World of .NET

TECHNICAL SEGMENT - Visual Studio Visualizers

In this segment, we discuss Visual Studio Visualizers, a dialog box or other interface to display appropriate types in a meaningful way.

Default visualizers

Out of the box, Visual Studio provides the following visualizers:
- Text
- HTML
- XML visualizer
- Dataset visualizer (Dataset, DataTable and DataView objects.)

3rd party visualizers

Some useful 3rd party visualizers include Mole, Xml Visualizer, and Zeta Color Visualizer

To deploy/install 3rd party visualizers, copy the .DLL(s) to one of the following directories:
\Install path\Microsoft Visual Studio 9\Common7\Packages\Debugger\Visualizers\
—or—
\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Visualizers\

DEV TIP - Debug Types

Although the ASP.NET worker process (aspnet_wp.exe) defaults to Automatic: T-SQL code, Managed code debug types, you can change or add to the debug types by simply clicking on the [Select] button when attaching to the process. A handy usage would be debugging script.

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MSDN Webcast: BenkoTips Live and On Demand: Practical MVC with Jessy Houle (Level 200)

Please join Mike Benkovich, of Microsoft, and myself as we discuss Practical MVC on BenkoTips Live.

For more information and to register online, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/practicalmvcpresentation

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TECHNICAL SEGMENT –  jQuery

In this segment, we discuss jQuery, a JavaScript library with Microsoft backing, integrated into MVC and VS 2010.

jQuery and Visual Studio 2008:

To get up and running with jQuery, including IntelliSense, you need to first apply a Service Pack and also include a vsdoc JavaScript file that provides method/property/parameter information.

KB958502 - JScript Editor support for “-vsdoc.js” IntelliSense doc
Latest jQuery and vsdoc files
More information surrounding the vsdoc fix
Learning jQuery
jQuery Reference

TOOL TIP

Glimmer - Wizard style jQuery code generation for image sequencing, drop down menus, and animation.

DEV TIP

Coupling at the assembly level
The higher the coupling is, the more painful maintaining your application will be.

Metrics:
Afferent coupling - types that depend on your assebly
Efferent coupling - types inside your assembly that depend on outside assemblies

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Below are the show notes for the World of .NET podcast #6:

TECHNICAL SEGMENT (3 books and 3 blogs we recommend, also 2009 Reading lists)

• Head First Design Patterns
• Code Complete
• Write Great Code, Volume 2
• Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture

• Coding Horror
• Jeremy Miller
• Ayende Rahien
• Scott Hanselman
• ScottGu

• The Pragmatic Programmer
• Working Effectively with Legacy Code
• Release It!
• Applying Domain-Driven Design and Patterns
• Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ 2008
• Pro Silverlight 2 in C# 2008

TOOL TIP (Text Editors)

DEVELOPER TIP (Using XSD files when editing XML)

Using XSD files when editing XML files, allows for (type/case) validation and intellisense.

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Below are the show notes for the World of .NET podcast #5:

TECHNICAL SEGMENT (Keeping your Skillz sharp)

• Differentiate keeping skills sharp vs. career advancement
• Formal college/university education
• Books
• Magazines (MSDN Mag, ASP.Net Pro)
• Blogs (hanselman, .net rocks, create your own)
• Podcasts (hanselman, .net rocks, go outside of development (pauldotcom.com, twit)
• Technical training classes
• Technical training seminars/conventions
• Demoware, side projects
• Time commitment associated with keeping your skills sharp
• On-the-job learning

TOOL TIP (Fiddler)

DEVELOPER TIP (Track Active Item in Solution Explorer)

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