Friday, September 10, 2004

Formerly named "WebDeploy," Matt Hawley's Unleash It is a free VS.NET 2003 add-in and stand-alone utility that makes deploying ASP.NET projects a breeze.  You can choose to deploy files to a folder, use FTP, or create a Zip file.  I've only used the Zip file option so far, so I can't comment on the FTP or folder deployment.  Unleash It uses file masks and excluded folder masks, giving you great control over what files get deployed.  The latest version allows you to create multiple "profiles," giving you the ability to deploy a project to multiple locations at once.  Unleash It also supports pre-deployment and post-deployment commands, letting you run a script, batch file or executable prior to and after deployment.

The UI is very clean and professional.  However, it took me a while to figure out how to configure a profile using the stand-alone interface.  You must go to Files -> Profiles -> Profile Configuration..., and then choose the profile to edit.  In VS.NET 2003, you only have to go to Tools -> Unleash It -> Configure Unleash It.

Once your deployment profile is set, using the add-in could not be any easier.  From within VS.NET, you simply right-click on your Web project and choose Deploy Project.  You have the option to change the destination (directory, FTP, Zip) and the file masks to use.  Next, click Deploy and you're done.

There's some room to improve, but I give it 4.5 stars.  Definitely a keeper.

Friday, September 10, 2004 7:08:00 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [2]  | 
 Thursday, September 09, 2004

I have been using ComponentArt's TreeView tree control for about a month, and it blows away every tree control I have used in the past.  Not only is it visually stunning, but the object model is a joy to work with.  It is very easy to customize and control. 

  • Cross-browser support -- not just down-level rendering, but true pixel-perfect rendering in all major browsers!
  • Load on demand
  • Extremely powerful and detailed CSS support
  • Client- and server-side events
  • Just... plain... slick

I use the control in a skinnable, template-based portal framework where all Server and User controls are loaded dynamically.  Other controls I have used require work-arounds to get images and resources to map correctly.  ComponentArt's TreeView has worked flawlessly.

Documentation is outstanding, and they provide a suite of examples that cover just about everything you can do with the control.  Whenever I had questions, ComponentArt's support forum either had the answer or was very quick to respond to my posts.

ComponentArt's TreeView definitely gets 5 out of 5 stars.  Check out the online demos and be amazed.

I've also been using ComponentArt's Menu control, which is every bit as awesome.  I plan to post a review for it, as well.

Thursday, September 09, 2004 11:05:00 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [9]  |