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Join us at the Perth .NET User Group, Thurs November 5th to hear Joe Albahari present on the new C# 4.0 features. C# 4.0 is just around the corner, and it introduces a number of much-requested features including optional parameters, named arguments and (horror) dynamic typing! We’re going to demo all of C# 4.0’s new features, discuss best practices, show off dynamic Office and Python interop, and explore some novel uses for dynamic typing that may not have crossed your mind. In particular, we’ll examine a surprising pattern whereby a little quacking can make large classes much more manageable. VB programmers may attend – but please, no smirking!

• TOPIC:    What’s new in C# 4.0 – Joe Albahari
• DATE:     Thursday, Nov 5th, 5:30pm
• VENUE:   Excom, Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
• COST:     Free. All welcome

Joe Albahari is author of C# 3.0 in a Nutshell and the upcoming C# 4.0 in a Nutshell.

There will be a door prize of a LINQPad 10-user team license donated by Joe, and a choice of license from JetBrains (one of ReSharper , TeamCity Build Agent, dotTrace Profiler, RubyMine, or IntelliJ IDEA).

More details here.

Restarting the Microsoft Transfer Manager

If you have ever started a large download via the resumable Microsoft Transfer Manager, forgotten about it and shutdown your PC. You will no doubt have found yourself in the same situation I found myself in a few days ago. I started a download from the MSDN subscription site and later shutdown my PC.  No problem I thought, I’ll simply resume the download.

Except I couldn’t find the Microsoft Transfer manager to restart it! There was no shortcut or entry in the Programs menu.

So where is the download manager located! After some hunting around, it turns out it lives at %windir%\Downloaded Program Files\TransferMgr.exe.

[Note: If you open that folder in Windows Explorer and find garbled names, open a console window (cmd.exe), change directory (CD) to  C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\, and run a list the contents (DIR). You should see TransferMgr.exe]

TIP: Once you have found and re-run Transfer Manager, there is an option to place a shortcut on the desktop. Click the Options button, and tick the checkbox “Place application shortcut on the desktop”.

Aligned with the SQL Azure October CTP release, Microsoft have published an updated version of the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit: Windows Azure Platform Training Kit – October Update

Among other things, the training kit contains the following SQL Azure related content:

Presentations

• Introduction to SQL Azure
• Building Applications using SQL Azure
• Scaling Out with SQL Azure

Demos

• Preparing your SQL Azure Account
• Connecting to SQL Azure
• Managing Logins and Security in SQL Azure
• Creating Objects in SQL Azure
• Migrating a Database Schema to SQL Azure
• Moving Data Into and Out Of SQL Azure using SSIS
• Building a Simple SQL Azure App
• Scaling Out SQL Azure with Database Sharding

Hands On Labs

• Introduction to SQL Azure
• Migrating Databases to SQL Azure
• Building Your First SQL Azure App

To try out SQL Azure you first need to obtain a SQL Azure token. Then there are a few differences connecting to the server, specifically using SSMS to connect to your DB in the cloud.

Microsoft have released the October preview of the Visual Studio 2010 & .NET Framework 4 Training Kit. This training content is ready to use with VS2010 Beta 2. You can download from here: Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Training Kit

In addition, Channel 9 has recently launched a free online learning centre that will host developer focused training courses created by developers for developers. The online training course allows developers to search for and browse the content without downloading the full training kit.

The Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Training Course includes videos and hands-on-labs designed to help you learn how to utilize the Visual Studio 2010 features and a variety of framework technologies including: C# 4.0, Visual Basic 10, F#, Parallel Computing Platform, WCF, WF, WPF, ASP.NET AJAX 4.0, ASP.NET MVC Dynamic Data.

Well almost!  OK, granted I’m a few hours early, but it’s a bit like waking up early on xmas morning 🙂

Bye bye Vista, Hellooo Windows 7!

[Looks as if Microsoft’s OS fortunes are going to be nicely aligned with the economic recovery…]

The single Windows 7 license that was part of the Windows launch ‘party’ pack will be one of the prizes for the Perth .NET User Group December’s DevJam community event (since a single license, a party does not make!).

I came across this useful list of Compact Framework Tips and Tricks posted by Chris Tacke on StackOverflow: .Net Compact Framework Tips, Tricks, and Gotchas

A few days ago I was re-awarded with a Microsoft MVP and would once again like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement.  A big thank you to Rose Stamell and Nick Ellery at Microsoft.

I was browsing over at Joe Albahari’s personal web site (Joe is the creator of the easy to use and very successful LINQPad, and one of the authors of O’Reilly’s excellent ‘C# in a Nutshell’) and noticed this 10 LINQ Myths: The ten most common misconceptions.

As well as being a C# guru, Joe is an active participant and supporter of the Perth .NET User Group. In fact, he will be presenting a session in November on the New features in C# 4.0 (More details will be posted shortly…).

We are fortunate to have Brad McGehee present two sessions while he is in Perth. The second session is “Introduction to the SQL Server 2008 Data Collector”. In previous versions of SQL Server, performance tuning was often difficult because the available tools weren’t always easy to use or interpret. In SQL Server 2008, Microsoft is introducing the Performance Data Collector. This comprehensive new toolset has been designed to integrate the collection, analysis, troubleshooting, and persistence of SQL Server diagnostic information, making the jobs of DBAs much easier. 

• TOPIC: Introduction to the SQL Server 2008 Data Collector – Brad McGehee
• DATE:   Friday, Oct 2nd, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• VENUE: Excom, Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
• COST:   Free. All welcome

Brad McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelors’ degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 14 years’ SQL Server experience, over 6 years’ training experience, and has been involved in the industry since 1982. He is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, European PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, SQLBits, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars.

RedGate have generously donated a license to their excellent SQL Compare Pro.

More details here.

Join us at the Perth .NET User Group in October for two talks with a SQL Server focus, aimed at both Developers and DBAs. We are fortunate to have RedGate’s Brad McGehee present two sessions while he is in Perth. Brad is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world.

The first talk is Thurs October 1st, where Brad will present on “How to Interpret Graphical Execution Plans”. One of the SQL Server black arts is how to read and interpret graphical Query Execution Plans. This is a key thing to understand as Execution Plans provide valuable clues as to why a particular query may be running slowly. In this session, you will learn how to read an Execution Plan, and learn what to do with the information you have gained from reading it.

• TOPIC: How to Interpret Graphical Execution Plans – Brad McGehee
• DATE:     Thursday, Oct 1st, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• VENUE:  Excom, Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
• COST:     Free. All welcome

Brad McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelors’ degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 14 years’ SQL Server experience, over 6 years’ training experience, and has been involved in the industry since 1982. He is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, European PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, SQLBits, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars.

We will have pizza at this session courtesy of INETA.

RedGate have generously donated a license to their excellent ANTS Memory Profiler Pro. There is also a door prize of a choice of license from JetBrains (one of ReSharper , TeamCity Build Agent, dotTrace Profiler, RubyMine, IntelliJ IDEA).

Try to arrive early if you want a seat!

More details here.