Codeguru Update eNewsletter – October 30th, 2007

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CodeGuru Newsletter
October 30, 2007
http://www.CodeGuru.com


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


___________________________ Sponsors
________________________________
Navteq
_____________________________________________________________________
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TOPICS:



–> Editorial
–> Recently Published
Books


–> New on
CodeGuru: 
        ==>
Algorithms
               
– Combinations in C++, Part 2
       
==> C#
Programming
               
– Language Feature Highlight: Extension
Methods
        ==> C++
Programming
               
– Permutations in C++, Part 2
       
==>
MFC
               
– What’s New in MFC 9.0 (Orcas): Command Link
Buttons
        ==> .NET
Tip
               
– New Features in C# 3 — Automatic Properties and
Initializers
        ==>
Silverlight
               
– Using Microsoft’s PopFly
        ==>
Visual Basic
Programming
               
– Partial Methods


–> Discussion Groups — HOT
Threads 
        – Reading
pixel bits in a bitmap (VC++)
        –
About time and time_t (C++)
        –
Simple Problem – (C++)


–> Highlighted new articles on
Developer.com 
        1.
Tools, Iterations, and Stories
        2.
10 Cool Things You Can Do with JavaScript and
YUI
        3. Using the Exception
Handling Block in Enterprise Library 3.0


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Comments
from the
Editor
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Spring and Fall are often consider the “conference seasons”. If you live in a
place such as San Francisco or Silicon Valley, chances are there are technical
conferences happening, on an almost weekly basis, that you could likely attend.
If you live elsewhere, it is more likely that there are few technical
conferences in your area and thus you have to travel to attend such events.


With a cost of hundreds to even thousands of dollars for most conferences, it
is no surprise that many companies don’t jump at the chance to send people to
them. In fact, when you combine that monetary cost with the time cost of a
person being away from the office, you find that many organizations work against
people going to conferences.


Early in my career, I had a chance to go to a Microsoft Tech Ed conference. I
was offered a free pass and was willing to pay my own hotel and travel expenses.
I simply asked my company to let me have the week off, with pay, to attend. The
only cost to them was my time for a week. In exchange, they would get a report
on what I gained; I would gladly share that with everyone else. My boss was
initially hesitant and said no. After I stated I’d use my vacation time to
attend, he reluctantly agreed to cover my time and let me go. I should note that
this company tended to bring training in-house and rarely sent people to
external training or conferences.


I would speculate that, for many people,if they offered to pay their own way
to a conference, they would get the same reaction from their
companies — a hesitance to let them go at only the cost to the
company of just a few days time.


One of the characteristics I look for in companies I choose to work for is
their appreciation of training and of conferences. Notice that I separated
training from conferences. In truth, if all you need is training, conferences
are not necessarily the best resource (in my opinion). Having said that, the
value of a conference can easily outweigh its time and monetary costs.


So what is the value of a conference?


The obvious answer is training and information. You go to sessions and you
learn stuff. This is very true; however, you can sit at your computer and pull
up web casts of the same topics presented at conferences. You can learn the same
things at little to no cost and you don’t have to leave your desk.


So what makes a conference like Tech Ed, JavaOne, or Software Development
worth the cost?


Networking.


Not hardware networking with wires, but social networking with other people.
Althoughyou can do some networking online in forums and in other online
communities, there is nothing better than chatting with your fellow developers.
What better way to get insights and to learn how to solve some of your technical
issues than to chat with others and see what they did to solve the issues? What
better way to learn what others are doing that works — or doesn’t work — than
to spend time chatting with others and finding out what they have to say?


Even more important to networking with your peers in the industry is having
the chance to directly meet and network with the people who create the products
you use. Chances are, if you are using mainstream third-party libraries, the
vendor of that product might be at a conference in the exhibit hall. Meeting
with the sales people or technical people from that company can build a direct
connection outside of the 1-800-get-in-line numbers or web sites. Having a
direct connection often can pay off when you have trouble getting an answer to
some technical question specific to a product.


At many conferences, you also have the chance to meet directly with the
vendor of your primary tools. If you use Java,, you have the chance to meet with
people who create and program Java at a Java One conference. If you use
Microsoft’s tools, conferences such as Microsoft’s TechEd and PDC or even at
non-Microsoft events such as VSLive and the DevConnections conferences, you have
the chance to meet and talk with product people from Microsoft. Such
interactions can be much more valuable than the sessions alone.


Of course, networking requires that you be proactive. You can’t expect these
people to walk up to you. Rather, you have to go to them. In many cases, the
conferences make time for this to happen. Alternatively, if they are speaking,
you can say hello to them after their sessions. Most are more than happy to talk
and more than willing to swap business cards.


Although they might not want to answer you super-specific questions, they
often can point you in the right direction and get those questions answer more
efficiently than you alone could manage. Such guidance can quickly make up for
time lost from the office.


In summary, conferences are more valuable to you than just learning a few
tips and tricks. They are an opportunity to meet face-to-face with your peers
and with industry leaders. If you go to a conference and don’t come back with a
number of business cards, you really didn’t get the value out of the event that
you could have!


I’ll be at DevConnections in Las Vegas next week. Feel free to track me down.
I’ll be looking to see what people want to learn and doing a bit of networking!
Besides, it is always great to meet Codeguru people face-to-face!


Until next week.


Brad!
—————————
Bradley L.
Jones
www.CodeGuru.com
—————————


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Recently
Published Books
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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


Here are a few new non-programming books:


–> The Six Unsolved
Ciphers

      By Richard Belfield for
Ulysses Press
      300 pages for
$14.95
      http://books.internet.com/books/1569756287
     
This is not a standard computer book, but rather a non-fiction look at some of
the ciphers and the background to them. It appears to be as much entertaining as
it is technical.


–> Client-Side Reporting with Visual Studio in
C#
      By Asif Sayed for
Apress
      480 pages for $49.99

      http://books.internet.com/books/1590598547

     <note that this is not in full color as
indicated in the newsletter.>


–> Step by Step – Microsoft Office Accounting Professional
2007
      By Curtis Frye & William
Person III for Microsoft Press
      380 pages for
$24.99 w/ CD
      http://books.internet.com/books/0735624208


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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=1,3kjh,1,fka1,909i,jorm,i5r0


This week’s CodeGuru posts:


==> Algorithms


– Combinations in C++, Part 2
    By Wong
Shao Voon
Discover four new algorithms for finding combinations.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,bie3,emd9,jorm,i5r0


==> C# Programming


– Language Feature Highlight: Extension
Methods
    By Mark Strawmyer
Discover what
extension methods are, the syntax for using them, and why they are
important.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,5lpb,5f8d,jorm,i5r0


==> C++ Programming


– Permutations in C++, Part 2
    By Wong
Shao Voon
Speed up the work of finding permutations among different
processors.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,fewy,fimu,jorm,i5r0


==> MFC


– What’s New in MFC 9.0 (Orcas): Command Link
Buttons
    By kirants
Explore the challenges of
developing an MFC application to use on Vista and non-Vista platforms in the
context of Vista’s new Command Link Button style.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,i5fn,ajrb,jorm,i5r0


==> .NET Tip


– New Features in C# 3 — Automatic Properties and
Initializers
    By Jay Miller
Take a look at a
couple of the language enhancements in C# 3 (VS2008) that can speed up your
development and make your code cleaner: automatic properties and
initializers.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,57lf,az8a,jorm,i5r0


==> VIDEO: Silverlight


– Using Microsoft’s PopFly
    By
Bradley L. Jones
Using the PopFly site, you can create mashups in a matter of
minutes that take full advantage of the flash and sizzle offered via AJAX and
Silverlight.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,80yq,c78y,jorm,i5r0


==> Visual Basic Programming


– Partial Methods
   By Paul Kimmel
Learn
how to implement partial methods and know where to expect them.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,l8z1,98s5,jorm,i5r0


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Discussion
Groups
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Check out the CodeGuru discussion forums at:


http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,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:


==> Reading pixel bits in a bitmap
(VC++)
        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,h4te,k6aa,jorm,i5r0


==> About time and time_t
(C++)
        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,f8ee,13gy,jorm,i5r0


==> Simple Problem – (C++)

        http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,jhev,chxy,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. Tools, Iterations, and Stories
    By
Jeff Langr –
For all the things that tracking tools and iterations are good
for in an agile team, teams should focus on delivering
completed business
value via stories.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,25za,bupg,jorm,i5r0


2. 10 Cool Things You Can Do with JavaScript and
YUI
    By Diona Kidd –
Easily develop cool web
tricks with less code using the Yahoo User Itnerface API. Create a faux
lightbox, transition effects on page elements, or add widgets to your
pages.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,7mts,8hrq,jorm,i5r0


3. Using the Exception Handling Block in Enterprise Library
3.0
    By Thiru Thangarathinam (from DevX)
Give
your applications seamless and reusable error handling and logging services with
the powerful toolset from Enterprise Library 3.0.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,3kjh,1,756z,ecxz,jorm,i5r0


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