Archive for Software Development
Snippet Designed for VS 2008 and VS 2010
Posted by: | CommentsI love code snippets. Way back in the early VB days, I created add-ins for the IDE that allowed me to create and save an array of short snippets of code and automatically insert them into the code window. I like to use snippets for things that I either don’t use often enough to remember, or to quickly enter templates for things I use a lot to save time. Visual Studio .Net has a Snippet Manager and lets you create snippets in XML, but there is no built-in editor. There are a couple of editors available, some stand-alone and at least one called Snippet Designer that is integrated into the IDE. Read More→
Create Singleton in C#
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the most basic and most useful object patterns is the Singleton design pattern. A Singleton is a class of which there will only be one instance created at any time. All users of the Singleton class will all use the same instance. This is great for a wide range of applications such as cached values and lookups or utilities that execute quickly. The Design Patterns book by Gamma et al . describes the structure of a basic Singleton. We’ll describe how to create one in C#.
What is an open web?
Posted by: | CommentsThe following challenge was on my Firefox homepage today:
Creating an open web is at the heart of the Mozilla project. And you’re a part of that. As one of thousands of people in the project, you have worked tirelessly to keep the Internet open, participatory and full of life.
The question is: why? Why do you participate? Why does the open web matter so much to you?
As we work to grow the Mozilla community, we want to explain what you’re feeling to everyone — your neighbours, your co-workers, your grandparents. We want them to understand the open web.
I just shared my definition of what an Open Web means to me. Why don’t you share yours?
http://mozilla.org/open
#mozopen
Click read more to see my response
Java vs. .Net – Another Blast From the Past
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s another ancient article I wrote that I recently reread. It is interesting to see what has changed since this was first published on SearchSOA almost 8 years ago (see link at end of article). There are also many things that have not changed in those years. Companies continue to be faced with the question of what technology platform to choose for their Line of Business (LOB) applications. Often decisions are made based on criteria that have not been properly matched to business objectives. Sometimes the result is that the new technology platform is abandoned in the not so distant future, with a corresponding loss of investment dollars.
With a Just Enough Technology approach, a company evaluates technology against its core problem or objectives. I work with business and technology leaders within a company to define their true objectives and then weigh the technology decisions with their business objectives as the main criteria. Read through this article on choosing between the Java and Microsoft platforms. Both technologies have evolved quite a bit since this was first published, but some of the core arguments remain to this day.
Windows 7 God Mode
Posted by: | CommentsJust found a little tip / secret for Windows 7 that’s been making the rounds on the Internet. It enables “GodMode” – a term created by the Windows 7 development team. This secret “mode” provides a single place to access all the important Windows settings without having to drill down through a multitude of menus and folders in Control Panel. This tip is one of my favorites.
Here’s how to do it:
- Create a new folder.
- Rename the folder to GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}(note that you can change the “GodMode” text, but the following period and code number are essential).
- The folder icon will change to — double click it to show the GodMode window.
Another Security Breach
Posted by: | CommentsFrom InternetNews.com :
Hundreds of thousands of BlueCross customers are in for a scare. This week, the insurance company is sending out notifications to its customers fessing up to a significant data breach that saw a thief make off with 57 hard drives from a call center in Tennessee.
The hard drives contained encoded — but not encrypted – records of phone calls and video files containing sensitive patient information. eSecurity Planet has the details on the breach.
Windows Azure Now Available
Posted by: | CommentsMicrosoft’s Windows Azure and SQL Azure cloud services are now generally available with full SLAs. This ends the free test period for those who signed up last month. This is a key release milestone for Microsoft. Azure has been in development for several years and in beta since late 2008. From the Azure team blog:
Starting today, customers and partners in countries across the globe will be able to launch their Windows Azure and SQL Azure production applications and services with the support of the full Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The Windows Azure platform AppFabric Service Bus and Access Control will continue to be free until April 2010 for those that sign up for a commercial subscription. Additionally Microsoft codename “Dallas” will continue to be in a free CTP.
Why Just Enough Technology?
Posted by: | CommentsJust Enough Technology means providing the right technology to solve the right problem at the right cost. Not too much, not too little. The objectives of the business must be prioritized and kept in mind from concept to design to implementation to maintenance. Every decision made along the way must map to a business objective. Every software requirement must map to a business objective. This is the foundation of Just Enough Technology – clear and concise business objectives. Those objectives drive the requirements, and the requirements drive the design and implementation.
This is how I ended a short article about Just Enough Technology a while back. I’ve reproduced here for your reading pleasure. Differing opinions are invited 
Enable Joins WebSiteSpark
Posted by: | Comments
1/12/2010 – Today Enable Web Technologies has been selected to join the Microsoft WebSiteSpark program. Enable Web Technologies (www.enablewebtech.com) is the consulting company owned by myself and Victoria, my wife. We recently joined the Microsoft WebSiteSpark program.
Is Software Engineering Dead?
Posted by: | CommentsA new article by Tom Demarco states: I’m gradually coming to the conclusion that software engineering is an idea whose time has come and gone. I still believe it makes excellent sense to engineer software. But that isn’t exactly what software engineering has come to mean. Read More→
