For IT Professionals

Visusal Studio Launch In UK

For those of you interested in the Visual Studio 2008 launch, the site has just started taking registrations:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8126604

Javascript and .Net programmers

Why .Net programmers should learn Javascript.

With the introduction of AJAX, .Net programmers have to seriously consider learning JAVAScript to develop AJAX enabled applications.

ASP.NET AJAX is a framework for creating more efficient and interactive Web experiences that work across all the most popular browsers. Microsoft AJAX library is a Javascript library. Ajax is Free.

In the Web world, Javascript is the widely accepted language for developing powerful web applications with rich client side functionality and Microsoft has come out with its own version of Javascript libraries for developing web application. Microsoft has included the OOPs extensibility features into its Javascript library and chosen it as the language of choice for AJAX. Microsoft Javascript was originally called as Jscript.

It is obvious that to implement client side scripting we should learn JAVASCript.

Reasons why .Net programmers should consider Javascript:

• Superior
• No near competitor – Universal usage
• Client side scripting is the technology of today

Superior

AJAX Javascript is superior than any version of JAVASCript because of the OOPs functionality incorporated to the JAVAScript library by MICROSOFT.

The Microsoft AJAX Library brings classic OOP concepts to JavaScript and adds namespace support for grouping functionality.

Features of AJAX Javascript are :

1. Classes
2. Namespaces
3. Inheritance
4. Interfaces
5. Enumerations
6. Reflection

No near competitor

Whether you use PHP or ASP for your server side application design, Javascript is the language of many to implement client side application development. Vbscript which was the original language of choice of Microsoft for implementing client side scripting is now promoting both Javascript (via AJAX) and VBScript. Due to its popularity and features Javascript is widely used. So, it becomes all the more important for .Net programmers to learn Javascript.

Client side scripting is the technology of today

Increased emphasis on User Interface and flicker free web pages have necessitated companies to find ways and means to come out with technologies, which provide these features.

We know that HTML is used to create client-side user-interfaces, but cannot handle client-side activities to respond to the user. The content of a Web application that consists of only HTML pages is static. It does not respond dynamically to the actions performed by users.

To respond to user requests, we can use both client-side and server-side scripting in addition to HTML pages. Note that a web application can have client-side scripting, server-side scripting or both.

The advantages of using client-side scripting is to program web pages that can dynamically respond to user input without having to interact with the web server. With scripting, we can check every keystroke of the user, without any server interaction.

For example, in a web application that requires users to enter a number before displaying a particular page, we need to ensure that a user does not leave the number textbox field blank. To check whether a user has left the number field blank, we write client-side scripts that execute on the client computer. A client-side-script scripting speeds up the response time of a web application. Scripting languages, such as VBScript and JavaScript are used to write client-side scripts.

Briefly:

• JavaScript is a programming language that is used to make web pages interactive. It runs on your visitor's computer and so does not require constant downloads from your web site.
• A script is a program or a sequence of instructions that is interpreted or carried out by another program rather than by the computer processor.
• Java and Javascript are two completely different computer languages. Only their names are similar.
• Running JavaScript is easy. JavaScript support is built right into web browsers. Provided that the visitors to your site are using web browsers that support JavaScript (most do) and have JavaScript enabled (it is by default) then your JavaScript will run.
• JavaScript is an interpreted language and so no special program is required to be able to create usable code. Any plain text editor such as Notepad is quite satisfactory for being able to write Javascript.

Websites which you should visit:

For a quick detailed backgrounder on AJAX :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJAX

Microsoft AJAX site. You will have to visit this site often !
http://www.asp.net/ajax/

For a quick tutorial on AJAX
http://www.w3schools.com/ajax/default.asp

A basic tutorial on AJAX you should not miss !
http://dhtmlnirvana.com/ajax/ajax_tutorial/

Common Programming Tasks - SQL Server

Tasks a Programmer should be familiar with (SQL Server)

1. Creating Logins
2. Adding New Windows Logins
3. Default Logins
4. Adding a standard SQL Login in Enterprise Manager
5. Adding Logins to server Roles
6. Fixed Roles
7. Adding a Login to a fixed Server role
8. Granting Access to Databases
9. Adding a User account to a Database
10. Assigning User permissions
11. Grouping Users into Database Roles
12. Fixed Database Roles
13. Understanding the Windows Authentication Mode
14. Understanding the SQL Server Authentication Mode
15. Creating the Database Files
16. Database-File Concepts
17. Configuring File growth
18. Multiple Database Files
19. Multiple Filegroups
20. Viewing a Database
21. Renaming a Database
22. Modifying a Database
23. Dropping a Database
24. Creating Tables
25. Creating Primary Keys
26. Creating Foreign Keys
27. Creating Column Data Types
28. Adding Data Integrity Constraint
29. Creating Indexes
30. The INSERT Statement
31. The DELETE Statement
32. The UPDATE Statement
33. The WHERE Clause
34. The TOP KEYWORD
35. The LIKE Operator
36. The ORDER BY Clause
37. Creating and Executing Stored Procedure
38. Using Parameters with Stored Procedures
39. Using OUTPUT Parameters
40. T_SQL: The Language
41. Control-of-Flow Statements
42. Creating and using Triggers
43. Creating Transactions

Database Software based on the LAYERS concept

The unprecedented demand for web and mobile applications, advent of .Net, AJAX and C# has lead to sophisticated and superior application design. The design methodologies used today is far more complicated and superior as compared to say 10 or even 5 years ago.

Today, a software architect builds database software based on the layers concept. What is this Layers concept? A layer is a logical grouping of code including classes and components. Commonly, three layers can be identified for an application. Presentation Layer, the Business Layer and Data Layer. We can also extend this by adding layers for specific purposes like security.

One important benefit of developing an application based on layers concept is its reuse for different platforms and other applications.

For example, a billing software developed only for a single computer system, or what we call a stand-alone computer, when developed based on the layers concept, can be deployed and used simultaneously on the network and the Internet. Of course, it will require changes but they will be minimal and required only to the extent to adapt to new environment.

.Net programming is all about developing applications using the Layers concept and visual studio lets you achieve this effortlessly.

Let me list out the various benefits and issues relating to developing applications based on Layers concept.

• For an evolving organization, needs keep growing, which means incorporating new design requirements. Technologically too, the software and hardware technology keeps improving and accommodating these is a must. Developing database applications based on the concept of ‘LAYERS’ ensures that these changes are accommodated and the investments are optimized.
• The ‘LAYERS’ concept allows building applications with business logic centralized. Building application based on this concept also allows isolation of the presentation layer (front end) from the database layer. This helps us to change the database from SQL to ORACLE or from ORACLE to MySQL, as and when we think it is feasible and appropriate.
• Centralizing the business logic helps to allow multiple client applications like Windows and web applications to use the same business logics, which is near a Database server.
• Centralizing the business logic in one place (which is business layer) enables that when the business rules of the organization change, the entire database software need not be changed. (Which is Extensibility)
• Most of the database applications have one similarity - the requirement to access data and work with it. For this we write a data access component, which in turn provides a data access layer. Using the Layers concept, you can develop a generic data access component that can plug into any .NET application. First and foremost, the data access component will make interaction with data much easier, whether we retrieve, add or modify data.
• The ‘LAYERS’ approach allows us to build large enterprise applications. Multiple layer approach (Which is N-tier) allows us (developers) to alter applications or add to them more easily. Maintaining existing code, user interfaces and databases is also easier and better. Although earlier technologies allowed such architecture to be used, the implementation was more difficult.
• Higher standards of design and rules can be implemented as validations pertaining to data or user interface or reporting, are all grouped one place or logically tied up.
• The reporting functionality, which is a separate layer, can work independently of the daily functioning or real time application.
• Applications developed using the ‘LAYERS’ concept are more stable as the parts of the application are more stable.
• Applications developed using business layers enables its use with the presentation layer, regardless of whether an application is a browser, a Microsoft smart phone, a pocket PC or Microsoft Xbox.

In demand skills...

The Job market for .Net, AJAX and PHP developers is active and predicted to rise during 2008. The  demand is red-hot right now for people with AJAX, .Net and PHP skills, so says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director at Robert Half Technology in Menlo Park, Calif.

(Robert Half Technology is a staffing and consultancy firm, and is the parent company of Protiviti an Internal Audit and Risk consulting firm).

While dot net is a platform for rewriting your applications, php and AJAX are tools which are for designing the front ends.

So, programmers looking for jobs have to train themselves in these technologies. This also means that the UI design is a hot market and programmers and professionals have to brace themselves for  assignments which involve implementing creative designs.

Technology professionals can also add Microsoft's Silverlight, media rich tool, to their 'must learn' software tools.

It is appropriate to note here that professionals form dying technologies like C, Powerbuilder and cobol. While it is true that there are many companies around the world which are heavily into Mainframes, an example being Federal Express, it is also relevant to note that a gradual shift is being noticed in their IT infrastructure.

It is in this activity of 'shifting of technologies' being undertaken by companies that professionals have to indentify windows of opportunities and gain footholds. It is also to be noted that with the rise of mobile computing, tools which are suited for such applications are gaining in demand. Prominent among them being C#, C++, and Java.

Of course, Team working and great participation is a must and 'i am just a coder' kind of attitude will lead one nowhere.

Topics of interest

This blog keep track of news and developments in these areas:

Visual Basic
C#
ASP
SQL Server
AJAX
ERP
Accounting Software
Stock Management Software
Process Management Software
Web Site development
SEO
Silverlight
Tools
Resources
Software Tools
IIS
Exchange Server

If you have news or new products or any news worthy item to contribute do email and we will post the same.

This blog is for bringing...

This blog is for bringing you all the latest happenings in the dot net world covering visual studio, visual basic, c#, sql server, ajax for dot net and asp.net. If you have any news, announcements of any dot net related product or service or event, do inform me. You will get free publicity and also a link.

Thank you.