phoenix

testping

christopher@aspalliance.com — Thu, 16 Oct 2003 13:38:29 GMT

test

christopher@aspalliance.com — Wed, 03 Sep 2003 19:23:18 GMT

Yesterday I started working with log4net. I couldn't get the configuration working at first, so no logging for my current project.

Today I got it working by using the .config file and the System.Configuration.IgnoreSectionHandler. Works like a champ. Also, I decided to use the \Application Data directory to store things like configurable options (read/write), the log file (using the RollingFileAppender) and anything else that I may decide to throw in for the user. I set it in the .config file pretty easily using the APPDATA EnvironmentVariable like so:

<param name="File" value="${APPDATA}\\Company\\Product\\Product.log"/>

nice. :)

You're welcome.

christopher@aspalliance.com — Wed, 03 Sep 2003 12:56:13 GMT

Thanks to dotText, I've been neglecting posting for a little while :(. I've set up an internal blog for projects that I work on and it's been taking all of my posting energy. It wouldn't be fair to post things about my projects here - especially if you thought I was an idiot before.

So I'm doing it for you - I can only let myself seem slightly stupid, otherwise you'd have no hope for the future.

You're welcome.

flat -> normal

christopher@aspalliance.com — Mon, 25 Aug 2003 14:41:08 GMT

Still posting from infiniblog...

I've been sick for the past few days. I hate being sick, it makes me delerious (sp?). Even worse, I'm currently working on a 'rad' project that is making the developer in me cringe. It's really bad.

I'm having to convert a flat table into a 'normal' database, which would be okay but there are a number of fields for each row that require a one to many relationship. So what I've decided to do in the interest of the 'r' part is just throw the logic into a class that loops thru the records to fill the new structure with data.

The data in the original table has some fields with names like A_this and A_that thru M_this and M_that, much like a spreadsheet. This is the part that is making the developer scream "you shouldn't be doing that!!" It's really hard for me to go against my gut feelings, but I suppose that just shows my lack of experience. Not only do I have a cold, but this code is really making me sick.

TextPad Tools

christopher@aspalliance.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 13:19:58 GMT

Today I wanted to do a test on a .cs file that was written by someone that I work with. For some reason, the code wouldn't run on his Windows XP pro. BTW, it was calling unmanaged gdi methods (GetDeviceCaps) and would compile fine, it just wouldn't run.

So I have him send over the code, all in one .cs file, and I open it up in TextPad. The code itself looks fine, so I fire up the csc in TextPad and the code compiles fine. I then go to the output directory, run the .exe, and bam! it works. So, it must be his installation of XP that is messed up, I guess.

For those of you who want to know what 'the csc in TextPad' means:

Go to Configure->Preferences...
Highlight the Tools treenode.
click the Add button
Browse to C:\%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\%version%\csc.exe
I also put the label on as csc (v1.1.4322), b/c I have version 1.0 on my machine as well.
write some code, then click Tools-> csc

That was it. So now I can write some simple code and compile it directly from my text editor of choice. The only caveat: it compiles with the default options of the compiler, for example I compiled a winform but did not specify /t:winexe, so a command prompt shows up before the window. If you wanted to play with the options, I suppose you could write a batch file and call it from the command line. Or you could use Nant. whatever.

Got an importer.

christopher@aspalliance.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2003 19:17:22 GMT

I have a project that requires that I convert a flat FoxPro Database to a 'normalized' Sql Server database. So far, I've gotten the foxpro data into SqlServer.

Today I created an Importer utility class to generate the proper data from flat-> normal database. Now I just need to create the logic that will migrate the data from one to the other... I've gotten as far as creating the datacontainers and filling the initial data from the legacy flat database into memory.

Also, I learned that you can have two different Main() methods in a solution, which one gets used depends on which one is selected as the startup project.

christopher@aspalliance.com — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 11:59:39 GMT

Wow. This is something I could have sworn Scoble would post. Are ya fallin off, buddy? Anyways, from Microsoft-Watch:

Microsoft Watch: What's the future of Mono, Ximian's implementation of .Net on Linux?
Stone: We are going to continue to push it. .Net on Linux is a great idea. We just hope Microsoft isn't against the idea.

Yes, .Net on Linux is a good idea, and I doubt Microsoft will have a problem with it. I mean, have they yet? Read the Article.

IE Script Error

christopher@aspalliance.com — Fri, 01 Aug 2003 12:13:29 GMT

I get the following error nearly every time I get a newsletter from javascript.com:

I haven't found out what it means yet, but isn't it ironic? Dontcha think?

From the Trenches...

christopher@aspalliance.com — Fri, 01 Aug 2003 11:23:08 GMT

Alex Lowe says:

My motto: You've got to know someone's pain to make it go away.

Adding to others who have stated it, I'd like to congratulate Alex Lowe on his new position at Microsoft. I spoke with him directly about this, and got the above quote in response to a discussion about some Evangelists that I've met (not that one, he's actually pretty cool in person) getting out of touch with what's going on "In the trenches".

The quote alone makes me confident that Microsoft has made a wise decision. Good luck, Alex!

Hick Food.

christopher@aspalliance.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:50:18 GMT

Obviously, when you die, you become plant food. The plant food then becomes plants, and the plants then become squirrel food. The squirrel food then becomes squirrels, and then some crazy hick gets it in is head that squirrels make for fine game. It follows, then, that the hick shoots the squirrel and eats it. In this way, everybody is reincarnated as a hick.

[ napolean.com ]

Living in Texas, I can personally attest to this. Pretty funny, too.