C# Native Apps on the iPhone!

Now this is pretty exciting...

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/01/open-source-mono-framework-brings-c-to-iphone-and-wii.ars

Sweet article on converting Lists to DataSets

Complete with code...

http://blog.lozanotek.com/archive/2007/05/09/Converting_Custom_Collections_To_and_From_DataTable.aspx

Excellent article on Linq to Sql

Has pretty much everything you need to know:

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/05/19/using-linq-to-sql-part-1.aspx

SOA Overload

I was so pumped to actually right some of that old forgotten language called SQL today and hit a REAL Oracle database. I finally got access to my project's back-end and have been having some SQL fun (whatever that is).

Web Services are nice and work great for what they're designed for, but sometimes I long for the old days of hitting a database directly. The control! The power! OK that's pretty dorkish.

But seriously it does demonstrate a pretty big paradigm shift that's been in the making for years. I think it may have finally won it's battle against the old-school guys like me that like sub-queries.

I didn't mind working on ALL the tiers - now I've been wrangled into the "UI Developer" label. It's a damn shame really.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

The Mighty Oracle

Does anyone else think Oracle sucks arse? I am predominantly a Microsoft developer but do use other solutions now and then so I do have 'some' objectivity here. It seems like there are always problems when I'm dealing with an Oracle back-end.

Lately I've been working with Java web services on an Oracle Service Bus middle tier. Oh man - maybe they should've stuck to DBMS's. What a POS :)

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Free tools I use for web development

Addons/Plugins for FireFox:

FireBug: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843
IE Tab: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
Http Headers: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3829
Web Dev: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60

CodeRush Express:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcsharp/dd218053.aspx

PowerCommands:
Plugin for VS 2008 (collapse projects, open containing folder, etc)
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PowerCommands

Make IE8 display site as though it were IE7:
http://davidwalsh.name/ie8-emulate-ie7

iPhone Apps

I have really got to quit wasting time on this App Store opportunity. I worked with another Developer that just QUIT his job because his App Store business was so good. He's got lots of ideas for new apps too.

It's amazing how many little rinky-dink apps that cell for $.99 cents are popping up all over the App Store. Hell, you can even make money on the "free" ones. One of my buddies biggest revenue earners was a free app!

The only roadblock for me is time. I know I can learn Objective-C and the Cocoa framework in a short time I just need to dedicate that time to going for it. My MacBook Pro is itchin' to go on this :)

But, then again, there's always work and the kids and my wife and blah blah...wish I could just buy extra time...

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Some articles I researched for SQL Server-based IIS Session Management

I used these and several others found on Google to help me set up MSSQL IIS Session State persistence on my network. Excellent idea if you run/work on a high volumn IIS web server.

Session-State Modes

How To configure SQL server to store session state

ASP.NET SQL Server 2005 Session State