New Stuff
Resources for Your Developer Toolbox
Theresa W. Carey
Contents
Tweak HTML Elements
Trap Hackers with a Honeypot
High-powered Site Analytics
File Transfer for Enterprises
Track and Stomp Bugs
Visual Basic Code Generator
Personalize Dynamically Assembled PDF Documents
The Bookshelf
Tweak HTML Elements
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Dubbeldam Software has released HtmlTweak, a tool that allows Web developers and designers to locate and inspect HTML elements loaded in Microsoft® Internet Explorer, and modify HTML, Cascading Style Sheet rules, and attributes to test changes. Instead of having to tweak Web pages by changing the source HTML and reloading the page, you can point to any spot in the browser window and the program will highlight the HTML element at that location. It shows the exact boundaries of the element, the relations in the HTML hierarchy, the style properties, and the style rules that apply to the element.
You can change the HTML, change embedded style rules and style attributes interactively, and see the result immediately without having to reload the page. The software is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework and runs on Windows® XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98, and Internet Explorer 5.5 and higher.
Trap Hackers with a Honeypot
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KeyFocus has launched KFSensor, a host-based intrusion detection system which acts as a honeypot to attract and detect hackers by simulating vulnerable system services and trojans. The system features detailed logging, analysis of attack, and security alerts. The honeypot approach to security has a number of advantages that complement other security systems. It produces a lower number of false positive alerts and provides more detail on an attack than other forms of security. KFSensor is compatible with Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
https://www.keyfocus.net/kfsensor
High-powered Site Analytics
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Omniture recently released SiteCatalyst 9.0, which introduces three features designed to enable enterprise companies to gain insight into the behavior of their online customers, make educated decisions, and thereby improve business processes and their return on investment.
The first feature is VISTA (Visitor Identification, Segmentation, and Transformation Architecture), which allows you to create real-time segmentation of all online data. Customers can define rules to partition data into segments and view all SiteCatalyst reports for that segment. For example, segments can be designed to display data only about visitors who made a purchase or who viewed a flash demonstration before completing registration.
The second new feature is True Fall-out Reporting, which provides conversion and fall-out reporting between user-defined checkpoints, irrespective of the users' navigation between those points. By understanding the flow of traffic through these checkpoints, Omniture's customers can now have a greater handle on how their users get from one point to another without confining the definition of success to the limits of a predefined process.
Finally, A/B Comparison Framework helps customers collect and manage data associated with an A/B testing process. This method of testing simplifies design changes by comparing site performance across different segments, versions of Web sites, or time frames. By displaying data side-by-side and calculating the percent change, the time required to gauge the effectiveness of incremental design changes can be reduced.
Also introduced in this version is Optimum Path ClickMap, which superimposes clickstream and page view data on the actual pages of a site. This allows you to analyze customer response to content, placement, and design.
File Transfer for Enterprises
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SoftArtisans has released FileUp Enterprise Edition (FileUpEE) to address the needs of upload or download applications. Multigigabyte files, even those in excess of 100GB, are now securely transferable within a Web farm environment. FileUpEE scales to the most demanding Web sites consisting of numerous server farms and multiple levels of security perimeters. Content is secured at both the Web server and file server levels, ensuring high availability and redundancy.
FileUpEE File Servers can be isolated and protected. In addition, large volume transfers use SOAP/MIME with future versions of FileUpEE supporting other emerging standards such as the Microsoft Direct Internet Message Encapsulation (DIME) initiative. Extending the simple file upload functionality built into ASP.NET, FileUpEE has no restrictions on file size or Web farm support.
https://fileup.softartisans.com
Track and Stomp Bugs
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elementool recently unveiled their latest upgrade, Bug Tracking 4.0, which allows project managers to manage all of their elementool accounts through Bug Tracking 4.0's centralized control panel. The account-admittance function offers access to many projects by logging in only once. Previously, managers working on multiple projects were required to provide passwords for each additional account in order to keep data separate and secure.
New reporting capabilities enable customers to define the filters for which they want to secure information. The Quick Reports feature allows users to set up a report template that incorporates specific data into every report, making it unnecessary to define the filters each time that a report is generated.
Customers can select from three standard levels of service—Basic, Advanced, or Pro-Package—based on their specific software tracking needs. All Bug Tracking 4.0 packages allow for an unlimited number of users for each account and features Web-based accounts with downloadable databases, automatic e-mail notification for account users, and HTML-based customer service management.
Each package features special functions, which include storage of up to 200 issues at the Basic level. Advanced-level users have additional reporting capabilities, customization of forms, and storage of up to 2000 issues. At the Pro level, users can take advantage of features such as file attachments, history trail, full customization of forms, and unlimited storage.
Visual Basic Code Generator
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VBeXpress.Com recently introduced VBeXpress.NET, a code generator for developers using the Microsoft .NET Framework. It can generate entire Windows Forms and Web Forms applications from an existing SQL Server™ or Microsoft Access database. It contains over 150 code generation templates and has support for over seven different Windows Forms grids.
The code generation engine uses Visual Studio® for Applications, which means that code generation is controlled by fully customizable scripts using the VBeXpress.NET built-in template editor. The latest version includes support for Visual Studio .NET 2003.
Personalize Dynamically Assembled PDF Documents
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Appligent Inc. has announced the release of AppendPDF Pro 3.0, which enables businesses to dynamically assemble sections from PDF documents to build a completely new version with a choice of personalized features.
AppendPDF Pro 3.0 includes support for the XML format to create parameter files. In addition, it offers the option of supporting linearization of a PDF, sometimes called optimization, so you can view the first page of a PDF document while it is still being downloaded from the Internet. For instance, if you decide the information needed is on Page 25, you can quickly link to it while the download process continues in the background. AppendPDF Pro also supports 40-bit and 128-bit encryption as well as setting user permissions on PDF documents.
A server-based application, AppendPDF Pro can run from a command line on multiple platforms. It is thread safe and can run in a high-volume, multithreaded environment. It can also be integrated with other Appligent utilities and applications like StampPDF Batch, FDFMerge, and SecurSign to build automated solutions for document processing. AppendPDF Pro 3.0 is available for Windows NT®, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Solaris, Red Hat Linux, AIX, and HP-UX, as well as Mac OS X.
The Bookshelf
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Addison-Wesley has published two new guides for Windows Server™ 2003: Inside Windows Server 2003, by William Boswell and The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide, by Robert Williams and Mark Walla. The books offer two approaches to deploying and administering Windows Server 2003. Both are specifically written for systems administrators, architects, and designers who need to design, manage, or administer Windows Server 2003.
Inside Windows Server 2003 offers task-based coverage of the .NET Server, including hundreds of new features and thousands of tips and recommendations.
The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide explains the new features of Windows Server 2003 and offers continued support for Windows 2000 to the experienced programmer. The book addresses changes in security, Active Directory®, Microsoft Management Console, and integration with the .NET Framework 1.1. It speaks to both the Microsoft server community as well as users of the Linux/Unix operating systems.
https://www.awprofessional.com
Sybex has published a whole stack of books for Windows Server 2003. Mastering Windows Server 2003, by Mark Minasi with Christa Anderson, Michele Beveridge, C.A. Callahan, and Lisa Justice, is an in-depth guide.
Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2003, by Robert R. King, includes a detailed look at Active Directory-related network traffic, as well as related network traffic of DNS, DHCP, the Login process, and Windows Internet Name Service. This book also covers the backup and recovery tools included in Windows Server 2003.
Mark Minasi's Windows XP & Server 2003 Resource Kit, by Mark Minasi, Peter Hipson, and Robert R. King, is a compilation of more than 4,000 pages in four volumes, providing the reader with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 coverage in one definitive resource collection.
Send your New Stuff to Theresa at newstuff@microsoft.com.
Theresa W. Carey is a freelance writer who lives in California. Her byline has appeared in Barron's and PC World.