Chris Bowen's Blog

ASP.NET MVC Resource Guide

cbowen — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:28:05 GMT

This post is inspired by the presentation that Patrick Hynds and I gave on ASP.NET MVC at StackOverflow’s DevDays conference in Boston. Whether you attended DevDays or happen on this from the web, I hope this is useful for you to learn more about ASP.NET MVC. (Let me know if you have additions or questions.)

Getting Started

ASP.NET MVC is an implementation of the Model-View-Controller pattern on ASP.NET and is freely available via:

Direct download (binary or source)
Web Platform Installer - makes installations simple

ASP.NET MVC 2 Preview 2 is also available, providing a look at the next version. Note that ASP.NET MVC 2 will also ship with Visual Studio 2010 (itself available as Beta 2).

Learning ASP.NET MVC

So, why is this useful? There’s a 3 minute overview "Why ASP.NET MVC?" for decision makers, and a 10 minute technical “ASP.NET MVC How?” video for developers.

To start learning ASP.NET MVC, go to www.asp.net/mvc/learn. There’s tutorials, videos, sample applications, etc. to get you underway.

Then, grab a cup of coffee and sit down to study the Nerd Dinner sample application. It has plenty of intermediate concepts like testing, repository, validation, and more.

I highly recommend you work through creating Nerd Dinner with the 196-page walkthrough by Scott Guthrie

Here are some other places you can turn for more:

MVC Cheat Sheets – Great compilation by Elijah Manor
ASP.NET MVC Forum
StackOverflow ASP.NET MVC Tag (which as you may know is itself based on ASP.NET MVC)

Going Deeper

These are intermediate topics we touched on in the Boston session, and pointers for learning more.

Routing

Learning the M-V-C of ASP.NET MVC is only part of the story. Routing is what takes an inbound web request and maps it to a controller action (and arguments). There are routing tutorials on the ASP.NET site and on MSDN.

You can also define custom routes, route constraints (a route that is satisfied only when constraints are met), and custom route constraints.

T4 Templates

Code generation in Visual Studio is customizable via T4 templates, and ASP.NET MVC uses these as well. Need a different view or controller created in your projects? Change them or add new ones. They can change for all projects, or you can add/override them in specific projects.

Learn more at T4 Templates: A Quick-Start Guide for ASP.NET MVC Developers.

MVC Contrib

One of the key features of ASP.NET MVC is flexibility in implementation. Head to MVC Contrib to find additional options for extending and modifying how ASP.NET MVC functions, including:

Filters
View engines
Controller factories
Model binders
Routing
Controllers
and more

Key Bloggers Covering ASP.NET MVC

Attendee Questions

We had good questions during and after the DevDays session and I wanted to share details for some of the key ones:

Model Binding

There were a few questions about taking data from a submitted page and getting it to arguments in an action method. This is well supported via model binders, which let you map posted form data to classes passed as arguments to action methods.

Learn more about model binding at:

“6 Tips for ASP.NET MVC Model Binding” – K. Scott Allen
Models and Model Binders in MVC Applications
“Splitting DateTime – Unit Testing ASP.NET MVC Custom Model Binders” – Scott Hanselman
Video - “Using ASP.NET MVC Model Binder”

ViewModel Pattern

Using the ViewData dictionary is one way to get data to a view, but you can also create classes to contain that data. Called the ViewModel pattern, these classes help to structure and identify the data needed.

You can learn about ViewModel here:

ASP.NET WebForms vs. ASP.NET MVC?

If you’re wondering whether/when to use ASP.NET WebForms or ASP.NET MVC, Rachel Appel has a good blog post and a session recording from Mix ‘09 on the topic.

It’s important to keep in mind that you can mix ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET WebForms in an application, so this isn’t necessarily an either-or proposition.

Let me know if you’ve found something else particularly helpful in learning about ASP.NET MVC. I’ll be happy to add it.

-Chris

Five MSDN Roadshows Touring the East Coast

cbowen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:07:58 GMT

Back in February of 2007, we kicked off the Northeast MSDN Roadshow with a tour of five cities to wax poetic about the then sparking-new .NET Framework 3.0. We drove many miles, threw things at audience members, showed a lot of code, and had a blast.

Fast forward 2 years 8 months and we’re nearing the start of our eleventh Roadshow series, the “Dont’ Fear the Coder” Tour, but what’s equally cool is that there are five MSDN Roadshows reaching audiences up and down the east coast (each with a spiffy new logo as well.)

Here’s the full list (painstakingly CTRL+C and CTRL+V’ed from my New Jersey based teammate Peter Laudati's blog. Thanks, Peter!)

Register for any of these at http://www.msdnevents.com

	MSDN “Northeast” Roadshow with Chris Bowen & Jim O’Neil Cities & Dates: 11/10/2009 – Burlington, VT 11/12/2009 – Albany (Troy), NY 11/13/2009 – Rochester, NY 12/3/2009 – Farmington, CT 12/8/2009 – Waltham, MA 12/9/2009 – Providence, RI 12/15/2009 – Augusta, ME
	MSDN “Metro” Roadshow with Peter Laudati & Asli Bilgin Cities & Dates: 11/12/2009 – Parsippany, NJ 12/10/2009 – East Windsor, NJ 12/15/2009 – New York, NY
	MSDN “Mid-Atlantic” Roadshow with G. Andrew Duthie, Dani Diaz, and Dave Isbitski Cities & Dates: 11/12/2009 – Pittsburgh, PA 12/1/2009 – Harrisburg, PA 12/3/2009 – Reston, VA 12/8/2009 – Roanoke, VA 12/10/2009 – Malvern, PA
	MSDN “Southern Fried” Roadshow with Brian Hitney & Glen Gordon Cities & Dates: 11/4/2009 – Greensboro, NC 11/5/2009 – Raleigh, NC 11/6/2009 – Columbia, SC 12/8/2009 – Atlanta, GA 12/9/2009 – Montgomery, AL
	MSDN “Tiki Hut” Roadshow with Joe Healy & Russ Fustino Cities & Dates: 11/30/2009 – Tampa, FL 12/2/2009 – Fort Lauderdale, FL 12/14/2009 – Orlando, FL

I hope you enjoy the next Roadshow, wherever you may be*! (*As long as it’s somewhere along the east coast.)

-Chris

Professional Developers Conference (PDC) Update

cbowen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:05:11 GMT

The Professional Developers Conference (PDC) is November 17-19 in Los Angeles, and will be one of the best ways to get your fill of the latest developer tech:

I went last year (and just confirmed I can make it again this year) and it’s several intense days of conversations and content. You can get an idea of what’s in store by reviewing the session recordings from PDC 2008, available for free.

Birds of a Feather Sessions

The Birds of a Feather (BOF) sessions are a great way to connect with other attendees and build from each others’ experiences. ("What is a Birds-of-a-Feather Session?") A number of BOF sessions will be selected and scheduled throughout PDC.

Though some sessions have been scheduled, it’s not too late to propose a session idea of your own! Submissions are open through tomorrow (Friday 10/30) at 5PM PDT.

You can also follow BOF on Twitter.

Free Pre-Conference Windows 7 Bootcamp

The day before PDC (11/16) is an opportunity to attend a number of excellent paid pre-conference workshops on a variety of topics.

You can also sign up for a free Windows 7 Developer Boot Camp that’s open to everyone (not just people attending PDC.)

Other Goings On

Hands-on Labs, Ask the Experts, The Big Room
PDC Tweet Up
Women in Technology Networking Luncheon
Meet the WCF, WF, and “Dublin” Teams
Windows 7 Application Compatibility Testing and Logo Program
Screening of the Visual Studio Documentary

$300 Discount Ends Friday, 10/30

There’s a tiny window remaining to register for PDC with a $300 discount. Make sure you register by the end of Friday, 10/30.

-Chris

Code Camps in Albany, NY and Stamford, CT Coming Soon

cbowen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:28:13 GMT

Next Saturday (November 7th) will bring two more Code Camps to the northeast, one in Albany, NY and the other in Stamford, CT.

Code Camps are free, community events for connecting with and learning from fellow developers. If you can make it to one of these, it will be a day well spent!

Tech Valley Code Camp 2009

Back after last year’s first event, Tech Valley Code Camp 2009 will be hosted at SUNY Albany and is organized by the Tech Valley .NET Users Group.

    Tech Valley Code Camp 2009
    November 7, 9 AM – 3 PM
    SUNY, Albany, NY
    http://www.techvalleycodecamp.com

Register today to attend and while you’re at it, why not throw caution to the wind and volunteer to share your interests in a session as well?

Fairfield/Westchester Code Camp 2009

For those of you in the southern CT area, Fairfield/Westchester Code camp returns for a 2009 edition, organized by the Fairfield/Westchester .NET User Group.

    Fairfield/Westchester Code Camp 2009
    November 7, 8 AM – 6 PM
    UConn, Stamford, CT
    http://fairfieldwestchester.net/Code-Camp.aspx

Hats off to the community for putting these events together!

-Chris

New Cape Cod XNA Group – First Meeting Friday 10/23

cbowen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:56:50 GMT

The new Cape Cod XNA user group will offer a chance to learn and share knowledge about creating games with XNA (which builds on .NET to make games for the PC, XBox 360, and Zune.)

The group’s first meeting is this Friday, October 23rd, at Venture in Hyannis:

      Cape Cod XNA
      October 23, 6:30 PM
      Venture
      Suite 14, 540 Main St, Hyannis, MA [map]

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at making a game, then drop by and put those .NET programming skills to work (er, play)!

-Chris

Northeast MSDN Roadshow - “Don’t Fear the Coder” Tour

cbowen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:17:05 GMT

As in 2007 and 2008, we like to run a pre-winter Roadshow series before the really deep snow blankets the roads. I’m glad to say everything’s lined up for us to to get the word out for the next series!

These are free events, running 9:30 to 3:30, featuring five sessions for developers and architects. Topics include Expression/Silverlight MVVM, ASP.NET Webforms/AJAX, LINQ, finding developer help, and WCF. The full agenda (in all of its themed glory) is below.

We’ll be piling into whatever vehicle we can find (that has plenty of cup holders for coffee) to visit seven cities in November and December:

November 10 - Burlington, VT [Register] New Venue
November 12 - Troy, NY [Register]
November 13 - Rochester, NY [Register]
December 3 - Farmington, CT [Register]
December 8 - Waltham, MA [Register]
December 9 - Providence, RI [Register] New City!
December 15 - Augusta, ME [Register]

P.S. There’s now a directions/parking/updates page to help with any venue updates before each event.

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And now the full agenda (prior Roadshow attendees know we just love a theme). Read on if you dare, but you’ve been warned…

MSDN Events Presents

The MSDN Northeast Roadshow:
"Don't Fear the Coder" Tour

It was a dark and stormy night. Your heart races as you wonder how you'll survive the looming deadline. Technology questions abound. A cat jumps at you for no reason. The stack of unread developer magazines casts a threatening shadow. What to use? When? How?

Worried? Don't be. Road and code warriors Jim O’Neil and Chris Bowen will clear up the fog surrounding key developer technologies. From current practices and tools, to glimpses of the near future, you'll escape with new insights and many stories to tell.

The Northeast MSDN Roadshow is a free series of deep technology sessions for developers and architects. Join Chris and Jim for these relaxed events to gain practical insights (and of course they’ll use their wits to transform “horrors” into “har hars”).

Registration is required, and seating is limited, so register today and join the Roadshow!

The Agenda: Clever Hacking, Slashed Efforts, and Killer Applications

Something WCF This Way Comes

The mysterious figure of Windows Communication Foundation approaches from the swirling mist, but are its intentions good? Rumors abound that it can be complex and not for the faint of heart. We'll take a renewed look at WCF, discovering a practical tale of services, connectivity, integration, and more. Our focus will be on WCF’s current nature, but we'll briefly preview what’s in store for us with .NET 4.0. WCF turns out to be a great ally, so you’ll be glad you stood your ground.

RIA Window – Expression, Silverlight, and MVVM

You’ll code your next Silverlight application with grace after you catch this session, which presents the primary motives for using the MVVM pattern. Focusing on the use of Expression Blend, we’ll cast a designer’s lens on Silverlight development enabling you to plot a hitch-free course for your future projects.

"Help!" – Grasping at Lifelines

In the fight to slay invading bugs and put fearsome requirements to rest, sometimes you need a helping hand. In this brief lunchtime session, we'll review options for finding assistance – ways to report and view issues you find, help systems, websites, team options, communities, and more. Breathe easy, there’s no need to wander alone in the dark.

LINQ De-crypted

Although it’s part of the foundation of the .NET 3.5 release, many developers have yet to uncover the amazing power buried in LINQ (Language Integrated Query). This session will bring to light important concepts found lurking in the shadows of the technology: the IEnumerable and IQueryable interfaces, extension methods, lambda expressions, and more. With LINQ’s defining components unearthed, you’ll vault to new heights in your development efforts.

Tales from the Webside - ASP.NET WebForms, AJAX, and More

Your journey through web development may at times seem like a montage of foreboding images. There are many paths to consider, but in this session we return to the main roads of essential ASP.NET development. From WebForms and server options, to scripting, AJAX, and other tools, we’ll catch up with the latest developments and take a quick glimpse down the road at what awaits us ahead. Until next time, enjoy trying your new web development options.

Code Camp 12 – The Schedule!

cbowen — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:56:26 GMT

We’re on the home stretch for this Saturday’s New England Code Camp 12: “The Developer Dozen” (what is Code Camp?), a free day filled with with technology sessions given by the area developer community.

       New England Code Camp 12
       Saturday, October 17th
       8:30 AM to 6:40 PM
       Microsoft, 201 Jones Road (6th Floor), Waltham, MA

Registration is still open!

http://TheDevCommunity.org

Sessions and Schedule

CC12 will feature 45 sessions by 29 speakers in 7 rooms, all for free!

The session grid (as always, subject to change) is below, and session descriptions are online.

We’ll have printouts of the grid and descriptions waiting for you at registration.

The Schedule (click to expand):

Saturday Evening Geek Gathering

A Code Camp tradition for years, we're informally gathering over at the Waltham Westin's lobby bar for a chance to unwind on Saturday night.

Drop by after sessions are over to relax, chat, and network with fellow New England devs!

Thanks to Our Contributors!

Last but certainly not least, thanks to the contributing companies who have made this event possible:

Lunch courtesy Magenic

O’Reilly

Pearson/Addison-Wesley

Pluralsight

Red-Gate

Wiley/WROX

See you at Camp!

-Chris

New England Code Camp 12 Update

cbowen — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:33:06 GMT

Things are rolling along well toward Saturday, October 17th, when New England Code Camp will descend for a twelfth time upon Waltham, MA! An update on sessions, the Call for Speakers, and contributing companies:

Camp is now up to 39 sessions by 25 different speakers, with more coming, all packed into one free day!

The schedule is coming next week, but here’s the current list of sessions.

All are welcome, and it’s free, so register soon at:

       http://TheDevCommunity.org

       New England Code Camp 12
       Saturday, October 17th
       Times TBD, but likely 8:30 AM to ~6:30 PM
       Microsoft, 201 Jones Road (6th Floor), Waltham, MA

Join hundreds of fellow developers for this semiannual favorite!

Call for Speakers Closing 10/7

We will assemble the final schedule soon, so if you’d like to deliver a session, please submit it by Wednesday, October 7th.

To join in the fun as a speaker, just follow these steps:

Sign in to an existing account or create a new one at TheDevCommunity.org site.
Complete a Speaker Registry profile (if you don't already have one.)
Go to the Code Camps home page.
Next to the CC12 entry, you should see a "Submit a Session" link.
Submit as many sessions as you'd like.
Please ensure that you also register as an attendee

Contributor Update

Sincere thanks to the contributors who have stepped up to make this Code Camp possible via financial support and/or supplying swag & giveaways:

Please join me in thanking these companies for their community support!

See you at Camp!

-Chris

P.S. As always, thanks to Bryan Phillips of Grey Wolf Design for the Code Camp logo!

A Guide to the Internet Explorer 8 Developer Tools

cbowen — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:47:00 GMT

This is a follow up post for a talk I recently gave at the The Ajax Experience conference in Boston about using the developer tools included with Internet Explorer 8.

Want to see the tools in action? I have a screencast on Internet Explorer 8 from a dev perspective on Channel 9. I also cover new features and compatibility, but skip to 24:30 for just the developer tools:

Getting Started with the Developer Tools

Simple enough! In IE8, hit F12 or choose Tools-> Developer Tools to start.

You can either run the tools in browser or press the double window icon at top right to detach for a second monitor or to use side by side with the browser.

The tools offer a full menu and four tabbed sections of features: HTML, CSS, Script, and Profiler.

Working with HTML and CSS

The first tab (HTML) gives access to inspecting the structure of the page, selecting and searching elements and HTML, modifying values, saving locally-made changes, and more. Tip: click the button that looks like a mouse pointer to quickly select a page element (or press CTRL+B).

The right-hand pane shows a per-element CSS summary (Style) and hierarchy/trace (Trace Styles), offers a visual layout tool, and a way to set custom attributes. Tip: Trace Styles is particularly effective way to diagnose style inheritance issues (e.g. “why is that text red!?”).

The second tab (CSS), displays current CSS classes and styles, allowing you to view specific CSS files in use by the page, make changes, and search.

For details, see Debugging HTML and CSS with the Developer Tools on MSDN.

Debugging Script

The Script tab lets you work with script, setting breakpoints, debugging through code and breaking on errors.

To debug, just set any breakpoints you need (you can choose other files using the drop-down list) then press “Start Debugging”. You can also enable Break on Error mode (CTRL + Shift + E). Once at a breakpoint, step into/through with the buttons or F10, F11, and Shift+F11.

There’s a console in the right-hand pane which supports Console.Log/Warn/Info/Error output from your script. The console also supports direct script execution. Tip: this is a great place to learn/test commands from various Ajax and Javascript libraries.

The pane also lets you view breakpoints, local and watch variables, and the call stack.

See Debugging Script with the Developer Tools for more.

Profiling Script

One of the most useful features is the ability to analyze code to measure it’s performance. Just select the fourth tab (Profiler) and click “Start Profiling”. Use the part(s) of the application you’d like to analyze, then click “Stop Profiling”.

You’ll see a summary report showing functions, how many times they were called (Count), timing. Inclusive time is the function plus any called functions, and exclusive time is that function only. Tip: there are other columns as well (% time, min/max time, etc.), but by default they’re collapsed, so click between column headers to expand them.

Use the Current View drop-down to switch between a list of functions or a call tree view.

You can also click the “Export Data” button to save the profiling report externally (e.g. to load into Excel).

See Profiling Script with the Developer Tools for more.

Menu Options

On the right side of the menu, you’ll see options to change the Browser Mode and Document Mode. This lets you modify the browser behavior and page settings to test under different rendering and display conditions. See this MSDN article for more.

Don’t forget to look through the many options in the various menus. For example:

Image and Link reports
Element outlining (tables, divs, etc.)
Cache management
Pop-up blocker, script, and CSS disabling
Tools to resize the browser, measure items, and select colors
Options to send a page for validation
Clear/view cookies

Questions

Some details for questions asked during and after the session:

The Search bar supports the W3C Selectors API, but you need to type an “@” symbol before your expression, otherwise it’s treated as a literal text search.
The script profiler works on a usage basis, profiling all code executed between using the “start profiling” and “stop profiling” commands. I have not seen a way to affect which scripts code is profiled during that time (like you can with using the Profiler APIs to affect Team System’s instrumentation profiling).

Internet Explorer Resources

Finally, a summary of resources to get you underway:

IE 8 Home
IE 8 Developer Center
My screencast on IE8 for developers
IE 8 Dev Tools Tutorial sample site
IE 8 Dev Tools Articles
For keyboard fans, the Keyboard Shortcuts guide

I hope you enjoy using the developer tools!

-Chris

Free Antivirus Protection with Microsoft Security Essentials

cbowen — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:15:29 GMT

A short and simple post…

Need antivirus and antimalware protection? Want it for free? Then download Microsoft Security Essentials now:

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free* download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.

-Chris

WebsiteSpark – A Jumpstart for Web Development and Design Companies

cbowen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:42:09 GMT

Having just posted about a Boston-area opportunity for BizSpark companies, I realized I hadn’t yet mentioned the new WebsiteSpark program, so…

WebsiteSpark

Similar to BizSpark, WebsiteSpark is a new program for web development/design companies and offers (from the FAQ):

The program helps Web Pros drive new business opportunities through increased visibility and connections with partners (including Web Hosters) and customers around the world; WebsiteSpark also provides Web Pros with Microsoft tools and hosting solutions, as well as support and training.

What Do You Receive?

From the WebsiteSpark support page:

Design Tools/Development Tools/Testing Tools. Each Web Pro firm will be entitled to :
- Visual Studio® 2008 Professional Edition 3 user licenses
- Expression® Studio 2 (or 3) 1 user license, available only to the Primary Contact for the Web Pro
- Expression® Web 2 (or 3) 2 user licenses
- Windows Web Server® 2008 (or Windows Web Server 2008 R2 when available) 3 user licenses
- SQL Server® 2008 Web 3 user licenses
Production and Deployment. If self-hosting, each Web Pro firm will be entitled to four processor production licenses each (requires enrollment in SPLA Essentials):
- Windows Web Server® 2008 (or Windows Web Server 2008 R2, when available)
- SQL Server® 2008 Web

What Does This Cost?

From the FAQ:

“There is no upfront cost for Web Pros to join WebsiteSpark or receive its benefits; a Program Offering Fee (USD 100) is required when the Web Pro exits the program.”

How Do I Learn More and Join?

Full details, including how to qualify and join, are on the WebsiteSpark site and program guide.

If you’re a web development and/or design firm, it’s definitely worth a look.

-Chris

Windows 7 Incubation Week Boston – October 5

cbowen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:39:03 GMT

After other successful Microsoft BizSpark Incubation Weeks, it’s good to have another coming to the Boston area.

Microsoft BizSaprk Incubation Week Boston will be from October 5th through the 9th at the Microsoft Technology Center in Waltham, MA.

This will be an opportunity for BizSpark startups to learn about and develop with new Windows 7 features, get coaching from guest speakers and experts, and generate some awareness for your efforts.

If you’re interested, there’s a brief window of opportunity remaining to nominate your team to participate, so contact Sanjay Jain right away. See Sanjay’s post for full details.

-Chris

Announcing the Boston Azure User Group

cbowen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:47:17 GMT

Cloud computing is capturing an increasing amount of mindshare recently, with the Windows Azure platform as a way to build new cloud applications and integrate cloud-based services with existing ones.

With that in mind, the Boston Azure User Group has just been formed, offering area developers, architects, and tech professionals a way to meet to discuss and learn about Azure and cloud computing in general.

The group will be meeting at the Microsoft Cambridge NERD center, with the first meeting on October 22nd. See BostonAzureUserGroup.org for details as they emerge and to join the group’s mailing list.

Thanks to Bill Wilder (blog) for volunteering his time to organize and run the group!

-Chris

BarCampManchester 4 on September 26

cbowen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:23:23 GMT

For tech folks in and near New Hampshire, this weekend’s BarCampManchester 4 will be a great opportunity to learn, share, and network.

BarCamp will be Saturday, September 26th from 9:30 – 4:30 at UNH Manchester and registration is free.

Like other BarCamps, it will be an “unconference”, with an ~~attendee-~~ participant-driven experience that encourages everyone to share insights and interests. (See also “Rules” of BarCamp, and tips on what to expect.)

See you there!

-Chris

Vermont’s First Code Camp a Success!

cbowen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:54:17 GMT

Having helped to run the New England Code Camps for a while now, I know that organizing one is no easy task. It’s especially challenging to run the first one – finding a venue, raising awareness, encouraging people to speak, reaching out to companies for support, etc.

So I’m confident when I say job well done to everyone who organized and volunteered for Vermont’s first Code Camp this weekend!

In particular, thanks to Rob Hale, who did an outstanding job stepping up to take point for organizing the event, and to Julie Lerman, who for many years has worked to drive and improve the Vermont developer community.

Of course, a Code Camp simply couldn’t happen without the support of the speakers (local and out of state), volunteers, and contributors/sponsors – all of whom deserve many thanks! And finally, thanks to the over 80 attendees who invested their Saturday to gather to share, learn, and network.

It would have been a success for any Code Camp, but to see the diverse tech community presence, support by local and national companies, a perfect venue (thanks to UVM), and excellent presentations all at a first attempt is a great accomplishment.

As a bonus, my wife and I were able to a weekend of the visit to Vermont and enjoyed revisiting our favorite Burlington places (we used to live there, so I’m always happy to make the trip.)

Code Camp season is upon us (MA, NH, and NY each have Camps in the works), and it’s off to a great start!

-Chris