Michael’s Techbox

This is a question that comes up often, and its very easy to check.

Open Central Server Administration, then Central Administration > Operations > Enable Enterprise Features, you’ll see which version you have on this page.

log4net is a pretty good logging framework that will allow you to write logs to just about anywhere (file, database, event viewer etc etc)

Enterprise Library Logging Application Block is also a great alternative to writing your own logging and tracing.

Question:

I  have a standard .net winforms textbox on a form.

when the enter key is pressed and the textbox has focus, a default beep sound is fired…. this is really annoying, and I need to get rid of it, because I am using this textbox as a search box.

Please help

To reproduce: create a new win form application, open form 1 in design view, drag a textbox from the toolbox onto the form. run the application, click in the textbox, hit the return (enter) key.

Answer

You can add a KeyPress event handler with this code:

void textBox1_KeyPress(object sender, KeyPressEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.KeyChar == '\r')
        {
            e.Handled = true;
        }
    }

This seems to only work with KeyPress and not KeyDown and/or KeyUp

If you want to go with the button approach, you can also make the button invisible

This article will teach you how to extend a feature receiver to add more events to the default, somewhat limited event model.

Whats the problem with the current Feature Receiver Event Model?

The Feature Receiver event model provided by Microsoft is too limited, it lacks some very important events, the 4 events it does support are:

• FeatureInstalled
• FeatureUninstalling
• FeatureActivated
• FeatureDeactivating

So what’s missing?

Most noticably whats missing is a FeatureOnError event, since this would also be too generic, ideally we need support for FeatureOnActivatingError,  and anymore you can think of. This is because a feature runs through the CAML feature definition while activating, and out of the box, there is no way to catch an error during the activation.

Another important event thats missing is FeatureOnBeforeActivate – this is because you might want to do some prechecks before running through the feature element manifests, so the event FeatureActivated fires after the element manifests have been loaded.

There is one very easy way to add these events, and whats nice about this method is if you know how to code a feature you will have no problems understanding the code.

The theory is (a) to change your current features visibibility to hidden, then (b) create another feature which will be responsible for the activation of your first feature.

Code listed below:

<code to follow>

For those Microsoft Developers out there, these are my thoughts on F#.

I personally think a rather bored, and only somewhat imaginative division in Microsoft Development, consisting of some nutty programmers and possibly some researchers have concocted the F# language, what appears to be a mixed bag of development languages and offering possibly some minor advantages, please don’t expect me to actually learn this language, I refuse.

C# is one thing, combined with the power of the .net framework, its a prime example of an excellent language that combines the lessons from other languages, and has a natural C/Java style flow to the syntax.

The best way to describe F# syntax is, imagine for a second what a disaster it would be to port into the .net world vb6 code, mixed with a dose of C/Java and a little PHP on the side. Never mind your side order of fries with that Sir, F# is this disaster.

Once again Microsoft disappoint, instead of allocating funding into researching and fully developing the late promised XAML presentation / HTML replacement, we have once again been delivered distraction, 1/2 working prototypes and a yet growing concern on which technologies to adopt and learn, and which to ignore.

Before you leave, I just want to remind you once again of that awful and dirty word – Foxpro, just incase you forgot.

I recently had to implement a payment facility using Amazon FPS for a client. These are my views on this payment facilitator.

In a nutshell

Not for the feint hearted, this payment solution is difficult to grasp, and for the first 2-3 days, you will need to really hang in there, until you find your feet. Once you have managed to figure out the basics and start trusting the API calls, the whole package is more attractive to reuse.

What’s good.

1. Once everything is setup, its reliable.

2. Once you have figured it all out, everything makes sense, well almost.

3. It does provide a way to facilitate payments on behalf of others.

What’s bad.

1. The documentation consists of about 260 pages, and its not easy to get your head around the concepts.

2. The login pages always require you to login, if you are developing and testing for the caller and recipient, then you are going to be in for a lot of logging in.

3. Its frustrating for Microsoft developers, a lot of the documentation code samples are for Java and Ruby (who knows) developers, but members of the community have released .net versions.

What’s missing

I must say from the start and all the way through the process, I got the impression that the documentation was way, way to complex, and really needs a rewrite.

Besides this Amazon need to release some nuggets (short concept videos) to show developers how to get up to speed quickly and easily.

Otherwise… I would give the whole Amazon FPS experience a 4 out of 5, how about you?

I decided to download, install and review Microsoft’s new Silverlight package, including Microsoft Expression.

I really hope Microsoft are not seriously expecting us to actually use these technologies and tools in a production environment. Its way too experimental.

I really like all the marketing regarding Silverlight. All the lovely art work, and the futuristic designs etc, people like You and I, working on glass touch screen vertical monitors. Sorry folks, its my sad duty to inform you the actual product offered by Microsoft is really nothing quite like what the clever and misleading marketing is presenting.

If the marketing gives you the idea that you can pick up a copy of Microsoft Expression and easily develop stunning rich user interfaces, you are going to be as disappointed if you try this.

I am starting to get used to the idea that Microsoft lately are the masters of deception. They are employing the same marketing methods that made the masses rush out and purchase Windows Vista (only to be disappointed) to now fool people into thinking that Silverlight is the next biggest and greatest thing in the presentation layer world.

Those of us who are involved in the web development and design industry know exactly what Macromedia Flash is, and how long its been around, and how complex the application is. Everyone I know or have ever known have great respect for Macromedia Flash, Flash however difficult it is, actually can be used to create stunning complex user interfaces.

Silverlight is not Microsoft Flash. Silverlight is some sort of delivery mechanism for the new presentation format XAML, however XAML is so full of bugs its a wonder its even referred to as a product. XAML is no doubt the most frustrating technology I have ever encountered in the industry. Even simple tasks like adding a button to a page can seem a near impossible task. Microsoft have also not packaged XAML into an easily reusable form. In my opinion its a disaster right now, and Microsoft need to act quickly to get us developers to be able to understand and use the technology effectively.

In my opinion Microsoft should slow down on their ever new and feeble .net releases. Most companies are highly skeptical of implementing new Microsoft technologies in a production environment, and typically choose (and wisely so) to let the technology mellow for a year or 2. This is because EVERYTHING Microsoft has ever developed ALWAYS arrives fill of bugs. The main problem developers and companies alike are now facing is that while they are waiting for version 3 of the .net framework to mellow, Microsoft have rushed out and delivered a now new version 3.5. Naturally with all the bugs and issues of, I will say it again, ANYTHING Microsoft related.

So what is a poor and humble developer supposed to do, rush out and learn every technology Microsoft introduce, or wait for it technologies to mellow? Personally my advice to you regarding XAML is to wait for it to mellow, and it is going to need serious time. As for the great promise of Windows Vista and those new super lovely rich user experiences that will become the standard. I think this is all great theory, until developers with no design skills are provided with tools that seriously assist in this area. XAML is not that great hope.