Codeguru Update eNewsletter – October 24th, 2006

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CodeGuru Newsletter
October 24, 2006
http://www.CodeGuru.com


This newsletter is part of the Developer.com, EarthWeb, and
internet.com networks.
Jupitermedia Corporation


___________________________ Sponsors
________________________________
Pegasus Imaging
Corporation
_____________________________________________________________________
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TOPICS:



–> Editorial –
–> Recently Published
Books


–> New on CodeGuru:
 –
Articles

        ==> ASP.NET
Tip
               
– Sending Mail with ASP.NET 2.0
       
==>
Controls
               
– ASP.NET Booking Calendar User
Control
        ==> C#
Syntax
               
– Implementing Nested Functions in
C#
        ==>
Graphics
               
– [Updated] Deriving Projection
Matrices
        ==>
Reporting
               
– Dynamic Data Grouping Using MS Reporting
Services
        ==> Windows
Forms
               
– Windows Forms Tricks You May Have Missed


–> Discussion Groups — HOT
Threads
        – SQL standalone
– Using a freely distributable database with your
app.
        – ACSingleLock question
(VC++)
        – Loading a matrix into a
vector of vectors (C++)


–> Highlighted new articles on
Developer.com  

       
1. Testing with Mock Objects
        2.
Eclipse Tip: Use the Execution Environment to Create Portable Java
Projects
        3. BEA WebLogic 9.x New
Features and Configuration Gems


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Comments
from the
Editor
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Microsoft is poised to stir some great excitement over the next three to six
months. There are more products and bigger launches planned than ever before.
This all starts with the release of Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP.


Microsoft released the newest version of their browser last week. Although
you hear lots of drum beating about security, that isn’t what will catch most
people’s attention. Rather, the thing that is brining me back to Internet
Explorer (from primarily using Firefox) is simply the Tabs feature. Even cooler
is Quick Tabs. Because this is a text-based newsletter, I can’t show you a
picture of Quick Tabs, but suffice it to say that Quick Tabs is a quick view of
all the pages you currently have on Tabs in Internet Explorer. You don’t have to
search through each tab to find the one you need. You can easily display them
all on the Quick Tabs page.


Also improved in the browser is its printing capability. Microsoft is working
hard to get rid of the annoyance of losing the side of the web page when you
print.


Internet Explorer 7 has a number of other improvements and changes that are
worthy of a look. Granted, it arrived just in time to beat the next release of
Firefox. That, however, is fine. A little healthy competition can help those of
us using the tools!


But not everything is good in the coming products from Microsoft. The new
Internet Explorer – and the coming Vista – offer a few things that we can
learn from as developers. In this case, it is things we can learn to avoid.


If I show you a small button with an X in it, what would you think that
button would do? Would you think it might close something? Because Microsoft
uses the small X button to close a dialog or window, it would make sense that
this is what all X buttons would do. In fact, Microsoft adds an X (not with the
button look, though) to each tab in Internet Explorer 7. This allows you to
close the tab.


Unfortunately, Microsoft also uses an X button in one other place that I
believe they should not have. This is next to the refresh button. They have used
a simple X button as the stop button. Granted, there was an X within the stop
button of the prior version of Internet Explorer as well; however, it was an X
on a piece of paper. That was different than a plain X in a small button. Then
again, the piece of paper in the icon for the refresh button has also gone away.
Also gone is the word “go” next to the “go” button.


There are always the menus to fall back on for clear directions on what can
be done. Unfortunately, here too Microsoft is simplifying the interfaces. Menus
are generally turned off by default. The icons in toolbars are the defaulted
manner of interacting with a product. While simplifying icons and the interface
to an application can make things look nice and clean, at some point, your icons
lose meaning if you reuse them for multiple purposes or worse, you oversimplify
them. If someone isn’t already familiar with them, the icons become almost
worthless.


The new interface for Internet Explorer looks nice and clean. The new
interface for Windows Vista does too. But Usability comes by making it clear
what things do. Oversimplifying your interfaces can be a danger because, if
someone isn’t already familiar with an icon, then they won’t necessarily know
what it does. Internet Explorer 7 is a viable upgrade to consider. Additionally,
Windows Vista offers a lot of underlying enhancements. Microsoft may be
increasing the potential for confusion by oversimplifying the icons and
interfaces in the products that are coming. It is my recommendation that
developers don’t fully follow this trend and oversimplify to the point of
confusion or dilution. Microsoft has a lot of programs coming out soon that
follow the release of Internet Explorer 7. Unfortunately most are likely to
follow the same simplifications that Internet Explorer did.


Until next week…


Disagree or want to comment – go to: http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,hsii,aidt,jorm,i5r0


Brad!
—————————
Bradley L. Jones
www.CodeGuru.com
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Recently
Published Books
=========================================================


For those of you keeping up by reading books. The following are just a few of
the new books that have been recently released. If you’ve read any of these,
feel free to write a review to be posted on CodeGuru. See the submission
guidelines at:


http://www.codeguru.com/review-guidelines.php


A bit out side the Developer focus, but technology books none-the-less:


–> Windows Server 2003 Netowrking Recipes

      By Allen, Hunter, and Dinerman for
Apress
      432 pages for $49.99 

      http://books.internet.com/books/1590597133


–> SMS 2003 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach

      By Ramsey and Byle for
Apress
      620 pages for $49.99

      http://books.internet.com/books/1590597125


=========================================================
New
& Updated Articles on
CodeGuru
==========================================================


Following are short descriptions of new articles on CodeGuru. If you are
interested in submitting your own article for inclusion on the site, then you
will find guidelines located at


http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,fka1,909i,jorm,i5r0


This week’s CodeGuru posts:


================
==== Articles ====
================


==> ASP.NET Tip


– Sending Mail with ASP.NET 2.0
    By
Eric Smith
The new System.Net.Mail library in ASP.NET 2.0 introduces some
useful features, but it also includes bugs. Find out how they come into play
when you send mail.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,9x2v,5v3n,jorm,i5r0


==> Controls


– ASP.NET Booking Calendar User
Control
    By Mike Knuckey
When developing
enterprise ASP.NET applications, it is common to have a calendar booking
facility. Learn about a booking calendar user control that can be used for
reservations and accommodation lettings.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,20yi,bbuw,jorm,i5r0


==> C# Syntax


– Implementing Nested Functions in C#
   
By Paul Kimmel
Want to test just how broad and expressive a language C# is?
Learn how to implement nested functions for C#, which so closely models nested
functions that nested behaviors practically exist already for the language.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,9lk1,kyq8,jorm,i5r0


==> Graphics


– [Updated] Deriving Projection
Matrices
    By Joe Farrell
Walk through the
mathematical derivation of orthographic and perspective projection matrices used
in 3D graphics.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,6chc,37on,jorm,i5r0


==> Reporting


– Dynamic Data Grouping Using MS Reporting
Services
    By Asif Sayed
Discover new ways to
“pretty up” your reports and perhaps get you noticed at the office.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,d4rd,9h0,jorm,i5r0


==> Windows Forms


– Windows Forms Tricks You May Have
Missed
    By Mark Strawmyer
Here are several
lesser-known tips and tricks that will assist you in building fully functional
and well performing Windows Forms applications.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,f8ah,dse4,jorm,i5r0


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Discussion
Groups
==========================================================


Check out the CodeGuru discussion forums at:


http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,bcr8,cx5j,jorm,i5r0


Forums include Visual C++, General C++, Visual Basic, Java, General
Technology, C#, ASP.NET, XML, Help Wanted, and much, much, more!


… HOT THREADS …


Some of the current threads with the most activity are:


==> SQL standalone – Using a freely distributable database with
your app.
        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,7xpe,985w,jorm,i5r0


==> ACSingleLock question
(VC++)
        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,2e4,fki,jorm,i5r0


==> Loading a matrix into a vector of vectors
(C++)

        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,1jg8,e963,jorm,i5r0


==========================================================
New
Articles on
Developer.com
==========================================================



Below are some of the new articles that have been posted to Developer.com (http://www.developer.com).


1. Testing with Mock Objects
    By Daniel
Gartner –
Mock objects can be created to act as stand-ins for actual
implementations in order to isolate unit tests. This makes it easier to detect
defects during development. Discover how to create your own mock objects using
NMock 2.0.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,4po6,7ci1,jorm,i5r0


2. Eclipse Tip: Use the Execution Environment to Create Portable Java
Projects
    By Peter Nehrer –
Here are things to
consider when working with others on a project.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,7jgb,9548,jorm,i5r0


3. BEA WebLogic 9.x New Features and Configuration
Gems
    By Vlad Kofman –
Look into the new
features, enterprise configuration options, tips on the development environment
setup, and other configuration and maintenance gems for the latest BEA WebLogic
server 9.x platform.



http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,2squ,1,7gdb,bk8m,jorm,i5r0


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