Compact Framework Controls, Games, and other goodies.

http://www.resco.net/

OpenAccess ORM Express

Telerik OpenAccess is an Enterprise-grade ORM that does the data access plumbing in desktop and web applications. Supporting both forward and reverse mapping, the tool offers transparent persistence for your DAL and business objects. OpenAccess ORM provides tight Visual Studio integration and allows you to seamlessly create database independent code. OpenAccess ORM Express Edition provides the same functionality as the commercial version, but supports only the free databases (MS SQL Server Express, Oracle Express, MySQL and Firebird). List of features [ Click HERE ] ...

Check tomorrow for another freebie for developers !!!

Clint Edmonson has gifted us for the holidays with free coding standards documents for C# and VB.

[ GET THEM HERE ]

If your building web applications on the Microsoft Platform then sooner or later you're gonna have to get rich!

Rich, as in RIA :)

The Expression suite of tools really helps with this whether you are designing web pages, doing media or graphics, or designing Silverlight and WPF UIs.

I just found out the the Microsoft On-Line Store is running a 50 Percent Off Sale on Expression Studio.

Click HERE to give yourself a ho9liday present !

You KNOW I'm a Control Junkie !!

ComponentArt makes some cool stuff and they have a HUGE deal right now.

Click Here to Check it Out http://www.componentart.com/store/

... And if anyone else has a HUGE sale going on forthe holiday season. EMAIL IT TO ME so I can tell my readers about it !!

As WPF continues to enjoy growing adoption, the teams are continuing to enhance the WPF experience.

Versions of the WPF DataGrid & Ribbon are live on CodePlex.

Get them [ HERE ]

Watch the PDC Presentation [ HERE ]

I spend most of my time doing Web Development, but sometimes it's fun to get RICH with Client Side UI work.

Telerik thinks so too and is staring a contest.

I can't enter, but YOU can !

Here is the official blurb from Telerik ...

Telerik is pleased to provide you with the opportunity to receive a FREE $500 Amazon Gift Certificate!

We are currently running a RadControls for WinForms Challenge and we will soon launch a Telerik Client Showcase Gallery on telerik.com.

We would be happy to feature interesting applications with Telerik RadControls for WinForms.

All you need to do to participate in this contest is to send us at least 3 screenshots of your application and a short (up to two paragraphs) description of your application.

We're very interested to see how different people are using Telerik RadControls for WinForms to create innovative and elegant solutions in the .NET community, so now is your chance to show-off your WinForms skills. And the best part of the challenge is that everybody can win!

More information about the contest and the prizes is available here: http://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/contest.aspx

Please note that the contest will be open until October 31, so hurry up!

Enter the contest here

The Deep Fried Bytes guys caught  up with me at DevLink and we had a talk about developer security needs, mistakes, activities, etc !

Listen Here http://deepfriedbytes.com/

I go to ALOT of developer events.

Usually, they are work - meaning I probably wouldn't go if I were a retired Millionaire.

DevLink was AWESOME. It was kind of link that perfect summer back in school when all the right people were in the right place and the right mood and the sun was shining and the VIBE was just happening.

The basics were all there, Tennessee was very sunny but not too hot, the people are very nice, the MTSU campus is super (and the Sororities were pledging while we were there).

John Kellar (DevLnk Chairman) and all the folks with the DevLink organization did a simply AMAZING job and because the event is SO cool the speaker pool is a "WHo's Who".

I went to some great session like Sara Ford's session on Open Source at Microsoft and Todd Anglin's session Silverlight (who thought 3 a three hour session would seem too SHORT.)

There was some fun interpersonal stuff too.

I spent most of the event sparing with Ted Somebody :)

Actually I'm talking about Ted Neward - who's not only really smart but also really fun. (Thanks Ted for being a good sport and for giving as good as you get. I hope they don't have you do the closing keynote next year, I'd have to wear a helmet.)

And, like many of us, we spend the event waiting for Sara Ford to do something REALLY outrageous. (We're STILL waiting :)

I got to be a guest on Deep Fried Bytes, which will be available soon. (http://deepfriedbytes.com/)

GRATUITOUS PLUG - DeepFriedBytes is just getting up too speed and they need sponsors. Have a look and see if you can help them out !

Of course, Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell were there and they event did a DNR episode from the after-party.

[ Click HERE to listen to the show. ]

But the HIGHLIGHT for me was the OpenSpaces.

Alan Stevens organized ad managed the OpenSaces and they were OFF the hook. (Thanks Alan for an AMAZING job).

I'd been to OpenSpaces before and had a less than great experience. Alan did a GREAT job of facilitating without controlling the flow.

And if you were an attendee.....

$50

Next year - I'm going to fly out and take the BUS !!!! (http://netcave.org/GetOnTheBusYrsquoall.aspx)

Also, I declare a contest for next year - who can come from the farthest distance away.

It's a real gem of a weekend !! Hope to see you at the next one

Data Structures and Algorithms: Annotated Reference with Examples

This book written by Granville Barnett and Luca Del Tongo is part of an effort to provide all developers with a core understanding of algorithms that operate on various common, and uncommon data structures.

Data Structures and Algorithms: Annotated Reference with Examples is completely free!

[ CILICK HERE ]

I was chatting with Billy Hollis about how we often use new technology to do the same old thing and how I was seeing lots of folks doing this with WPF and Silverlight.

He mentioned that he had done a video in UI Design with WPF.

Check it out, its great for WPF and SIlverlight aficionados.

DNR-TV Show #115 | 6/20/2008

Billy Hollis on Getting Smart with WPF

Billy Hollis shows us some clever ways to make a clean, efficient user interface in Windows Presentation Foundation.

60 Free controls are available from DevExpress.

Some for ASP.NET and some for Windows Forms.

Check them out at ......

http://www.devexpress.com/Products/Free/WebRegistration60/

Deitel books are great learning tools and often used as course text or soup to nuts learning guides.

Also the physical quality of the book (printing, paper choice, color, etc) make it a collectors item if your a book lover)

I had the pleasure of being a technical reviewer on this one (though the way these guys write there isn't much review to do :)

This book includes coverage of the new features in ASP.NET 3.5, Web Services, Silverlight, Winforms, LINQ, WPF and More.

Get more info here: http://www.deitel.com/books/vb2008htp/

For many years I've had an interest in and a focus on Application Security.

Now, I'll be ramping up and doing a bunch of security related work in my role here at Microsoft.

I hope you will add www.SecureDeveloper.com to your blog reader.

I expect to include coverage of topics of interest to Web Developers, Server Admins, Rich Client Developers and RIA Devs.

As always, please feel free to send your requests and suggestions !!

Spring is ugly in my job. From early March until late June I'm on the road. Conferences, Meetings, etc.

Then when I finally get done my spring traveling.... There is "make up" work to do.

I have to "make it up" to my two little princess and my wife. Work my way through a whole spring filled "Honey Do List".

And then, there is the repair work. Winter is hard on everything. There is lots to do on the house, my office building, the yard, etc. after the winter weather (and my pack of German Shepherds) does its winter damage.

And then of course there is the work I have to do on my body. After nearly four months on the road I'm left feeling old, fat, ad out of shape. At 47 by body brings me new challenges and as someone who spent his whole life in a kickboxing gym, my metabolism refuses to adjust to a sedentary lifestyle.

Well, I'm caught up !

For the rest of the summer and fall I'm going to be primarily focused on developing developer training and guidance in the form of Videos and Webcasts on the following topics.

• Web Security - The first of these videos will be up later this week and the series will continue. The topics will be of interest to ASP.NET developers as well as Slveright developers, IIS users, and Rich Client Developers using REST and SOAP services.
• Data Access - BOTH ADO.NET and LINQ (and not JUST to Microsoft SQL Server).
• Dynamic Data - The cool new technology for ASP.NET Developers.
• Web Forms - With all the hype around ASP.NET MVC, I think it's important to focus on the Web UI technology that MOST of us will continue to be using :)

Comments, Suggestions ?

[ Use the "Email Me" Link HERE them to me. ]

T

Check out this 2 day security brain fest. It happens to be right after Black Hat in Vegas. See you there ?

The LifeCycleSecurity conference was started to provide a venue where professionals in the Application Security industry can learn from each other's experiences.  We will be addressing security from the server to the browser. 

Application Security : We will have topics that address how professionals are creating systems that are resistant to attacks against the web application layer and the systems that support these web applications.

Browser security: With the increase in attacks against browsers such as malware and other attack vectors, protecting your users is more important than ever.  This is increasingly being done with content filtering devices.  The Lifecyclesecurity conference will include several tracks that address techniques that are being used to protect against these browser / content based attacks.

http://www.lifecyclesecurity.com/

I got an email last night from Eduardo.

Eduardo "Love's VB.NET", but is concerned about his long term career prospects because he keeps hearing about C#.

The Pie Chart from the Telerik Survey suggests that C# has surpassed VB.NET as the .NET language of choice. For the record, I don't think this accurately reflects the division. I would guess that it's more like 55% VB.NET and 45% C#.

People ask me all the time why I choose VB.NET instead of C# for my videos. The truthful answer is, I don't. I use VB because ScottGu asked me to use VB.NET.

At first, I was a bit queased out :) - I first started programming in "C" in 1978 and C++ in abut 1988-1989. So languages of "C" flavor like Java and C# are just familiar to me.

It took me about a week before I was I stopped thinking about the syntax I was coding in.

I just don't think the choice between C# and VB.NET really matters.

The one statistic that does matter is that companies seem to be paying C# developers more than they want to pay VB.NET developers. I suspect that this statistic, like most, is irrelevant if taken on face value alone.

It's possible, even probable that the C# programmers they hire have more of a systems programming background in C++ or an enterprise development background in Java so that C# is the syntax flavor of choice, but that flavor choice is a byproduct of their skill set and it is that skill set that earns them more money.

If a company pays C# developers more than VB.NET developers for no other reason than syntax choice, I'd probably choose to work for another company as I prefer to work for really smart folks :)

I'd be surprised if anyone could suggest a business application to me that REQUIRED it be written in one language over another (at least for non-business reasons.)

To me, the choice between VB.NET and C# seems a much less significant one than the industry seems to want to make it. It's a stylistic choice. A philosophical choice. Even an artistic choice. But not really a NECESSARY choice.

Sure, TO ME, C# code "looks better". And FOR ME, coding in VB.NET is a bit faster. Since I'm happy to switch back and forth, I lean toward building class heavy back ends in C# and front side stuff in VB.NET (though not always).

The power is in the .NET framework and in the productivity of Visual Studio. Does that make VB.NET and C# just the duck tape that ties them together ? :)

Below are some links to articles that discuss the VB.NET versus C# issue.

In the mean time, Eduardo, write great applications in which ever language best suits you and let those applications be the strength in your resume. Not the syntax flavor they are written in.

Murray "Flash" Gordon has a great VB and C# Comparison on his blog [ Click HERE ]

Wikipedia also has some good information. [ Click HERE ]

Nigel Shaw has a good article at The Code Project with some sound conclusions. [ Click HERE ]

Jeff Atwood at Coding Horror also has a good post. [ Click HERE ]

The Pie Chart above is from the Telerik Survey [ Click HERE ]

While at TechEd 2008 I got to spend some time in the "Fish Bowl" with Georgeo Pulikkathara.

Georgeo interviewed me on Microsoft's Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL) and my upcoming Developer Security Activities.

Please [ click HERE ] to check out Georgeo's blog post and [ Click HERE ] to have a listen to the show.

Today the XNA Team has launched Dream-Build-Play 2008.

In Dream-Build-Play 2008 you can build your dream game to compete with other game developers around the world.  This year’s contest will feature Xbox360 development only and to ensure that everyone has access we will be giving away one free 12-Month XNA Creators Club Trial membership to everyone that registers.  Contestants will compete for $75,000 in prizes and the bragging rights to say their game was the best.  Additionally, one of the top ten finalists will win an opportunity for an Xbox LIVE publishing contract.  For more information log on to www.dreambuildplay.com

· $75,000 in prizes and the chance to receive an Xbox Live Arcade Contract.

· Create and deploy Xbox360 games using XNA Game Studio 2.0

· Everyone who registers will receive a FREE 12-Month Trial Creator Club Membership

Those smart guys in Microsoft Patterns and Practices have released the BETA version of their WCF Security guide.  The guide, Improving Web Services Security: Scenarios and Implementation Guidance for WCF, is our Microsoft playbook for Windows Communication Foundation (WCF /"Indigo".)  It shows you how to build secure services using WCF.  It's a compendium of proven practices, product team recommendations, and insights from the field.  It includes end-to-end application scenarios (Web applications / Smart Clients), as well as step-by-step How Tos.  Most importantly it frames out the Web services security space and shows you how to be effective with WCF.

patterns & practices Improving Web Services Security: Scenarios and Implementation Guidance for WCF

(Forewords by Nicholas Allen and Rockford Lhotka.)

Download the Guide

· Guide Download: http://www.codeplex.com/WCFSecurityGuide

Contents at a Glance

· Part I - Security Fundamentals for Web Services gives you a quick overview of fundamental security concepts as they relate to services, service-oriented design, and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA.)

· Part II - WCF Security Fundamentals gives you a firm foundation in key WCF security concepts, with special attention on authentication, authorization, and secure communication, as well as WCF binding configurations.

· Part III - Intranet Application Scenarios shows you a set of end-to-end Intranet application scenarios that you can use to jumpstart your application architecture designs with a focus on authentication, authorization, and communication from a WCF perspective for your intranet.

· Part IV - Internet Application Scenarios shows a set of end-to-end Internet application scenarios that you can use to jumpstart your application architecture design for the Internet.

Chapters

· Ch 01 - Security Fundamentals for Web Services

· Ch 02 - Threats and Countermeasures for Web Services

· Ch 03 - Security Design Guidelines for Web Services

· Ch 04 - WCF Security Fundamentals

· Ch 05 - Authentication, Authorization and Identities in WCF

· Ch 06 - Impersonation and Delegation in WCF

· Ch 07 - Message and Transport Security in WCF

· Ch 08 - WCF Bindings Fundamentals

· Ch 09 - Intranet – Web to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Original Caller, TCP)

· Ch 10 - Intranet – Web to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Trusted Subsystem,HTTP)

· Ch 11 - Intranet – Web to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Trusted Subsystem TCP)

· Ch 12 - Intranet – Windows Forms to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Original Caller, TCP)

· Ch 13 - Internet – WCF and ASMX Client to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Trusted Subsystem, HTTP)

· Ch 14 - Internet – Web to Remote WCF Using Transport Security (Trusted Subsystem, TCP)

· Ch 15 - Internet – Windows Forms Client to Remote WCF Using Message Security (Original Caller, HTTP)

Reference

· WCF Security Checklist

· WCF Security Guidelines

· WCF Security Practices at a Glance

· WCF Questions and Answers (Q&A)

· How Tos

· WCF Security Resources

External Contributors/Reviewers

· Andy Eunson; Anil John; Anu Rajendra; Brandon Bohling; Chaitanya Bijwe; Daniel Root; David P. Romig, Sr.; Dennis Rea; Kevin Lam; Michele Bustamante; Parameswaran Vaideeswaran; Rockford Lotka; Rudolph Araujo; Santosh Bejugam

Microsoft Contributors / Reviewers

· Alik Levin; Brandon Blazer; Brent Schmaltz; Curt Smith; David Bradley; Dmitri Ossipov; Don Smith; Jan Alexander; Jason Hogg; Jason Pang; John Steer; Marc Goodner; Mark Fussell; Martin Gudgin; Martin Petersen-Frey; Mike de Libero; Mohammad Al-Sabt; Nobuyuki Akama; Ralph Squillace; Richard Lewis; Rick Saling; Rohit Sharma; Scott Mason; Sidd Shenoy; Sidney Higa; Stuart Kwan; Suwat Chitphakdibodin; T.R. Vishwanath; Todd Kutzke; Todd West; Vijay Gajjala; Vittorio Bertocci; Wenlong Dong; Yann Christensen; Yavor Georgiev

More Information

· Guide site: http://www.codeplex.com/WCFSecurityGuide

· Project Site (Online KB): http://www.codeplex.com/WCFSecurity

· Project updates at J.D. Meier’s blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/jmeier

I LOVE component suites !

I regularly use web components from Infragistics, Telerik, ComponentOne, Dundas, eXceed, and others.

I recently tool PureComponents Ultimate Suite for a Spin !

The first thing that struck me ........

The Price = $79

Need the source code ? It's only another $60 !

It includes controls for Calendars, Lists, Navigators, a Ribbon UI, and about every input control you can think of.

For the price, you really can't beat it.

[ Click HERE for more info. ]

Coming soon !