“Zermatt” is the codename of a .NET framework that helps developers build claims-aware applications to address challenging application security requirements using a simplified application access model. It is currently in beta, and the first final version is expected towards the end of this year. This framework consists of a comprehensive set of libraries that facilitate the use of "claims" in applications - in Microsoft's words: make them "claims-aware". This greatly simplifies the development of applications that will work within federated environments and the new identity metasystem technology that Microsoft is developing, and will give a push to adoption of the new identity technology.
Download the bits of the Beta of “Zermatt” Developer Identity Framework.
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Have a look at the following investigation by Sam Allen.....
"The author developed a program to snapshot memory usage per process every 3 seconds on Windows. Using this he recorded 3 hours of memory usage for five different browsers under real-world usage scenarios: Safari 3.1, Firefox 3, Flock 1.2 (a browser based on Firefox 2), Opera 9.5, and Internet Explorer 8. A million data points indicate that Firefox 3 has a surprising advantage over the other browsers tested. These are real-world tests and not contrived benchmarks."
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Firefox,
IE,
Opera,
Flock
SlickEdit is one of the old school editors that has survived the wonder world of the new IDE. Version 13
3 has just been released and it continues to blur the boundaries between a simple text editor and a fullblown IDE. While there are no visual form designers and other such wizbang graphics, what you get is an editor that you can use for many development tasks, including building, running, and debugging complete applications.
Ten versions down the road, and we now have almost too many features to list, but let's hit a few of the highlights. You get multiple windows and configurable everything, with colour-coding for all the languages your heart could desire. There is also a variety of language-specific indentation, auto-completion, and code prettification functions designed to save you typing while making your code look right. Add in a slick diff and merge tool, integration with loads of source code control systems (Subversion support is new in this release), searching that lets you use regular expressions or skip strings or comments (or limit your searching to strings or comments, for that matter) or what ever. You get a C-based macro language and just about any keyboard shortcut man (or woman) can imagine. And then there is built-in class and definition browsers making it super-easy and super-fast to jump to parts of your code. So overall SlickEdit is very fast; if you're used to waiting for an IDE to churn, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the responsiveness here.
From there, move on to the actual coding stuff. For example, you can open up a Visual Studio .NET solution directly in SlickEdit v13, build or rebuilt it, run it, even debug it with a full selection of watches, single-stepping, and other advanced debugging features. If you're working in C++ you also get a whole mess of refactoring features in the editor. Java developers get new support for Java Live Errors and the Hot-Swap Debugger (essentially edit and continue for Java), plus the ability to run JUnit tests from within the editor. The user interface has also been modernized from previous versions, with slicker icons and dockable windows for a more modern feel.
If you want to take the program for a spin, there's a trial available for download.
Find it here....
If you keep getting nagged for log ons when using sharepoint this will solve the problem almost 100% of the time. The trick is to use the Windows managed Stored username and password feature. To access this,
1. Simply go into Control Panel
2. Click User Accounts
3. Go into Managed Passwords and click Add
4. Type the URL of the server (without HTTP), for example portal.us.com
5. Enter your credentials and click Ok
Now anytime Windows attempts to access ANYTHING on this server it will use the use those credentials and your prompting issue should go away.
The downside to this is if you change your password, you need to remember to come change it here.
As we use more and more virtual machines, particularly for development, there is a risk because they don't get updated by pushing critical security or virus updates and then they are fired up six months later we can have a security problem.
Microsoft has a solution for their virtual machine environment adding to the virtual machine management tooling - the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool. This turns on your VMs, updates them and shuts them down automatically. You can find information about getting on the Beta at the link below.
Get it here
This is the User Guide, Samples and Walkthroughs for the tools for developing custom SharePoint applications with the Visual Studio 2005 extensions for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, version 1.1 (VSeWSS 1.1). The user guide has sections:
- Starting out in SharePoint Development
- Walkthrough of the VSeWSS User Interface including the WSP View
- The Team Site Project
- The Blank Site Project
- The List Definition Project
- The Web Part Project
- The Workflow Projects
- Project Item Templates
- Best Practices with VSeWSS
- Changes from 1.0 to 1.1
Get it here!!!
If you are a developer for SharePoint your best friend has been Virtual PC or VMWare. It’s now time to introduce a new friend, Bamboo Nation's SharePointOnVista go here for more info
Learn ten tips to improve your use of SharePoint Server 2007 with Excel Services from the SharePoint - Excel Services forum.
Go here to download
Thanks to Mike Breeze for this one.
In the main UAC has provided a more secure Windows Desktop OS but there are times when this can be very annoying. On of those times is when attempting to run commands from our old friend the DOS prompt. What invariably happens, even though we logged on as an administrator, we get the UAC nag prompt! What need to do is run what is called an Elevated Command Prompt. The following allows you to set on up for future use!
To create an ECP as a shortcut on the desktop:
1. Right-click the desktop, and select New > Shortcut.
2. In the text box of the Create Shortcut dialogue box that appears, type cmd and then click Next.
3. On the following screen, type a name for your shortcut -- I use Elevated Command Prompt. Then click Finish.
4. Right-click on the shortcut you have just created and select Properties.
5. Select the Shortcut tab and click the Advanced button.
6. Check the box titled Run as administrator. (see below) Click OK and then OK again.
We now have our Elevated Command Prompt....
In the drive for greater success for business IT is finally starting to make the difference it has always promised. The reason is the move to the Service Orientated approach to the architecture that supports the business and provides the agility needed in today's market places.
Service Orientated Architecture, for a number of years, has been linked with building solutions with web services but that is extremely misleading. SOA is a blue print for how solutions, business processes and applications are delivered not simply the technology or 'building materials'.
All businesses have two aspects that define them: the core processes, applications and principles that underpin the business that rarely change and the things that change frequently such as prices, stock lists, customer experience and products. What is clear is that changes in the frequently changing level should not impact at the core level.
In a nut shell SOA provides us with the approach and blueprints to meet this goal. In essence a business can appear and in fact be very agile without having to rebuild it's core to achieve it.
SOA is the practice of grouping core business functions into independent services that don’t change frequently. These services can then be used or composed together to deliver solutions, services and applications the business requires. The win for business is these solutions and applications can be changed as the market or business dictates providing the agile edge that delivers success.
Sourced from: The official Microsoft ASP.Net site
New features are being added to ASP.NET and ADO.NET this year that increase the power of the .NET Framework 3.5. These enhancements target:
- Enabling high-productivity data scenarios by using the ADO.NET Entity Framework, ADO.NET Data Services, ASP.NET MVC, and ASP.NET Dynamic Data.
- Supporting test-driven development by using a powerful and extensible ASP.NET MVC framework.
- Creating the best server for rich clients by using AJAX history support and ASP.NET controls for Silverlight.
What are the new features?
Where can I find these new features?
Where can I ask questions and discuss?
How can I learn more?
The Silverlight Blueprint for SharePoint is source code and guidance for developers describing how to use Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies together in business applications and Internet Web sites. SharePoint applications that use Web Parts can now be built using Silverlight user interface elements. This capability enables a fresh look at data exposed through SharePoint Products and Technologies using the modern graphics capability in Silverlight.
Get the Silverlight Blueprint for SharePoint