Entries for JohnAskew

ClickOnce with x-day Trial versions? [ClickOnce with x-day Trial versions?]

JohnAskew — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:19:17 GMT

Have you run across a strategy/pattern or component that enables trials for software we publish with ClickOnce?

This is for both Windows.Forms and WPF if possible, though either is helpful.

EDIT:

Ah, here is a nice freebie: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/Trial_Maker.aspx

Any others you can suggest? It seems like there should be a nice ClickOnce add-in for this...

in reply to ClickOnce with x-day Trial versions?

chinese fortune cookie definition for bing [chinese fortune cookie definition for bing]

JohnAskew — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:09:06 GMT

LEARN CHINESE - Disease

bing

Lucky Numbers 54, 24, 50, 49, 15, 39

in reply to chinese fortune cookie definition for bing

design pattern for import / export [design pattern for import / export]

JohnAskew — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:38:35 GMT

I am to provide a proxy or adapter or facade - I'm unsure what pattern to use - in providing import and export routines from one file format to another.

If you have an opinion on what design pattern best fits this, I would appreciate your feedback.

Thanks.

in reply to design pattern for import / export

XmlDataProvider XmlDocument and Load [XmlDataProvider XmlDocument and Load]

JohnAskew — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:17:16 GMT

I can't seem to get a WPF form with controls bound to its DataContext XmlDataProvider via XPath to load the Xml file from disk and refresh the controls. Nothing I've found online works.

I've tried changing the Source as well as Document.Load but nothing changes the data in the controls. It is either the original xml data or blank.

Anyone know how to change an Xml document at runtime such that WPF bindings change with them?

in reply to XmlDataProvider XmlDocument and Load

xbox interactive game shows [xbox interactive game shows]

JohnAskew — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:20:35 GMT

I heard today on public radio that there will be interactive game shows hosted on xbox live. Real prizes, etc.

What do you know about this?

in reply to xbox interactive game shows

Mouse creep during compile [Mouse creep during compile]

JohnAskew — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:09:28 GMT

Anyone have an idea why my mouse tends to creep towards the top-left corner of the screen during VS compilation? (Seems to be "going home" to coordinates 0,0...)

Isn't it an affect of video cards? Has anyone else dealt with or witnessed this nuisance or am I the lucky sole winner?

Gratias!

EDIT: you know, it's not just during compile, it also can happen when running debug through the IDE. Is this a VS related oddity or not?

in reply to Mouse creep during compile

Bing "can you guess where this is?" [Bing "can you guess where this is?"]

JohnAskew — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:21:59 GMT

I like trying to guess where the daily photo on Bing is from, but why oh why are there links at the bottom that give it away??

Today is a picture of a lighthouse in Hawaii and at the bottom are links for Hawaiian music and flights to Hawaii.

Respect me Bing!

in reply to Bing "can you guess where this is?"

Windows 7 hardware picks? Desktop Touchscreens? [Windows 7 hardware picks? Desktop Touchscreens?]

JohnAskew — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:28:29 GMT

I'm wanting to gut an old server box with new MB/RAM/CPU in order to have a nice Windows 7 machine to R&D at home.

I've been thinking these parts, so far, any suggestions?

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LBA 775 cpu

Mushkin 6GB (3x2GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

Touchscreen monitors seem quite pricey, but how else should one R&D Win7? Any ideas for this one?

in reply to Windows 7 hardware picks? Desktop Touchscreens?

try finally as costly as try catch ? [try finally as costly as try catch ?]

JohnAskew — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:42:13 GMT

Is it the try block that incurs the overhead or perhaps the catch block, such that try/finally has little overhead?

danke

in reply to try finally as costly as try catch ?

ugMIX => MIX09 highlights + free Star Trek [ugMIX => MIX09 highlights + free Star Trek]

JohnAskew — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:22:13 GMT

I must admit it is nice living in a larger metropolis -- our user group is showing the new movie Star Trek after the MIX09 highlights.

Are there other user groups doing this around the US?

in reply to ugMIX => MIX09 highlights + free Star Trek

ViewModel => INotifyPropertyChanged or DependencyObject? [ViewModel => INotifyPropertyChanged or DependencyObject?]

JohnAskew — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:57:57 GMT

Most ViewModel base classes I see online implement INotifyPropertyChanged instead of deriving from DependencyObject and making those properties needing to notify their changes DependecyProperties?

Why is that?

I would imagine deriving from DependencyObject is better, but why should I imagine this?

Any thoughts are welcomed.

in reply to ViewModel => INotifyPropertyChanged or DependencyObject?

www.live.com is blank?? [www.live.com is blank??]

JohnAskew — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:11:38 GMT

Anyone else having this problem today? Wednesday, March 25, 2009....

in reply to www.live.com is blank??

WPF IValueConverter implementations [WPF IValueConverter implementations]

JohnAskew — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:26:04 GMT

Adoptors of WPF nearly always implement IValueConverters which they would not otherwise have done had they been able to see a listing of those already available in .NET 3.0 & 3.5.

I have looked for an exhaustive listing of IValueConverter implementations online and not found one yet.

Does someone know if such a list exists? If not, , , , ?

Thanks.

in reply to WPF IValueConverter implementations

Evergreen 9, Minnesota springtime

JohnAskew — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:10:00 GMT

Roseville, MN :)

No LiveID login? [No LiveID login?]

JohnAskew — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:08:48 GMT

Good thing I remembered my C9 password, I haven't used that in couple dozen lunar cycles.

in reply to No LiveID login?

What are your thoughts on Visual Form Inheritance (System.Windows.Forms) [What are your thoughts on Visual Form Inheritance (System.Windows.Forms)]

JohnAskew — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:41:36 GMT

Could you list your pros/cons opinions, suggestions regarding the use of visual form inheritance with VS2005 Windows.Forms, and VS2008 ?

Thanks in advance.

in reply to What are your thoughts on Visual Form Inheritance (System.Windows.Forms)

Are you a Test-Driven-Developer? [Are you a Test-Driven-Developer?]

JohnAskew — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:54:21 GMT

What are your thoughts on TDD?

I find that writing tests first helps me determine the behavior of legacy systems when writing software to integrate with them. Unexpected and undocumented behaviors in legacy software are exposed through testing. Truth. It seems that these same anomalies would have taken much longer to surface without TDD.

Writing tests first also seems to yeild more time to consider design patterns to use in new code.

What is certainly true is that once a threshhold is passed, somewhere along the path of adopting TDD, it is much too compelling to stop using it. It's fun and it builds confidence that new code is a best possible design.

Those who have not tried TDD seem, to a person, to bring three arguments against it: 1) it takes too much time, 2) it does not add any inherent value to the deliverable, 3) it breaks the object-oriented design principles into more procedural designs.

Only argument 3 has any possible merit, but it is also false. TDD leads many to a change of philosophy to simplify object models.
Single-purpose classes are more readily testable and simplicity proves best design regardless of the rationale. Monolithic objects now appear the way flat-table designs did after the widespread switch to relational database designs.

The difficulty for TDD is how to test UI components' interaction with codebase. This one issue proves difficult for TDD advocates to "sell" to holdouts. The use of Model-View-Presenter does mean more code; seperating the UI from its state and events (in order to mock the UI programmatically in tests) is more work. TDD coders are OK with more work, but those who don't want to start using TDD can argue to management that this is waste and attempt to obscure the benefit of TDD on argument 1 again.

Good news is that management is becoming more primed to advocate adoption of TDD; "we're an Agile shop" is the bellweather.

In summary, have one sentence to use for kicking sand at others: 99% of programmers who reject TDD have never used it, and the other 1% are trying to save face.

in reply to Are you a Test-Driven-Developer?

NOISE: EU to consider Beijing Olympics boycott [NOISE: EU to consider Beijing Olympics boycott]

JohnAskew — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:08:23 GMT

article wrote:
The president of the European Parliament has said that European countries should consider a boycott of the Olympics in Beijing if the Chinese government continues to take a hardline attitude to unrest in Tibet

Political hooey?

in reply to NOISE: EU to consider Beijing Olympics boycott

Re: Can I use an LCD HDTV as a monitor? [Can I use an LCD HDTV as a monitor?]

JohnAskew — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:55:49 GMT

The 30" Gateway HD monitor, (back pictured above), would serve my purposes well for now. It supports HD-PIP.

I'd need TV tuners, ATSC/NTSC (digital/analog), to plug into this monitor. Price for this monitor is around $1700. There are HD cable/air -in USB-out TV tuners at Best Buy (i.e. Pinnacle) for $100.

Looks like the graphic artist mixed up the HDMI and USB-in ports in the picture above!

I just noticed that the ASUS HDTV Suite-HDMI box detailed in earlier posts isn't shipping with an ATSC (digital TV) tuner; not good at all! Same aggrevation with it as with an "HD-ready" TV!

I'd rather have a large HD monitor that can serve as a TV now than investing in a very nice 52" 120hz LCD HDTV at over $3500... That can come later in my plan, and then I'll still have the PC monitor from Hades...

in reply to Can I use an LCD HDTV as a monitor?

WPF Composite Client from Patterns & Practices [WPF Composite Client from Patterns & Practices]

JohnAskew — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:59:43 GMT

For those of you who don't know about the Smart Client Software Factory and Composite Application Block, here's word of a new WPF version of the framework.

Think next-gen ~~windows forms~~ client-side plug-in architecture, where plug-ins cull their content from nearly anywhere on the network/online.

This is my favorite quote about the new .NET 3.0 WPF development paradigm shift:

Glen Block wrote:
The transition from WinForms to WPF requires substantial effort and most developers face a steep learning curve.

in reply to WPF Composite Client from Patterns & Practices

Who's in Los Angeles area? [Who's in Los Angeles area?]

JohnAskew — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:38:06 GMT

I'm considering a move to LA.

What advice can I get?

(LOL in advance)

I am serious, though... :D

in reply to Who's in Los Angeles area?

Snow in Seattle? [Snow in Seattle?]

JohnAskew — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:16:15 GMT

Just saw local news showing deep piles on highways.

Given the virtual office, might it be said "Microsoft never takes a day off"?

in reply to Snow in Seattle?

How many broken bones have you had? [How many broken bones have you had?]

JohnAskew — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:12:51 GMT

in reply to How many broken bones have you had?

Scan, are you a colon, semi-colon, or period? [Scan, are you a colon, semi-colon, or period?]

JohnAskew — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:18:34 GMT

Nice avatar. I assume that's you in the bubble? Halloween?

I never thought anyone could look so fat in rubber.

in reply to Scan, are you a colon, semi-colon, or period?

Ron Jacobs at lrdnug.org [Ron Jacobs at lrdnug.org]

JohnAskew — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:17:18 GMT

Woohoo!

Ron Jacobs will be here in Little Rock Dec. 11th 2007 as guest speaker at our local user's group.

We often look for sweet potatos that roll off the trucks on their way to Memphis or Dallas, so to find Ron on our slate of tubers is big news, indeed.

Summoning the Podcast Master within my salted circle has paid off. [6]

...just bragging about it, that's all...

in reply to Ron Jacobs at lrdnug.org