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John Papa [MVP C#]

.NET Code Samples, Data Access, and Other Musings

May 2006 - Posts

T Minus 3 hours: WebCast Using System.Transactions in .NET 2.0

As I mentioned late last week, I'll be presenting Using System.Transactions in .NET 2.0 in on of the MSDN WebCast events later today (9:00am Pacific Time or 12:00 noon for us on the East Coast).

I have several demonstations and slides but I will try to focus most of the time on the demos.

Here is a brief summary of the agenda:

The Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 includes the System.Transactions namespace, which enhances transactional support for managed code. This webcast discusses how System.Transactions can handle transactions without deriving from a ServicedComponent, using interception or reflection. Designed to integrate with Microsoft SQL Server 2005, System.Transactions supports promotion of local lightweight to fully distributed transactions. We illustrate this using examples that modify default transactional settings as well as the isolation level, timeout period, and transaction context. We also demonstrate several examples of using transactions and when and if they are promoted.

Hope to "see" you there!

Posted May 31 2006, 09:00 AM by John Papa with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: .NET, ADO.NET, SQL

New Visual Studio.NET Font: Consolas

I found this post from Doug Holland earlier today regarding his coming across the new Consolas font. Its a new font that Microsoft now provides which installs itself as the default font within Visual Studio 2005.

NOTE: "Sean Laberee within the Visual Studio Editor's blog, cautions that the Consolas font will only look good if you have ClearType enabled. Using the Appearance Tab of the Display applet within the Windows Control Panel you need to ensure that the check box "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" is checked and that it is set to Clear Type." ... from Doug's blog.

You can download the new font here.

Posted May 31 2006, 08:58 AM by John Papa with 4 comment(s)

Filed under: .NET

Join me for the System.Transactions in .NET 2 MSDN WebCast

If you are interested in System.Transactions, I'll be doing a MSDN WebCast next week on Using System.Transactions in .NET 2.0. The WebCast is on May 31st, at 9:00am Pacific Time. (That's 12 noon for us on the East Coast). Here is a brief summary of the agenda:

The Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 includes the System.Transactions namespace, which enhances transactional support for managed code. This webcast discusses how System.Transactions can handle transactions without deriving from a ServicedComponent, using interception or reflection. Designed to integrate with Microsoft SQL Server 2005, System.Transactions supports promotion of local lightweight to fully distributed transactions. We illustrate this using examples that modify default transactional settings as well as the isolation level, timeout period, and transaction context. We also demonstrate several examples of using transactions and when and if they are promoted.

Hope to "see" you there!

PS ... I will likely be doing some other WebCast's this summer and i will post them once they are scheduled.

UPDATE: I included the sample codin the downlink below this post. Thanks for attending!

Posted May 27 2006, 01:27 PM by John Papa with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: .NET, ADO.NET, SQL

My Niece is in a Commercial

MSNBC is sponsoring a contest called Film Your Issue ... you can vote for your favorite at the MSNBC voting page. The contestants make a commercial that tries to drve home an issue that is important to them. So why am I telling you about this? Because my niece and my sister are both in this commerical :)

My niece Danielle (16 yrs old) is becoming quite the entertainer ... she sings (and has won some regional contests) ... is doing radio and television commericals and now she learned to play the guitar, too. OK, so we're all a bit proud :)

Anyway, if you like her video, please vote for my niece’s commercial (titled STRIKE IT UP). Click the link below and check the circle next to the STRIKE IT UP video. Then click the VOTE button at the bottom of the screen.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12721177

My sister Debbie is the first woman who appears in the commercial (behind the main actor who was the angel in the popular MSN commercial). My niece is the blond teenage girl who is using her cell phone towards the middle of the commercial.

Thanks for voting!

Posted May 26 2006, 02:39 PM by John Papa with no comments

Filed under: Random Stuff

Useful Windows Key Shortcuts

Here is a short list of some of the more valauble (IMO) WinKey combinations. OK, there are more shortcut keys than the following, but these are some of the ones I use the most that involve the mysterious "Windows Key". WinKey + D is nice when my desktop just gets too cluttered. WinKey + E is great when I need to browse my file system.

Shortcut	Description
Windows Key + D	Brings the desktop to the top of all other windows.
Windows Key + M	Minimizes all windows.
Windows Key + E	Open Microsoft Explorer.
Windows Key + Tab	Cycle through open programs through the taskbar.
Windows Key + R	Open the run window.
Windows Key + L	Lock the computer (Windows XP and above only).

Any time I can keep my hands on the keyboard instead of flying back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse, its a win-win.

Posted May 23 2006, 06:04 PM by John Papa with 7 comment(s)

Filed under: Random Stuff

SQL Server 2005: T-SQL and XML Samples

I've been asked for some T-SQL and XML code samples that I have presented of late. Here are some sample snippets of code that you can use to examine some of the SQL 2005 T-SQL features and its XML features, as well. The code is in a zip file below this post.

All code is "as-is" ... no warranty :)

Enjoy!

Posted May 18 2006, 01:28 PM by John Papa with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: SQL

ADO.NET 2 Code Samples

As promised, here are the ADO.NET code samples from the VSLive Orlando show this May. You can download them from the attached file (below).

Posted May 18 2006, 10:59 AM by John Papa with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: ADO.NET

Download LINQ May 2006 CTP

The latest LINQ CTP is now up on the MSDN public web site right here. Some of the new features are pretty cool including the JOIN syntax and its enhancements and LINQ over ADO.NET DataSets. Lucky for me it came out just in time for me to be able to demonstrate some of its features next week in my full day Data Access workshop at the Orlando VSLive.

I’ve been really enjoying the new features. Still a ways to go, but it looks great so far!

NOTE: You can get more info on the LINQ project at the main LINQ Project web site.

Posted May 10 2006, 03:23 PM by John Papa with no comments

Filed under: .NET

Designing Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services 2005

The June 2006 issue of MSDN Magazine is now posted online. My latest Data Points column dives into some of the new SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 features including some design decisions, cparameter options, multi-valued parameters, and expressions. In the next issue I’ll continue the discussion by demoinstrating how to embed code in a report, reference existing .NET code and build charts.

You can read the article online here.