MSDN Flash - Volume 16, Number 21: September 10, 2012
Top Stories
Free E-book: Building Hybrid Applications in the Cloud on Windows Azure
This guide focuses on the common challenges you will encounter when building applications that run partly in the cloud and partly on-premises, or when you decide to migrate some or all elements of an existing on-premises application to the cloud. It focuses on using Windows Azure as the host environment, and shows how you can take advantage of the many features of this platform, together with Windows Azure SQL Database, to simplify and speed the development of these kinds of applications.
Windows 8 Hands-on Labs Online
Hands-on Labs Online are online events where you listen to a live presentation and work on lab exercises. As you work on your labs, Microsoft experts can assist and provide guidance by chatting with you one-on-one or by virtually taking control of your lab.
Testing for Continuous Development
Web applications are typically updated or extended every few weeks in reaction to shifting business needs and customer feedback. To support continuous development, every aspect of the development cycle must be more efficient and lightweight than more traditional development processes. Repeating a full suite of manual tests every few days is impossible. This article discusses how Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 supports testing in a continuous development environment.
Your Featured Content
A More Productive IDE for Modern Applications
The Visual Studio 2012 "better IDE" focuses on three goals to help you be more productive: reducing clutter, simplifying common tasks and improving usability.
What's New for Web Development in Visual Studio 2012
Visual Studio 2012 has tons of new features for web developers. Clark Sell discusses some of the most useful ones for building HTML5/CSS applications.
Microsoft DevRadio: Top 10 Windows 8 Secrets for App Success
Tune in as Andrew Duthie and Chris Bowen discuss the incredible money-making opportunities available for developers who jump in and develop applications for Windows 8, as well as what free tools and services are available to help you along the way.
How Do I: Access the Windows Azure Queue Service from Node.js?
The Windows Azure storage service provides a way to store large numbers of messages that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This short video combines Node.js with Windows Azure queue storage - see example Node.js code required to create a queue, insert and dequeue messages, peek at messages, and more.
How Do I: Use the Windows Azure Queue Storage Service?
Learn how to use Service Bus queues. Samples are written in C# and use the .NET API. The scenarios covered include creating queues, sending and receiving messages, and deleting queues.
Microsoft DevRadio: Applying Simple Styling Techniques to Your Windows 8 App
In today's episode Michael Palermo shows us some simple styling techniques for our Windows 8 apps using CSS.
MSDN Virtual Lab: Windows 8 Lab 2 - Orientation, Snapping, and Semantic Zoom - JavaScript
Build on Lab 1 by adding three important UI-related features. Customize layout when the screen is rotated and when the application is snapped, and implement semantic zoom in the start page. Download Windows 8 RTM and Tools.
Unit Testing Without Fear
September 18, 2012, 8:30 A.M. Pacific Time
What should you test? How granular should your tests be? How do you isolate code? How much code coverage is reasonable? Get straightforward, practical guidance you can use today.
Free E-book Offer: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (Second Preview)
Eight chapters have been added, including collection controls, layout, commanding UI (app bars, message dialogs, and their friends), managing state, input and sensors, media, animations, and contracts (share, search, the file pickers, and contacts). Chapters 1 - 4 have been updated and refined.
What's New in Microsoft Test Manager 2012
The Visual Studio ALM Rangers team up to introduce some of the exciting new features in Visual Studio Test Manager 2012, including better exploratory testing, improved performance, video recording enhancements and many more.
We'd like to see you take your app from an idea to reality.
To help you out, we're offering exclusive design and technical consultations to help answer any questions you have and help you create the best experience for your users. Visit Generation App to get started.
How Do I: Use the Queue Storage Service from Java?
Learn how to perform common tasks using the Windows Azure Queue storage service. Samples are written in Java and use the Windows Azure SDK for Java. Scenarios include inserting, peeking, getting, and deleting queue messages, as well as creating and deleting queues.
Microsoft DevRadio: Using OData in Your Windows 8 Application
Jerry Nixon shows us how to use OData as a data source inside our Windows 8 application.
MSDN Virtual Lab: Windows 8 Lab 1 - Creating a Windows 8 App - JavaScript
Create an application using HTML and JavaScript, implement navigation, download data from a REST-based service, and connect the data to controls using data binding. Get started with Windows 8 Development - Download Visual Studio Win8 Express.
Windows 8 Developer Camp Online
Watch the six sessions at your leisure; take one of the virtual labs to practice what was presented. Then get help taking your app idea to completion at Generation App.
Windows 8 Webinar
September 13, 2012, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Hear first-hand from experts at Microsoft as they talk about the business opportunity, give you a demo of Windows 8, and talk about the store and economics.