Shahar Nechmad - Blog 2.0

From now on my blog won't discuss Vista (although I will cover some related stuff from time to time) but instead will cover my old/new passion - the web.

I will try to share my thoughts on today and tomorrow web, and share with you the life of trying to come up with the next Google, Yahoo or even YouTube.

Update - My new blog address is http://www.nechmads.com/blog

 

 

I always enjoyed hearing and reading what Clemens Vasters had to say about SOA, so I was happily surprised to see his latest addition to the MSDN – an introduction to writing WCF services.
Although it doesn't shed any new or really exciting information, the article is very well written and I recommend it for anyone who just starts to play and learn what WCF has to offer.

Microsoft released to the web two new sites covering the next versions (coming after VS 2005) of C# and VB.NET:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vcsharp/future/

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/future/

The sites include great information from videos, samples and discussions to early drops of the new technologies.

Gadgets are mini data driven applications that can reside on the new Windows Vista SideBar and SideShow (the new Auxiliary display technology of Windows Vista).

If you dell exited about gadgets, check out the new Microsoft gadgets portal with code samples, ideas, blogs and more gadgets related information.

 

Microsoft released a comprehensive guide for developing Windows Vista based applications that utilize better the power of the platform:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/top10/

 

Finally, we can talk about it publicly – Windows Workflow Foundation (formally known WinOE) Beta 1 is out.

You can download the bits, hands on labs and get more information in:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/building/workflow/default.aspx

Want to understand the magnitude of the Vista platform?
Want to watch really cool demos of many Vista technologies?
I really, really (did I say really?) recommend watching the keynote from the PDC. It's a 3:30 web cast featuring great information to Windows Vista and Office 12 technologies. You will learn about key technologies as Atlas, InfoCards, WCF, WPF, WPF/E, Peer to Peer and much more.
If you have the time, try watch it all, but if you are really short on time I tried to mark a few important time markers for you:
Windows Vista Demo – 0:31:10
Office 12 Demo - 0:49:35
Atlas - 2:36:00
Linq Demo - 2:15:00
Indigo (WCF) Demo - 2:26
Avalon (WPF) - 1:51:30

http://www.microsoft.com/events/executives/billgates.mspx

Yesterday at the PDC, Microsoft gave the world a first glimpse on the new UI for Office 12.
The new UI will have quite a few changes, and you can preview them here:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2005/sep05/09-13OfficeUI.mspx

Also check out the Office 12 preview site for more information about the new UI and the new Office open XML formats:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx

Don't forget also to look at the Channel 9 interview with some of the Office 12 team members:
http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=114720

Check out this post from Cyrus highlighting some new features in C# 3.

I got to admit - this looks really cool, why can't we get it now?? :)

Check out the new WinFX developer center on MSDN.
You will find there many links to documents, demos, samples and more.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/winfx/

 

Catch the latest MSDN TV episode  (approx 15 min) featuring Shy Cohen explaining and demonstrating how to do reliable messaging using WCF.

 

You wanted it.
You asked for it.
Now you can get it.
Microsoft released yesterday the long awaited Beta 1 of WinFS.
MSDN Subscribers can download the beta from the MSDN subscribers site. The Beta will also be distributed in the upcoming PDC.

For more information about Beta 1 check out also the new blog from the WinFS team and the latest Channel 9 interview with the team.

 

In his blog, Nick presents a set of recommendations for good practices when developing WPF controls. I'll try to find the time to post a working control example that illustrate those practices. If any of you want to pick up the glove, please let me know.

The readers among you who tend to write in a language with non-Latin characters will understand my pure joy from the release of this tool.

How many time have you started to write an address in IE, email message or code in VS just to find out that you are writing in the wrong language??

Microsoft just released a power toy for Windows XP that deals with this exact problem.

Simply select your text, choose a language and he will convert your text automatically.

So simple, I almost can't understand why we didn't have this years ago.

 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3906228

Microsoft released the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Windows Presentation Foundation Beta 1 Release".
"This article highlights the Beta 1 release of the Windows Presentation Foundation ("Avalon"), the next-generation Windows presentation graphics subsystem. It provides a brief overview of the platform and explores new features added in this release from previous releases"
The article talks shortly about "Metro", media, speech, Typography, expander control and express applications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnlong/html/hgtobeta1.asp