Reflection IT Blog

I have developed a small website which uses Google Maps to prepare myself for a new project. Have a look here.

I have used GoogleMaps.Subgurim.NET to simplify things. This is an ASP.NET control which encapsulates the Google Maps API. Their site is in Spanish but with Babel Fish you can translate it to English.

here

I have just installed the RC1 version of Windows Vista (Build 5600). My first impressions aren't good. It is slow: moving around my mouse cursor on an empty desktop makes my processor go up to 40%. Deleting 12GB took 25 minutes. I have a 2.6Mhz AMD processor, 1.5Gb RAM, SATA harddisk and a NVIDIA FX6200 graphics card. It looks like this is not enough.

It is buggy: IE7 crashed already 4 times when visiting my favorite sites.

Worst of all is the fact that Visual Studio 2005 Professional isn't working. It won't start. I get the following error dialog:

The Vista UI looks slick. I hope Microsoft will be able to fix my problems soon. For now I will have to keep working on my XP machine. I can also go back to the Beta2 version in which VS2005 worked well.

I have updated my DAL article which I wrote late 2002. This article was one of my first aricles and needed an update. The download project now also contains a .NET 2.0 project. It uses the new TraceSource class for tracing purposes. I hope you like it.

I have finally found some time to play with Ajax. I have built some simple Grid/Detail pages which are place inside an UpdatePanel. This server centric model is really easy and powerful. I have never really liked the user experience of web applications. Atlas will changes this and will make the WEB even more popular.

Have a look at the result demo site. I use the ObjectDataSource to bind to Buffy.NET BusinessObjects. It's so easy.

Sorry Dutch only.

Vanwege mijn brede expertise en de aantrekkende markt krijg ik de laatste tijd veel leuke opdrachten in Nederland en België aangeboden waarop ik regelmatig nee op moet verkopen. Daarbij wordt mij meestal ook gevraagd of ik in mijn netwerk nog andere .NET freelancers ken. Daarom heb ik een netwerk opgezet zodat ik potentiële opdrachtgevers kan doorverwijzen naar een collega.

Via deze blog nodig ik .NET freelancers uit zich gratis en vrijblijvend bij mij aan te melden. Mijn netwerk is alleen voor Microsoft specialisten, hierbij gaat het dus om:

• Software Architecten
• Team en Projectleiders
• Coaches
• Trainers
• Ontwerpers
• Programmeurs (C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET, SQL, XML)
• DBA’s
• Web-designers
• (unit)testers

Aanmelden kan heel eenvoudig via een e-mailtje naar dotnetwerk@reflectionit.nl.

This year first SDN Software Developer Event is held on March 24 in De Reehorst - Ede. The theme of this event is 'Tools & Productivity'. The title of my session is 'Designing using the Visual Studio 2005 Class Designer'. I hope to see you there. It is a great event with a lot of interesting sessions.

I have finally rewritten this website to ASP.NET 2.0. It was really a good learning experience. You only learn it by doing it. I have tried to use the new features like:

• MasterPages
• Themes & Skins
• Menu Controls
• SiteMap with roles and the SiteMapPath control
• Profiles
• Caching
• UrlMapping
• Expressions
• GridView Control
• MultiView Control
• Login Control
• DataBinding AccessDataSource and XmlDataSource
• TableAdapters
• Sample Access Providers Starter Kit
• Role base authorization
• Web Deployment Projects
• MS Build with a AfterMerge target to deploy the website to web host
• Google Sitemaps
• CSS Friendly ASP.NET 2.0 Control Adapters (Menu)
• UrlRewritingNet.UrlRewrite

It wasn't really difficult to do. Microsoft really kept their promise that 70% of the code could disappear. ASP.NET 2.0 rocks. I'm planning to add some extra features soon, like: WebParts, Health Monitoring, other new controls, comments on blog posts, a new stylesheet and a new logo.

Update 2006-sept-25: Added Google Sitemaps, Control Adapters and UrlRewritingNet.

I have just received mail from Pearson VUE informing me that have passed the Beta Exam 70-528 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Web-Based Client Development (called 71-528 while it's in Beta). I also received a free Voucher for a next exam, thanks guys.

On Friday I will try the Beta Exam 70-551 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCPD Web Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework. One week later I will try the Beta Exam70-552 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCPD Windows Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework . Wish me luck.

I stumbled today on this SourceForge project with some really nice screensavers. Goto rssavers.