:

Always use PNG (text remains sharp)

Cheers

Samith

Using Helvetica Neue font

2026-05-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Adding Helvetica Neue to your CSS is a classic choice for a clean, modern look. However, because it is a licensed font owned by Monotype, it isn't "free" to host like a Google Font. You have to handle it differently depending on whether you're relying on the user's system or hosting the files yourself.1. The "System Font" Method (Recommended)This is the fastest and most common way. Since Helvetica Neue comes pre-installed on almost all Macs and iOS devices, you can simply call it in your font stack. If the user doesn't have it (like on most Windows or Android devices), the browser will fall back to the next font in your list.CSS.your-class {

font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;

}

Why this order? The browser reads left-to-right. It tries to find "Helvetica Neue" first. If that fails, it looks for "Helvetica," then "Arial," and finally any generic "sans-serif" font.2. Using @font-face (Self-Hosting)If you have purchased a web license and have the font files (e.g., .woff2 or .woff), you can host them on your own server. This ensures the font appears on all devices, even Windows.Upload the font files to your project folder (e.g., /fonts/).Define the font in your CSS:CSS@font-face {

font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';

src: url('fonts/helvetica-neue-bold.woff2') format('woff2'),

url('fonts/helvetica-neue-bold.woff') format('woff');

font-weight: bold;

font-style: normal;

}

body {

font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;

}

Cheers

Samitha

Package 'MailKit' 4.7.1.1 has a known moderate severity vulnerability,

2026-05-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

Warning As Error: Package 'MailKit' 4.7.1.1 has a known moderate severity vulnerability, https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9j88-vvj5-vhgr

The error message you're seeing is a security safeguard. Because your project is likely configured with TreatWarningsAsErrors enabled, NuGet is blocking your build due to a known security vulnerability in MailKit 4.7.1.1.

The Vulnerability: GHSA-9j88-vvj5-vhgr

This is a STARTTLS Response Injection vulnerability.

The Risk: A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacker can inject commands during the "handshake" phase when your app switches from a plain-text connection to an encrypted one (TLS).

The Impact: This can be used to trick your application into "downgrading" its security—for example, forcing it to use a less secure authentication method (like sending passwords in plain text) even though you think you're using an encrypted connection.

How to Fix It

The fix is straightforward: Upgrade MailKit to a patched version.

1. Update via .NET CLI

Run the following command in your terminal at the project root:

Bash

dotnet add package MailKit --version 4.8.0

(Or the latest available version, as 4.8.0+ contains the fix).

2. Update via Package Manager Console (Visual Studio)

PowerShell

Update-Package MailKit

3. Update via Project File (.csproj)

Locate the PackageReference in your .csproj file and update the version manually:

XML

Why am I seeing this now?

The .NET SDK and NuGet now integrate with the GitHub Advisory Database. When you build your project, it checks your dependencies against known security threats.

If you absolutely cannot upgrade right now (which is not recommended) and need to bypass the error to unblock your build, you can temporarily "suppress" this specific warning by adding the following to your .csproj file, though you should only do this if you have a specific mitigation in place:

XML

<NoWarn>$(NoWarn);NU1901;NU1902;NU1903;NU1904</NoWarn>

</PropertyGroup>

Recommendation: Stick with the upgrade. MailKit updates are generally very stable and backward-compatible within the same major version

Converting an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file to a PNG

2026-04-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

Converting an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file to a PNG is a common task when you need to turn a scalable vector graphic into a web-ready, transparent raster image.

Since AI files are "vector-based" (made of paths) and PNGs are "raster-based" (made of pixels), the process involves a step called rasterization. Here are the best ways to do it depending on the tools you have.

1. Using Adobe Illustrator (Best Quality)

If you have the original software, this is the most reliable method because it gives you control over resolution and transparency.

Export for Screens (Quickest): Go to File > Export > Export for Screens. Select PNG as the format and choose your "Scale" (e.g., 1x, 2x, or 300 ppi for high quality).

Export As: Go to File > Export > Export As.... Choose PNG from the dropdown menu.

Note: In the "PNG Options" pop-up, ensure the Background Color is set to Transparent if you don't want a solid white box around your logo.

2. Using Free Online Converters (No Software Needed)

If you don't have Illustrator, several web-based tools can handle the conversion for you. These are great for one-off tasks.

CloudConvert: Very reliable and maintains high fidelity.

Adobe Express: Adobe offers a free online converter that is specifically optimized for their own file formats.

Zamzar: A classic choice for simple file-to-file swaps.

Cheers

Samitha

npm run dev command does not load Vue JS UI

2026-04-19T01:04:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly frustrating when the terminal says "Ready" and the browser opens, but all you get is a blank white screen. It usually feels like the app is "running" but just refusing to speak to you.

Since `npm run dev` is technically working (it opens the link), the issue is almost certainly a **client-side JavaScript error** preventing the Vue instance from mounting.

Here is how to track down the culprit

### 1. The "Golden Rule": Check the Console

Right-click the blank page in your browser and select **Inspect**, then go to the **Console** tab.

* **Red Errors:** If you see `Uncaught ReferenceError` or `Failed to fetch dynamically imported module`, it means your code has a syntax or path error that is crashing the app before it can render.

* **404 Errors:** If it says `app.js` or `main.js` was not found, your build tool (Vite or Webpack) is looking in the wrong directory.

### 2. Common Culprits & Fixes

| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |

| **Blank Page + No Errors** | Missing `<div id="app"></div>` | Ensure your `index.html` has a div with the ID that matches your `main.js` mount point: `app.mount('#app')`. |

| **Vite "Missing" Files** | `base` path config | If you recently changed your `vite.config.js`, ensure the `base` property is correct (usually `'/'`). |

| **Infinite Redirects** | Vue Router Guard | If you have a router guard (`router.beforeEach`) that isn't calling `next()`, the UI will never load. |

| **Case Sensitivity** | Import Filenames | On some systems, importing `./components/Header.vue` as `./components/header.vue` will fail silently or crash the build. |

### 3. Clear the "Gunk"

Sometimes the local cache gets corrupted. Try this "reset" sequence:

1. **Stop** the terminal process (`Ctrl + C`).

2. **Delete** the `node_modules` folder and `package-lock.json`.

3. **Delete** the `.vite` folder (usually found inside `node_modules/.vite`).

4. Run `npm install`.

5. Run `npm run dev` again.

### 4. Check your `App.vue`

If you recently added a new library or a complex component, comment out the contents of your `App.vue` and replace it with a simple `<h1>Hello World</h1>`.

* **If "Hello World" appears:** The issue is inside your components (likely a lifecycle hook like `onMounted` that is looping or crashing).

* **If it stays blank:** The issue is in your `main.js` or `index.html` configuration.

> **Quick Tip:** Check your terminal output again. Are there any **Warnings**? Sometimes Vite will continue to serve the app even if a dependency is missing, but the browser won't be able to execute the broken code.

If all of the above options does not work check what you see in the Browser Console (F12) when the page loads.

Cheers

Samitha

C# 15 powerful features

2026-04-05T04:02:00.000-07:00

1. Collection Expression Arguments

You can now pass arguments directly to a collection's underlying constructor or factory method using the `with(...)` syntax. This must be the first element inside the collection expression brackets `[...]`.
Purpose: Allows you to set initial properties like capacity or comparers without reverting to traditional `new` syntax.
Syntax: `[with(arguments), ...elements]`

Examples

Set Capacity

List<string> names = [with(capacity: 10), "A", "B"];

Set Comparer

HashSet<string> set = [with(StringComparer.Ordinal), "a", "A"];

2. Union Types

Union types allow a single variable to hold one of several specific "case types." This is a major step forward for type safety and functional programming patterns in C#.
Declaration: Use the `union` keyword followed by the allowed types: `public union Pet(Cat, Dog, Bird);`
Key Features:
Implicit Conversion: You can assign a `Dog` directly to a `Pet` variable without casting.
Exhaustive Switching: The compiler checks your `switch` expressions to ensure every possible case of the union is handled. If you miss a type, you get a compiler error.
Current Status: Introduced in .NET 11 previews. Some advanced features (like union member providers) are still in development.

Comparison: Traditional vs. New Syntax

Before (Collection Initializers):
var set = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) { "Hi" };
After (Collection Expressions):
HashSet<string> set = [with(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase), "Hi"];

Cheers

Samitha

ASP.NET Core in .NET 11

2026-03-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

As of the latest .NET 11 Preview releases (March 2026), ASP.NET Core and Blazor have introduced several features focused on developer productivity, cleaner code, and better performance.

Summary of the most significant changes:

Blazor Improvements

New Components

DisplayName Component: A new built-in component that renders property names directly from metadata attributes like [Display] or [DisplayName]. This brings feature parity with MVC’s @Html.DisplayNameFor().

Label Component: Specifically for forms, this component renders accessible <label> elements and automatically extracts the display name from your model attributes.

EnvironmentBoundary: Allows you to conditionally render content based on the hosting environment (e.g., Development vs. Production) consistently across both Blazor Server and WebAssembly.

BasePath: Automatically renders the <base href="..."> tag, which is particularly helpful for apps hosted under subpaths (e.g., /dashboard/).

Navigation & Interaction

Relative Navigation: NavigationManager.NavigateTo and the NavLink component now support a RelativeToCurrentUri parameter. This allows you to navigate relative to the current page path rather than the app's root.

QuickGrid OnRowClick: The QuickGrid component now has a native OnRowClick event. When used, it automatically applies a pointer cursor to rows and handles the click callback.

Startup & Configuration

Unified Startup Format: The Blazor.start() options object format introduced for Blazor Web Apps in .NET 8 is now supported for standalone Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly scripts.

IHostedService in Wasm: Blazor WebAssembly now supports IHostedService, allowing you to run background services directly in the browser.

ASP.NET Core Core Framework

Performance & Observability

Native OpenTelemetry Tracing: ASP.NET Core now builds OpenTelemetry semantic attributes directly into HTTP server activities. You no longer need a separate instrumentation package to collect standard trace data.

Kestrel Hardening: The HTTP/1.1 parser has been reworked to handle malformed requests more gracefully, resulting in a 20–40% throughput improvement in high-invalid-traffic scenarios (like port scanning).

APIs & Tools

OpenAPI 3.2.0: Support has been updated to the latest specification, though this includes some breaking changes for client generators.

Web Worker Template: A new dotnet new webworker project template allows Blazor Wasm apps to easily offload heavy computations to a background Web Worker.

Metrics & Tracing: New built-in metrics have been added for Blazor WebAssembly to track component render times and performance.

Runtime & SDK

Runtime-Native Async: .NET 11 introduces "Runtime Async," which makes asynchronous calls a first-class citizen at the runtime level, leading to cleaner stack traces and lower overhead.

CoreCLR on WebAssembly: Significant progress has been made in migrating Blazor WebAssembly from the Mono runtime to CoreCLR, promising better performance and JIT support in the future.

SQL Server 2025 Regular expressions functions

2026-03-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Core Regex Functions

The system provides several functions to search, modify, and analyze strings using patterns:

Function	Purpose
REGEXP_LIKE	Returns True if the text matches the pattern.
REGEXP_REPLACE	Modifies a string by replacing matches with a new value.
REGEXP_SUBSTR	Extracts a specific occurrence of a matching substring.
REGEXP_INSTR	Returns the position (start or end) of a match.
REGEXP_COUNT	Counts how many times a pattern appears.
REGEXP_MATCHES	Returns a table of all captured substrings.
REGEXP_SPLIT_TO_TABLE	Splits a string into a table using the pattern as a delimiter.

Syntax and Construction

Regex patterns are built using literal characters (which match themselves) and metacharacters (which have special logic).

Escaping: To match a literal metacharacter (like * or ?), you must use a backslash (\*).
Concatenation & Alternation: * e1 e2 matches "e1" followed by "e2".
- e1 | e2 matches either "e1" or "e2".
Repetition Operators:
- *: Zero or more matches.
- +: One or more matches.
- ?: Zero or one match.
Precedence: Operators follow a specific order of strength: Repetition (strongest) > Concatenation > Alternation (weakest). Parentheses () can be used to override this order.

let's assume we are working with a string representing a standard product code: Item_#1234-Blue.

Examples

`REGEXP_LIKE` (The Filter)
Goal: Check if a string contains a 4-digit number.
Pattern: `\d{4}`
Result: `True` (since `1234` matches).
`REGEXP_SUBSTR` (The Extractor)
Goal: Pull the color name from the end of the string.
Pattern: `[^-]+$` (Matches characters after the last hyphen).
Result: `Blue`
`REGEXP_REPLACE` (The Cleaner)
Goal: Remove the hash symbol (`#`).
Pattern: `#`
Replacement: `''` (Empty string).
Result: `Item_1234-Blue`
`REGEXP_COUNT` (The Auditor)
Goal: Count how many times a hyphen appears.
Pattern: `-`
Result: `1`
Cheers
Samitha

GitHub Copilot in SQL Server (Preview)

2026-02-21T05:03:00.000-08:00

GitHub Copilot for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) integrates AI directly into your database environment to streamline T-SQL development. Here is a summary of how it works and what it offers:

How it Works

The integration connects your GitHub Copilot account to SSMS. When you submit a prompt, SSMS sends it to the selected AI model along with contextual metadata—such as your SQL version and database schema—to ensure the generated code is accurate and relevant to your specific environment.

Key Features

Interactive Chat: Use a dedicated chat window or an inline chat view to ask questions using natural language.
T-SQL Assistance: Generate, fix, or optimize SQL queries on the fly.
Slash Commands: Use quick shortcuts for specific tasks:
- /doc: Automatically document your code.
- Explain: Get a breakdown of complex queries.
- Fix/Optimize: Improve query performance or resolve errors.

Note: This feature is currently in Preview. You will need an active GitHub Copilot subscription and the latest SSMS preview installation to use it.

Cheers,

Samitha

npm run build does not work

2026-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

If you are experiencing building js files for production follow these steps

Make sure you have the correct node version

execute node -v in PowerShell / Command Prompt / VS Code terminal

Delete node_modules
Delete package-lock.json
Install correct node version
Restart the Terminal (This step is required on Windows so PATH updates correctly)
execute npm install in PowerShell / Command Prompt / VS Code terminal
execute npm run dev in PowerShell / Command Prompt / VS Code terminal

Cheers

Samitha

SQL Server 2025 fuzzy string matching(preview)

2025-12-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy (approximate) string matching compares two strings Chto determine how similar they are and to measure their differences. It is used to identify strings that may vary due to character corruption, such as spelling mistakes, transposed or missing characters, or the use of abbreviations. This technique relies on algorithms that detect similarity based on character patterns or phonetic likeness, enabling the matching of strings that sound alike or are nearly identical despite minor variations.

Check here for samples

Samitha

SQL Server LAG() Function

2025-12-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

The SQL LAG() function is a window function used to access a column’s value from a previous row within a defined partition and order. Unlike aggregate functions, it does not reduce the number of rows; instead, it returns a corresponding value for each row. By specifying a partition (e.g., by organisation) and an order (e.g., by year), LAG() enables row-by-row comparisons, such as comparing current values with prior-period values

E.g

SELECT
Department,
Employee,
SalaryMonth,
Salary,
LAG(Salary, 1, 0)
OVER (PARTITION BY Department ORDER BY SalaryMonth) AS PrevMonthSalary
FROM EmployeeSalary
ORDER BY Department, SalaryMonth

Result

Department	Employee	SalaryMonth	Salary	PrevMonthSalary
IT	John	2024-01	120000	0
IT	John	2024-02	125000	120000
IT	John	2024-03	130000	125000
HR	Mary	2024-01	90000	0
HR	Mary	2024-02	92000	90000
HR	Mary	2024-03	95000	92000

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npm run dev command does not load Vue JS UI

C# 15 powerful features

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Examples

2. Union Types

Comparison: Traditional vs. New Syntax

Before (Collection Initializers):var set = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) { "Hi" };After (Collection Expressions):HashSet<string> set = [with(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase), "Hi"];

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Result

4. Review Excluded Files and `.gitignore` Rules

Before (Collection Initializers):
var set = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) { "Hi" };
After (Collection Expressions):
HashSet<string> set = [with(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase), "Hi"];