MSDN Flash - Volume 13, Number 7: March 30, 2009
Volume 13, Number 7: March 30, 2009
Top News
The new IE8 has been released to manufacturing. See for yourself why it delivers the best Web experience.
Understand Site and Application Compatibility with Internet Explorer 8
As developers, you need to understand which IE8 changes will impact compatibility when migrating from IE7. Here are some of the key tools and resources to help ensure your sites and applications continue to work optimally:
• Internet Explorer 8 Readiness Toolkit
• The Differences between IE8 Compatibility View and IE7
• Internet Explorer 8 Meta Tag Fact Sheet
• MSDN Virtual Lab: Preparing for Internet Explorer 8 - Application Compatibility
• IE8 Compatibility Wizard from ArtinSoft
ASP.NET MVC enables Web developers to build Web solutions that are easy to maintain because it decreases the dependency between layers by using the model-view-controller (MVC) pattern. In addition, it provides complete control over page markup and improves testability, which enables developers to make use of test-driven development (TDD).
Recently at MIX09, we announced new IIS extension releases, including RC versions of IIS Web Deployment Tool and IIS Database Manager, as well as RTW versions of FTP Service 7.5 and WebDAV 7.5. IIS extensions add value to the Microsoft Web Platform by enabling Web developers to more easily develop and publish Web applications and Web servers. Get the latest versions of all IIS extensions through the Microsoft Web Platform Installer.
Download Expression Blend 3 Preview
Expression Blend 3 Preview creates content that targets Silverlight 3 and provides new capabilities, including SketchFlow, for effectively prototyping the flow and composition of applications. Also try Expression Web SuperPreview, a feature of Expression Web which enables developers to quickly and easily troubleshoot Web page rendering across a wide variety of browsers.
Silverlight 3 Developer Preview Release
The preview release introduces more than 50 new features, including support for running Silverlight applications out of the browser, dramatic video performance and quality improvements, and features that radically improve developer productivity. There is no “go-live” licensing, and the end-user runtime is not available in this release.
Download the Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0 (Web PI) Beta
The Web PI is a free tool that makes it simple to download, install, and keep up-to-date with the latest components of the Microsoft Web Platform, including Internet Information Services (IIS), SQL Server Express, the .NET Framework, and Visual Web Developer. In addition, you can install popular open source ASP.NET and PHP Web applications with the Web PI.
Help Protect Windows from Conficker.A and Conficker.B
Get consolidated information about Conficker that you can use to protect your systems and with which to recover systems that have been infected. The Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC) is continually monitoring Conficker and its variants. For the most up-to-date information on new Conficker variants, please visit the MMPC weblog.
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Download the Outlook 2007 MAPI Reference
Learn how to create Outlook 2007 items by using MAPI that is based on the Component Object Model (COM) rather than the Outlook object model.
Using Excel for Ad Hoc Reporting in Visual Studio Team System 2008
In this on-demand webcast, you learn how to connect to the Team Foundation Server cube and how to create ad hoc reports and save them on the team portal for reuse. In addition, we highlight a few very useful reports that can be built in Excel, and we show you how to build them.
Web Developer Study (Open to All U.S.-Based Participants)
Any Wednesday from April 6 to December 31
Participate in Microsoft User Research's Web Developer Study and get your choice of a retail Microsoft software or hardware product, valued up to $799. We are looking for Web developers who work with PHP, ColdFusion, MYSQL, or ASP.NET, and are familiar with building Web-based applications. If you are interested in participating, please e-mail us at itusable@microsoft.com with Web Developer in the subject line.
See how you can create data sources in Business Intelligence Development Studio, process Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) objects, work with the Cube Editor, and more.
Understanding Field Controls and Web Parts in SharePoint Server 2007 Publishing Sites
Learn the details of SharePoint Server 2007 field controls and Web Parts and how they differ, and best practices for when to use each type of control.
Why Develop with Silverlight? CBS and NBC Know
In the first two days of CBS's coverage of March Madness, the Silverlight on-demand player delivered 5.6 million hours of live streaming video and audio, up 64 percent from the previous year. NBC used Silverlight to deliver Web streaming for the Beijing Olympics and garnered more than 50 million viewers who initiated 70 million video streams and watched 10 million hours of video. Take a deep dive into how this player was architected and developed. You can also view the case study video.
Government Resources
Developer Webcasts
Learn about the latest Microsoft development tools for Public Sector developers! And be sure to check out the upcoming webcast schedule.
Change is in the air, and in the face of tremendous cost-cutting measures, government needs to find pragmatic ways to re-tool the infrastructure so public sector agencies can dramatically save money and engage with local citizens when they are in the home, on the road, and in the workplace. Join Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government for a common-sense discussion on cloud computing and view this webinar on demand.
Missed a webcast that you wanted to attend? Check out our on-demand webcasts.
Were you unable to attend a developer dinner event in Reston recently? The monthly developer dinners are now recorded for your convenience.
The Vital Statistics Services Program is rapidly upgrading its official record-keeping operations by applying the Agile Scrum software development strategy to the deployment of public sector solutions. The new system replaces a set of manual processes supplemented by an aging-and rigid-database system that kept the agency from effectively meeting the needs of key constituencies in the state. The 12-employee Vital Statistics office is the official repository for all records of major life events in the state, such as birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner Moves from Mainframe to Windows
The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner relied on a legacy mainframe that was about to lose support. So, the agency re-engineered its applications for Windows and the Microsoft .NET environment with the help of Aithent, a Microsoft Certified Partner. The migration cost about 30 percent less than expected - while providing 30 percent more functionality, and accelerating the collection of licensing revenue from insurance agents and insurance companies.
Dawson County Expands Services, Cuts Costs with Hosted Records Management Solution
As the economic downturn reaches nearly every community, the county anticipates a decline in local tax revenues that will affect local resources. Records management lies at the core of how Dawson County serves many of its key business and citizen constituents. To that end, the county is automating and digitizing its records to accelerate the delivery of services, improve accuracy, and better protect key information assets. Leaders of Dawson County are tapping Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 technology and Microsoft Certified Partners to help make this happen.
.NET KB Articles
WSDL.exe produces inconsistent proxy classes between machines against the same local WSDL files
RSS Feeds
.NET Framework 2.0 | .NET Framework 1.1
Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio 2005, and Visual Studio .NET KB Articles
RSS Feeds
Visual Studio 2008 | Visual Studio 2005 | Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition | Visual Studio .NET 2003 | Visual Studio .NET 2002
Web Resources
A Developer's First Look at Windows 7 On-Demand Series
Available on demand starting April 13, this series introduces Windows 7 with an emphasis on new features that will be of most interest and use to developers. It consists of two introductory sessions, one focusing on the new user interface, and one on behind-the-scenes features, two hour-long sessions that cover compatibility and security issues, and six shorter sessions that focus on coding for a single new feature.
Follow us on Twitter and get the latest news from the Office Developer Center team.
Interact with Other Ramp Up Developers at Ramp Up Forum
Join Ramp Up Forum to ask and answer questions and share your opinions with your fellow developers. This forum is a place to discuss the Ramp Up program - an online program that assists users in learning Microsoft technology. It provides easy-to-access content in a guided path that defines the important lessons and the order in which you learn them.
Unified Communications Development with Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Web Services
Join this webcast on demand and learn how using this cutting-edge, software-plus-services solution can dramatically accelerate your development times, substantially increase code quality, reduce test and maintenance costs, and prepare your company for a move to a service offering.
geekSpeak: Architecture Tools in Visual Studio 2010 with David Starr
David Starr introduces us to the new architecture tools in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010. David shows us how to discover and refactor existing architectures and how these new architecture tools are not just for large up-front design projects.
Virtual Lab: Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2008
In this lab you will use the powerful new CSS editor in Visual Studio 2008 to manage style sheets in Web pages. You will also try out other new tools like the new DataPager control and the new LINQ Data Source.
Virtual Lab: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Installation and Configuration
After completing this lab you will be more familiar with the installation and configuration options available in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, such as installing a new farm, configuring global workflow settings, provisioning new Web applications and configuring alternate forms-based authentication.
Virtual Lab: Business Intelligence - Service Analysis
After completing this lab, you will be better able to create an Analysis Services cube, create dimension attributes and hierarchies, and create calculated members and key performance indicators (KPIs).
MSDN Video: Building RESTful Services with WCF (Part 2)
MSDN Video: Using the ASP.NET AJAX ScriptManager
Podcast: Building Rich Interactive Mapping Applications with Virtual Earth, SQL Server 2008, and MapDotNet UX
WMA | MP3 (11 MB)
Podcast: Getting a Development Job in the Current Economy
WMA | MP3 (11 MB)
Security for Developers
Why the New SDL Threat Modeling Approach Works
The SDL is all about bringing together two sets of people who haven’t talked very much. Those communities are software developers and security engineers. Their failure to talk has hurt both communities.
Tax Season! So Threat Model This...
Ken Johnson (Skywing) Joins Microsoft
Authenticated Symmetric Encryption in .NET
Wiring Up the Geneva Framework Simple Claims-Aware Web Apps to Geneva Server
Training
Special Offers on Training Resources
Microsoft Learning offers free resources and discounted training products to help you ramp up on Visual Studio 2008, the 2007 Microsoft Office System (including Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007), and other new technologies. Use free learning plans to guide your training, and check out special offers on e-learning and Microsoft Press books.
Save 40% off Select Microsoft Press IT Professional Books
Visit any Barnes & Noble Booksellers or shop online at bn.com from April 1 through May 5 to save 40% on select Microsoft Press IT Professional Guides for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Visual Basic 2008, and more.
Free Download - SQL Server 2008 or Visual Studio 2008 Training
Get up to speed in SQL Server 2008 or Visual Studio 2008 with award-winning training from AppDev. Download up to three free hours of training from one of our new courses, including step-by-step demonstrations by our Microsoft MVPs and experts, hands-on labs, sample code, printable courseware, and pre/post exams.
Career Assist Package: Free Exam Retake Plus up to 90% Off E-Learning with Second Shot Registration
Second Shot provides a free retake offer if you fail your certification exam. From now until June 30, if you register for Second Shot, you'll get an e-learning collection for just US$35 (usually priced up to US$349). But hurry, once you have activated a discounted e-learning collection it will be available for only 90 days.
Get SQL Server 2008 For Free With Select Training Courses
Help your career thrive in any economy with training on the latest Microsoft technologies. For a limited time, when you attend select SQL Server 2008 courses with Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions, you'll receive a free copy of SQL Server 2008. Offer is valid through June 30, or while supplies last.
Case Studies
Telecommunications Firm Reduces Overheads by 90 Per Cent with Automated Solution
BT created a robust and easily managed automated sales environment with Visual Studio 2008, connecting its business customers and ISV partners, and reducing overhead.
Manufacturer Improves Yield Analysis with Scalable BI Platform
After deploying SQL Server 2005, Samsung Electro-Mechanics reduced time spent on product yield analysis from hours to minutes, and can now perform multi-dimensional analysis.
Firm Learns New Technology and Shortens Project Timeline by Months with Expert Help
To gain development experience with the .NET Framework, LexisNexis attended two engagements at a Microsoft Technology Center, which contributed to cutting at least nine months off its project timeline.
Partner News
New Tool: Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility Wizard
Automatically upgrades your Web site to render correctly in IE8 without breaking compatibility in older browsers. Get a special price today.
FarPoint Spread for ASP.NET Adds Support for Dynamic Data
Replace the default GridView to add spreadsheet capabilities to your Dynamic Data sites with minimal code changes. Download now.
Download a Free Trial of RSSBus SharePoint Web Part
Easily aggregate real time information from the Web, databases, and other internal and external sources through simple 'wiki-like' HTML templates.
TX Text Control RapidSpell .NET Released
TX Text Control just released a new spell checking component for .NET. Get your free trial version today.
Quickly Create Complex Business RIAs with Minimal Investments
Visual WebGui is a rich Internet application platform that simplifies Web development and deployment and saves up to 90% costs. Exclusive news flash: 60% pre-release discount. Free trial available.
Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day Trial - New Runtime License
Download the trial version of Crystal Reports Developer Advantage, and find out more about our new royalty-free license option today.
Telerik Products for the Community
Telerik now offers five of its products for free: OpenAccess ORM Express, Sitefinity CMS Community edition, RadEditor Lite for MOSS, and RadFormDecorator for ASP.NET AJAX.
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