I forgot to mention in my previous post an important aspect of the Web Part Framework.  There is the concept of Web Part Zone controls that allow you to set up containers for Web Part controls or other specialized management features.  Specifically, there is a WebPartZone container class used for Web Part controls, an EditorZone used to change properties on selected Web Part control instances, a CatalogZone used to add new Web Parts to a page, and a ConnectionsZone that can be used to manage connections between Web Parts.

There are five Web Part display modes: Browse, Design, Catalog, Editor, and Connections.  Under Design mode, for example, users can drag and drop (IE) web parts around on the page.  Under Catalog display mode, the CatalogZone container is visible and users can choose from a list of available Web Part controls to add to one of the available WebPartZone containers on the page.

Web Parts Control Set Overview on MSDN

One of the best new features in ASP.NET 2.0 I have seen this week is the new Web Part Framework.  I assumed this was only for building SharePoint components.  Not at all.  This is a very rich tool set of components and controls that allow you to easily build a web portal application.  For example, you can allow users to:

• Edit the layout of your page by dragging and dropping Web Parts around on the page
• Add Web Part controls to a page (and restrict which controls are available to add)
• Collapse/Minimize Web Parts
• Remove/Hide Web Parts
• All changes are automatically stored away in the Personalization framework so that they are remembered each time the user returns to your site

Adding the Web Part Framework to your site appears to be extremely easy.  There are some base classes you can implement for maximum functionality, but you don't have to.  You can take your existing User Controls and drop them on the page inside Web Part containers and the framework will automatically provide a wrapper around your controls.

Another great feature is that Web Parts can communicate with each other.  It is possible to allow a user to dynamically add a Web Part to a page and it automatically detect and consume data exposed by one or more other Web Parts on the page.

One thing to note: Not only is SharePoint not required, but Web Parts created in ASP.NET 2.0 are currently not compatible with the current version of SharePoint.  The next version of SharePoint will be based on the Web Part framework in ASP.NET 2.0, and there may be a service pack in the meantime to allow 2.0 Web Parts to be used.

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!