This looked interesting so I thought I would share it.

Please let me know what you think.....

From the CodePlex Description.

The Ajax Data Controls is a DotNetSlackers project. Developed on top of Asp.net Ajax Extension, the main goal of this project is to provide rich set of data controls for Client Centric Development Model. Since the data controls of Asp.net like GridView, DataList, Repeater etc does not have any Client Side Object Model thus it is not possible to work with these controls with Web Service / Page Methods call. The included controls exposes same API in the client side as the Asp.net version with few more enhancements. Currently the project contains the following controls:

• Repeater
• GridView
• DataList
• Pager

http://www.codeplex.com/AjaxDataControls

If you reference an ASP.NET page that contains a scriptmanager in your js file like below you get intellisense for the entire Microsoft AJAX Library plus any additional scripts ref’d by the scriptmanager.  The easiest way to get the /// <reference/> entry in your js file is to drag n drop your .aspx page from solution explorer into  the contents of your js file.  VS magically adds the refJ

Since I tend to use stand-alone .js files I can just add this.

/// <reference name="MicrosoftAjax.debug.js" />

to my consuming page and intellisense is wired to my JavaScript code.

Thanks to Marc Schweigert for the reminder !

The folks at Internet.com are running this cool content.

ENTER BY THE 15th !!

Description:

The RIA Run challenge is designed for you to showcase your knowledge of Silverlight 2 to the world— and potentially win prizes for it. By taking advantage of such Silverlight 2 features as layout manager support, two-way data-binding support, control template and skinning support, core form controls and built-in layout management controls, you can show the world what you can do with the most advanced RIA platform today.

[ Click HERE for more info. ]

Mindmapping tools can be great for flushing out design ideas.

Here is a cool FREE Mind Mapping tool built with .NET 3.0

http://cayra.net/

Add this awesome FAQ by Dave Wanta to your bookmarks.

All about Sending email in .NET 2.0

If you're still a .NET 1.x user, see here http://www.systemwebmail.com/

May 5, 2008 (Computerworld) Web 2.0 software developers ranked Microsoft's MSN/Live Windows developer program higher than competing programs offered by Internet leaders Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Facebook and PayPal, according to results of an Evans Data Corp. report released today.

[ Read more HERE. ]

The .NET 3.5 Enhancements Training Kit covers the technologies in the .NET 3.5 SP1 release and the out of band releases that are a part of the same wave, namely ASP.NET MVC and the ASP.NET Silverlight controls. Currently, the training kit contains six hands-on labs, made up of the following technologies:

1) ADO.NET Data Services

2) ADO.NET Entity Framework

3) ASP.NET AJAX History

4) ASP.NET Dynamic Data

5) ASP.NET MVC

6) ASP.NET Silverlight controls

Comming soon !

Here is a GREAT quick read on ASP.NET Data Controls for you.

PACKT is not one of the "big" publishing companies, which can be a good thing because that often publish books on specific topics that are left un-covered by the usual suspects. One of their slogans is "Community Experience Distilled" which I think really nails them.

This book is spans about 240 pages exclusivly on ASP.NET Data Presentation controls.

It covers things like ...

• Data Binding
• Repeater Control
• List Controls
• Data Grid
• Grid View
• Form View
• Detail View

Bets of all it contains coverage of both 2.0 and 3.5 concepts like LINQ, the new 3.5 ListView & DataPager controls and using VS 2008.

Click on the book image above to check it out at Amazon.com

I've had some good manager and I've had some really, um, bad managers.

In my seven years at Microsoft I've had 5 managers and would works for four of them again (meaning they were great !) I can't say that about other work experiences in my career.

My boss is awesome, but if he weren't, I'd go to work for Brad Abrams.

Brad is a Principal Group Manager in the ASP.NET Development Organization here at Microsoft.

So.....

If your are a .NET STAR! and you want to replace your current boss with someone great to work for.....

[ Click HERE to read about opportunities on Brad's Team ]

... or so says eWeek. [ HERE ]

Scott is in fine company with 10 of the 100 most important (according to eWeek) being Microsofties.

3. Steve Ballmer
CEO, Microsoft

6. Jean-Philippe Courtois
President, Microsoft International, Microsoft

12. Kevin Turner
COO, Microsoft

13. Ray Ozzie
Chief software architect, Microsoft

26. Bob Muglia
Senior vice president, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft

28. Scott Guthrie
Corporate vice president, .Net Developer Platform, Microsoft

37. Michael Howard
Principal security program manager, Microsoft

46. Tony Scott
CIO, Microsoft

67. Bill Hilf
Director of platform strategy, Microsoft

82. Bronwen Matthews
Security program manager, Microsoft

Now, we developers know Scott is WAY higher than 28 :)

If you are an avid reader, like I am, then you know that different publishers tend to have different styles and specialties.

Murach is unique. They don't publish TONS of books, but the ones they do publish fill an interesting space.

Take this one......

I first read the 2005 version of both the C# and the VB books and loved them. I said then, and say again, if I were to teach a VB or C# book I would use these as text books. They are complete, but pleasant to read (unlike lots of textbooks.)

Murach has updated this book to include the 2008 topics.

I dug into to recently because I was doing some interesting things with Microsoft new Dynamic Data technology which makes much use of Partial Classes. It's fully up to date with the 2008 stuff !

Click on the book link to check it out at Amazon.