November 2007 Entries
.NET Web Product Roadmap (ASP.NET, Silverlight, IIS7) - ScottGu's Blog
Of Note is the changing of the Release name for the next version of Silverlight:
Previously we've been referring to this .NET-enabled Silverlight release as "Silverlight V1.1". After stepping back and looking at all the new features in it (the above list is only a subset - there are many more we aren't sharing yet), we've realized that calling it a point release doesn't really reflect the true nature of it. Consequently we have decided to change the name and refer to it as "Silverlight V2.0" going forward.
I had some OMG moments when reading this entry.
Significantly on Silverlight 2.0
WPF UI Framework: The current Silverlight Alpha release only includes basic controls support and a managed API for UI drawing. The next public Silverlight preview will add support for the higher level features of the WPF UI framework. These include: the extensible control framework model, layout manager support, two-way data-binding support, and control template and skinning support. The WPF UI Framework features in Silverlight will be a compatible subset of the WPF UI Framework features in last week's .NET Framework 3.5 release.
Currently in Silverlight 1.1, the UI IS NOT compatible with WPF. making it a compatible subset means that you can take a Silverlight App and recompile it in a Windows App and it will work without modification. This is a MAJOR improvement and something I have really wanted, specifically for a project I am working on right now. If I am reading that wrong, someone please enlighten me.
We will be releasing a Beta of Silverlight 2.0 in Q1 of 2008. This Beta will support a Go-Live license that enables developers to begin building and deploying Silverlight 2.0 applications.
Go Live rocks! Thanks Microsoft.
As I get deeper into 2.0 I will be publishing a lot of new tutorials as well. I have been holding up a MAJOR site to put it on Silverlight 2.0. That may release sooner on 1.1 but I sort of doubt it due to time contraints.
"ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions" release. --> WOHOO!
The first public preview of this will be available for download next week on the web.
ASP.NET MVC
I have not been using MVC because it did not provide much benefit for what I do. If Silverlight is going to be upward compatible to WPF, that just might change my mind.
ADO.NET Data Services
I absolutely cannot wait for EF and Astoria to be ready for a Go Live. I NEED IT NOW! I NEED IT NOW! I NEED IT NOW!
ok, I'll settle down now :-)
I upgraded a VB Silverlight Project made in VS08 Beta2 and had the following 3 errors.
- .NET Framework 2.0 update not found. The win32manifest will not be embedded.
- Child nodes not allowed.
- Lambdas that had no Return Value on all paths would compile without error in Beta2, they MUST return a value in RTM. IOW you can't use Subs in the Lambda (this should be known, they were never supported in this release) If you try to return without an explicit value, you may/will have problems.
While these may not be limited just to Silverlight Apps, they should be watched for when you are upconverting Projects from Beta2.
#1 If you have an App.Manifest,
Delete it.
This is what caused my problem and it was not a required file. If you need one, then it should be created with the RTM version.
This was a particularly frustrating error since it appeared that the Framework was not installed correctly, which in fact it was...
#2 Open Web.config
Change:
<system.codedom>
<compilers>
<compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" warningLevel="4"
type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
<providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
<providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/>
</compiler>
<compiler language="vb;vbs;visualbasic;vbscript" extension=".vb" warningLevel="4"
type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
<providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
<providerOption name="OptionInfer" value="true"/>
<providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/>
</compiler>
</compilers>
</system.codedom>
To This:
<system.codedom>
<compilers>
<compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" warningLevel="4"
type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
</compiler>
<compiler language="vb;vbs;visualbasic;vbscript" extension=".vb" warningLevel="4"
type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
</compiler>
</compilers>
</system.codedom>
The providerOptions weren't required for me, YMMV.
After fixing these three problems my apps loaded, compiled and ran properly. Now, off to create more coolness.
This is awesome, they said it would be 2 weeks and they delivered in 1.
"This afternoon we released an updated version of the Silverlight 1.1 Tools Alpha that works with the final release of Visual Studio 2008. You can download it for free here."
I have created New projects and also loaded Projects created in Beta2 without issue.
Now I can merrily go about working with Alpha Code again :-)
I am still amazed at the relatively lame content given to us for the Start Page Feeds in Visual Studio. While some of this content is actually relevant, it is updated very slowly in most cases, I don't know what was with mine, but one feed in General development had 4 updates this year, the top of the list was offering a download for Beta 2...
Get tired of seeing the same stuff? Want to see something that might be more useful?
You can stick any RSS Feed you want in there, I think many people might not even realize this. In VS Menu Select Tools/Options/Environment/Startup and replace the Start Page news channel. If you don't see Environment, check "Show All Settings"
I haven't plugged this feed in a while... If you are a VB Developer you may want to put in this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/vbfeeds Serge Baranovsky does a great job of making this feed relevant for getting all your VB Blog News in one feed. This includes the VB Team and most of the VB MVPs. With all the stuff Bill McCarthy is finding for VS08 this feed may really help if you do look at it when VS starts.
For more General Development try this feed: http://jasonhaley.com/blog/Rss.aspx
Jason always finds some really interesting stuff. But this is a link blog and doesn't give you much to go on in the feed except the link and title. (an excerpt would be nice)
Just in case you were in a cave yesterday...
This marks a huge milestone for developers, especially for VB.Net developers. I am telling you right now, THIS WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU PROGRAM! and for the better.
I am currently working on 3 commercial projects in VS08 and really love the new features such as:
- Linq
- XML Literals (and imported XML Namespaces)
- Lambda Expressions
- Better Intellisense
- Enhanced Javascript Debugging
- New Ajax Features (Ajax is now built in)
- Relaxed Delegates
While these certainly aren't the ONLY features which are new, they are the ones I am currently enjoying the most.
For the Express Versions, go here
For those who need an alternative to VS Team System, here is a great solution that is FREE. The VisualSVN Client is also a great tool that integrates into Visual Studio. Personally I am still using TortoiseSVN, but only because I am just used to it and don't really need the VS integration yet. I am waiting for better support of VS08 before making that switch.
VisualSVN Server is a package that contains everything you need to install, configure and manage Subversion server for your team on Windows platform. It includes Subversion, Apache and a management console.
VisualSVN Server - All-in-one installer for Subversion and Apache
Kathleen makes some great points about how Development is really, really hard.
Why Your Development is Crazy - Leaning Into Windows
I STILL see that many clients think a single hacker in a weekend can crank out the software equivalent of "War & Peace". I find this incredibly frustrating when talking about my hourly rate and that it is going to take about 10x more hours to do the work than they seem to think it will. Granted this is not always the case, but it still pervades the small business world.
Tools are getting better, but at the same time, the demands for what the code should do keeps getting more complex.
My very first paid programming experience was a Label Generator for a Dot Matrix Printer written in Ashton-Tate's DBase III on a Kaypro CP/M machine.
The "Design Doc" consisted of my Client saying... "Make it print names and address on pin-fed labels..."
Compared to that "Program", software development has indeed become quite complex. Just wrapping your head around something like Generics or debugging Events with Delegates can make your head spin when you first look at it, or the Second or even 10th time you look any more. Just about every time I look at software I have written, I think I can improve it. That's not because I wrote it "bad" in the first place, it is because the sheer number of alternatives we have to do things today is staggering.
I am one of those people pushing for VB.NET to return to its roots and make this stuff easier to do. Sure we can have all the power in the world to write great programs, but if that comes at the sacrifice of productivity, all is lost.
Can a Lone Developer survive in today's world? Yes, but its certainly not easy.
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Copyright © 2003-2004 H. Steele Price, IV -
All opinions are my own, not necessarily those of my employer, your mother, or any government agency.