Cave Markings

I have used the Image Zoom extension in Firefox for many months.  This week I downloaded an update using the friendly Firefox update feature.  It was only today that I "discovered" an exciting new feature.  If I hover my mouse over an image in Firefox and scroll the mouse wheel, the image zooms in or out depending on the direction I scroll. 

Totally cool!

++Alan

In which our hero becomes a shameless media whore:

Microsoft's Visual Studio Team Server enters the arena

Microsft's approach is broad, said Alan Stevens, and leaves room for other vendors. Stevens, a Visual Studio developer who helped co found NTeam, an open-source alternative to VSTS, said "The best of breed components was not the priority; it was the best of breed across the whole development lifecycle. For example, they don't have the best source control or bug tracking, but they were not trying to. What they are selling is the integration of the various pieces so there is no context switch."

Stevens pointed out that other tools used by Visual Studio developers would require developers to switch contexts in order to communicate programming progress. That puts extra overhead on already beleaguered developers. VSTS integration, he said, "provides a kind of automatic tracking so they don't have to manually tell the tester when [something is] complete."

"With Team System, I check in the code and get a list of work items. When that check item is resolved, it immediately e-mails the tester and they can begin testing," said Stevens.

++Alan

NPR says:

Software Industry Sees Robust Growth in China

At least I work for a military contractor.  I don't expect my job to go to China (or India) any time soon.

++Alan

For 90 days, you can sign up for free classes on MS's latest developer products here:

https://www.microsoftelearning.com/visualstudio2005/

I've used some of their e-learning materials before, and found them helpful.  YMMV

++Alan

I love Visual FoxPro.  I love .NET too, but the platform hasn't had time to develop really interesting historical quirks.  VFP is increadibly backwards compatable.  I was reminded of this again today while reading the WIKI.  I saw this little command that moves the project manager outside of the VFP IDE and onto the taskbar.  Not terribly exciting until you consider the syntax, which comes from a time when FoxPro ran on DOS, UNIX, Mac and Windows.

SHOW WINDOW "PROJECT MANAGER" IN MACDESKTOP

Priceless!

++Alan


I take what Raymond Chen says about coding as gospel.  Therefore when he says not to retry a failure, I won't.

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2005/11/07/489807.aspx

++Alan

I'm a huge fan of Joel Spolsky's writing on joelonsoftware.com.  He makes his shop sound like THE place to work as a software developer.  That's why I'm jazzed about the new DVD about the most recent project from Fog Creek Software.  It's a documentary about the experiences of their summer interns.  Check out the preview here:

http://www.projectaardvark.com/movie/

++Alan

This is in no way a comment on my current employer.  In fact, they continue to impress me with their rational approach to software development.  My previous employer, however, is represented in many ways by this story:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/11/01/45OPrecord_1.html

++Alan

Here are some links I have found useful in studying Visual Studio Team System:

• Visual Studio 2005 Team System Home
• MSDN Webcasts
• MSDN Walkthroughs
• First thoughts on Customizing Process in VSTS
• Rick Laplante - Talking about VSTS on Channel 9, Part I
• Rick Laplante - Talking about VSTS on Channel 9 (Licensing), Part II
• Team Foundation Fundamentals: A Look at the Capabilities and Architecture
• Team Foundation: At Work
• Visual Studio 2005 Team Developer
• Distributed System Design Suite
• Visual Studio Team Test
• Eric Lee on TheServerSide.NET
• MSDN Walkthroughs
• Chris Menegay's WebLog

++Alan

There is much to report in this space, but I have been too busy having experiences to stop and document them.

TechEd was exhausting, and extremely fun.  If anyone knows how I can get a RSVP code for PDC, click the contact link, please.

I'm getting divorced and moving to a new residence.  If that wasn't stressful enough, I started a new job last week, and I'm presenting the fruits of my TechEd experience at the East Tennessee .NET Users' Group tomorrow night.  Whew!

++Alan