Friday, February 26, 2009 - 9:00am Dallas time

Register to attend this event live and in person!

I can't make it, but will watch via Live Meeting (space is limited - you will be mailed instructions before the event)

Amir is back!

Amir Rajan will be showing us how to "easily" integrate Silverlight 3 into an ASP-MVC application.  We'll start off by looking at async
communication using jQuery, and then move into how to make some restful magic happen in Silverlight 3.

Agenda:

- Crash course on async communication in asp-mvc using jQuery
- Integration of Silverlight into asp-mvc
- How to leverage asp-mvc to communicate restfully in Silverlight
- Pro's/Con's/Gotcha's

Amir Rajan is a Principal Consultant at Sogeti and is a devoted student of software development.  He is a passionate individual who has expertise in distributed application design, incremental technology migrations and solution architecture.
 

Friday, January 29 - 9:00am

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Join us for two talks about real-life lessons learned about ASP.NET testability and scalability featuring Eric Sowell from Match.com!

Putting Some Testability in ASP.NET

In the world of ASP.NET development, testing has been recognized as being more and more important in recent years, and for many reasons. From a development perspective, testing helps us write better code both in quality and usability. From a business perspective, it helps in reducing total bug counts. If the testing architecture is expanded to cover more than just automated unit-testing into A/B user testing, business-impact of changes can also be measured.
 
At Match we have learned a few things about both. ASP.NET Webforms is not necessarily built for automated testability but most of those limitations can be overcome with some thought. It also has no built-in mechanism for selective user testing to measure the impact of changes. In this talk I will discuss some of the techniques we have used to help us write better applications for our sakes (better code) and our users (a more useful site), outlined in the following:

·         Automated testing by abstracting away difficult-to-test bits of ASP.NET.
·         A/B testing and measuring the impact on users by reducing the risk of flaws in both design and implementation.
·         Testing flows to determine the most effective of various ways of constructing a user interface.
 

Putting Some Scalability in ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a great toolkit for building scalable websites. In this talk we will discuss the core techniques that Match uses to scale out to handle about 35 million page views a day. We’ll talk about:

·         Handling user state across the lifecycle of a visit to the site
·         Employing caching to ease load on the data tier
·         Bifurcating the data tier to handle different classes of data

Speaker

Eric Sowell is an avid .NET developer who gets into as many technologies as he can though with a focus on ASP.NET. He is a Senior Application Engineer at Match.com on the international platform and enjoys writing code which serves up Html millions of times on a daily basis. Eric is the father of three children and the husband of one wife. He has no pets but does want fish. When not being a geek or hanging with the family, he enjoys reading, writing and doing research primarily in the realms of ancient Greek, biblical studies and early Christianity.
 
 
You can find Eric online in the following places:
http://www.ericsowell.com
http://www.howmvcworks.net
http://www.thecodinghumanist.com
http://www.archaicchristianity.com
http://www.twitter.com/mallioch

Registration links:

I want to be there live and in person!

Can't be there, but I want to watch via Live Meeting.

Due to the holidays, DevCares will not be meeting on our usual last Friday of the month in November and December. Instead, we will combine the meetings into one big topical triple header on Friday, December 11!

Title: C# Generics, ASP.NET Dynamic Data & VS.NET Tips and Tricks

Presentation begins at 9am - we'll get you out by noon!

Click here to register to attend in person

Click here to register to attend via Live Meeting (limited availability)
 
In this month's DevCares Session Shawn Weisfeld will be presenting 2 of his most popular talks C# Generics and ASP.NET Dynamic Data and as a bonus just for the DevCares crowd he will close the day with some GREAT VS.NET tips and tricks!
 
Part 1: Developer<T>: Utilizing .NET Generics to write better code.

Generics let you tailor a method, class, structure, or interface to the precise data type it acts upon. In this session we will discuss what capabilities Generics provide to you the developer and how to use them in collections, and with delegates. We will also talk about creating your own generic classes and methods.
 
Part 2: Make your Data Dance with ASP.NET Dynamic Data

ASP.NET Dynamic Data is a framework that lets you create data-driven ASP.NET Web applications easily. It does this by automatically discovering data-model metadata at run time and deriving UI behavior from it. A scaffolding framework provides a functional Web site for viewing and editing data. You can easily customize the scaffolding framework by changing elements or creating new ones to override the default behavior. Existing applications can easily integrate scaffolding elements with ASP.NET pages. We will discuss how to 1) Create a data-driven web application using ASP.NET Dynamic Data 2) Add validation to the data model of your application 3) Customize ASP.NET Dynamic Data rendering 4) Customize ASP.NET Dynamic Data pages and 5) Customize ASP.NET Dynamic Data fields.

Part 3: VS.NET Tips and Tricks

Depending on how much time we have left Shawn will cover some of his favorite Tips and Tricks for VS.NET
 
URL: http://www.shawnweisfeld.com
Email: shawn@shawnweisfeld.com

Speaker Bio:

Shawn is a Staff Developer at a fortune 100 company. There he specializes in intranet & smart client development for internal line of business applications. Besides his day job Shawn also is an Adjunct Professor at The Florida Institute of Technology. He also does freelance software development work for local small businesses and training. In his free time he volunteers with INETA NorAm (http://www.ineta.org/) where he serves at the Director of Community Activities. Shawn started his career at his family business in Port St. Lucie FL while working on his undergraduate degree in Business Administration at the University of Central Florida and after a year off Shawn moved back to Orlando to pursue a Masters degree in Management Information Systems at The University of Central Florida and has since earned a second Masters degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida Institute of Technology. Shawn was awarded the Microsoft C# Most Valuable Professional award for 2007 & 2008. Shawn is an avid technology presenter and since July of 2005 Shawn has presented at many user group events, and even got to speak for Microsoft at the launch of Visual Studio 2008.

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Friday, October 30, 2009

8:45am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff

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Windows 7 enables developers to create distinctive and intuitive applications that significantly enhance discoverability, usability, and sheer enjoyment. New methods of desktop integration put application functionality right at the user’s fingertips. New Touch APIs enable natural interactions through multitouch and finger-panning gestures. Rapid advances in hardware and software technology are also driving higher-fidelity user experiences. Windows 7 brings these advances under developer control with new and flexible APIs that take full advantage of the technology, while making it even easier to develop compelling applications.  Join Microsoft Developer Evangelist Chris Koenig for a tour of developing for Windows 7 to include samples for multi-touch, ribbon, superbar integration and more! 

Chris Koenig is a Developer Evangelist with Microsoft, based in Dallas, TX. Prior to joining Microsoft in March of 2007, Chris worked as a Senior Architect for The Capital Group in San Antonio, and as an Architect for the global solution provider Avanade. As a consultant, Chris worked with a variety of clients from many vertical markets, ISVs and other solution providers on enterprise-class Windows and web-based applications. Today, Chris focuses on building, growing, and enhancing the developer communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. You can contact Chris through his blog at http://chriskoenig.net, via email at chris.koenig@microsoft.com, or via Windows Live Messenger at chris.koenig@microsoft.com.

Click here to register to attend in person

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Friday, September 25, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff

Click here to register.

While most enterprise applications are object-oriented, the data upon which they depend is not. Often, binding these two platforms together can result in significant amounts of lost productivity and a less than optimal solution.

Come see how you can resolve this recurring theme by leveraging the ADO.NET Entity Framework as your Data Access Layer. In this session, we’ll…

• Explore the Entity Framework and its related components
• Design an Entity Data Model using the designer tools
• Walk through a variety of examples of how to interact with the model
• Demonstrate advanced mapping scenarios
• Compare Entity Framework to LINQ-to-SQL
• Discuss the tips and tricks on implementing Entity Framework in your current application

You’ll walk-away with a clear understanding of how the Entity Framework can greatly simplify your DAL and enable you to program against a conceptual model of your data, versus the actual data store itself.

Speaker

Rob Vettor is a Microsoft C# MVP, Application Architect and Team Lead, with Jack Henry and Associates.  Rob has built systems for a number of corporations, including Avanade, Raytheon and American Express. Rob is an avid Toastmaster, frequent presenter, study group leader and member of the Microsoft South Region Developer Guidance Council. Rob lives in Dallas, TX, with his wife, twin sons, three dogs and rooms full of NET computer books. You can contact Rob at robvettor@hotmail.com.Click here to register.

Click here to register.

Friday, August 28, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff

Click here to register.

Join us for DevCares and a discussion of architectural patterns for developing applications using Silverlight!

So what's the big deal with the Model-View-View-Model (MVVM) design pattern? How does it differ from the Model-View-Controller (MVC) and Model-View-Presenter (MVP) design patterns?  How can I leverage this pattern in Silverlight?  The answers to your questions are here.

Agenda:
- Discuss the MVVM design pattern
- Discuss why Silverlight is a good fit for MVVM
- Walkthrough of a lightweight implementation of MVVM in Silverlight
- Intro to MVVM and commanding concepts in Prism 2 (Silverlight Composite Application Block)

Our speaker will be Amir Rajan. Amir is a Senior Consultant at Sogeti and is a DEVOTED student of software development. He is a passionate individual who has expertise in distributed application design. He codes pretty much day and night, but still manages to find time to play any RTS he can get his hands on.

Click here to register.

Friday, July 31, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff?

Click here to register.

Session: DotNetNuke

With the advent of content management systems and the evolution of development
tools, frameworks are everywhere.  DotNetNuke, an open source web platform based
on Microsoft's .NET framework, has become more prevalent in the business
environment.  It has quickly grown to become the most widely adopted open source
framework for web CMS and application development in.NET.

In this session, we'll discuss how to leverage DotNetNuke in developing business
applications without having limitations of frameworks to hinder you.  See real world
examples of applications that leverage DNN's security, extensibility, and personalized
content by using the DNN's portal framework as well as the full sets of skills in your
.NET toolbelt.

Speaker: Jason Kergosien 

Jason is president and senior architect at Ingen Systems, a Dallas-based development
and consulting company specializing in DotNetNuke.  He speaks on regularly on
various .NET and DotNetNuke topics at technical conferences including regional
TechFests and CodeCamps. 

Click here to register.

Friday, June 26, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff?

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We stand at the edge of a new paradigm in computing, brought about by the evolution of multi-core CPUs. Programmers have long left multi-threaded programming to the few diehards, while enterprise developers were able to live happily within a single thread. Those times are changing, and the .NET Framework 4.0 is here to help. Come learn how Microsoft is innovating in this space, and how you can use this framework to bring your skills forward, after learning just a few simple rules.

Speaker: Tim Rayburn

Tim Rayburn is a Principal Consultant with Improving Enterprises, and a Microsoft MVP for Connected Systems Development. He has worked with Microsoft technologies for over 13 years, and is the President and Founder of the Dallas Connected Systems User Group, the organizer of the Dallas TechFest, and blogger at TimRayburn.net. When he's not pursuing the ever moving technology curve, he is an avid gamer, from consoles to table-top RPGs and is the host of a podcast called Radio Free Hommlet. He welcomes questions about any of the above to tim@timrayburn.net.

Click here to register.

Friday, May 29, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff?

Click here to register.

With all the new acronyms and development technologies flying out of Redmond these days, it's easy to get confused. The .NET Smackdown will help you to make sense of the different choices available in the Microsoft development stack. We'll discuss the differences between some of the technologies and describe scenarios that fit each one. Join experienced developer and instructor Ken Byrd as he moderates the discussion - crowd participation and opinions are encouraged!

Round #1: The Eternal Question: C# vs. VB (and what about F#?)

Round #2: Data Access: ADO vs. LINQ to SQL vs. Entity Framework

Round #3: Web Services: ASMX vs. REST (and where does WCF fit?)

Round #4: Windows Applications: WinForms vs. WPF (vs. Silverlight?)

Round #5: Web Development: WebForms vs. ASP.NET MVC (with a touch of ASP.NET AJAX vs. jQuery)

Get ready, get rowdy, and join us for DevCares in May! Click here to register.

Speaker: Ken Byrd

Friday, April 24, 2009

8:30am - Welcome and Networking
9:00am - Presentation
11:30am - Announcements and Free Stuff?

Click here to register.

Understanding REST-Based Services:  Simple, Scalable, and Platform Independent

REST is an architectural style for web services that leverages the power of the internet to deliver simple, platform independent and highly scalable services.  This presentation explains REST-based services and identifies situations when REST will provide a better alternative to SOAP services.  In addition, the presentation introduces the Microsoft ADO.NET Data Services product as an example of REST in the market.

Presenters: Brian Orrell and Charles Knight from Pariveda Solutions

Brian Orrell serves at the Office Managing Vice President for Pariveda Solutions, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. He oversees the Agility Team which defines and teaches Pariveda’s Agile Methodology, leads the.NET practice and initiated the Pariveda New/Next Incubator which drives innovation and new service offerings.

Brian has more than seventeen years of technology consulting experience in a variety of industries and technologies. His emphasis is on the delivery of enterprise solutions using Agile methods with particular specialization in Microsoft .NET. His areas of expertise include designing, developing and maintaining web-based and distributed object systems. Mr. Orrell has led large-scale development engagements for large utility companies, airlines, educational organizations, shipping companies and non-profit organizations. His technical experience has led to multiple speaking engagements regarding the management of large-scale development projects and custom software development. Brian has also taught courses on development methodology, .NET development and SQL optimization.

Brian loves to travel and is always looking for the next new place to go, and he likes to cook as a stress reliever. As a devout “early adopter,” he can be convinced to try any new technical gadget that comes along. Brian is involved in the Agile Project Leadership Network and enjoys blogging on all things technology related. He loves to teach and is a geek at heart, so he is always looking for community service opportunities where he can combine his love of technology with service to others.

Charles Knight is an associate at Pariveda Solutions and is based in the Dallas office. He has consulting experience in the education, retail, energy, and supply chain logistics industries. His focus is on software design and development, process automation, and systems integration. Charles has a strong background in delivering custom web development solutions, custom reports, and SSIS packages.

As a Web Developer, Charles has helped to develop a consolidated enterprise wide intranet application that served multiple regions in North America in order to better align the system with the needs of the business. This included consolidating the web application and developing a flexible data model to facilitate the roll-out of new emerging markets. He also developed the integration with an external system using web services that significantly reduced the turn-around of pricing a deal from a week to a few seconds.

As a SQL Developer, Charles optimized a process using a combination of staging tables and SQL to drastically reduce the processing time by 500% for a client. He also successfully upgraded the production database to SQL Server 2005 and moved the existing DTS packages to SSIS.

Charles is an amateur photographer and loves spending time outdoors running, camping, and mountain biking. In his spare time, Charles volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas.

Click here to register.