MSDN Flash - Volume 12, Number 9: April 21, 2008

From the Editor

Greetings Developers,

We start with a must-see article from this month's MSDN Magazine: Editor-in-Chief Howard Dierking talks to the inventor of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup, about language zealots, the evolution of programming, and what's in the future of programming. If you've ever wondered why programming languages connect with people on such a deep level, check it out.

Speaking of C++, the final release of the Visual C++ 2008 Feature Pack is now available for download. This release provides several exciting features for C++ developers, such as a major update to MFC and an implementation of TR1. Unfortunately, a set of setup and deployment issues have been reported with the Feature Pack. Some are blocking issues and, as a result, the Visual C++ team is currently working on a refresh of the Feature Pack. In the interim, a list of the issues and their workarounds is provided on the Visual C++ Team blog. These issues will all be addressed via the refresh.

And while we're on the topic of evolution, be sure to see the podcast on Windows Past, Present, and Future. Windows veterans Tim Sneath and Ian Ellison-Taylor discuss the olden days of Windows, how it has evolved, and how it may look in the future from a developer perspective.

Thanks for reading.
Editor, MSDN Flash


A Note from Your Student Developer Team

Help! How do I get started with a new technology?
In college, I thought I had done a lot of programming and was familiar with development technologies - and then I got a job as a developer. I had to dive into other languages and skill sets quickly all beginning with that first step. Getting started with a new or unfamiliar technology can be a challenge; here are some tips to navigating the Microsoft training. With that in mind, let's take a quick poll:

What is your favorite programming activity?

Web Programming

Windows Programming

Game Programming

Mobile Programming

Embedded Programming

Robotics

Database Programming

I don’t like programming

There are many different ways to get started, and at Microsoft we have every style of learning covered.
Beginning Developer Learning Center
Whether you call yourself a newbie, noob, or beginner, the BDLC (Beginning Developer Learning Center) is the place for you. In just 60 minutes the BDLC will have you up and running on Microsoft development. BDLC provides learning paths to get started programming or to transition to a new platform (Web programming for Windows programmers). They offer Tier 1 for brand-new beginners, Tier 2 for programmers who understand .NET fundamentals, and Tier 3 to expand your knowledge. Start here for beginners.

Java Programmers: Ramp-up
Calling all Java Programmers: Ramp-up is for you. Ramp-up offers great routes for transitioning from previous skills. Although you'll get up and running quickly, these tracks are meant for the more serious programmer who is looking to get some hefty .NET skills. Ramp-up offers tracks for: Aspiring Developer, Java Developer, Visual Basic 6 Developer, Visual Studio 2002/2003 Developer. Start your transition from Java here.

Certification: IT Academy Student Pass
The IT Academy Student Pass offers 12 to 22 hours of free e-learning courses, aligned to the first set of topics you need to master for the first Microsoft certification exam within the track. Tracks include: Windows Developer, Web Developer, Database Developer, Windows Server IT Professional, Windows Client IT Professional. Learning is free for students with MSDN AA access. IT Academy Student Pass is all-encompassing and free learning to help you attain a certification.

Education by Style or Product
Web Programming and Graphic Design - Microsoft Expression Learning Center
Database Programming - SQL Server Express Learning Center
Mobile Programming - Windows Mobile Getting Started
Embedded Programming - Getting Started with Windows Embedded
Robotics - Getting Started with Microsoft Robotics Studio
Game Programming - XNA Getting Started

General Education
Bookmark these pages for future learning: Microsoft Learning and Microsoft How-to.

Microsoft Student Partners Now Hiring
Want to help connect your campus to Microsoft? Here's your chance. Microsoft hires students to run local events, provide technical training, and promote awareness of Microsoft student offerings. If you love technology and sharing your passion with others, this gig is for you. Apply at student-partners.com.


Your Featured Content

Update Your Selected Topics

Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.

Windows Vista: One Year Later

May 19 - 22, 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time
A year has gone by on Windows Vista, and much has changed. Join us in this four-webcast series as we discuss where Vista stands now, expose the myths in the marketplace, set expectations on the latest service pack release, and highlight the new opportunities developers now have at their fingertips.

Get Your Product Included in Dedicated Catalogues and Toolkits Used by Windows Vista Customers

Take the Works with Windows Vista self-test: a fast, simple way to check that your solution is compatible. Pass this and your product can join the other compatible products included in our customer-facing resources.

Announcing the Microsoft HPC++ CompFin Lab

Microsoft HPC++ Labs introduce the HPC++ CompFin Lab, which integrates Microsoft Windows HPC Server, a central market data database, and Microsoft productivity products to provide universities with an online service to publish, execute, and manage computational finance models. Professors can publish models for their students, who can execute the models and analyze results from any Internet connection.

Microsoft HPC++ CompFin Lab Architecture White Paper

This white paper covers an incubation project from HPC++ Labs called the HPC++ CompFin Lab. The lab explores the hosting of data-centric high-performance computing (HPC) and high-productivity computing solutions by providing a computational finance service for academic use.

Government Resources

Microsoft Public Sector Developer Conferences 
May 15, Downers Grove, IL
Come join us for a full day of developer-oriented technical sessions on Visual Studio Team System 2008 (VSTS), language-integrated query (LINQ), ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview, and Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO). There is no fee to attend.

June 4, Nashville, TN
Join us for a full day of developer-oriented technical sessions on Microsoft Silverlight 2.0, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Visual Studio 2008, Expression Blend, data access with language-integrated query (LINQ), and ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview. There is no fee to attend!

Microsoft Developer Dinner Series for Partners
April 23, Reston, VA
April 24, Washington, D.C.
Join Robert Shelton and Marc Schweigert for a free dinner event for developers on Microsoft Silverlight 2.0. Learn how to use the new controls and .NET Framework APIs to create rich Internet applications using XAML markup and C# code, how to build user controls, how to retrieve data from a Web service, and how to manipulate data with XML and LINQ.

Designer Dinner
May 28, Reston, VA
Attend the rich Internet application (RIA) dinner and spend an evening with Marc Schweigert and James Chittenden to learn about a new cross-browser, cross-platform (e.g., Windows, Mac, and Linux) technology for delivering the next generation of Web media experiences. This free RIA dinner event is focused on Web and multimedia designers as well as developers who are interested in learning about Silverlight and how to leverage their existing skills sets to build Silverlight solutions.

Developer Webcasts
Learn about the latest Microsoft development tools for public sector developers! And be sure to check out the upcoming webcast schedule.

On-Demand Webcasts
Missed a webcast that you wanted to attend? Check out our on-demand webcasts.

Screencasts
Marc Schweigert, public sector developer evangelist, is releasing via his blog a series of screencasts on Silverlight 2.0 and other developer technologies.

Free Developer Events
U.S. Mobility Metro/Firestarter Developer Events

Microsoft Learning
Stay ahead of the curve with Microsoft Learning for Visual Studio 2008. Whether you are learning new features, improving expertise, increasing your productivity, or just staying ahead of the curve, Microsoft Learning can help you get up to speed quickly. Microsoft Learning materials are the most reliable and up-to-date source of learning about Microsoft products.

Download a free Visual Studio 2008 e-book

Find classroom training on Visual Studio 2008

Get ready for Visual Studio 2008 with free e-learning

Free Visual Studio 2008 Hands-On Training from InnerWorkings

Take advantage of this free training promotion from InnerWorkings, focusing on new features in C# 3.0 and LINQ to SQL, and start building your skills today.

.NET Framework KB Articles

Security exceptions during debug of .NET application

Binary serialization exceptions occur when you serialize or deserialize the DateTimeFormatInfo class or the TextInfo class between different versions of the .NET Framework

FIX: A Windows Forms application that uses ActiveX controls may crash, and a null reference exception occurs after you install the .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1

RSS RSS Feeds
.NET Framework 2.0 | .NET Framework 1.1

Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio 2005, and Visual Studio .NET KB Articles

FIX: Error message when a user-defined function specifies the data source in a data-driven unit test in Visual Studio 2008 Team System: "The unit test adapter failed to connect to the data source or to read the data"

FIX: The Visual Studio 2005 IDE stops responding when you work with Visual C++ projects

FIX: The query designer in Visual Studio .NET 2003 adds random characters to the end of an SQL statement

RSS RSS Feeds
Visual Studio 2008 | Visual Studio 2005 | Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition | Visual Studio .NET 2003 | Visual Studio .NET 2002

SQL Server and Data Access KB Articles

FIX: The SQL Server service may stop responding when you run a query that contains many OR clauses in SQL Server 2005

FIX: The update operation is performed on incorrect rows when you update a column of the VARCHAR data type on a remote table by using a linked server in SQL Server 2005

FIX: The SQLGetData function may return zero for the actual size of the data that is to be copied when you use the function to retrieve data for a binary column in SQL Server 2005

FIX: The application seems to stop responding when an application executes a large query that has parameters in predicates in SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition

RSS RSS Feeds
SQL Server 2005 | SQL Server 2000 | SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services


Evaluation Center

Office Communications Server 2007 is Now Available for Download

Office Communications Server 2007 is a unified communications platform that enables you to efficiently build secure, productivity-enhancing applications on top of an extensible software foundation. When you download the 180-day trial software, you're automatically registered to receive valuable resources delivered at specific intervals throughout the software evaluation period.

Evaluate Windows Server 2008 Trial Software

Windows Server 2008 provides developers with the most secure, flexible, and connected Web and applications platform, reducing the time to craft high-performing, standards-compliant applications and make network services available remotely. Register to download the trial software and you'll get access to resources assembled to address the challenges you'll face as you discover, assess, and deploy the software.

More Evaluation Center Resources...

Web Resources

MSDN Magazine: Create Voice Response Workflows with Speech Server 2007

Speech Server 2007 lets you create sophisticated voice-response applications with the Microsoft .NET Framework and Visual Studio tool integration. Here's how.

MSDN Magazine: Great Scaling Strategies for ASP.NET Applications

Performance problems can creep into your Web app as it scales up, and when they do, you need to find the causes and the best strategies to address them.

MSDN Magazine: Silverlight 2.0 Lets You Build Advanced 3D Animations

Animating with Silverlight is easier than you think. Here we create a 3D app that folds a polyhedron using XAML and C#, and emulates the DirectX math libraries.

In the Press: Microsoft Sets Sights on High-Performance Computing

Windows IT Pro Magazine details the strides Microsoft has made with HPC Server 2008.

Security for Developers

Microsoft SDL Process - in Detail

The SDL 3.2 doc suite is now available for download. Find out why Michael Howard says "this is a big deal."

Phishing Holes

XSS-Focused Attack Surface Reduction

Internet Explorer 8.0 and Data Execution Prevention (DEP/NX)

When adding security bugs to your code is not your fault!

RSA 2008 Keynote: Craig Mundie

RSA Crypto Panel: Martin Hellman on 0.01% Events

RSA 2008 Keynote: John Thompson

RSA 2008 - A Theme Identified: Guitar Hero

More Security...

Training

Take an Instructor-Led Course in Windows Presentation Foundation

This three-day instructor-led course will give you the knowledge and skills to build and configure a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) solution.

Free Microsoft Press E-books on Visual Studio 2008

Get a free e-book on Microsoft LINQ, Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX, and Microsoft Silverlight.

Get Ready for New Visual Studio 2008 Certification

Make sure hiring managers and project leads notice you - with a Microsoft Certification. Demonstrate your understanding of new features and technologies, and inspire confidence in your readiness to design and create applications by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.

More Training...

Case Studies

Over 18 Teraflops Linpack Performance Running the Latest Pre-release of Windows HPC Server 2008

Aachen University in Aachen, Germany, deployed a 262-node cluster and achieved 18.81 TFlops with 76.5 percent efficiency.

High-Performance Computing Oil & Gas Industry Survey 2008

Learn more about trends in high-performance computing in the oil and gas industry, from exploration through refining and marketing, worldwide.

More Case Studies...

Partner News

Trial: Sparx UML Integration for Visual Studio 2008

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect 7.1 and MDG Integration tightly integrate UML and open-standards modeling into Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.

Free Web Site Solution for .NET User Groups

Kentico publishes a free Web site template for .NET user groups based on Kentico CMS for ASP.NET.

MSDN Code Gallery: Get Code; Share Code

https://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/cc304057.aspx

In This Issue:

Your Featured Content

Evaluation Center

Web Resources

Security for Developers

Training

Case Studies

Partner News

Resources

Developer Resources Center (Silverlight Version)

Developer & Architect Events

Windows Vista Developer Center

Microsoft Office Developer Center

Expression Web Home Page

MSDN Evaluation Center

MSDN Magazine

TechNet Magazine

Webcasts & Online Events

All times Pacific Time.

Building Your Business on Microsoft
April 28 - May 8, 11:00 A.M.
This series of nine webcasts focuses on the Microsoft tools and applications that support critical business decisions to ensure the overall success of your business. These webcasts will speak to the tactical and strategic applications and elements in technology and showcase the new features in SQL Server 2008.

VoIP, the "Out-of-the-Box" Experience with Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
April 29, 11:00 A.M.
In this labcast, we provide an overview of VoIP and cover topics such as VoIP-related components included in Windows Embedded CE, modifying and using the components, and how to build and test VoIP devices.

Demonstrating the Web Services on Devices API with Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
April 29, 1:00 P.M.
Learn about the components related to the Web Services on Devices API, operating system design concepts, and client application concepts. In this labcast, we demo Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 features from a developer's perspective.

Webcasts listed in an easy-to-use calendar format: MSDN Webcast Calendar

National and Global Events

Be at Tech·Ed Developers for the Bill Gates Keynote
June 3 - 6,
Orlando, FL
Don't miss Bill Gates at the first ever Tech∙Ed North America 2008 Developers conference. With 16 separate technical tracks, 328 unique breakout sessions, and more than 145 hands-on labs, you can tailor Tech∙Ed Developers to deliver just the information you want. Register today to take advantage of the extended US$200 early bird discount.

Microsoft Health & Life Sciences Developer and Solutions Conference
April 22 - 24
Atlantic City, NJ
This is an excellent opportunity for developers, architects to gain insight into the latest and upcoming Microsoft technologies and solutions as they relate to the health & life sciences industry. This year the conference is expected to make a big draw through the participation of MS-HUG, Microsoft Health U.S. & Worldwide Health & Life Sciences Industry team, Microsoft product teams, and BioIT Alliance members.