Are you Excited ? I am . Visual Studio 2008 RTM Released !

On November 19th Microsoft has released VS 2008 RTM which is available for download by MSDN subscribers.

To know more about the release visit Soma's Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/somasegar/archive/2007/11/19/visual-studio-2008-and-net-framework-3-5-shipped.aspx

You can download a free copy of Visual Web Developer 2008 from following site and try it out yourself.

http://www.microsoft.com/express/vwd/

To know more about what are the features VWD 2008 does not supports you can visit Mikhail's Blog.

http://blogs.msdn.com/mikhailarkhipov/archive/2006/06/26/647516.aspx

Also available is the Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Training kit. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=7602397 (120MB). This includes presentations, hands-on labs and demos -- and is designed to help you learn how to utilize the Visual Studio 2008 features and a variety of framework technologies including LINQ, C# 3.0, Visual Basic 9, WCF, WF, WPF, ASP.NET AJAX, VSTO, CardSpace, SilverLight, Mobile and Application Lifecycle Management.

There are lots of training materials on all the new features like Multi-targeting Support, LINQ, JavaScript Debugging and Intellisense, new CSS editor, WCF Support for RSS, JSON, POX and Partial Trust etc. are available in following path.

http://www.asp.net/downloads/vs2008/


Happy Learning.

F# : New generation Functional Programming Language from Microsoft

Functional programming is the best approach to solving many thorny computing problems,but pure FP isn’t suitable for general-purpose programming. So, FP languages have gradually embraced aspects of the imperative and OO paradigms, remaining true to the FP paradigm but incorporating features needed to easily write any kind of program. Some of the most popular functional languages, including OCaml, Haskell, Lisp, and Scheme, have traditionally been implemented using custom runtimes, which leads to problems such as lack of interoperability.

F# is a general-purpose programming language for .NET, a general-purpose runtime. F# smoothly integrates all three major programming paradigms.With F#, you can choose which ever paradigm works best to solve problems in the most effective way. You can do pure FP, if you’re a purist, but you can easily combine functional, imperative, and object-oriented styles in the same program and exploit the strengths of each paradigm. Like other typed functional languages, F# is strongly typed but also uses inferred typing, so programmers don’t need to spend time explicitly specifying types unless an ambiguity exists. Further, F# seamlessly integrates with the .NET Framework base class library (BCL).Using the BCL in F# is as simple as using it in C# or Visual Basic (and maybe even simpler).F# was modeled on Objective Caml (OCaml), a successful object-oriented FP language, and then tweaked and extended to mesh well technically and philosophically with .NET. It fully embraces .NET and enables users to do everything that .NET allows. The F# compiler can compile for all implementations of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI), it supports .NET generics without changing any code, and it even provides for inline Intermediate Language(IL) code. The F# compiler not only produces executables for any CLI but can also runon any environment that has a CLI, which means F# is not limited to Windows but can run on Linux, Apple Mac OS X, and OpenBSD. The F# compiler can be integrated into Visual Studio, supporting IntelliSense expression completion and automatic expression checking. It also gives tooltips to show what types have been inferred for expressions. Programmers often comment that this really helps bring the language to life.

F# was invented by Dr. Don Syme and is now the product of a small but highly dedicatedteam he heads at Microsoft Research (MSR) in Cambridge, England. However, F# is not just aresearch or academic language. It is used for a wide variety of real-world applications, whosenumber is growing rapidly.Although other FP languages run on .NET, F# has established itself as the de facto .NET functional programming language because of the quality of its implementation and its superb integration with .NET and Visual Studio.

To know more details on F# and to download visit the following site.

http://research.microsoft.com/fsharp/fsharp.aspx

Microsoft Releasing .NET as Shared Source

Microsoft has decided to open up the code for its .NET Framework, though not as an open source project. Microsoft is releasing it under a Shared Source license, specifically the Microsoft Reference License, that allows developers access to all the source code, but only to look, not to change it. Microsoft wants to be more open, but it wants control of its own specs, so this license allows it to be a little more open with the community, while retaining control.

This will definitely help developers in debugging their application.

ScotGu announced this in his blog

Read some thoughts on the change at Mary Jo Foley’s blog.

Software As Services Vs Software Plus Services

For decades companies develop there own software or purchase form vendors and run the applications in their own infrastructure. But things are changed now. Availability of high bandwidth network, powerful processors and inexpensive storage and increase in cost of maintenance changed the complete delivery model. Software as a Service is a new delivery model where companies pay not for owning the software itself but for using it. In the SaaS scenario, a software provider is responsible for its availability (maintenance, scalability, disaster recovery, etc.). That’s what the companies pay for.

Last few months Microsoft has being talking a lot about a new buzz "Software Plus services" in all of the major conferences like Microsoft partner's conference , MIX, TechEd .Actually it is not a new methodology. It has been used by many companies like Apple and Google for years. Microsoft is going to use the same strategy for the new lines of products like Microsoft Live, Microsoft Live CRM etc.So what software plus services is the delivery model where enterprises will have choice of including on-premises solutions and hosted solutions.

Jon DeVadoss, Director of Architecture Strategy Microsoft Corporation mentioned in one of the his keynote address that the notion of Software Plus Services is a convergence of software as a service (SaaS), service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web 2.0 technologies.

But if we change the software plus services to services plus software it changes the complete delivery model. Services plus software approach would put the software on the server, rather than the desktop, and much of the complexity with it.

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Vs ASP.NET Web services

When we discuss about WCF several question always comes to our mind that what is the difference betweens WCF and web services? What is the advantage of using WCF? Should I use WCF or web services?

It is not possible to compare WCF and web services as both are different ways of communication between client and server. Here are few major features provided by WCF.

• WCF is a new generation distributed technology which integrates all the other middle tier technologies like web services, COM +, Remoting, MSMQ and provides a unique development environment. It supports all the features supported by these technologies.
  
• WCF is a services which can be hosted in IIS Servers, Windows services, as well as stand alone applications like windows form application, console application and WPF application
  
• Using Datacontractserializer provided by WCF complex data types and private attributes can be serialized and pass across the boundary.
  
• Using WCF messages can be transmitted using various channels like HTTP, TCP, MSMQ, Named pipe etc.
  
• WCF application are easily configurable using configuration files and utilities
  
• WCF can be integrated with other technologies and has great interoperability.
  
  Here are few links to learn WCF.
  
  https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=68396
  http://wcf.netfx3.com/content/resources.aspx
  

ASP.NET Community Recognition Program

Microsoft has started ASP.NET Community Recognition Program to recognize people who are helping the asp.net community by answering questions,posting blog,writing articles etc.It is a pont based system.Each activity have a specific point.Based on point earned you will be part of Microsoft Hall of Fame.

Visual Studio 2005 SP1 Released

Microsoft has finally released Visual Studio 2005 SP1.Microsoft has provided around 70 improvemt in this release.

You can download it from following path

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/support/vs2005sp1/default.aspx

First CTP of "WPF/E" Released

WPF/E is a code name for a new Web presentation technology that is created to run on a variety of platforms. It enables the creation of rich, visually stunning and interactive experiences that can run everywhere: within browsers and on multiple devices and desktop operating systems (such as the Apple Macintosh). In consistency with WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), the presentation technology in Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (the Windows programming infrastructure), XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language) is the foundation of the "WPF/E" presentation capability.

To know more about WPF/E visit follwing site.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/bb188568.aspx

Microsoft AJAX Library : New Name for ASP 2.0 ATLAS

Microsoft has renamed the Asp.net 2.0 Atlas library as Microsoft AJAX Library and planning to release by end of this year. To read more about this exciting news visit the following blog by ScottGu.

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2006/09/11/_2200_Atlas_2200_-1.0-Naming-and-Roadmap.aspx

Microsoft filled case in Seattle court against "TestKing"

Microsoft filled case in Seattle court against "TestKing" , the most famous vendor who provides braindumps to candidates to pass Microsoft exam's.This is really an good news. No more cheat sheet's all pure knowledge will be tested during MCP exam's. Microsoft exam's will become more hard than Cisco exam's. I am personally thankful to Microsoft for taking this action. IT certifications are in demand, and ban to such illegal vendor will eliminate fake candidates who suppose themselves as MCP's . For complete story watch out http://www.tcpmag.com/news/article.asp?editorialsid=1085

SQL Server 2005 Upgrade Technical Reference Guide

Are you planning to migrate your database to SQL Server 2005? This 350-page document contains guidance for SQL Server administrators, developers, and IT decision makers who would like to move their SQL Server 2000 or 7.0 databases to SQL Server 2005. Get the fabulous whitepaper from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3d5e96d9-0074-46c4-bd4f-c3eb2abf4b66&DisplayLang=en

Learn A-Z of Microsoft Active Directory (ADSI)

Do you want to learn Active directory ? Microsoft Active Directory experts are providing an oppertunity to learn A-Z of Active directory through the webcasts.Visit the following link to learn more about this .

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/adaug.mspx

What is Project Glidepath ?

Project Glidepath is an Evangelism program to help the ISVs to develop application using .NET Framework 3.0.

To know more about Project Glidepath visit
http://projectglidepath.net/glidepath/default.aspx

Asp.Net 2.0 Data Access Articles

Are you looking for a good article to learn about data access in Asp.net 2.0?
There is a place to get it.First 10 of 50 articles are now available in
http://www.asp.net/learn/dataaccess

It covers following topics:

1. Creating a Data Access Layer
2. Creating a Business Logic Layer
3. Master Pages and Site Navigation
4. Displaying Data With the ObjectDataSource
5. Declarative Parameters Programmatically
6. Setting the ObjectDataSource's Parameter Values
7. Master/Detail Filtering With a DropDownList
8. Master/Detail Filtering With Two DropDownLists
9. Master/Detail Filtering Across Two Pages
10. Master/Detail Using a Selectable Master GridView with a Details DetailView

.NET Framework 3.0 and WinFx

In TechEd 2006 Microsoft officially announced the new name for WinFx platform as .Net Framwork 3.0 which includes Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) and the newly christened Windows CardSpace (WCS) formerly known under the codename “InfoCard.” The .NET Framework 3.0 will still ship with Windows Vista, and will be available down-level for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 as planned. This change doesn’t affect in any way the ship schedules of either Windows Vista or the .NET Framework 3.0 itself.

To know more visit 1 Stop WebSite for .NET 3.0

http://www.netfx3.com/default.aspx

Code Snippets : A new feature in Visual studio 2005

Code Snippets are reusable, task-oriented blocks of code.Code Snippets provide simple code generation for repetitive tasks within the Visual Studio 2005 IDE. For example, rather than typing a complete property declaration or case statement, just type a brief shortcut, TAB, and fill in a couple of values. The construct is built for you. Visual Studio 2005 includes code snippets covering tasks ranging from creating a custom exception, to sending an e-mail message, to drawing a circle. A set of Visual Basic and Visual C# Code Snippets are included in the Visual Studio 2005 box.

Where to get the Code snippets?

A set of code snippets for VB.Net is available in Visual Studio 2005 box. The C# version of the code snippet can be downloaded from following URL.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/downloads/codesnippets/default.aspx

You can get code snippet from various thirdparty vendors also.Here is a website where you can get free code Snippets.

http://gotcodesnippets.com/

How to create your own code snippet?

It is very easy to create your own code snippet using VS.NET Editor.To learn more about creating a code snippet visit following URL.
http://aspnet.4guysfromrolla.com/articles/122105-1.aspx

A code snippet editor also available for free download using which code snippet can be created easily.You can download it from following URL
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/downloads/tools/snippeteditor/

JSON : JavaScript Object Notation

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language. JSON is a text format that is completely language independent but uses conventions that are familiar to programmers of the C-family of languages, including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, and many others. These properties make JSON an ideal data-interchange language.
JSON is built on two structures:
1.A collection of name/value pairs. In various languages, this is realized as an object, record, struct, dictionary, hash table, keyed list, or associative array.
2.An ordered list of values. In most languages, this is realized as an array, vector, list, or sequence.These are universal data structures. Virtually all modern programming languages support them in one form or another. It makes sense that a data format that is interchangable with programming languages also be based on these structures.

JSON's simplicity has resulted in its widespread use, especially as an alternative to XML in Ajax. One of the claimed advantages of JSON over XML as a data interchange format in this context is that it is much easier to write a JSON parser. In JavaScript itself, JSON can be parsed trivially using the eval() procedure. This was important for the acceptance of JSON within the Ajax programming community because of JavaScript's ubiquity among web browsers.

DotNet Ajax Frameworks

AJAX Asynchronous JavaScript And XML is a widely used buzz word now in web development world.There are some many libraries available to develop ajax enabled web application in asp.net with less effort and less code. i am listing few of them here.

ASP.NET 2.0 Atlas

Atlas is Microsoft's in-progress AJAX project.ASP.NET Atlas is a package of new Web development technologies that integrates an extensive set of client script libraries with the rich, server-based development platform of ASP.NET 2.0.With Atlas, you can take advantage of the best of ASP.NET and server-side code while doing much of the work in the browser, enabling a richer user experience.It provides rich set of client side and server side controls.It is still in Beta.

Ajax.NET for ASP.NET 1.x/2.0

It is a basic AJAX library for ASP.NET which provides the very basic AJAX capability to make xmlhttp callbacks. Does not have any 'Ajax-enabled' controls or support for Viewstate, etc.

Anthem.Net for ASP.NET 1.x/2.0

Anthem.NET provides a set of ajax-enabled controls inherited from ASP.NET server controls, with most AJAX behaviours pre-built, avoiding lots of client Javascript. It supports Viewstate so that you can actually modify server controls (either Anthem controls, or ASP.NET controls inside an Anthem control, e.g. panel) in your serverside code, in C# or VB without having to mess about in JavaScript. Unlike some other Ajax implementations the system supports callbacks for Anthem controls that are inside user controls, and even for wizards and master pages.

AjaxAspects

AjaxAspects is an engine that uses JavaScript proxies to call server-side WebService methods. It is built upon JavaScript client proxy methods for standard web services. (Just call a regular JavaScript method to call a method on the server). it uses standard SOAP and WSDL for the communication between client and server. it supports Multiple types, Arrays and XML objects as parameters and return values.It has soem other features like Caching on the client and server ,Queuing actions,Delaying actions.Many AJAX Controls also available that integrate in standard ASP.NET Web Forms.

Bitkraft for ASP.NET

Bitkraft Bitkraft is a CLR based (.NET) web framework that allows distributed web content to be created and served in a unique fashion. It is written in C# and compiles for operation under the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1+ or the .Mono Framework, making it portable to almost any platform.At it's core, the Bitkraft framework extends the ASP .NET Architecture to fully support Javascript-based Server callbacks using the XmlHttpRequest object as a transport layer in a fashion referred commonly today as AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript Over XmlHttpRequest). It uses Uses JSON instead of XML .

Visual WebGUI: WinForms over Web creating rich AJAX applications

With Visual WebGUI you program outlook web access like applications by programming with WinForms like server side objects.It works both ASP.NET 2.0 & 1.1 .It provides all most all of WinForms controls and can be extendable.It doesnot require any usage of JavaScripts,HTML or any other web language (Full WinForms abstraction).

What is new in IIS 7.0 for Web Developers

Flexible Extensibility Model for Powerful Customization:
IIS 7 enables developers to extend IIS to provide custom functionality in new, more powerful ways. IIS7 extensibility begins with an all-new core server API-set, which supports both native (C/C++) and managed (C#, VB.NET) feature module development. IIS7 also enables extensibility of configuration, scripting, event logging, and administration tool feature-sets, providing software developers a complete server platform on which to build Web server extensions.

Rich Troubleshooting Tools and Diagnostic Information:
IIS 7 enables developers and IT Professionals to more easily troubleshoot errand Web sites and applications. IIS7 provides a clear view of internal diagnostic information about IIS, and collects and surfaces detailed diagnostic events to aid troubleshooting problematic servers.

All New Delegated Administration:
IIS7 enables Web Hosters and IT Professionals to safely and securely delegate fine-grained administrative control to developers and content owners, reducing cost of ownership and administrative burden for the Administrator. IIS7 enables Administrators to delegated configuration tasks to developers, and supports delegated administration of sites and applications through an all-new administration tool.

Enhanced Security through Workload Customization:
IIS 7 is designed to enable the Developer to customize in a fine-grained manner exactly which features should be installed and running on their Web server. IIS is now factored into 40+ feature modules that can be independently installed on the server, dramatically reducing the security attack surface of the server, and providing Developers and Administrators more confidence and control over their servers.

Improved Support for Server Farms:
IIS 7 makes deployment and management of content and configuration data in server farm scenarios easier than ever before. IIS 7 provides an easy way for Web site and application configuration to be copied between servers. Configuration information can now be shared across multiple front-end servers, avoiding costly and error-prone replication and manual synchronization issues that plague today’s Administrators.

Application and Health Management for Web Services:
IIS 7 enables development and hosting of Web services, over any protocol, in a secure and robust environment. The Windows Activation Service (WAS) is a Windows Vista / Longhorn Server system service that provides process activation and health management services for all types of message-activated applications. WAS is an evolution of the robust and secure IIS 6.0 request processing model, which was extended in this release to support pluggable activation for arbitrary protocol listeners. WAS provides applications with intelligent resource management, on-demand activation, health-monitoring, and automatic failure detection and recycling.WAS includes a worker process environment that hosts applications independent from message protocol. For example: an application hosted by WAS may live in a single application domain within a given process and still communicate over multiple protocols.

Microsoft Office Open XML Format

Microsoft “Office 12” the new version office will introduce new default XML file formats for Microsoft Office Word word processing, Excel spreadsheet, and PowerPoint presentation graphics programs, and will change the way developers can approach solutions based on Office documents.The new Microsoft Office Open XML Formats introduce a number of benefits like interoperable , robust , efficient ,secured that will accrue not only to developers and the solutions they build, but also to individual users and organizations of all sizes.

Here is a nice place to find resources about open xml format document
http://openxmldeveloper.org/