• Enterprise Library 3.1: Enterpise Library Configuation Editor Problem
  

An application I was working on needed to run on with the Entiprise 3.1 Library.  When I tried to use the Enterprise Library Configuration editor (EntlibConfig.exe) on my app.config file, I was getting errors that it could not locate the specific libraries/.dll’s.  The problem was that my libraries in my code where strongly named (PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089) while the Enterprise Library Configuration Editory was looking for libraries with the PublicKeyToken set to null (PubliKeyToken=null).  The fix was to use the RIGHT Enterprise Library Configuration editor.  There are two of editors.  One resides in C:\EntLib3Src\App Blocks\bin and the other resided in  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Enterprise Library 3.1 - May 2007\Bin.  The former works with non-signed libraries while the latter works with signed libraries.  From the Visual Studio Development environment, I changed app.config editor to point to the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Enterprise Library 3.1 - May 2007\Bin editor.

For more information, check out this link from Tom Hollander on Avoiding Configuration pitfalls with incompatible copies of Enterprise Library.

• How do you debug a Unit Test in Visual Studio 2008?
  

1) Set a breakpoint in your test, and then from the Visual Studio menu: Test-->Debug-->Tests in Current Context.

2) Set a breakpoint in your test. Go to the Test Results window (from the Visual Studio menu: Test-->Windows-->Test Results).  From the toolbar in the Test Results window, click on Debug drop down icon and then select Debug Checked Tests.

3) Try entering System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Launch() and System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break() into your Unit Test code and then run your Unit Test  You then will be prompted with a Visual Studio Just-In-Time Debugger dialog box.  Select the default selection.  You should then break into your Unit Test code.

• Here is a good link to the How Do I Video Series for Visual Basic.
  

• For the datagrid view control, if you want the NewRowNeeded event to fire, the VirtualMode property for the datagrid view control needs to be set to true.

• From Scott Mitchell's blog, I found out about a product called ELMAH that may come in handy down the road.  ELMAH (Error Logging Modules and Handlers) is an application-wide error logging facility that is completely pluggable. It can be dynamically added to a running ASP.NET web application, or even all ASP.NET web applications on a machine, without any need for re-compilation or re-deployment.

• Have you ever wanted to share a common file among project? Check out Sara Ford's tip number #365 that shows how to link a file. (I wonder how this works with Team Foundation Server Source Control?).  Tip number #364 is good too.  Visual Studio comes with an image library.
  
  
• FromScott Gu's blog, new ASP.Net Chart control.
  
  
• The table designer in Microsoft SQL 2005 I find is lacking because I cannot find a way to add properties to the columns displayed.  It only displays Column Name, Data Type, and Allow Nulls.  From Rich Strahl's Web log, comes a work around.  Use the Database Diagram Designer.   Right mouse click on the Database Diagrams folder and click New Database Diagram.  Next add your table.  Right mouse click on the table-->Table View-->Modify Custom...

• SQL Server 2005: Reporting Server Error 1053-The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion

I am now starting to work with Microsoft Reporting Services (SQL 2005).  The SQL Server Reporting Services service would not start.  It looks like one of the Hot Fixes for SQL 2005 mucked something up.  Anyway, it required a registry fix and a reboot.  Here is the link http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=884495.  

You may want to check out this link also http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3639819&SiteID=17

• Enterprise Library 4.0: Getting Exception Handling and Logging to Work

I have been working with the Enterprise Library 4.0 extensively.  I  had already implented the Data Access and Cryptography application blocks with no problems.  However, I did run into problems with the Exception Handling and Logging Application blocks.  In order to get the Exception Handling to log a message to the Application Event log, I had to add a reference to the Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.ExceptionHandling.Logging.Configuration.Design.dll (Enterprise Library Exception Handling And Logging Application Block Design) library.  In order to get the Exception Handling to log to the Database, I had to add a reference to the Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Database.dll (Enterprise Library Logging Application Block Database Provider) library.  Both of these references were not mentioned in the documentation that I was using.

• Windows Forms: Controlling Event Firing

While working on a Windows application, the SelectIndexChanged event with the ComboBox control was firing unintentionally. I only wanted the event to fire when the user changed the value in the combo box. Doing some research, I was presented with two options (see link). One, use a boolean flag to monitor what was causing the event to fire. The second was to remove and add the SelectIndexChanged event handler for the ComboBox at appropriate times in your code. I chose the latter. It really is quite simple.

Remove Handler: RemoveHandler comboBoxProduct.SelectedIndexChanged, AddressOf comboBoxProduct_SelectedIndexChanged

Add Handler: AddHandler comboBoxProduct.SelectedIndexChanged, AddressOf comboBoxProduct_SelectedIndexChanged

• ASP.NET Website Development - Displaying Images from SQL Server Database

I picked this information up from a David Hayden blog post.  I had a project at a former employer where this code could have come in handy.  I can imagine possibly getting a similar request to display images from an SQL database in the future.  Here is the link http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=16449

Here are two more Team System/.Net/SQL/ resources.

Team System User Group - Virtual Edition

Screen Cast A Day

1. A recent task required me to populate and existing table inside an Microsoft SQL database from a flat .txt file.  The T-SQL Bulk Insert command performed the task nicely.

Step 1: Create Format File with the bcp command. (If your your input and output file layouts are alike, this step may not be necessary.)

Log on to the machine where the database resides. Open up a command window and navigate to the binn directory (Program Files\Microsof Sql Server\...).  The binn directory is where the bcp command resides.

From the command line enter:

bcp DatabaseName.Owner.TableName format nul -S ServerName -T -n -f Products.fmt

For more information on creating a format file see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191516.aspx

 

Step 2: Run Bulk Insert Command

--Without Format File

Bulk Insert dbo.fp_Products_work
From 'D:\temp\Products.txt'
With(FirstRow=2)

 
--With Format File

Bulk Insert dbo.fp_Products_work
From 'D:\Chuck\Products.txt'
With(FirstRow=2, FormatFile='D:\temp\Products.fmt')

Gotchas: 1) Your SQL Server account must be a member of the sysadmin or bulkadmin roles in order for you to use the Bulk Insert command. 2) In SQL 2000, the From clause does not allow you to use a variable (@Path) to provide path informatioin.  My workaround in my stored procedure was to dynamically create an SQL string, and then execute the sql like so: Exec (@sql.

1. Working with the DataGrid Control: Dynamic Bound Columns OnSortCommand event not being called.

Problem: The event/routine specified in the OnSortCommand attribute in the aspx:datagrid control was not being fired.  I was also binding the datagrid columns dynamically in the code behind page.

Fix: When binding columns in the DataGrid dynamically, do so in the Page_Init event.  By doing so, the event fired, and I was then able to sort the data.

Helpful Links: http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t97260-dynamic-bound-columns-onsortcommand-not-called-solution.html

I posted code on the link below showing how to sort columns in an ascending and descending manner.

 http://www.codeproject.com/KB/webforms/SortingDataGridColumns.aspx

1. Adding filter action to the ASP.NET FileUpload Control

Problem: The FileUpload control does not have a property to specify filter action on the FileUpload control. The following link provides techniques for filtering on both the client and server side: Adding Filter Action to FileUpload control of ASP.NET.

I am a big fan of Sara Ford's tips and tricks blog.   I met her recently at the devLink conference in Nashville, TN.

One of my favorite tips, is how you can configure a macro to increase or decrease you font size from within your Visual Studio IDE.  It is tip 242.

Sara has also recently written a book,  Microsoft Visual Studio Tips, which will be released in October.

---------------------------------

Here is a new webdevloper tips and tricks blog I found out about from Brad Abrams' blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/webdevelopertips/default.aspx

Another one that has been around for awhile is Scott Guthrie's tips and tricks page.

John

1. To find out the what version of Microsoft SQL you are running, execute the following T-SQL command: Select @@Version.  Here is a link for more information.
   
   
2. With the ToString() method, there is a method overload that allows you to perform formatting. For example,

Dim decimalCount As New Decimal

decimalCount = cmd.ExecuteScalar()
Return decimalCount.ToString("##0.0")

1. Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManagerParserErrorException - what it is and how to avoid it

I had to work around this error recently, when trying to render an Excel spreadsheet in an ASP.NET application.  The crux of the problem is the AJAX Update panel.  The client javascript for the update panel gets confused when rendering HTML in "partial PostBack mode."   The quick fix for me, was to added a PostBack trigger to the Update Panel that pointed to the button that started the Excel spreadsheet creation.  This step forced the application to do a normal PostBack.  For a more detailed explanation, follow the link above.

1. Setting ViewState items in Page_Init sub of code behind did not persist.  That is, the settings disappear.  Moved settings to Page_Load and the settings persisted. 09/12/2008 ViewState loaded in PreLoad Page Event.  See ASP.NET Page Life Cycle Overview and ASP.NET Application Life Cycle Overview.
2. To remove commas from text fields, try the Decimal.Parse method.  For example, Decimal.Parse(txtDollarAmount.Text).

I picked this up from Scott Michell's blog and thought I pass the word.  Scott Hanselman has a web page on his blog that provides a comprehensive list of developer tools.  He updates the list annually.  I think it is fantastic.  Here is the link Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List.

John

I recently purchased Camtastia Studio 5 in order to create "How To" videos.  My first "How To" video, How Do I: Return a text/value pair or key/value pair to the Ajax AutoCompleteExtender is now available under the Presentations menu tab on my web site www.JohnStagich.com

This video (.wmv) shows how to get a web service to return a text/value or key/value pair to the Ajax AutoCompleteExtender.

John

Recently, I have been seeing an Apple commercial on TV that rags on Vista.   I am starting to think Apple may have a legitimate point.

I go and insert a CD into my DVD/CD drive.  I open my Windows Explorer and I do not see my DVD/CD-ROM drive. Ok, what is going on. I have not installed any new hardware or added or removed any programs recently (other than Vista updates).  I proceed to Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Device Manger->DVD/CD-ROM drives.  Sure enough, there was an error icon on top of the drive.  I select properties and see the following message:

Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)

OK, there is a button to click on to help solve the problem.  I click on the button--totally useless.   I then resort to Googling on the error message and came up with the following fix: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314060  (use Method Two), which involved deleting two entries from the registry and rebooting my PC.  The fix worked and I was able to see my DVD/CD-ROM drives.

We are now almost half-way through 2008, and I am working with an OS that

1. Does not notify me that a critical hardware device is not working.
2. Provides no immediate help to fix the problem.
3. Requires me to perform an arcane maneuver to fix the problem. 

I believe Vista is a big improvement over XP; however, a basic problem like I described above should not be happening.

I picked this information up from a Dave Hayden blog post.

ZoomIt is a Screen Zoom and Annotation Tool for Technical Presentations created by Mark Russinovich and it is FREE!

Here is a brief description of the tool from the download page:

ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image.

I downloaded the application and tried it out in my Visual Studio 2008 IDE.  It worked great and it is super easy to use.

John