MSAccess Table / View Object List

Today, if have found one of the most bizarre things for a question in the Israeli VisualStudio/VisualBasic Newsgroup -

"How to find the Table list in Access 2007 ?"

well , the SQL is as follows

SELECT MSysObjects.Name
FROM MSysObjects
WHERE  (MSysObjects.Type = 1) AND  ((MSysObjects.Name) Not Like "MSys*")

If you're looking for the View list, just change the MSysObjects.Type = 5 ( or add it using an "OR" )

I don't know about you, but this is the most bizarre thing that I have answered for a long time :s

למה DevAcademy != UserGroups ביחס כמות האנשים ?

Microsoft ESB Guidance - Part of Microsoft patterns and practices

Microsoft ESB Guidance - Part of Microsoft patterns and practices

Microsoft ESB Guidance from CodePlex has recently started to move to the more prestige location of Microsoft patterns & practices. Not only that, if you would look more closely, you'd see that one of the videos (Silverlight) in the Featured Videos is a ESB overview by Marty Wasznicky - The "Event Driven Business" as well as the short article in MSDN Microsoft ESB Guidance for BizTalk Server 2006 R2.

For us till recently the main stream of Microsoft patterns & practices are .NET Framework applications like the Enterprise Library, and Software Factories like Web Service Software Factory ,Web Client Software Factory, Smart Client Software Factory which help in building more agile and robust .NET applications.

If you think of it, as far as I know this is the first time that a product which is not "related" to Visual Studio comes to be part of the Microsoft patterns & practices ( VSTS is one of the Editions of VS , so it doesn't count ).

Some have argued with me about the my concept for future .NET development in .NET Framework 4.0 = "BizTalk/SOA Express Framework" ? , but on the other hand, the fact that ESB is part of the Microsoft patterns & practices concept concurs the fact that after Sharepoint, BizTalk is the next in line to be part of the .NET Framework.

Calendar1.SelectedDate and DateTime.Now

Calendar1.SelectedDate and DateTime.Now

Ok, this one should be stupid, but, I don't know from who's side ? ( programmer or Microsoft )

Simple problem :
I want to "Paint" the selected date on a <asp:Calendar /> control as today's date

Thought solution :

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (!IsPostBack)
        {
            Calendar1.SelectedDate = DateTime.Now;
        }
    }

well as you can guess this didn't work ! argghhh !!!!

Actual Solution :

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (!IsPostBack)
        {
            Calendar1.SelectedDate = DateTime.Today;
        }
    }

well, though "SelectedDate" accepts DateTime , which is both DateTime.Now and DateTime.Today return value, it seems to be picky about the EXACT value it receives !

Well , due to the fact that the ASP.NET Controls remain 2.0 ( a you know that from the "C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files" ) this 'Problem' is mutual to 2005 and 2008 :s

WSS 3.0 / Moss 2007 / Designer 2007 SP1 released

WSS 3.0 / Moss 2007 / Designer 2007 SP1 released

Talk about triplets, wow !
It seems that the Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Team Blog has Announcing the Release of WSS 3.0 SP1 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP1.

Well, I know that a lot of poeple have been asking about this for quite some time, well it's here , and big brother took care of little brother SharePoint Designer SP1

for those of us who support HEBREW edition of Moss, here is
Description of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 1 and of Windows SharePoint Services Language Pack 3.0 Service Pack 1

I don't know about you, but I think I would test it today on my machine at home ;)

Now, i'm waiting for the VSeWSS 1.1 , which are far as I know is still in CTP stage :s

Any way, another recomended reading is this

Downloadable book: Planning and Deploying Service Pack 1 for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 in a Multi-server Environment (DOC/PDF)

White paper: Performance recommendations for storage planning and monitoring (DOC/PDF)

Pro LINQ: Language Integrated Query in C# 2008 - Book review

Pro LINQ: Language Integrated Query in C# 2008 - Book review

First let me start by saying I LIKE APress Books, but I like WROX as well. If you'd been to my house at least once you'd know know that APress is my favorite by far.

That said, I would like to thank for the opportunity that Ohad Israeli and APress had given me a rare occasion of reviewing an APress book - "Pro LINQ: Language Integrated Query in C# 2008 (Paperback)"

A little history, when the DotNet was released, the best books around on DotNet were published by WROX, they were known as the "Red Books", just like IBM's "Red Books". At some stage WROX was sold wiley, but the main part of the writers have chosen to continue with APress, that's when APress has really started to print GOOD BOOKS.

The book is great, as are most of APress "Pro" book series, and cover most of the grounds. But, a book can't cover everything, so due to the fact that each time I would find a reference in one of the Blogs about a "programming method" used in LINQ, I would first go to the book and try to find a reference to it in the book ( even before google ). Knowing that, I would try to build a check list ( the post would be updated ) about things that I think are missing in the book:

Check List

• XmlMappingSource.FromUrl: In Chapter 16 / DataContext the method of using "XmlMappingSource" is dealt , the author has chosen to use the XmlMappingSource.FromXml option ( to read the Xml Mapping File ) , when personally I would have choosen the FromURL option. Point is that the FromURL option is not mentioned ( did CTRL+F on my eBook ). The FromURL sample is important because if you think BizTalk (.NET Framework 4.0 = "BizTalk/SOA Express Framework" ?) you'd understand that this is a basis for a mapping file that BizTalk use for mapping different Schemas, and this causes the "Map File" to be universal. Where "<Database>" is the source and "<Type>" is the destination.

That's all for now ( waiting for my own next update )

Regardless, if you're into LINQ, buy the book, for me it's the main stop for LINQ =)

Microsoft Expression Blend 2 - December Preview

Microsoft Expression Blend 2 - December Preview

The Microsoft Expression Blend 2 December Preview Free Trial is available for download. For those who don't know about Expression Blend,  Expression Blend lets you create Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications as well as Microsoft Silverlight -based applications.

One of the major updates to this version is the fact that you can export content from Microsoft Expression Design in a format that you can use in Silverlight-based applications created in the Expression Blend 2 December Preview.

Among know issues that were dealt in the Blend 2 is:

• Visual Studio 2008 support :The Expression Blend 2 December Preview can open and work with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 projects and solutions. By default, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) projects that are created in the Expression Blend 2 December Preview are now Visual Studio 2008 solutions, whether targeting the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 or the .NET Framework 3.5.
  
• Silverlight Support: Silverlight 1.0 projects created in Expression Blend 2 December Preview are now created as website projects instead of application projects, improving interoperability with Visual Studio 2008. Additionally, the Expression Blend user interface has been changed so that only Silverlight 1.0 properties are available.
  
• Synchronized File Changes: When editing a Silverlight site project in Expression Blend 2 December Preview and Visual Studio at the same time, any changes that you make in Visual Studio are immediately applied in Expression Blend.
  
• Making Controls from Existing Objects: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview contains new functionality that lets you refactor existing content into a control that you can reuse.
  
• Split View and XAML Editor Improvements: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview lets you view an open document in both Design view and XAML view at the same time by selecting the new Split tab on the right side of the artboard.
  
• Storyboard Picker: The Storyboard picker replaces the old Storyboard box. The picker consists of a label to indicate the name of the selected Storyboard, a shortcut menu, a pop-up button, and a Close button to close all Storyboards and exit recording mode. Both the shortcut menu and the pop-up menu let you create a New Storyboard, and if a Storyboard is already selected, you can now Duplicate, Reverse, or Delete the selected Storyboard.
  
• Storyboard and Keyframe Properties: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview contains new functionality for setting properties on Storyboards and on keyframes in the Properties panel.
  
• Key Spline Editor: When you have one or more keyframes selected in a Storyboard, you can change the easing behavior between keyframes by using the new key spline graphical editor under Easing in the Properties panel.
  
• Vertex Animation: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview contains new functionality for animating individual vertices on a line.
  
• Clip Path Editing and Animating: Expression Blend 2 December Preview now enables you to modify clipping paths on the artboard after you create them.
  
• Breadcrumb Bar: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview now displays a breadcrumb bar above the artboard, which helps you keep track of where you are in a template hierarchy as you navigate through it.
  
• Font Embedding: The Expression Blend 2 December Preview contains new functionality for embedding fonts in your project. Embedding makes sure that the font that you select for your application is the font that users will see when they run your application.
  
• Build Options: When building inside the Expression Blend 2 December Preview, the property $(BuildingInsideExpressionBlend) is set to true. You can use this property in your project or .targets files to change how the project builds when in Expression Blend.
  
• Copying Projects: You can now create copies of your projects and sites in Expression Blend 2 December Preview by clicking Save Solution Copy on the File menu.
  
• Adding Multiple Projects to a Single Solution: When you create a WPF project in Expression Blend 2 December Preview, a solution file is automatically created for you. This solution file is compatible with Visual Studio 2008. In Expression Blend 2 December Preview, you can now add multiple projects to your solution by right-clicking the name of the solution in the Project panel and then clicking Add New Project or Add Existing Project. You can also add references to existing projects (without copying them to your solution) by right-clicking the References folder in the Project panel and then clicking Add Project Reference.
  
• Drag and Drop: It is now possible to incorporate media into your projects by dragging media files from outside Expression Blend 2 December preview and dropping them onto the artboard when a document is open.
  
• Support for New 3D Objects: The .NET Framework 3.5 introduces new 3D objects. Expression Blend 2 December Preview does not include the new 3D objects in the Asset Library.
  
• Object Manipulation: In Expression Blend 2 December Preview, you can duplicate objects by dragging them while holding the CTRL key. You can also resize, scale, and rotate multiple objects at the same time by selecting them and then using the resizing handles on the artboard. You can also rotate multiple selected objects around any center of rotation.
  
• Keyboard Shortcuts: A number of keyboard shortcuts in Expression Blend 2 December Preview have been updated to be more consistent with the keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Expression Design.
  
• Close Buttons on Panels: The Project, Properties, and Resources panels now include a close button in the upper-right corner, whether they are floating or fixed.
  
• Search Text Boxes: The Search label that typically appears next to the search text box in the Properties panel, the Asset Library window, and the new Storyboard picker, now appears inside the search text box.

Silverlight 2.0 Roadmap

Silverlight 2.0 Roadmap

Ok, so I guess I just got your attention, right ?

Well, we all know that just a few days a go Silverlight 1.1 Tools for Visual Studio 2008 available for download was announced, and now how about this Silverlight 1.1 is Now Silverlight 2.0 which was announced by Tim Sneath . great , yea-ha =)

Ok, for the roadmap

• Rich Controls: Silverlight will deliver a rich set of controls that make building Rich Internet Applications much easier.  The next Silverlight preview release will add support for core form controls (textbox, checkbox, radiobutton, etc), built-in layout management controls (StackPanel, Grid, etc), common functionality controls (TabControl, Slider, ScrollViewer, ProgressBar, etc) and data manipulation controls (DataGrid, etc).
  

• Rich Networking Support: Silverlight will deliver rich networking support.  The next Silverlight preview release will add support for REST, POX, RSS, and WS* communication.  It will also add support for cross domain network access (so that Silverlight clients can access resources and data from any trusted source on the web).

• 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.

• Rich Base Class Library Support: Silverlight will include a rich .NET base class library of functionality (collections, IO, generics, threading, globalization, XML, local storage, etc).  The next Silverlight preview release will also add built-in support for LINQ to XML and richer HTML DOM API integration.

In Tim Sneath post we see one of the changes ( from 1.1 )

In the Silverlight 1.1 Alpha, the UI framework side was pretty limited. Although we had the likes of MediaElement, Path, TextBlock, etc., it was a small fraction of what WPF provides in this regard. We now have a extensible control framework, two-way data binding, templates, styles, all the standard controls (TextBox, ScrollBar, CheckBox, RadioButton etc.), multiple layout containers (Grid, StackPanel, Canvas). In short, if you're familiar with WPF today, you'll be right at home with Silverlight 2.0.

Entity Framework Beta 3 and Entity Designer CTP 2 Released !

Entity Framework Beta 3 and Entity Designer CTP 2 Released !

The ADO.NET team blog just announced about the ADO.NET Entity Framework Beta 3 Released!. Lets start with the download while you read.

New features for the Entity Framework Beta 3 include:

Performance improvements

• Much quicker object query execution
• Simpler generated SQL
• Faster view generation

Easier disconnected operation

• Public, serializable EntityKey property on EntityReference
• ApplyPropertyChanges
• Attach on EntityReference
• Improvements to EntityKey serialization

Extensibility and business logic enhancements

• Partial methods in code generation for property changing and property changed events
• Load with MergeOption

Query improvements

• Additional canonical functions for LINQ to Entities
• Apply operator elimination (makes more operations work in SQL Server 2000 and other databases)
• Compiled LINQ query
• ToTraceString() method on ObjectQuery<T> and EntityCommand to facilitate debugging

Other

• Connection management refinements
• Provider interface allows better reasoning about primitive types

And another good thing - The ADO.NET team blog just announced about the Entity Designer CTP2 . Lets start with the download while you read.

New features in The Entity Designer CTP 2 include:

• Map using stored procedures: you can now map entities to insert/update/delete stored procedures in the mapping details window in the designer
• FunctionImports: Create, update and delete FunctionImports in your model
• "Update Model From Database…”: update model and mappings if tables or columns in the database change. Very useful during iterative development when the database changes after you initially generate the model & mappings
• Embed artifacts in output assembly: package CSDL/MSL/SSDL files as resources in the output assembly. This makes it easy to deploy projects with Entity Data Models
• Easier to find and fix errors: Double-click a validation error selects the offending entity, property or association to make it easy to fix errors
• Cut/copy/paste: Cut/copy/paste entities and properties
• Abstract entity types: Create and map abstract entity types in your model
• Support for more properties: Concurrency control for properties and documentation nodes for entities, properties, etc
• MSBUILD integration: new EntityDeploy MSBUILD task that replaces the erstwhile EdmxDeploy.exe command line tool
• Connection Management: Automatic Entity Connection string management in App/Web.config when .edmx file is moved/renamed in Solution Explorer
• Easier Navigation: Navigate to nodes in the model browser from entities and properties on the designer surface
• Enable MARS by default: Wizard sets MultipleActiveResultSets to "true" in Entity Connection string when connecting to SQL 2005
• Usability: Numerous changes based on UI/usability feedback
• Supported editions of Visual Studio 2008 RTM: Standard, Professional, Team Edition, and Express editions (C#, VB and Visual Web Developer)

CS0433 System.Web.Extensions Error - VS2005 and VS2008 side by side

CS0433 System.Web.Extensions Error - VS2005 and VS2008 side by side

so you get something like this:

Compiler Error Message: CS0433: The type 'System.Web.UI.ScriptManager' exists in both 'c:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Web.Extensions\1.0.61025.0__31bf3856ad364e35\System.Web.Extensions.dll' and 'c:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Web.Extensions\3.5.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35\System.Web.Extensions.dll'

OR

'System.Web.UI.ScriptManager' exists in both 'c:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Web.Extensions\1.0.61025.0__31bf3856ad364e35\System.Web.Extensions.dll' and 'c:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Web.Extensions\3.5.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35\System.Web.Extensions.dll'

Solution:

Check if you have in the web.config

CHANGE IT TO:

also, look for (in the page):

REMOVE IT !

try it, it should work now

BTW - this problem occurs even in VS2008 when there's a VS2005 with AJAX 1.0 on the same machine !

Enterprise Library 4.0

Enterprise Library 4.0

Tom Hollander's blog has just release a post about Dependency Injection coming in EntLib v4, which is making reference to Grigori Melnik post Making Dependency Injection Simpler in EntLib 4. The post by it self is interesting, but what is more interesting is the fact that the Version number has changed from v3.5 to v4.0, and that this is one of the first "official" posts about version 4.0 !

I know we are all waiting for the first CTP / Beta to be released, or just future plans ( of feature list ) would be just as good.

Windows Server 2008 RC1

Windows Server 2008 RC1

Windows 2008 RC1 was shipped today out to the community, which is is a major milestone. It seems that the development team need another RC before we get the RTM, but with each release the quality bar of the release is getting pretty high.

The main download point is at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/audsel.mspx 

however if you want to quick links you can go to

Windows Server 2008 Standard RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Web Server 2008 RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems RC1

Visual Studio 2008 Installation Validation Tool

Visual Studio 2008 Installation Validation Tool

I don't know how many of you have started to work with the new Visual Studio, even just for fun, BUT if you have and projects are starting to Crash when Creating a WPF Project or any other one for that matter - here's a good link .NET Framework 3.5 Installation validation tool, and NO , no Power Shell here , some of us still work using WinXP in our offices ;)