One of the cool new features in VS 2005 I’ve seen a couple of presenters use is Code Snippets.  Basically, it is a customizable code generation tool that allows you to type some quick short hand or alias, and VS 2005 will automatically expand it into a block of code.  For example, if you type “foreach” and press TAB a couple of times, you’ll get a new foreach block with customizable types and variable names.  You just have to see it for yourself.

There are a number of built-in Code Snippets (just do a help search in VS 2005), but you can also create your own.  As a matter of fact, someone has already started an online library of code snippets at GotCodeSnippets.net.  Also, there is a Code Snippet editor named Snippy (of course) that will help you build your own Code Snippets and add them to VS 2005.

I finally got connected to the wireless access point provided at the ASP.NET DevConnections conference.  My hotel offers Internet access in the business center -- 30 minutes for $15!!!

(Note to self: If a hotel claims "high speed Internet," don't assume it's free, available in the room, or even available for purchase by the day at anything remotely resembling a reasonable price.)

This conference is awesome.  I don't know of any better way to put it.  The sessions have been outstanding with great speakers and quality coverage of the new .NET 2.0 and SQL Server 2005 features.  Very practical stuff.  I can't wait to start using ASP.NET 2.0 full-time.

More to come... (if I can get another wireless connection later...)

My first tutorial for ChristianASP.NET, "Using MySQL 5.0 with ASP.NET - Part 1" is now available.  My goal is introduce the latest MySQL open-source database, and how it's new features make it a powerful alternative to commercial databases.  Also, there are plenty of examples on the Web for using MySQL with PHP and the like, but not very many examples of using MySQL with ASP.NET.

Time flies when you're having fun.  I just realized that it has been more than two years since I started offering free web hosting here at ChristianASP.NET.  What an awesome privilege it has been to see how God has blessed this service.   Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement!

News spread today of Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 being released to manufacturing (RTM) and being made available to MSDN subscribers.  MSDN Subscriber Downloads quickly melted and I wonder if anyone is able to get any downloads started, let alone successfully finish a download.

However, Microsoft Downloads has the RTM versions of the .NET Framework 2.0 redistributable and SDK.  I've downloaded these and have upgraded ChristianASP.NET shared hosting.

Let the good times roll...

Wow... this looks great.  I can already think of several little utilities I've built where I could have used VistaDB, but ended up using XML files or the like.  I gave up on using Access a long time ago, and MSDE is a bit overkill for small apps, especially in regards to deployment.  Microsoft has recently deprecated the Jet engine, so VistaDB appears to be poised to fill a much needed void.  I'd be very interested to see if VistaDB will integrate well with WilsonORMapper and NHibernate.

This 2.1 update includes over 60 improvements, including new support for .NET 2.0 and Visual Studio .NET 2005. VistaDB is a small-footprint, embedded SQL database alternative to Jet/Access, MSDE and SQL Server Express 2005 that enables developers to build .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 applications. Features SQL-92 support, small 500KB embedded footprint, free 2-User VistaDB Server for remote TCP/IP data access, royalty free distribution for both embedded and server, Copy 'n Go! deployment, managed ADO.NET Provider, data management and data migration tools. Free trial is available for download.

- Learn more about VistaDB
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MySQL 5.0 has now been officially released for production use.  A very compelling feature set for an open-source database.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but I used to do some Flash "programming."  I even helped write a book on Flash and ASP.NET.  One of the must frustrating (and frustrating isn't a strong enough word) problems with developing Flash "applications" today is the lack of a true development environment like we're accustomed to with Visual Studio or other traditional IDEs.  Teaching a VB or C++ developer to create Flash applications is like trying to teach a pig to do ballet.  Maybe it can be done, but it sure ain't gonna be pretty. 

Hopefully that is about to change.  Former ASP.NET team member Mark Anders (along with many other bright individuals, I'm sure) has been hard at work on a new framework and IDE for Flash.  Flex Builder 2 and Flex Framework 2 promise to make it much easier and attractive for developers to create applications.  Based on Eclipse, the IDE offers what you would expect: a WYSIWYG designer with a set of standard UI components (imagine that!) you can drop on to your form, and a code-behind view so you can tweak to your heart's content.  I know very little about Microsoft's XAML, but it appears that Macromedia has taken a similar approach with an XML-based declarative UI language named MXML.  How would you pronounce that?  Max-Mul?  Mex-M-L?  Now I'm hungry for a MexiMelt from Taco Bell.

Only time will tell if Flex will "take off" with developers.  After watching the Flex Builder 2 tutorials, I just might have to give Flash another chance.

I missed the Microsoft PDC, but I'm looking forward to attending the Microsoft ASP.NET Connections conference for the launch of Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005.  It's been 5 years since my last conference (PDC 2000), and my first DevConnections event.  Can't wait!

Presenters include Charles Petzold, Stephen Walther, Dino Esposito, Steven Smith, Dan Wahlin, Bill Evjen, Duncan MacKenzie, Paul Litwin, and the list goes on.  I'm especially looking forward to Dino Esposito's sessions and his "Crash-course on ASP.NET 2.0 Control Development" workshop.

If you're going and would like to meet up, please send me an e-mail using david [at] this domain, or use the Contact form.

The guys at Telligent have been making some very cool news lately, such as hiring the gifted James Shaw, acquiring James' Dozing Dogs CMS to be leveraged in CS at some point, and supporting Ink.  As you may already know, I'm quite fond of ComponentArt's Web.UI suite, and was honored last December to be recognized as a ComponentArt MVP.  So, it's no surprise that I'm thrilled to hear that ComponentArt has partnered with Telligent to provide their Web.UI components to be used within Community Server.  This will certainly be a home run for both sides.  Congratulations!

James Shaw has his house up for sale and wonders, "Can a blog sell a house?" So, here's my link to www.255ChaffinRoad.com and wishing James the best on selling his house :)