Columns


Performance Tips: Speed up Data Access

Faster performance in business applications comes down to reducing the "critical two" -- disk I/O and trips to the server. Doing that means doing a lot of things right, starting with your database design -- and tweaking your ADO.NET code helps, too.

Tale of the Cryptic Encoding

Someone named Robbie had created a posting asking for assistance in resolving a problem with a simple Visual Basic .NET console application. It was used to retrieve and process product registrations and credit card transactions via the Internet for a piece of niche shareware.

Is Visual Studio LightSwitch the New Access?

The LightSwitch RAD platform generates apps with "no coding required." What's in it for you? .NET apps that are easier to maintain and extensions built on the Managed Extensibility Framework.

ViewModel Questions

Benjamin Day's exploration of leveraging the ViewModel in Silverlight and Windows Phone 7 development ("6 MVVM Tips") generated plenty of feedback.

SQL or No SQL for Big Data in the Cloud?

The relational model and SQL dominate today's database landscape, but NoSQL is gaining adherents in the era of "big data." But Roger Jennings says SQL and NoSQL may not be as exclusive as many developers think.

All Things to All People

Bigger is better. At least, that seems to be the philosophy at the Microsoft Developer Division.

Make Objects Look Alike... and Tell Them Apart

Here's everything you need to know to simplify your code about how to make classes look alike and then, when you need to, tell them apart.

Deleting all Data from a SQL Server Database (Part 2)

In part 2 of a series, On VB columnist Joe Kunk provides a Visual Basic program to generate a SQL script that clears all the data from a SQL Server database.

Extending a C# Application Through a Scripted DLR Language

The DLR Hosting API allows a DLR language to be scripted from a CLR language such as C# and VB.NET, extending the functionality of an application through scripts coded in one of the many DLR supported languages.

Introducing Team Web Access for TFS 2010

Mickey Gousset offers an introduction to the new Team Web Access console for Team Foundation Server 2010.

Agile Development and the Daily Standup Meeting

This is the first installment of a new online column written by Aaron Bjork, senior program manager at Microsoft working on Agile experiences and tooling within TFS. This month Aaron looks at daily standup meetings.

Inside the NuGet Package Manager

The popular, open source Nuget Package Management system makes quick work of installing, configuring and updating third-party components in.NET projects.

A Walk Through the Windows Phone 7 Social Reader Template

Mobile Corner columnist Nick Randolph walks through a template that can get your first Windows Phone 7 application up and running fast.

ASP.NET: Extending the Config File with Custom Sections

If you want to do a better job of managing your configuration settings than just throwing random data into appSettings, you can extend your config file with your own custom XML and actually edit your settings.

Deleting All Data from a SQL Server Database

There are times as a developer that you will want to be able to delete all the data from a database as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, doing so may not be as easy as it seems.

Asynchronous Programming with the Async CTP

The Async CTP and async and await keywords allow C# (and VB) developers to easily create more responsive applications. Here's how to get started with the Async CTP.

Using the Team Foundation Administration Console

Mickey Gousset walks through the improved Administration Console in Visual Studio TFS 2010.

Windows Phone 7: Building a YouTube Search App

New VSM columnist Nick Randolph kicks off his Mobile Corner column by showing how to build a YouTube search app using Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend.

What You Want to See

In the March Frameworks column and a related Desmond File blog post, Editor in Chief Michael Desmond asked what readers of Visual Studio Magazine would like to see more of in the months to come. Here are some responses.

Using Expression Trees in Your APIs

How to translate C# code into expression trees to eliminate strings, standardize parameter validations and interact with other data structures.

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