October 2008 - Posts
Starts - nice video showing of various client/WPF applications
Ray Ozzie on -
Summarizing yesterdays keynote on Azure
Today keynote focus on user experience. Future of personal computing - PD, Web and Phone
The internet and PC are 2 different worlds. Make combination of PC, Web and Phone a lot more valuable.
Talking about what makes the PC great - access to hardware etc. Storing information locally
What's make the web great - common meeting place, every company's front door. Ability to assemble
What's great about the phone - always with you. Enable spontaneity.
An app that spreads all 3 is the best
App Model continue to be evolved. A more appliance like behaviour.
Web developer - huge focus
Alludes on how we will see web apps being taken offline and syncing -sounds interesting. Can't wait to see more - Is this Live Mesh and more?
Taking about different people that will come up.
First up is Steven Sinofsky - Windows 7 guy
- talking about introducing the client, software+Services, transition from Windows Vista, dev opportunities, fundamentals
3 things
personalized experience
find and organize
bring togather devices
First demo -
new taskbar
cool cool stuff
explorer - feature called libraries. Search a bit nicer too.
Built in home computing, get auto redirected to printer at home or work
gadgets anywhere on desktop. easier to customize desktop
demo on touch
can scroll, zoom etc with touch - even with apps that did not have support for Touch builtin.
MS Paint has a ribbon!!!
Now talking about software + Services in Windows 7
Windows 7 Live Essentials - brought all together into one suite, optional/downloadable. Do not have to use Live Services
spending some time on transition from Vista.
Talking about ecosystem and how we were not ready with drivers etc at Vista launch. Windows 7 compatible with Vista - do not need new drivers
talking about standards
Wordpad will support OpenXML and ODF
End to end experience - eg home networking
Developers opportunities
- Ribbon in Windows 7
- Jump Lists
- Libraries
- Multi touch
- DirectX
Video from Autodesk on TOuch - really nice showing how they can model with touch. Needs to be seen
Now talking about fundamentals
talking about performance. Reduce memory, disk io and power
demo
can create vhd directly from disk management
bit locker built into Windows
can boot from VHD - wow
better magnifier built into Windows - look a bit like Sysinternals
Windows P shortcut
remote desktop is multi monitor aware - most applause of the day
Full control of messages displayed. More control over UAC
Path to Beta
PDC attendees get CTP today
Expecting beta early next year
Feedback built in
Steven done. Scott on
It is 8:15 here and the double dose of keynote will start soon. First up will be the client technologies where we should see Windows 7. Scott Guthrie is in this slot too so it should be exciting. Then after a short break Don Box and Chris Anderson will be doing an all code keynote - should be cool. Remember you can follow on www.microsoftpdc.com
This session can be broken down into 3 parts. In part 1, which is the first 15 minutes, Anders describes the history of C# and some of the key trends that are defining the future. C# v1 was focused on managed code, v2 put the stuff they did not have time to put in v1. v3 was the first time they could think deeply about addressing new features with LINQ and some degree of functional programming.
Anders than focused on 3 major trends vi declarative programming, dynamic programming and concurrent/multicore. Several references made to C# co-evolving with VB as well C# borrowing from other languages and becoming multi paradigm. That is supporting more than one programming style.
The second and major focus of the session was around the new features of C# v4. These areas are dynamically typed objects, optional and named paramaters, improved COM interop and finally co and contra variance. C# (as well as VB) will become languages that directly support the DLR. More information on these areas can be obtained by looking at the demo descriptions below.
The final area was a look at the futures beyond v4. The major focus area was to take the compiler and expose it as a service that could then be extended and re-used by developers.
List of demos
Dynamic Keyword
Calling into Javascript and Python A Silverlight demo that starts off showing C# can call into Javascript (normal SL2 feature). Show how we can replace the calls to .Invoke to direct method calls after making use of dynamic features.
Also shows how you can take existing Javascript code and code it to c# a bit more easily now that dynamic objects are supported.
Finally a demo showing how C# can call into Python code.
Implementing IDynamicObject
A demo that shows a dynamic property bag that implements IDynamicObject. Shows howto create properties on the fly - In effect how it does dispatching or “duct typing”. Approx 35 mins into session
Improved COM
An Office based demo that shows taking some data on running processes, putting into Excel, creating a graph and putting the result into Word. Shows how much easier it is now that you do not have to worry about explicit casts. Also support for optional and named parameters means that the code looks a lot more like it was intended (the VBA type syntax). No need to Type.Missing! Approx 47 mins into session
Compiler as a Service
A demo showing some futures beyond C# v4. The compiler is in managed code and get exposed. In this demo, we see a command line type application that takes code which is than dynamically executed aka an Eval function. Showed off to This was probably the demo that got people most excited. Approx 1 hour into session
| If you are a C# or .NET developer, you definitely want to check this session out. The new features will make for interesting scenarios and certainly a lot easier COM Interop. |
Ray Ozzie walks on.
Notes from session
- excited
- transformation in industry
- new trends turns to opportunities
- lots of choice in platform
3 things
- Microsoft builds it owns key apps on the platform
- Critical Mass
- Microsoft understand that in order for it to be successful, the partners/ISV
PDC - hear about revolution, combining software and services
Tues - front end stuff.
Keynote today about backend services
What's the big deal with the "cloud" - concepts have been around for awhile since 60s. Virtualization in same era by IBM
Virtualization making a strong comeback.
Systems greatly expanding - Externalization of systems.Regardless of industry, the web has become important
Talking about challenges about maintaining web infrastructure
Cloud is different - systems designed for the web rather than for apps built internally.
Microsoft building lots of expertise but not packaged for developers to leverage
3 Tiers
- internal
- enterprise
- web
Few years ago new team created at MS to create a new offering in the web tier. fention's Amazon's EC2 and pays tribute to it.
Announce - Windows Azure
New Windows offering at the Web Tier - "Windows in the Cloud"
offers scalable storage, provisioning, new service based offering for cloud design point
can develop using Visual Studio leveraging skill you have.
developing in the cloud is different. Windows Azure
Azure released as CTP today. Microsoft betting on Azure as well.
Azure Services Platform
- Live Services
- Microsoft .NET Services (workflow, auth etc)
- SQL Services (looking to extend to OLAP, Reporting)
- Sharepoint
- CRM
Demo Time !!! (well I thought so but first some talk!)
Azure
- Scalable Hosting
- Manages complexity in data center
- Automated Service Management - seperates app from OS
- heart of Azure is a "fabric controller"
Fabric controller manage services not just servers
Azure works with native and managed code.
DEMO TIME !!! Hello World using Azure
Visual Studio Templates
Cloud on your desktop - can be used to test your app.
Then deploy to the cloud
Guy from Bluehoo.com
interesting social app that uses Bluetooth to connect people.
Interop is cool.
Bob Muglia is one - talking about the various services
.NET Services -made up of service bus, access control and Workflow services
Demo from Red Prairie - shows product recall scenario
Talked about management (system center Atlanta) and also a bit on Oslo/modelling - not too much details
David Thompson
It is around 8:25AM in Los Angeles and the room is packed. The keynote is about to kickoff in a few minutes. We are sitting in the second row and the with huge screen just in front of us.
During the afternoon, a number of us from South Africa participated in a program called Together - where the main focus was really about connecting people and getting to know each other. Besides the 2 Microsoft guys (me and Eben) we had 7 other South African's participate. The majority of the South Africans, which was all except 1 decided to do a tour of Hollywood. 1 person did an activity of horseback riding.
The event was fun with the best part really being the interactions with fellow PDC attendees. Below are some of the pictures - once again taken with my mobile phone which explains the non so great quality.
Sunday Morning. After getting up 4am and unable to sleep to the effects of jetlag, Eben and I had breakfast and then headed off to the conference center to register. The place was already quite busy with many attendees booked for the pre conferences. Below are some the pictures taken with my cellphone (hence the not so great quality). Registration was quick and efficient. Wireless access was already on and totally free so that was useful for some quick browsing
The PDC Goodies (minus 160GB which attendees will get later in the week)
Eben and I arrived a few hours ago in a hot Los Angeles. The flights were full, and except for a really bumpy hour from Washington to LA, it was uneventful - and uneventful flights are really good. We spent the afternoon walking around the city center trying to fight off jet lag. Tomorrow morning we go and register. Later, we meet up with some other SA developers okes for some informal social event touring Hollywood. Some guys will be attending the pre conferences tomorrow and then the real thing starts on Monday.
PDC starts on Monday and we (Eben,I and a few others I know of) leave later today for that nice long flight. If could not make it, and I hate to see what that hotel bill is going to look like at R11 to a dollar, you can still keep up.
The keynotes will be streamed live and the majority of the sessions will have the videos posted within 24 hours -- all free. So visit http://www.microsoftpdc.com/ frequently from Monday.
Get the runtime from here
Get the tools from here
Want to do Silverlight Development from Eclipse. Check this
Don't forget the Devchat in November where we have 2 sessions on Silverlight
This event is mainly targeted at developer managers/leads, project managers etc. Developers are free to attend as well but this focus is not on the code.
"Only 30 percent of all application development projects are deemed successful." Source: The Standish Group, 2006
As part of a select group of senior technology professionals, you are cordially invited to the Developer Managers' breakfast event, to engage in a dialogue around the imperative issues faced by developer managers and the software development industry in South Africa.
The session will cover the realities of development departments in organisations and the technological advancements to support the objectives of all software/application development stakeholders. A real case will be presented by a prominent financial services company, showcasing some of the projects they have undertaken.
Prof. Barry Dwolatzky from the software engineering department at the University of the Witwatersrand will also talk on the current industry challenges and developments.
Attendance is limited, so please register early to secure your place.
To register visit http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032392000&Culture=en-ZA
Date: 12 November 2008
Time: 07:30 to 08:00 - Registration and Breakfast
08:00 to 10:30 - Presentations and Q&A
Venue: The Cape Town Hotel School, Beach Road, Mouille Point, Cape Town
These events are mainly focused around developer managers or lead, project managers etc. It is also useful for developers but the intention is not to drill into code. We did the first of these events in Johannesburg earlier this year. Below are the details:
Talking Agile - Developer Manager's Breakfast
To register visit http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032391541&Culture=en-ZA
As part of a select group of senior technology professionals, you are cordially invited to the Developer Managers' breakfast event, to engage in dialogue around the imperative issues faced by developer managers and the software development industry in South Africa.
Agile Development is the big buzzword in software process improvement. Do you know what it encompasses, when you should use it, the requirements placed on the organization that uses them and how it differs from other methodologies? Ernest Mnkandla, senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Department of Business Information Technology will provide insight into the world of agile software development.
The session will also present some learnings from Microsoft services on some recent projects.
Attendance is limited, so please register early to secure your place.
Date: 5 Nov 2008
Time: 07:30 to 08:00 - Registration and Breakfast
08:00 to 10:30 - Presentations and Q&A
Venue: Buitengeluk - Broadacres Estate, Fourways
Audience: Development Managers