.NET Programmer Thoughts

I'm getting a new laptop!

2007-03-12T18:27:00.000-06:00

It's an ASUS G1! Check out the website. I got it at www.ZipZoomFly.com. The shipping was free for 5-7 days and $5.99 for 2 day shipping!

I have not seen any bad reviews. I went to Best Buy here in Houston to check it out but it wasn't working. They were supposed to have their Geek Squad look at it but when I came back 3 hours later it still wasn't fixed. So I didn't get to see it in action.

What is so special about this laptop? It has an NVIDIA 512 video card in it! Not to mention 2GB of RAM and Intel Core 2 Duo (T7200). For UNDER $1900! It also has a 2 year global warranty!

Specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processors T7200 2 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz
Windows Vista Home Premium
Mobile Intel 945PM Express Chipset + ICH7M
2048 MG DDR2 667 Mhz RAM
15.4" WSXGA+ (1680x1050) ColorShine TFT-LCD
ASUS Splendid Video Intelligent Technology
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7700 512 MB VRAM
160 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
8x Super Multi DVD-RW Dual Layer LightScribe
Card Reader (MMC, SD, MS, MS-Pro)
1.3 Megapixels Video Camera
Fax/Modem
10/100/1000 Base T Lan
Integrated 802.11 a/b/g
Bluetooth V2.0+EDR
Optical Gaming Mouse
Gaming Backpack

Using A Timer In A Service with C#

2007-03-06T16:19:00.000-06:00

You can't use System.Timer. It just won't work. It might look like it works at first but it just quits working.

You have to use System.Threading.Timer!

private System.Threading.Timer oTimer;

public Service1()
{
InitializeComponent ();
}
private void oTimer_TimerCallback(object state)
{
//Manually stop the timer...
oTimer.Change(Timeout.Infinite,Timeout.Infinite);
// do what ever needs to be done.
// have the stime start in 1 minute, and then fire once every hour
oTimer.Change(new TimeSpan(0, 1, 0), new TimeSpan(1,0,0));
}

protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
// TODO: Add code here to start your service.
TimerCallback tmrCallBack = new TimerCallback(oTimer_TimerCallback);
oTimer = new Timer(tmrCallBack);
// have the stime start in 1 second, and then fire once every hour
oTimer.Change(new TimeSpan(0, 0, 1), new TimeSpan(1,0,0));
}
protected override void OnStop()
{
// TODO: Add code here to perform any tear-down necessary to stop your service.
}

I basically want it to fire every minute. But I stop it while I'm processing. So the second parameter on oTimer.Change() doesn't really matter.

MCTS/MCPD Certifications

2007-02-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

I found a great blog that helped me understand which exams I need to take to get my MCPD's.

MCTS/MCPD Requirements Simplified

Since I have my MCSD.NET I'm going to take the following tests:

70-551 Web (DONE)
70-552 Windows
70-554 Enterpise

This will give me an MCTS in Win/Web/Ent and an MCPD in Win/Web/Ent.

New Certification

2007-02-27T14:41:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to say something about the new certifications. THEY ARE HARD! I have my MCTS - SQL Server 2005 and MCITP - Database Administrator. I have also just received my MCTS - Web and MCPD - Web. It was an upgrade from my MCAD. I failed it the first time but managed to pass it the second time. I'm dreading taking the next two. They had added a section which is "conceptual". You may not agree with the choice but you better pick Microsoft's choice.

New JOB!

2005-06-02T08:38:00.000-06:00

I have a new job! I've left Software Architects and I'm now working for Travis Software as a web developer! I'm so excited about this opportunity. I have absolutely no web development experience! The other great thing is that it's about 5 miles from my house!

The technologies I will be using is XML, XSLT, and C#.

So I'm currently learning XSLT. I did some XML when I was at Traver Technologies but I used it strictly to store data in foxpro memo fields. What we are doing here is much different. And most of my original .NET studies and testing were in C#. So I'm happy to be getting away from VB.NET and back to C#!

Book Review: Beginning Relational Data Modeling

2005-04-27T11:45:00.000-06:00

I’ve been a database programmer for 15 years but I’ve never kept up with the “latest” database concepts. Reading Beginning Relational Data Modeling was a great way to get myself up to date! I never learned about conceptual and logical models. So this book was a real eye-opener!

It starts out with a great introduction which includes data normalization. Every developer that works with data should know what the first three are. Apparently there has been another one added called Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF). This one was new to me and I thought it was explained very well.

I thought the book was very informational. I think every developer that works with data should read this book to bring themselves up to data on the latest data modeling concepts.

Using XP Style Themes in Visual Studio 2003

2005-04-01T15:28:00.000-06:00

Using XP Style themes in Visual Studio 2003 is easier than you might think. There are two simple steps and your forms will have an XP Style theme.

Here is a comparison of what a VS 2003 windows form looks like with and without XP Style themes.

Here is how you do it.

Step 1:

Option 1:
Create a manifest file. This file must reside with the executable file. Place the following XML in the file.

The only change you need to make is to the name attribute: Microsoft.Winweb.appname

Option 2:
Add two lines of code to the beginning of Main(). These two lines must be executed before any controls are drawn.

Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.DoEvents();

The DoEvents() line corrects a bug in .NET 1.1. If you don’t include it, images won’t be displayed on your buttons.

Step 2: Add some code to your windows form to change the style of the buttons. When you use themed controls, you must set the FlatStyle property to System. The system must control the entire drawing process. The FlatStyle property is used on any class that’s derived from System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.

When you implement these two steps, your application will emulate the theme that the operating system is using. So if you aren’t using an XP style theme, then you won’t see an XP style theme in your application. Also, you will not get XP style themes on pre-XP operating systems.

Windows Server 2003 requires another step to get XP Style themes. You have to go into services and start up a service named “Themes”. Then go into the Appearance tab of the Display properties and chose an XP Style theme.

Windows XP/2003 ships with two versions of the Common Controls library (comctl32.dll). They are referred to as version 5 and version 6. Version 5 renders controls using the standard look and feel. Version 6 renders controls with the XP look and feel. Windows Form 1.1 uses version 5 as its default library. When you include this manifest file or use EnableVisualStyles(), you are telling your application to use version 6 of the common control library.

This is something we won’t have to deal with in Windows Forms 2.0. Version 6 of the Common Control library will be the default library.

Beach Time!

2005-03-28T14:35:00.000-06:00

I've been on the beach for about 4 weeks now. The first two weeks were great. I had so much stuff to get caught up on. Now I'm ready to get back to work!

I'm going back out to Kinder Morgan tomorrow to do a couple of days of mentoring on the system I had be working on out there. Then back to the beach. I'm also told that there is a big project starting up out there in a week or so and I will probably be on that team. It will involve converting a VB6 program to .NET. So I might get to post some interesting blogs on what I'm learning.

As for now...back to reading.

Book Review: Pro SQL Server Reporting Services

2005-03-21T11:03:00.000-06:00

Pro SQL Server Reporting Services

I was tasked with getting up to speed as quickly as possible with SQL Server Reporting Services (SRS). I pulled out my Pro SQL Server Reporting Services book and started working through it.

Chapter 1 was on SRS Architecture. There was good information on how to install and configure SRS and it included a sample application.

Chapter 2 was on Designing Efficient Queries. Personally I just skimmed this chapter and I already know how to write queries. This came back to haunt me as I needed those queries later on.

Chapter 3 gets you started on the Report Designer. This chapter had great content. Unfortunately, there were lots of mistakes. I was actually building the reports as I worked through the chapter. It was frustrating but I figured it out.

Chapter 4 goes deeper into building Reports. It starts out with the report wizard which is a no brainer. Then it shows you how to build the reports from scratch. Good content but again, there were mistakes.

Chapter 5 shows you how to use custom .NET code with SRS. You can embed code in your reports or you can use external assemblies. There was good content here and by this time I gave up on following along with the examples. And if you download the source, there is nothing in the Chapter 5 folder.

Chapter 6 is about rendering reports from .NET application. If you want to access your reports from your application then this chapter will show you how to do it.

Chapter 7 shows you how to deploy your reports. You have to deploy them so you need to read this chapter. After this chapter, the reports I had created from Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 were now deployed to my server.

Chapter 8 discusses report management. There is really good content is this chapter. You learn about shared schedules, creating snapshots, caching, and subscriptions. Then it goes into auditing and performance analysis.

Chapter 9 is about securing reports. Personally, I think they went into too much detail to show us network monitoring. We all know that if we don’t use encryption everything will be in plain text. But they show us how to use the network monitoring utility. You have to read this chapter though get learn how to fully secure your reports so just skim the pages on network monitoring.

Chapter 10 talks about Business Intelligence and SRS. This is a good chapter if you want to see the different ways SRS can be used. It’s good stuff.

Chapter 11 tells us what changes are in store for SRS when “Yukon” comes out. SRS will be fully integrated with SQL Server 2005. You will no longer generate your report in Visual Studio. Since I’m just learning SRS, it was good to know what will be changing.

Overall the book was good. The big disappointment for me was that following the examples was so difficult. This is the first time I’ve seen this with an APRESS book.

The big question is, do I feel I’m ready to use SRS at a client site. Yes I do!

Book Review: Pro ADO.NET with VB.NET 1.1

2005-02-17T12:03:00.000-06:00

I had a very narrow vision of what ADO.NET was until I read Pro ADO.NET with VB.NET 1.1. ADO.NET is more than just DataSets and DataAdapters. It also involves XML, Data Services and Web Services. This book covers it all and more!

All the basics are covered. Chapters 1 through 5 explain Data Readers, DataSets (Typed and UnTyped) , Data Adapters and Data Schemas. I was impressed with the depth covered on each of these subjects.

What I didn't expect was the XML coverage. Chapter 6 covers everything you need to know about XML and how to use XML with DataSets.

Chapters 7 through 9 explain Constraints, Relations, Views, Transactions, and Mapping.

Data Services and Web Services each had full chapter. This was an unexpected bonus.

Performance and Security is covered by including optimizing, connection pooling message queuing, and basic security concerns. I always wondered what MSMQ was and now I know!

Also covered where InterOp and Migration from ADO.

The last chapter walks you through creating a MSMQ custom data provider. Very cool!

This book will make a fantastic resource book. This is definitely a must have for any level programmer!

More on Windows Services

2005-02-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

I found a problem. My service was supposed to monitor an process (DBMSAutoRecover.exe) and make sure that it was always running. If it found it wasn't running, then it was supposed to start it. If it couldn't start it, then it would send an email.

Here's the problem. The process I was monitoring has a user interface. So when the service started it, you couldn't see it! So I did some searching and found out that I could go to my service (DBMSWatcher.exe) and right click on it and go to the properties window. Then on the Log On tab, check the box "Allow service to interact with desktop". When I restarted the service and the server launched DBMSAutoRecover, you could see it! But it was running under a SYSTEM account.

Now, let me complicate things even more. DBMSAutoRecover monitors another application named DBMS. DBMS is an access application that does all kinds of things. Once of which is monitor an Inbox for email. Well, if DBMSAutoRecover is running under a SYSTEM account and then has to start DBMS then DBMS is running under a SYSTEM account. When it's running as a system account, it doesn't seem to be able to connect to that Inbox.

So then I noticed that I could have the server start as a specific user. Cool! Then everything would work. But when I did that I lost the option of allowing the service to interact with the desktop. Not so cool!

So I gave up and my service will just send an email if it finds that DBMSAutoRecover isn't running.

Also I read tons of stuff about how it's not safe to allow a service to interact with the desktop. A SYSTEM account as full privileges on the machine. Then you have a user interface that has full access to the machine. No so good.

Using a Timer In A Windows Service

2005-02-06T08:59:00.000-06:00

I've created my first windows service in .NET! It was so easy! The hard part was getting the timer to work!

My service is named DBMSWatcher. All it does is check to make sure that a program (process) is running. If it isn't, it tries to start it and if it can't restart it, it will send an email to someone to let them know it's not running. During this time the application log is also being updated.

The first thing you have to do is create a Windows Service project. Just like you would create a windows forms project, locate the Windows Service template. It's that simple!

Most examples on the net will tell you just to add a timer control from the toolbar. Well, that isn't going to work. Using a System.Timers.Timer won't work either. At least it didn't for me. I had to use a System.Threading.Timer. Switch to the code view and you will see override methods for OnStart and OnStop.

Sorry, the code is in VB.NET again. There are lots of sources on the net to explain about to create a windows service. The key here is just to let you know the toolbar timer isn't going to work. And I couldn't get the System.Timers.Timer to work. The only way I could get a timer to work was to use the System.Threading.Timer.

Create a Private timer.

Private oTimer As System.Threading.Timer

In the OnStart method, type the following code.

Dim oCallback as New TimerCallback(AddressOf OnTimedEvent)
oTimer = New System.Threading.Timer(oCallback, Nothing, 60000, 60000)

Then create a method for the OnTimedEvent as follows.

Private Sub OnTimedEvent(ByVal state As Object)

Dim myLog As New EventLog
If Not myLog.SourceExists("DBMSWatcher") Then

myLog.CreateEventSource("DBMSWatcher", "DBMSWatcher Log")

End If
myLog.Source = "DBMSWatcher"
myLog.WriteEntry("Something Happened!", EventLogEntryType.Information)

EndSub

INSTALLING A WINDOWS SERVICE

Now look how easy it is to install the service. Go to the design windows and right click on it. Select Add Installer. It will add an installer project with two controls. ServiceProcessInstaller1 and ServiceInstaller1. Select the ServiceInstaller1 control and open the property window. Change the "ServiceName" and the "DisplayName" to what ever you want your service called. Select the ServiceProcessInstaller1 control and change the Account property to "LocalSystem".

Now build the application and create an executable.

To install the service you nned to use the InstallUtil program. You can find it in c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v.x.x.xxxx\. If you go to the VS .NET command prompt you will be pathed to the folder. (To get to the command prompt, select Start -> Microsoft Visual Studio .NET -> Visual Studio .NET Tools -> Visual Stuido .NET Command Prompt)

Type in the follow command in the command window.

InstallUtil "c:\program dir\DBMSWatcher.exe"

Now you need to start the service. Open the control panel and open the Administrative Tools. Click on Services, and locate your service. Right click on it and select Start to start it.

When you need to install a new version you have to stop the service and then uninstall it. Type in the following to uninstall a service.

InstallUtil /u "c:\program dir\DBMSWatcher.exe"

DEBUGGING A WINDOWS SERVICE

First you have to start your service. In the VS .NET IDE go to Debug -> Processes. Find DBMSWatcher.exe and attach the debugger. Then you will be able to set your breakpoints as usual. If you want to debug the OnStart procedure you need to place a "Stop" in the code

Retrieve Users From a Active Directory Security Group

2005-01-26T13:12:00.000-06:00

Last week I was asked to add some security to the application I had written. It is basically a front-end to several access databases. It displays all the available access applications and the user can double click on one and open it. The owner of the application said users should not be able to see the whole list. Only certain users need to see certain applications.

This meant that I was going to have to maintain a user list. I really didn't want to do this. So I googled around and found that I could access the users assigned to the security group assigned to my front-end application.

The call:

Dim myADGroup As AD_Group
Dim myUserList As DataTable
myADGroup = New _Group("TrishDomain", "TrishDC", "AppsSecGroup")
myUserList = myADGroup.ReturnUsers()

Unfortunately all this work was done in VB.NET. I'm still too new at all this to do the conversion to C# for you. I also had to do some reformatting to get it into this blog so if it doesn't work just let me know and I will email you the source file.

ReturnUsers() will return a DataTable of all the users in the Active Directory Security group. The DataTable will have the user's ID and full name. DomainName is the name of the domain. ServierName is the name of a domain controller. GroupName is the name of the Security group.

Imports System.DirectoryServices

Public Class AD_Group

Private DomainNameValue As String
Private ServerNameValue As String
Private GroupNameValue As String

Public Sub New(ByVal DomainName As String, ByVal ServerName As String, ByVal GroupName As String)
DomainNameValue = DomainName
ServerNameValue = ServerName
GroupNameValue = GroupName
End Sub

Public Function ReturnUsers()
Dim strDirEntryPath As String
strDirEntryPath = "WinNT://" + DomainNameValue
+ "/" + ServerNameValue + "/" + GroupNameValue + ",group"
Dim users As Object
Dim group As New DirectoryEntry(strDirEntryPath)

users = group.Invoke("members")

Dim user1 As Object

Dim ActiveDirTable As DataTable
ActiveDirTable = New DataTable("UserList")
Dim UserID As DataColumn = New DataColumn("UserID")
Dim UserName As DataColumn = New DataColumn("UserName")
UserID.DataType = System.Type.GetType("System.String")
UserName.DataType = System.Type.GetType("System.String")
ActiveDirTable.Columns.Add(UserID)
ActiveDirTable.Columns.Add(UserName)

For Each user1 In CType(users, IEnumerable)
Dim userEntry As New System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry(user1)
Dim fullName As String = GetUserInfo(userEntry.Name, userEntry.Password)
Dim myNewRow As DataRow
myNewRow = ActiveDirTable.NewRow()
myNewRow("UserID") = userEntry.Name
myNewRow("UserName") = fullName
ActiveDirTable.Rows.Add(myNewRow)

Next
Return ActiveDirTable
End Function

Public Function GetUserInfo(ByVal username As String, ByVal pwd As String) As String
Dim strRealName As String = ""
If username = "" Or username = Nothing Then
strRealName = "Invalid Signature"
Else
pwd = Nothing ' works better if pwd is nothing
Dim domain As String = DomainNameValue
Dim path As String = "LDAP://" + domain
Dim domainAndUsername As String = domain + "\" + username
Dim entry As DirectoryEntry = New DirectoryEntry(path, domainAndUsername, pwd)
Dim Searcher As DirectorySearcher = New DirectorySearcher(entry)
Dim result As System.DirectoryServices.SearchResult
Searcher.Filter = ("(anr=" & username & ")")
result = Searcher.FindOne()
If Not IsNothing(result) Then
strRealName = result.Properties("givenName")(0).ToString() & " " & result.Properties("sn")(0).ToString()
End If
End If
Return strRealName

End Function

End Class

Catch Up Time

2005-01-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. I have been on assignment at "Company A". They acquired a company that had several Access databases. These databases were written by a barge Captain. So you can just image how the code looks! Everytime they tried to move the applications to another server everything would crash. So my job was to get it running in a clean environment. The other catch was that it was working against Novell's Groupwise and they want it running on Exchange. So I've been pretty busy.

There was lots of hard-coded paths and email addresses. This was the major problem. So I had to learn some VBA (Visual Basic For Applications). Then I wrote a front-end to all the databases in VB.NET. Yes, I know. I'm a sharpie. But they told me they wanted the code in VB.NET.

I dont' care what anyone says. C# and VB are not the same. The first time I got hit with "Nothing", it took me about two hours to figure it out. There doesn't seem to be "Null" in VB. It's "Nothing". The other big thing is that the properties windows doesn't show you the list of events for the control. Which means you can't double click on the event and have it write the code structure for you. Which also means that you have to remember what events are available and what their signatures are.

So I can say now that I've written my first .NET application. I'm told I will have a code review next week. SARK sends me out to a site all by myself, with no .NET experience, and then wants to do a code review. Well, it's good code. Bring it on!

Beginning C# Databases: From Novice to Professional

2004-12-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

If you are new to working with database servers, Beginning C# Databases is a great place to start. It begins by showing you how to install MSDE and takes you all the way through developing windows and web applications that access the Northwind database. There is a lot of code in the book but when you’re beginning, you need to look at code. The full source is listed and then it takes you step by step to show you what it’s doing.

Definitely download the code samples. There are a couple of great tools. If you don’t have access to SQL Enterprise Manager, you will find them very useful!

The book flows from topic to topic very smoothly and stays on the subject. It is such an easy read. It will definitely stay in my library as a reference on SQL Server.

DAAB - Data Access Application Block

2004-12-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

Have you ever used the DAAB 3.1? Well, I've been trying to. Good luck trying to find documentation. I can get it to work for some things and other things just won't work.

If anyone knows of any good documentation please post the link.

Best Kept Secrets in .NET

2004-11-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

Best Kept Secrets in .NET is an excellent book! There is lots of good information about Visual Studio .NET. .NET includes so many features that there is no way that any one person could find all the features. This book shows you some of the “little” features that you wouldn’t ordinarily know about. It covers the IDE, windows forms, coding tricks, ADO, and defensive development. Unfortunately, what it doesn’t cover is ASP.NET.

This is a great book for beginning and intermediate .NET programmers. It helps you to quickly find the tools that will make your programming life much easier. All code samples are in VB.NET and C#. There are lots of screen shots to help you visualize what you’re reading without having to go into the development environment to find it.

The book is well laid out and well written. It is straight to the point and very easy to read. It’s definitely a book I plan to keep handy when I’m programming.

First Completed .NET Project!

2004-11-30T10:54:00.000-06:00

I've finished my first .NET project! It was a proof-of-concept involving SharePoint. I had a couple of people providing help when I needed it. But I'm still excited to report I have actually finished something.

70-290 - Managing and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Server

2004-11-19T13:19:00.000-06:00

I took the test this morning. And I PASSED!!!!! I'm now officially an MCDBA! It's a very hard test. Don't go into it lightly! Especially if your a "programmer-type"!

SARK wants me to take the Security test next. I might wait until next year to work on that one. But I guess it all depends on how long I'm going to be on the beach!

On the Beach

2004-11-16T15:29:00.000-06:00

I'm finally off that awlful SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) project! When we roll off of a project at SARK and there isn't another project lined up for you, you roll on to the "beach". Currently there are six of us on the beach. We come into the main office and sit in a training room and work on various things.

I'm going to make another attempt at the Windows Server 2003 exam. Yes, I've started studying for it again. I purchased the Sybex book. It's much better than the Exam Cram 2 book. SARK has also provided me with the Transender questions also. These are not the actual exam questions. Actually, they are much harder. So keep your fingers crossed for me!

InfoPath

2004-11-05T13:51:00.000-06:00

Since I'm so bored at work I decided to watch a webcast on InfoPath to see what it was all about. It looked pretty simple so I stopped the webcast and followed a link to do some labs. It is very simple. I can see this being a replacement for end users who like to use Access to develop forms with.

I got stuck on Lab 8 though. It has nothing to do with InfoPath though. They want you to create a web server. I followed the directions to step 14. I have NTFS but I had no Security tab so I skipped down to step 27. I updated the web.config file. I'm running Windows XP SP2. I used my machine name\user name. When I try to bring up the screen in step 31, it asks for my user name and password. I put it in and then it says I don't have access to the form. I've tried everything I can think of and can't get it to work. Does anyone have any ideas?

I ran into this same problem when I tried to run Infragistics Tracker program. I'm sure I'm not doing something right. I just don't know what!

70-290 exam

2004-11-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

I had a previous post that I was studying for a Windows Server 2003 exam. Well, I took the exam last week and failed miserably. You definitely need more than the Exam Cram book. I'm going to pick up the Microsoft Press book shortly and start trying to study again.

SharePoint Portal Server Training

2004-11-02T10:02:00.000-06:00

Last week I got the opportunity to attend SharePoint training. I had been using SharePoint at work but only as an end-user.

Unfortunately, the training didn't cover customizing SharePoint with .NET. It just involved using it right out of the box.

It's a good product. It requires MSDE or SQL Server. It also can not be run on a domain controller. So if you have a small network, it will require another computer.

The worst part is the licensing. A SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Server License with 5 CAL's is $5619.00. You have to have a CAL for all user's that are going to connect to your site. So I don't think this is an option for small businesses. Try DotNetNuke instead. It's free and it works pretty good.

I find it amazing that CAL's are required. You already have to pay for the Windows 2003 Server licence and probably it's CAL's too. Then you have to pay for SharePoint on top of it. Come on Microsoft. It's an internet portal! It's unbelieveable that a company has to pay for users to use it's own intranet!

Visual Studio 2005 Workshop in Houston

2004-10-22T06:47:00.000-06:00

There will be a Whidbey workshop at the Houston Microsoft Office starting on 10/27/2004. On the 27th, the workshop will be "Lap Around Smart Client with Visual Studio 2005". I'm told that Jay Skelly and Stephen Fulcher will be doing the presentation. On the 28th, the workshop will be "ASP.NET 2.0 Unveiled". I'm not sure who will be presenting on that day.

I will be attending the workshop on the 27th. I won't be able to attend the other one because I will be at Sharepoint training.

I'm unsure if you have to register for the event. I've emailed David Waddleton to find out but he hasn't responded.

Update: You do have to register for the event.

10-27 Lap around Smart Client with Visual Studio 2005 302114
10-28 ASP.NET 2.0 Unveiled 302115

Studying for another exam....

2004-10-22T06:36:00.000-06:00

Well I've been studying for another exam. Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment (70-290). I need a server exam to get my MCDBA.

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm getting this certification now when I will just have to upgrade it next year. To be honest, I'm bored.

I'm still doing nothing at McDermott. We have now been turned into a help desk. We wait for an email or a phone to ring. I did spend two days for two weeks in New Orleans determining how the Technical Services folks were doing on implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley objectives. But I'm back at the desk now.

I've purchased Exam Cram 2 Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment to help me study. The content is excellent and to the point. I was very disappointed in the PrepLogic practice exam CD though. Apparently I have to go online and purchase the full version of the practice test.

Hopefully I will be able to take the next next week. I was hoping to install a Windows 2003 server on my desktop at home this weekend but it's looking like I won't have time for that.

Finished...Finally!!!!

2004-10-04T07:33:00.000-06:00

I'm done with The Dark Tower....850 pages! This book could easily have been 3 books. And as for the ending...it was very weak. I REAL let down. After reading all those books and for THAT to happen.

You HAVE to read it if you've invested the time to read the others. Jeez, it's the last book. You HAVE to.

King loves Susannah because she's got a lot of focus in this book like the last one. Personally, she was my least favorite character. And what she does in the end of this one just proves me to there is no reason to like her. She's a whiner, complainer, and all about herself.

I'm glad it's over. I'm tired.

Stephen King - Dark Tower Series

2004-09-27T12:23:00.000-06:00

Whooo hooo. Book 7 - The Dark Tower is out! It has 864 pages! I'm about 200 pages into it.

I wasn't happy with Book 6 - Song of Susannah and where King took the story. But I've read all six up to this point so I might as well read the last one and find out if Roland gets to the tower and does what he has to do!

So far it's pretty good. Usually I can sit and read one in a weekend but this one I'm going to savor since it's the last one.

Expert C# Business Objects - a review

2004-09-17T12:59:00.000-06:00

This book is an in-depth explanation of Lhotka's CSLA .NET framework. It starts out by showing you how the framework was built. Then it shows you how to use it. A beginner should not read this book. It's very technical. I'm not a beginner but I'm also not an expert and there were points where I just gave up on understanding how he built the framework. As I gain more .NET experience, I plan to go back and read the first part of the book again.

I've been desperately look for a C# book that discussed a 3-tier architecture and how it should be applied in .NET. This book does show you how it can be done but it's very complicated.

In reading this book, I've gained a good understanding of what can be accomplished by using a well thought out framework. Am I using it? No. I got too confused trying to implement it. That doesn't mean I don't want to useit. It just means that my experience level at the moment is holding me back.

Nobody ever told me about DataView!

2004-09-15T12:04:00.000-06:00

As you know I finished the DAL. Well guess what. You can't sort or filter data in a DataSet.

So what I'm doing is passing the DataSet to my BOL and creating the DataView from there. I haven't had much time to work on it so I don't know if this will work. I'm not sure what the Best Practice is either. I'm still researching it. At this point, I'm trying to be consistent about what the DAL sends to the BOL.

Argh....

Using ADO.NET to UPDATE VFP tables

2004-09-10T14:17:00.000-06:00

Using ADP.NET to update to VFP tables is not an easy task. Finding help on the subject is even harder. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but this is what I came up with.

First, I decided to use GOTDOTNET's Data Application Block. I did this because I'm eventually going to convert the tables to SQL Server. In theory, by using their data application block, I will only have to make changes to my configuration file.

I wanted to include all the code but the formatting gets all screwed up. So I will just put in the more important pieces. If you are really struggling, just email me and I will send you the code. Also, the point here is not to show you how to use the Application Block so I won't go into how working with it.

My constructor start out with:

helper = GetAdoHelper();
cs = GetConnectionString();

First, I wanted to try to retrieve all customers from the CUSTOMER table. I created a method named GETALLCUSTOMERS.

DataSet ds = new DataSet();
helper.FillDataset( cs, CommandType.Text,
"Select * from Customer", ds, new string[] { "Customers" } );
return ds;

This was very simple. Just create a variable to hold the dataset. And then use the helper to fill the dataset. "helper" is the code calls GOTDOTNET's ADOHELPER.

My next task was to try to find a customer. I created a method called FINDCUSTOMER.

DataSet ds = new DataSet();
helper.FillDataset( cs, CommandType.Text,
"Select * from Customer Where cust_id = " + customernumber, ds,
new string[] {"Customers"} );
return ds;

This turned out to be another very simple task.

The last thing on my list was to save changes to the customer table. I created a method named SAVECUSTOMERS.

First, get the changes that were made to the dataset.

DataSet tempDataSet = custds.GetChanges();

Then do some checking to see if the temporary dataset is null and if it doesn't have errors.

if(tempDataSet!=null)

if(!tempDataSet.HasErrors)

If it passed the conditions then you can update the table.

helper.UpdateDataset(insertCMD,deleteCMD,updateCMD,tempDataSet,"Customers");
custds.AcceptChanges();

Now you ask where did insertCMD,deleteCMD,updateCMD come from. This was the hard part.

Start by defining your SQL statements. I ended up put these in the constructor.

deleteSQL = "DELETE FROM Customer WHERE cust_id = ?";

updateSQL = "UPDATE customer SET last_name = ? WHERE cust_id = ?";

insertSQL = "INSERT INTO customer (cust_id,last_name,first_name,";
insertSQL += "address_1,address_2,city,state,zip,home_phone,work_phone) VALUES ";
insertSQL += "(?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)";

Now create the command. I also put this in the constructor.

insertCMD = helper.CreateCommand(cs,insertSQL,CommandType.Text,null);
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.Decimal,10,"cust_id"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,30,"last_name"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,20,"first_name"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,30,"address_1"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,30,"address_2"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,30,"city"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar, 2,"state"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,10,"zip"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,14,"home_phone"));
insertCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,14,"work_phone"));

updateCMD = helper.CreateCommand(cs,updateSQL,CommandType.Text,null);
updateCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.VarChar,30,"last_name"));
updateCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.Decimal,10,"cust_id"));

deleteCMD = helper.CreateCommand(cs,deleteSQL,CommandType.Text,null);
deleteCMD.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter("?",OleDbType.Decimal,10,"cust_id"));

I did find out that "Numeric" in VFP is linked to Decimal in ADO.NET. Out of pure laziness, I didn't put all the fields in the UPDATE SQL statement. I started to update it but I know this code works and I didn't want to put code out there that doesn't work.

Here are the variables assigned in the class.

private string updateSQL;
private string insertSQL;
private string deleteSQL;
private IDbCommand updateCMD;
private IDbCommand insertCMD;
private IDbCommand deleteCMD;
private AdoHelper helper;
private string cs;

Oh and here is my using section:

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.OleDb;
using GotDotNet.ApplicationBlocks.Data;

This took several days to put together but it's passed my NUnit testing and works from a DATAGRID. I can't believe it has to be this hard. I kept wishing I could use GATHER!!!!

Again, if you want to see ALL the code just email me and I will send it to you. If I can figure out a way to post it I will.

Long Time No Blog

2004-08-23T18:35:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately I haven't been doing any studying or programming. Or even reading blogs! Everything has been Sarbanes-Oxley. I'll get back to it soon...I hope.

Eric Gunnerson moves on...

2004-08-15T06:58:00.000-06:00

Eric's blog is one that I follow. It always has good material on it. He does say that he will still be putting out C# tips on his blog.

New Job!

2004-08-13T12:34:00.000-06:00

Well I started on Thursday! What an awesome place! Everyone has been so nice and helpful. Plus the company meeting at Jillian's was really cool.

Currently, I'm "on the beach". Which means that I'm not on a job site or doing work for a client. I will be going out to the client site on Monday.

Since I've been "on the beach", I've had some time to read another chapter in Expert C# Business Objects. Another tough chapter! I have to admit that I'm struggling with the concepts but hopefully it will make sense to me at some point. I do believe it is a must read for anyone who develops applications.

New Job Update

2004-08-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

It looks like I will be starting next Monday with Software Architects. I will have the title of Senior Consultant. I will be assigned to a team as Business Analyst/Technical Lead. They need someone who is familiar with older Microsoft technologies to help with any difficulties porting the old applications into .NET. It also gives them a chance to get me up-to-speed with .NET. The location is great too! It's in my "zone"!

I'm officially on my way into the world of .NET!!!!

Expert C# Business Objects

2004-08-09T09:56:00.000-06:00

I've started reading Expert C# Business Objects by Rockford Lhotka.

Technically it's what I was looking for. It's really diving into n-tier architecture. It just blows my mind all the "stuff" in .NET. Where do people find it all????

As far as reading material, it's a very dry read. It's purely technical. I'm finding it a very slow read, but that could be because I'm so new to the technology.

But if you looking for a book to show you how to use C# to build n-tier applications, then this is the book you are looking for. And perhaps the only book out there.

Rockford Lhotka will be speaking this week at the Austin .NET User's Group meeting. I really wish he was speaking here in Houston!!!!

The BIGGER Answer

2004-08-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

I didn't contact them. Guess what...they contacted me today! I got a job offer! I'm supposed to go see them Monday morning to discuss everything!

Whooooo hooooo!!!!! I'm going to be employed again! No more scrimping! And it's with the company I wanted to work for...Software Architects! They try to stay on the leading edge of technology! I sure don't want to get left behind again!

Wow, I think I need to celebrate!

The BIG Question

2004-08-06T06:45:00.000-06:00

I still have heard anything from Software Architects. My last interview was last Wednesday. That was over a week and a half ago. I can't decide if I should call them and ask if I'm still being considered. One would think that if you had an actual interview they would call you in either case.

I really want this job. I really want to became proficient in C#. I'm starting the C# SIG. That should show my dedication to learning the language.

Job hunting really sucks....

n-tier development

2004-08-05T18:56:00.000-06:00

I'm on a quest to find examples of n-tier development. Can you believe I've only found one example! Karim Hyatt has written a three part series N-Tier Application Development with Microsoft .NET. Part 1 explains what n-tier architecture is and how it works. Part 2 actually gives you code to show you how to do it. Part 3 goes into the data layer and gives you a link to the source code.

I will be using GotDotNet's Data Access Application Block so I don't think part 3 will fit into my scenario.

If anyone knows of other n-tier articles or books that actually show examples please comment!

BlogJet

2004-08-03T06:57:00.000-06:00

David Waddleton posted about a cool tool he's using to blog so I thought I would try it out.

I have to try some bullets since that really messed me up before.
And a link...BlogJet
My provider won't let me use pictures or audio files so I can't test those features.

The install was easier than Visual Blogger...but Visual Blogger is only in beta. And it actually posts your blog correctly!

Update: It posted perfectly. And it even let me edit my post! VERY VERY COOL.

Books...

2004-08-02T08:24:00.000-06:00

I got bored this weekend so I decided to go to Borders to peruse C# books. I picked up to books and headed to the couch. The first book was Windows Forms Programming in C# by Chris Sells. I knew this book had an average of 5 stars by around 50 reviewers. The second book was Microsoft Visual C# .NET Step by Step—Version 2003 by Jon Jagger and John Sharp.

I first compared their explanation on delegates. Sells book just confused me even more. The Microsoft book actually opened my eyes a little. It’s a complicated subject and it did a good job and making it simple. Can I explain delegates to you now? Well, it’s basically a type that references a method inside another class.

I went on to other subjects and found that the Microsoft book was actually pretty good. At the end of the book it even included topics that are in C# 2.0. I’m surprised it only has 3½ stars. After reading the reviews it looks like reviewers had confused this C# book with an identical C++ book. The reviewers were referencing C++. I thought C++ programmers paid better attention to details!

I would have liked to have bought the book to work through the exercises. But since I’m on a budget I had to pass. Hopefully my APRESS books will show up this week. I think I will send that guy and email and ask him when I should be receiving the books.

Visual Blogger 2004

2004-07-31T12:36:00.000-06:00

I thought I would try Visual Blogger 2004. It is still in BETA so I can't really complain about it. It give you a MS Word interface for entering a blog. And a simple way to publish to multiple blogs at one time. My last entry was done with Visual Blogger but I had to go back in and edit it to make it look right. I'm supposed to be able to insert code snippets so I guess I will see how that goes in the future.

Update: I had to go in a edit this one too. When I viewed my blog it wasn't showing the link as an actual link. Also the formatting was messed up. I will be sending some feedback to the developers.

Houston Beginning C# SIG

2004-07-31T12:21:00.000-06:00

I asked Jay Sawyer yesterday if he knew if the Houston DotNet User's Group would be starting a C# SIG. He sent my message to Ben Levy, the HDNUG President, he said the following:

I think a HDNUG C# SIG would be great. The HAL-PC one has been going for quite some time and they are going to be discussing
advanced topics.
All we need is someone to start one up. HDNUG will support the SIG as much as it can.
Hey .. how about .. you. You can be the leader of the C# sig. I know J is laughing about now, because he could see this coming. Seriously though, I am sure many members would be interested in this.

I responded by saying that I have no C# experience. Jay came back and said that I would know what a beginner needs to get rolling with C#. As a SIG leader, I really only need organization and leadership skills.

So I said yes. It can't hurt anything. I'm not working right now so my time isn't an issue.

I'm not much for standing in front of a group and talking so I guess I will be learning C# and learning how to stand in front of a group without making a fool of myself.

So if you're in Houston and are looking for a place to learn C#, keep an out out for the new HDNUG Beginning C# SIG.

Technical Interview

2004-07-29T08:20:00.000-06:00

I had my technical interview with Software Architects yesterday. I don't think it went very well. I'm so used to being an expert in my field and to sit there and struggle with technical questions was just plain frustrating.

I guess I need to quit futzing with the architecture on the Invoice It! application and start coding the business objects. There is no way I'm going to get it perfect the first time so I just might as well take what I have and just dive in.

Do you note a bit of frustration in my words??????

Lots of stuff...

2004-07-23T20:32:00.000-06:00

Whooo hoooo! I've started the design on Invoice It!. Invoice It! is software that I wrote in FoxPro to run my brother's air conditioning business (Middleton Air Conditioning).

I've done the problem statement and the use case diagram. I'm using Visio Architect to do the diagrams. I'm finding it very confusing. I'm seeing a UML book in my future.

Speaking of books, I received a newsletter from APRESS that said if a person reviews a book for them then that person will receive three books of their choice (Apress books) for free. Since I had finished Beginning C# Objects, I sent them the review. With in minutes I received an email recommending books and to let them know which three books I wanted! VERY COOL.

Here are the books I picked out:

Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 E-Commerce, by Cristian Darie and Karli Watson

Expert C# Business Objects, by Rockford Lhotka

Expert Service-Oriented Architecture In C#: Using the Web Services Enhancements 2.0, by Jeffery Hasan

Lastly, my computer has been completely reinstalled. I set lots of restore points! I also installed Virtual PC 2004. I've loaded up an XP environment and have loaded Whidbey onto it. It seems to be running! I definitely need to get more memory if I'm going to be running Virtual PC!

Beginning C# Objects

2004-07-22T14:50:00.000-06:00

This is an outstanding book on C# objects!

The book is broken into three parts. Part One gives you the ABC’s of objects. Part Two discusses object modeling. Part Three translates a UML “Blueprint” into C# code.

Part One is by far the best section in the book. I can honestly say I understand basic C# syntax and how objects are applied in C#. It flows very smoothly and makes learning C# very easy.

Part Two is a good introduction to UML. If you want to get into architecture, this is a good start but you will definitely more.

Part Three takes the “blueprint” that was built in Part Two and builds the application. The first chapter of Part Three is over 100 pages of a more advanced looked at C#. Chapter 15 goes into file persistence. It was nicely laid out but I wish they had used a database instead of ASCII files. Chapter 16 ties the GUI to the business object. Personally, I think this chapter should have had a little more meat.

This book definitely gets 5 stars and if anyone ever tells me they don’t understand OOP or C#, I will tell them to read this book.

Computer Problems

2004-07-20T20:07:00.000-06:00

Well I decided to run an update on the XP installation today. My DVD wouldn't read the disk. Also my wireless isn't working. So I put the DVD in my desktop and ran the installation over the network.

So did it work. No! My wireless still isn't working. And my DVD will write but it won't verify.

I've backed up all important information to my desktop and will reformat and reinstall XP Professional.

I should have never installed XP SP2 RC1!!!!!!

Visual Studio 2005 Beta

2004-07-19T14:28:00.000-06:00

I downloaded it yesterday (yes, it took all day). I've tried installing it twice and I get the following error (after about 30 minutes):

Error 1935. An error occurred during the installation of assembly 'Microsoft.VC80.MFCLOC,processorArchitecture="x86", publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b", version="8.00.0.0",type="win32"'. Please refer to Help and Support for more information. HRESULT: 0x80070091.

I went out to the VS 2005 site and looked at some posts and it looks like it might be happening because I have XP SP2 RC1 installed. What a pain. Guess I will uninstall SP2. It did say that it would be fixed when SP2 is offically released. But it didn't say when that would be.

Interview today...

2004-07-19T14:25:00.000-06:00

I think I had a great interview. But it doesn't matter what I think, it's what they think!

I can actually see myself working there. I'm probably jinxing myself but I don't care. I want this job. It's a perfect fit!

Where have I been?

2004-07-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

I've really gotten caught up in the latest book I'm reading! "Beginning C# Objects" I've learned so much!!! I'm about half way through it now.

But, Friday morning I went out to mow the yard and my lawn mower decided it wasn't going to propel itself again. I've spent enough money trying to get it fixed so I called my sister and they will let me use theirs. They received a riding lawn mower from my Mom when she went into assisted living a few months ago. So they aren't using it.

So I went to San Marcos, TX Friday afternoon and came back late on Saturday...with the mower!

Lynn Evans, a former supervisor and mentor, asked me to review a proposal he's presenting this week. So I spent some time reviewing his documents.

I have another interview tomorrow morning. It's with Software Architects. I really like what I see on their website. They really seem to want their employee's to be happy.

I better get "studied" up on SARK...

THE Job Interview

2004-07-14T11:27:00.000-06:00

I really should kick myself for being such an honest person! I just couldn't stand it anymore. I finally said, "It really looks like you want someone with more experience. I only have three months of C#". I probably could have kept my mouth shut and just let them hire me. They kept talking about escalating issues to me. Jeez, I'm barely getting by on the basics!

I guess I've been burned by hiring someone who "talked" good but when they started to work they didn't know what they were doing. I just couldn't do it!!!!

They did say that there would be another position in a couple of months that won't need to have as much experience. That could have been a line but at least I feel like I did the right thing.

I was just reading an artile by Eric Sink on the Hazards Of Hiring. One thing he talks about is "Look for Self-Awareness". Is this person capable of learning? Is this person moving forward? I feel that while I was at Traver/ADP, I had definitely stagnated. But I'm on the band-wagon now! I can't seem to get enough information now! I love c# too!

I really hope I can get a job with a company that promotes learning.

Job Interview Tomorrow

2004-07-13T18:02:00.000-06:00

I've got a job interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Another book...

2004-07-13T18:01:00.000-06:00

I've started another book. Beginning C# Objects

NUnit

2004-07-13T17:58:00.000-06:00

I love NUnit! I don't understand why there isn't more information on NUnit. It's great! I could have kept me from getting into SO much trouble! There is a Microsoft Webcast coming up this month on it. WATCH IT! Here is a good article.

Extreme Programming Adventures in C#

2004-07-10T19:05:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm up to Chapter 6. I like the text but the code is not accurate! The code in Chapter 5 seems to have been pulled at a later date. There is also a method that disappears and then reappears in another chapter.

The idea for the book is excellent! Here's a guy that doesn't know C# or .NET and is trying to provide an application for a customer (which in this case happens to be himself). So we are basically learning as he learns.

In doing all this he shows us his extreme programming methods. I'm not sure I agree with all the refactoring he's doing. Sure it needs to be done but just THINK a little before you write. He does state that since this is his first C# program that it is much worse than it would normally be. We also learn about NUnit and the testing framework.

I've learned how to use NUnit two ways now. One way is to update the debug configuration on the project and when you hit "F5" it runs the NUnit GUI. The other way is to do a build (CTRL+SHIFT+B) and then open NUnit (it could already be open) and your test methods will show up. VERY SWEET!

In my last job they had me so rushed that I never did full regression testing. This would have been great for that. So many problems could have been caught so easily!

The other nice feature of using NUnit that is pointed out in the book is that when experimenting, use NUnit. Then all your experimenting is saved and you can always go back to it. I can remember doing all sorts of stuff in FoxPro's command window and then wonder later how I got where I did. NUnit would have been great.

I went out to the author's website to see if there was an update for the code in the book. There was an article that touched on what I was looking for. Apparently there was Amazon reviewer that had difficulty building the application from the final files provided. Jeffries states that "his expectation was for people to follow along in the building of the code, not for them to build the application from the existing source". He hadn't even intended to provide the source files until Microsoft asked him to. So apparently the code provided doesn't work AND if you follow along in the book (from my experience), that code doesn't work either.

I like the format of the book and the topic. I wish someone had actually tried to go through the code before it was published. Basically do some BUnit Testing (Book Unit)!

7/13/04
I've placed a review on Amazon and I've submitted a review to the Houston .NET users group. If you get a book from the raffle they like you to review it.

HDNUG meeting

2004-07-09T16:32:00.000-06:00

I attended my second Houston Dot Net Users Group meeting last night. I didn't enjoy the first meeting much because the topic was way over my head. But this meeting was great!

The Tips & Tricks part was on the DataGrid. There were computer issues so we didn't get to "see" much.

The Borland guy didn't show up so they asked one of the Microsoft guys to do a presentation. It was on testing using NUnit. Now I finally understand what Lynn used to refer to as "TestIt" methods! This is definitely the way to program.

I had bought $10 worth of raffle tickets and they actually pulled one of my numbers! I had already decided which one I wanted. But my number was pulled about 1/2 way through so I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get it. When I got up there I saw a guy holding two books and one of them was the one I wanted. I looked to see what else was left and my second choice was scooped up before I could grab it. I asked the guy if he had decided and he said no. I told him I REALLY wanted the Extreme Programming book. The funny thing was that he was hold a VB Reference book and a C# book (mine). Fortunately he gave up MINE!

The book is Extreme Programming Adventures in C# by Ron Jeffries. I'll comment on it when I'm done. So far, it's exactly what I've been looking for.

Data Features in "Whidbey"

2004-07-08T13:40:00.000-06:00

I'm impressed! MS finally got it right! Check out Robert Green's video!

MCSD thoughts

2004-07-08T13:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I passed! So now I'm officially an MCSD.

So what does this certification give me? Probably not much. It hasn't helped so far in getting a job. I have access to some sites on MSDN that non-certified folks don't have. I can use special logos and buy stuff from MS that have my certification on it. Does that make it worth it? Not really. But at least I can say I did something with my time while I was unemployed.

It did give me a good base understanding of .NET and SQL Server. But I don't consider myself an expert at programming in .NET. I know the theory behind .NET and what its potentional is.

If I was in a hiring position, would having a certification mean more to me? Yes. But only if they have some work experience to back up the certification.

70-299 - SQL Server 2000 Database Design & Implementation

2004-07-05T11:25:00.000-06:00

I think I'm finally starting to understand SQL Server. I've read the Microsoft book and been through he braindumps test twice. I've only found one thing that wasn't covered in the book. "CROSS JOIN". Fortunately, the braindumps provided an explanation.

I was having a lot of trouble trying to determine when to use a stored procedure or a function. The best I seem to be able to come up with is that a stored procedure is always preferable. But if it has to be used in a SELECT list then you HAVE to use a scalar UDF.

I also think I understand why SQL DBA's would laugh when I said I used FoxPro. SQL is very extensive. T-SQL is just plain confusing! No wonder they have to pay DBA's so much. There will be a great feature but once to read into it, you find out that you can only use it if it meets 10 or 12 qualifications! Why even put the feature in there! I am referring to "cursors".

I'm scheduled to take the exam tomorrow at 10am. If I pass I will be an MCSD! Then I have my interview with DataJuice at 1pm. They are looking for an MCSD so I BETTER PASS!!!!

Update on SmartCertify Certification Study

2004-07-02T18:52:00.000-06:00

Well I finished all the course work for 70-299. I took all the unit tests. I didn't get a 100% on the first try on each unit test but I did eventually get there. I took the prep test and it took me 6 tries to get over 70%! There was material on the prep test that wasn't covered in the course work! So I thought I would check the Trandrumper test and see how I would do. After 20 questions I gave up! I had to just plain guess at over half the questions!

So I emailed and then talked with customer service. At first they thought it was something wrong with my computer. WHAT! I can't pass a test because something is wrong with my computer? Then they said that I finished it way too fast so there was no way I went through all the material. Right! I have done nothing but study for this test. I carefully went through each unit and took the unit test like I was supposed to. I'm not working so ALL my time was devoted to this. Then he says that they work hard to make sure the test material is covered in the course work. HA! I told them I wanted my money back!

But I had signed a contract. Just great. I'm eventually told that if I read the contract it says that if I fail two "official" tests within 120 days I can get my money back. So here is how it works. I have to go take a test. Fail. Wait 5 days (although Microsoft makes you wait 7 days) and fail the test again. I will send them the confirmation of my failures and they will let me out of the contract. So I have to pay the $125 to VUE, twice. Then I can get my $2000 back. What the heck is wrong with THAT picture! I said, "why can't I just give you the $250 and you let me out of the contract?" That just wouldn't do. What a bunch of idiots!

So I decided that I would take the MS Word Core test for $80. I did the course work and failed my first exam today! And that wasn't an easy task! It's hard to screw up previewing a document in MS Word!

So I'm back to studying the 70-229 book. There is definitely material in the book that wasn't online with SmartCertify.

I have a job interview on Tuesday afternoon. They want an MCSD so I signed up to take the 70-229 test on Tuesday morning. By the time I get to the interview I should be an MCSD!

DON'T USE SMARTCERTIFY!!! (unless it's free!...still read the book if you want to pass!)

What is Visual C# Express?????

2004-07-01T17:56:00.000-06:00

If you're a true die hard developer you wont' be using Express. See Luke's Blog.

It's just a scaled down version of C# in VS .NET 2005. If you are just doing Windows development and can't afford the full VS .NET 2005 package then start with Express.

But if you need SQL Server or Web Development tools, then you just need to bite the bullet and get the full version.

There sure has been a whole lot of hype over this and it isn't that big of a deal.

SQL Server Express is a big deal but that's about it.

Visual Studio 2005 Express Beta Products

2004-06-29T10:25:00.000-06:00

Wow! The blogs were full of VS 2005 Express information! I just had to go check it out!

I downloaded the Visual C# 2005 Express product. My system hung trying to install it so I had to go into add/remove programs to repair it. Once I repaired it I opened it. It took forever. It does seem that it was just a one time deal though. Subsequent openings have been fast.

Hopefully I will get some time to play with it a little and see if it will be useful to me or if I'm beyond what it can do for me.

Well back to studying!

Certifications - Update

2004-06-28T09:19:00.000-06:00

I had purchased the ProTech CBT and now I wish that I hadn't! I have left about 5 messages (via phone) with no response! And leaving a message has been a nightmare! If I go to sales it says the mailbox is full. If I go to customer server it says the mailbox is full. The only way I've been able to leave a message is by going back to the operator (automated operator...not a real person) and leave a message there.

I've sent three emails to them and today I have finally received a response. After a week!!!! I'm sending the product back unopened.

I have signed up with SmartCertify which is an online CBT program. It is expensive but they did give me a scholorship and have given me access to their complete CBT library...not just the MCDBA. I will have access for one year. I've also been able to finance the cost. So I didn't have to eat up my credit limit on my credit card.

So far, I love it! You don't have to use it online; you can download the courses. I've done it both ways and it works well. It's expensive but since I've got access to their library for I year I will easily be able to update my MCDBA when Yukon comes out.

SQL Server 2000

2004-06-28T08:47:00.000-06:00

I'm currently studying for the 70-229 exam. It's MS SQL Server 2000 Database Implementation. I have found out some amazing facts!

It stores information in pages. It will use 8kb per page. When it runs out of room on a page, it creates another page. It does something very similar with index. For a non-clustered index, it creates pages with the data that forms the index. You can specifiy a FILLFACTOR to determine if you want to leave extra space on a page for inserts. It speeds up indexing.

What is amazing to me is how much control you have over the physical part of the database. I always used to wonder why there was a need for a DBA. Well, that's because of all the "tuning" required. I'm not sure how VFP handled it but we certainly weren't able to "tune" anything. The most we could do was reindex or rebuild the indexes.

Reflection?????

2004-06-18T16:46:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you know it! Reflection is about "TYPE"!!!! Argh!

For the longest time FoxPro never even cared what your variables were! You didn't even have to tell it whether it was private or public!

Now in the C# world, EVERYTHING seems to be about type!

.NET reflection is a powerful mechanism which not only allows you to inspect type information but also allows you to invoke methods on those types at runtime.

In simple terms, "reflection" is like an object browser. At least that's what I've been able to get from my readings.

Certifications

2004-06-17T15:29:00.000-06:00

I lost my job in late March and since then I've been working on my Microsoft certifications (as well as learning C#). I went to IT-Centers in April for a 7 day boot camp to get my MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer). When I say boot camp, I mean BOOT CAMP! I was averaging about 4 hours a sleep a night. There was lots of studying and labs! But it was definitely worth it. I got a great education in .NET and what it can do.

After returning from boot camp I continued my studies and have since passed my 70-300 exam. I am now one test away from my MCSD(Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer). My final exam will be an elective. I've chosen to take 70-229 (Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 Enterprise Edition). I've purchased MS SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implemention. It's a self-paced book to study for the exam.

All this SQL Server stuff is new to me since I've been using FoxPro exclusively for the last 15 years. So I'm thinking I need more than the book to help me study. The boot camp was extremely helpful in getting all the concepts in my head in such a quick period of time. I would like to take another boot camp but since I'm still unemployed I feel I shouldn't spend that kind of money again. So I've been looking at CBT programs. I figure that I will get a CBT decicated to the MCDBA since I will only need two more tests to get my MCDBA after I receive my MCSD. I've narrowed it down to two CBT's that I can afford.

The first is:

TurboCert - $189 (until June 19th) (reg $378)

The second is:

Pro Tech Diagnostics - $299 (on sale) (reg $799)

The better deal is definitely Pro Tech, but do I really need to spend that much money when I'm not making any? It has 190 hours of CBT training and TurboCert has 38 hours of training. Seems like a no brainer doesn't it. But when you have no income, I really have to think about that extra $100 that I'm spending.

I also want to mention that both of these courses are MCDBA 2003. Meaning that the Windows Network core exam will be on Windows 2003.

I shouldn't take any shortcuts on getting these certifications. I will go with ProTech. I will get a job soon enough.

Generics - What's the big deal?

2004-06-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

I still don't see what the big deal is with generics!

I can see that there will be a performance boost and there will be code reduction. But I guess I don't see why this is anything new.

After thinking about it, this must come from my FoxPro background. It isn't so hung up on "type". In the C# world, everything seems to be about "type". There is "boxing" and "casting". Now Generics! Someone at Microsoft must have a "type" complex!

So with generics we are given "type-safe" classes. We don't loose type safety, performance, or productivity.

In a nutshell, generics allow programers to program without worrying about "type"!

Here is another great introduction article!

Why this blog?

2004-06-16T20:49:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about doing this for some time. I've had so much trouble finding information on C# that a newbie could actually understand. So what I plan to do here is add a blog explaining in detail problems I'm having and how I've solved them.

For instance, I've seen so much about the new "generics" in VS.NET 2005. After searching and searching, I finally found an article that explained it in a way that I could understand it.

I've been a FoxPro programmer for 15 years. So OOP is not new to new. What IS new for me is the syntax and "buzz" words.