May 2005 - Posts
Software development is hard, mind draining work. Being an artist (ANY kind) sounds much more appealing. It should enable me to meet hot women, travel the world, and relax *much* more than I do now. I've recently had one of my works get some major press: what do you think, quit the day job?
If you're running what Microsoft calls “a small shop”, you will be happy to know that Microsoft has heard all the complaints, and restructured the pricing for VSTS. There will be a 5-user edition of Team Foundation Server for each of the roles:
Visual Studio Team Edition for Software Architects
Visual Studio Team Edition for Software Developers
Visual Studio Team Edition for Software Testers
Visula Studio Team Suite (which incorporates all of the above)
The next SADeveloper meeting is taking place this Thursday. Details are as follows:
Topic: Issue Tracking through the SDLC
Speaker: Sean Preston
Venue: Marriot at Kingsmead
Date: 19th May 2005
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
I hope to see many of you there! Please RSVP here.
Most .NET developers will be familiar with the System.Configuration namespace, and in particular with the ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings class. When using this class in .NET 2.0, however, (even tough it will compile) you will see the warning that this is now obsolete, and been replaced by ConfigurationManager.AppSettings, which also exists in the System.Configuration namespace.
In .NET 1.1 the whole System.Configuration namespace existed in the system assembly, and this is also shipped as is in BETA2. However, when you look for the new ConfigurationManager.AppSettings class, you won't find it in there. To use this new class, you need to add a reference to the System.configuration (nope, that's not a typo) assembly, which contains the new version of this namespace.
According to the W3C, the XQuery 1.0 standards will only be finalised and completed early in 2006. Yet, there has been a petition doing the rounds to include support for XQuery in .NET 2.0, wich will hopefully be released before the end of 2005. There are a few signatures already, including those of a few MVP's. I wonder if the name “Visual Studio 2005” have any significance? Obviously, if XQuery support had to be included, there can be no guarantee of compatibility with the standard the W3C come up with, and Microsoft will be blamed for enforcing their standards upon the world again.
I agree, it would be great to have, but I've waited long enough - I want Visual Studio as soon as possible!
I'll be leaving Durban at the end of this month to join nVisionIT in Johannesburg. Yes, I'll probably become entrenched in the rat-race, and forget what surf looks like. This is a bit of an emotional affair, not because of any girlfriends, wives or kids (I'm as mobile as can be!), but because I have really enjoyed the three years I spent in Durban with its sunshine, beaches, surfboards, and slowww, minimal traffic. No winter exists here either!
On the flipside is a company that I really look forward to joining, and I hope I can bring some valuable contributions to the Gauteng crowd.