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CodeGuru
Newsletter
March 6, 2007
http://www.CodeGuru.com
This newsletter is part of the Developer.com, EarthWeb, and internet.com
networks.
Jupitermedia Corporation
___________________________ Sponsors
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Jupiterimages
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TOPICS:
–> Editorial
–> Recently Published Books
–> New on CodeGuru:
==> Button Arrays
– Lights
Out Game (in C#)
==> Database
– Forging Transact SQL Code with
CodeSmith
==> .NET 3.0
– Important New Concepts in WPF
==> .NET
Tip
– Compressing/Decompressing Your Files
==> Threads
– Simplified
Thread Synchronization in Windows Vista
==> Visual
Basic
– How to Build Simple Event Log Montior/Watcher (Using TCP in
.NET)
==> Web
2.0
– Creating Clean and Simple Pages
–> Discussion Groups — HOT Threads
– Curious about if (ptr)
vs if (ptr != NULL) (C++)
–
Dangling Pointers (VC++)
–
CAsyncSocket as DLL (VC++)
–> Highlighted new articles on
Developer.com
1.
Eclipse Tip: Customize Your Feature Installation with Install
Handlers
2. Java Language
Integrity & Security: Uncovering
Bytecodes
3. Introducing Prototype
and Scriptaculous Part 1
/——————————————————————-
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Comments
from the
Editor
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Microsoft Windows Vista is here. You might not have it,
or more likely you might have already uninstalled it; however, it is here and
will slowly become the dominating operating system on new machines. As a
developer, you need to understand the impact of a new version of Windows on your
applications. Not only do you need to know the impact on applications you will be building, but also on those that you have already built.
Will your existing applications run on Vista? Will they
run without issue? It is interesting to note that Microsoft’s own Visual Studio
2005 was not a supported Vista application until after they issued a service
pack. Only with the service pack is Visual Studio 2005 supported on Vista.
What about the applications you’ve created?
When it comes to building new applications for Vista, in
the past I’ve mentioned .NET 3.0. This includes Windows Presentation Foundation
(WFC), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows WorkFlow (WF), and
CardSpace. It is important for me to state that .NET 3.0 isn’t all there is to
Vista development. In fact, if you are a hardcore C++ person, you might not touch .NET 3.0. Even so, Vista will impact you.
I’ve mentioned that thousands of API changes were made to
Vista. Numbers I’ve heard range from 7,000 to over 10,000 API type changes just
for Vista. These might impact your programs. What might impact you more is not
an API, but rather a “security feature.” The User Account Control (UAC) is
likely one of the most complained about features of Vista. Granted, it isn’t as
bad in the final product as it was in early pre-releases; however, it still is
perceived as an annoying dialog that gets in the way. Truth be told, it really
is a security feature that should be used. If left on, however, it can secure
Vista to the point of getting in the way of letting your applications install on
your users’ Vista machines. This is obviously something you’ll want to work
around when creating your installation procedures. (Note: You might have
seen the Mac commercials that make fun of this feature. )
Vista also offers a number of new features that you can
use. Gadgets are little applications you can build and place on the desktop or
in the SideBar. These applications can provide access to your business logic, or
provide productivity enhancements to your users. Building Gadgets is a great option to consider when you are designing that next Vista application.
One cool feature of Vista is the desktop search. Although
this is nothing overly new, Microsoft has taken a good stab at adding this to
Vista. From the search window or from the Start menu, you can do a search that
will look for items on your system. This can include pictures, music, emails, or
any other items you might have tagged or allowed to be included. By using the
APIs that come with Vista, you can tap into this search from your applications.
More importantly, you could allow your own data items to be included in the searches, too.
Vista also includes better support for RSS feeds. Why go
to information? Tapping into the RSS features can allow you to make
interesting changes to your existing applications or possibly create an entirely new type of application.
There is a lot more underneath the covers of Windows
Vista than just .NET 3.0. As you might know, in addition to Codeguru, I also
work with DevX.com. On DevX, we have posted a special report that covers just a
few of the topics you’ll want to know in regard to Vista. You can check out the list of articles in this special report at:
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,cjf,9cnl,jorm,i5r0
After reviewing these, I believe you’ll agree that Vista is about more than just .NET 3.0.
Until next week…
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:
https://www.codeguru.com/review-guidelines.php
–> Professional
AJAX
By Zakas, McPeak, and Fawcett
for WROX
620 pages for
$39.99
http://books.internet.com/books/0470109496
–> Pro WF: Windows Workflow in .NET
3.0
By Bruce Bukovics for
Apress
720 pages for
$49.99
http://books.internet.com/books/0590597788
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New
& Updated Articles on
CodeGuru
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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=1,319y,1,fka1,909i,jorm,i5r0
This week’s CodeGuru posts:
==> Button Arrays
– Lights Out Game (in
C#)
By Bradley Jones
Just play a game of
Lights Out, or take some time to see an array of buttons put to use.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,blki,kn4w,jorm,i5r0
==> Database
– Forging Transact SQL Code with
CodeSmith
By Jeffrey Juday
If you’re haven’t
used CodeSmith for your TSQL coding yet, now’s the time. This template-based
code generator enables you to add fire-and-forget programming to your TSQL
development.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,1sh5,j3sb,jorm,i5r0
==> .NET 3.0
– Important New Concepts in
WPF
By Adam Nathan
Examine some of the main
concepts that WPF introduces above and beyond what .NET programmers are already
familiar with.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s= 1,319y,1,6ikj,31ia,jorm,i5r0
==> .NET Tip
– Compressing/Decompressing Your
Files
By Eric Smith
One of the many new
libraries included with .NET 2.0 allows for compression and decompression of
files using the gzip file format. Find out how to use it.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,jvs0,2tpg,jorm,i5r0
==> Threads
– Simplified Thread Synchronization in Windows
Vista
By Nick Wienholt
Within the new
threading and synchronization APIs that Microsoft added to the Windows SDK for
Vista, condition variables dramatically simplify the semantics of lock
acquisition and management.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,2t3s,asuj,jorm,i5r0
==> Visual Basic
– How to Build Simple Event Log Montior/Watcher (Using TCP in
.NET)
By aleksisa
Learn how to build a simple
event log “watcher” application to monitor event log changes on a remote
machine(s).
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,79js,aiwf,jorm,i5r0
==> Web 2.0
– Creating Clean and Simple Pages
By
Alessandro Vernet
Learn why developers should want to create clean and simple
page code and discover two important measures to get on the path to clean and
simple pages. Professional Web 2.0 Programming author Alessandro Vernet explains
it all.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,epa4,jntg,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=1,319y,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:
==> Curious about if (ptr) vs if (ptr != NULL)
(C++)
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,4dzq,9tzg,jorm,i5r0
==> Dangling Pointers
(VC++)
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,anfn,6zpd,jorm,i5r0
==> CAsyncSocket as DLL
(VC++)
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,e94x,b8aw,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. Eclipse Tip: Customize Your Feature Installation with Install
Handlers
By Peter Nehrer –
When developing an
Eclipse RCP-based application, you get to decide how to install it into the
end-user’s environment.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,fhse,kxfj,jorm,i5r0
2. Java Language Integrity & Security: Uncovering
Bytecodes
By Matt Weisfeld –
Understanding
what goes on under the hood of an application is a beneficial process. Explore
how a class file is designed and how you can disassemble it.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,lf1g,c25n,jorm,i5r0
3. Introducing Prototype and Scriptaculous Part
1
By Dave Crane and Bear Bibeault with Tom Locke –
Discover Prototype, the most popular JavaScript and Ajax framework
for low-level coding.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,319y,1,d69t,hab1,jorm,i5r0
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