I've just started using Web Developer 2008 Express. I've used Visual Studio C# 2003/2005 express a little. Frankly, I'm trying to decide if I should move from Delphi to MS. To make matters a little more difficult for me is that I'm just a guy who has always wanted to be a programmer when he grows up, lol. 1) Can you help me ...

I wrote some quick and dirty ADO.NET code to go against an RSS feed instead of a flat XML file today.  In the process I had to figure a way to limit the number of rows returned by the function, which returns a DataTable.  The simplest method I found was this one, which uses the DataTable.Select() method.  Using this technique, you ...

NET Vision Q2 2007 Released! We are pleased to announce the new Q2 2007 release of the .NET Vision Suite. The new version introduces AJAX support for Web Forms, New Charting Types, Gauges for .NET, Improved Grid and Mesh Surface, Data Binding with Custom Data Sources, New Diagram Shapes, ListView control, Rotator control, Gallery Panel and ...

SubSonic is a great product, and while reading up on it I came across a superb post on data access in general. I think Rob let the whole ASP.NET drag and drop data access get off lightly ... but oh well :)

Scott Hanselman started yet another great debate ... on Ruby and why it is the '***'  ... Today I came across a great artice (via Frans Bouma), called In Defence of the RDBMS - a very well written debunk of a number or database theorist's views.  The two get mentioned together as I loved the comment half way through the ...

  Scott started it ... then Oren replied ... and I'm bored so I thought I would reply :)   To be honest .. I don't think MS is listening to the BIG companies, so much as it is busy trying to attract the LAMP brigades ... Switching to MS development isn't easy from a LAMP background, and a *large* percentage of LAMP ...

Windsor Container is one of my favourite 'tools' - it makes Inversion of Control just that bit easier, and IoC (or Dependency Injection depending on your latest buzzword manual) is just something that all well designed software should attempt to do properly. I just came across some superb tutorials on the subject, linked to indirectly ...

As part of my automated build and test process, I wanted to be able to confirm that my third party components were the proper version and, more importantly, that they were fully licensed.  For some components, I can create a new instance of the control or component and test its IsLicensed property.  For others, the assembly itself is ...

"Can you tell me some of the development blogs you regularly read, and why you think they are of value?" If someone names the 'gurus' or 'glitterati' of the development blogshphere, it is damn likely they are also a good developer. IF (like most people I ask), they never read blogs, and can't tell me who the key ...

The February 2007 CTP of Enterprise Library 3.0 has been released, according to Tom Hollander this is the last version before the release in about a month. It has a fair few interesting additions which Tom explains in more detail. I've always been torn about the Enterprise Library stuff. Some of it is very useful, some of it is superb, ...