.net and other interesting dev stuff in PA : Patterns & Practices

New Application Block for Enterprise Library - Updater Application Block v2.0

sspotts — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 20:10:00 GMT

I've downloaded this, installed it, and started playing around with it. If I can put together a demo, I may add it to my EntLib talk at VS Connections on Monday, but since I'm traveling over the weekend, it's up in the air.

You need to have the latest build of Enterprise Library installed first, then instal the UA block. One thing I found after installing is that the Configuration Editor is installed again with this applicaiton block, but only shows you the applicaiton blocks that are compiled in the directory that the configuration editor itself is stored. Just copying the DLL's from the original Enterprise Library build into the UA blocks common directory lets you access them when building/editing config files.

From the UA Block page introduction:

The Updater Application Block is a .NET Framework component that you can use to detect, download, and apply client application updates deployed in a central location. By using the Updater Application Block, you can keep smart client applications up to date with little or no user intervention. You can also extend the Updater Application Block to use custom classes for downloading files and for performing post-deployment configuration tasks.

Specifically, the Updater Application Block helps you in the following ways:

It helps you implement a "pull model" for automatically downloading updates for .NET Framework applications.
It helps you perform post-download configuration tasks without requiring user intervention.

Note This application block for .NET has been designed based on reviews of successful .NET Framework applications. It is provided as source code that you can use "as-is" or customized for your application. It is not an indication of future direction for application deployment within the Microsoft .NET Framework. Future releases of the .NET Framework may use a different model to address application deployment.

Enterprise Library Webcasts coming in March

sspotts — Thu, 24 Feb 2005 08:21:00 GMT

There are 10 new webcasts coming in March around Enterprise Library. Visit the patterns & practices events web site to get more info.

DevConnections in Orlando March 21-23

sspotts — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 02:56:00 GMT

I was just asked to speak at DevConnections - the Visual Studio Connections part, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel, Orlando, Florida on March 21, topic is Enterprise Libarary:

VFI253 – Introduction to the patterns & practices Enterprise Library

patterns & practices are a collection of Microsoft guides with specific recommendations about how to design, build, deploy and operate architecturally sound solutions. Their Application Blocks are production quality code incorporating proven architectures and best practices. Enterprise Library will be the next generation of the patterns & practices Application Blocks. The initial release will provide the most widely used blocks in a single integrated package. Attend this session and find out more about the plans for the patterns & practices Enterprise Library.

It looks like a fun event, and a lot of Microsoft folks will be presenting. Thanks to Joe Healy, another DE on my team, and Bernard Wong, DCC in SoCal and Southwest, for getting me involved!

Enterprise Library at Web Services Edge East

sspotts — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 10:12:00 GMT

I was up in Boston for the Web Services Edge East conference today to give a tutorial presentation about Enterprise Libarary. I took out the slides that showed pasted code and ran demos on the fly to show how to work with the configuration editor, the configuration block, data access block, and logging and instrumentation block.

I was up after Doug Turnure, another DE on my team. Doug's a fun presenter, and I got a kick out of his talk around new language features in VS 2005. My biggest concern was that I got sick on the way to the airport, worse during the flight, and got basically no sleep after popping Actifeds all night. It turned out that most people couldn't tell, and my voice only started to go near the end. Several people told me that it was their first view of EntLib, and even of our application blocks in general. They thought it was something that would save them some time and effort. I couldn't agree more.

Like Doug, I also met Julia Lerman for the first time, after having chatted in e-mails with her a few times. I have to agree with Doug's assessment, she's definitely a "hoot." :)

patterns & practices Enterprise Library (EntLib) released to web!

sspotts — Sun, 30 Jan 2005 18:53:00 GMT

Just released on MSDN! http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnpag2/html/entlib.asp

The patterns & practices Enterprise Library is a library of Application Blocks designed to assist developers with common enterprise development challenges. Application Blocks are a type of guidance, provided as source code, that can be used as-is, extended or modified by developers for use on enterprise development projects. Enterprise Library features new and updated versions of application blocks that were previously available as stand-alone blocks. All blocks included in Enterprise Library have been updated with a particular focus on consistency, extensibility, ease of use and integration.

This release of Enterprise Library includes: Caching Application Block, Configuration Application Block, Cryptography Application Block, Data Access Application Block, Exception Handling Application Block, Logging & Instrumentation Application Block, and Security Application Block.

Biztalk Patterns

sspotts — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 08:36:00 GMT

Check out the patterns on gotdotnet that Scott Woodgate outlined on his blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/scottwoo/archive/2005/01/10/350346.aspx

Philadelphia .NET User Group meeting on Wednesday

sspotts — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 20:42:00 GMT

The PhillyDotNet meeting last night was much better attended than we anticipated, as only around 50 people signed up but over 60 showed up. A -20 drop off rate is pretty rare!

I kicked off the meeting and presented about Avalon for the early 20-minute lead-in session. This had around 20 people in attendence. The main session, which started after my session and the user group news section of the meeting, tripled the attendence.

John Lauser, from Anexinet, gave a comprehensive overview of WSE 2.0 and additional enhancements for the keynote session, and Anexinet sponsored the event - food, t-shirts, and other swag were abundant.

Graham Barry, our new Architect Evangelist in the Microsoft Greater PA District, gave a presentation about Services Oriented Architecture. This is a hugely important topic and will be something we'll cover in depth in other training and events moving forward.

Code Camp: Greater PA

sspotts — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:35:00 GMT

There was some great stuff done by Thom Robbins, one of my teammates in the East Region (up in Waltham, MA), with Code Camp II (http://weblogs.asp.net/trobbins/archive/2004/10/21/246018.aspx). Forty people presented over 60 sessions over 20 hours in two days.

The goal of the Code Camps series is to provide an intensive developer to developer learning experience that is fun and technically stimulating.

Tonight I brought this up to the PhillyDotNet user group as an event to bring to the Greater PA area, and the whole group was psyched, and so am I. The primary focus for our event will be on delivering programming information and sample code for Visual Studio 2005 and the .NET Framework 2.0 as well as Microsoft's other platform servers. The event is free and all slides, manuals and demo code will be provided. I'm planning to do this over a weekend in April 2005.

If you're interested, I'm be looking for speakers. RD's, INETA speakers, Microsoft Partners, authors, MVP's, user group leaders, or developers that just want to show how to do cool coding are all welcome. Any speakers at the Code Camp in Waltham will be most welcome to replicate his/her presentations down here!

I like the idea of the following tracks:

ASP.NET 2.0 Development (including WSS web parts)
Smart Client development (Winforms, mobile apps, tablet PC)
Patterns and Best Practices (focus on Enterprise Library)
SOA (think WSE, BizTalk 2004)
Data Access (SQL Server 2005, ADO.NET, etc.)
Dev Lifecycle (all about VSTS)

Presentations will all be aligned to these tracks. Event planning is work in progress, but it's too cool not to do.

There will be three types of scheduled 90 minute sessions.

Presentations. 200 level (50% code/50% Powerpoint), 300 level (75% code/25% PPT), and 400 level (90%+ code)
Roundtables. 3-4 subject matter experts discussing specific topics.
Chalk Talk. No presentation, just attendee-guided discussions and whiteboarding with a subject matter expert.

If you'd like to present at this event, please send me the following info prior to February 1:

Name, title, company
e-mail address
Phone
Which track (see above)
What level (200/300/400)
Name of session
Format of session (Presentation/Roundtable/Chalk Talk)
Description of session

I'm asking for speakers early so I can resource the best venue for the event. I'll want slides (including speaker notes) and demos by March 15th so we can review them and get them ready for distribution for the event.

There are a few other things I'm trying to connect with this Code Camp, so stay tuned.

Prescriptive Architecture Guides and Application Blocks

sspotts — Fri, 05 Dec 2003 00:01:00 GMT

This stuff is so cool. For years, before I started working for Microsoft, I was always wondering where the guidance from Microsoft was for designing applications. Sure, I could find books on it; I could get lucky and one of the tomes I bought would have something useful, but it didn't feel like Microsoft was telling me anything.

Then came the PAG group. For a while, it was just internal, but then it opened up. Out came guidance for everything from setting up your internet data center, to designing web apps, to testing, and more. And the application blocks!

Application blocks are bits of supported (via Premier) code that can save loads of time and expense. Architects can use them as a great way to jump start their developers and supply a consistent code pattern for them for all kinds of things. The data access block, caching block, even logging block are pretty cool. Many more where that came from as well.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/practices/audiences.asp

I'll be doing a lot about educating our enterprise customers about how to use these in during the next 6 months and beyond.