In-house training available in the US

If your company is based in the US and you have a group of developers who would benefit from an in-house training, send me an email at weimenglee@learn2develop.net for a detailed proposal and pricing information.

Download the latest course catalog

With year 2007 coming to an end very soon, are you looking forward to a more exciting year 2008? I sure am, and 2008 is going to be a very exciting year for developers! With the new Visual Studio 2008, you now have a wealth of new features to make your development life easier. But before you can make use of all these new cool features, you have to spend time getting up to speed with them. And if you are looking for a easy way to jumpstart your developer career in 2008, download my latest course catalog. There are four exciting courses launching in the first quarter - Windows Mobile, Visual Studio 2008, and ASP.NET 3.5 Web development.

Have a Happy and Fruitful New Year!

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest"
Benjamin Franklin

Playing with Media in Silverlight 1.0

Waiting for Silverlight to deliver on it's promise of delivering rich media experiences? Take your first steps with this tutorial on how to embed a Windows media file in your Silverlight application, control its playback, and create simple effects on the video.

Tip: How to know the OS version of your Windows Mobile device

You can use the OSVersion property from the Environment class to obtain the OS version number of your Windows Mobile device, like this:

Dim OS As OperatingSystem
OS = Environment.OSVersion
MsgBox(OS.ToString)

Tip: How to programmatically check the orientation of your Windows Mobile device

In the past, I always compare the value of Me.Width and Me.Height (within a Form window) to determine the orientation mode of my Windows Mobile device. Besides this method, you can also use the ScreenOrientation property available in the SystemSettings class in the Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms.dll, like this:

Dim o As Orientation = Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms.SystemSettings.ScreenOrientation
MsgBox(o.ToString)

For portrait mode, it returns Horizontal. For landscape mode, it returns Vertical.

Tip: Missing controls in Toolbox - Visual Studio 2008

I encountered a problem today when I uninstalled my Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 and then installed the RTM version of Visual Studio 2008 Professional.

When I created a Windows Mobile project, the controls in Toolbox were missing. In place of the usual controls is a tab labelled "#13119". The usual remedy of right-clicking the Toolbox and then selecting Reset Toolbox did not help.

After some searching of Visual Studio folders, I finally found the solution. You need to navigate to the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0

And within this folder are some hidden files. Simply remove the following files:

"toolbox.tbd", "toolboxIndex.tbd", "toolbox_reset.tbd", "toolboxIndex_reset.tbd"

Then restart Visual Studio 2008. Your controls should now come back up! ;-)

Click here for more mobile development tutorials!

New Course - Web Application Development using ASP.NET 3.5, AJAX, and Silverlight

Important Update: Sorry for the mistake; the correct date for the course should be: 18th to 20th March. (21st March is Good Friday.)

This course is targeted at beginning Web developers who need to get jumpstarted to ASP.NET Web development in the shortest amount of time. This feature-packed and lab-intensive course will show you how to develop ASP.NET 3.5 applications, as well as numerous tips and tricks to enhance your Web applications using AJAX and Silverlight.

What you will learn
Day 1 – Basics of ASP.NET 3.5
* ASP.NET Fundamentals
- Understanding Postback
- Navigating from one page to another
- Web server and HTML controls
- Hiding and displaying controls
- Setting the focus of controls
- ASP.NET page caching
- Image maps
- Files uploading
* Validation
- Using the Validation controls
- Writing your own custom JavaScript
* Design
- Applying themes to your web pages
- Master pages and site navigation
- Displaying Drop-down menus
- Globalization and localization

Day 2 – Database, Security, and Web Services
* Database
- Database access using ADO.NET
- Data binding using the data controls
- Data caching
- Encrypting and decrypting configuration strings
- Building a shopping cart
- LINQ
* Security
- Implementing security using the security controls
- Creating and administering user accounts
- Personalizing your Web application using the Profile service
* Web services
- Developing and Consuming Web services
- Encrypting and Decrypting data

Day 3 – AJAX, Silverlight, Deployment
* Architecture of the ASP.NET AJAX Framework
- How to update part of a Web page without a page reload
- How to auto-complete user input
- How to update a panel at regular intervals
- How to create a panel that’s always floating and visible
- How to populate a DropDownList control without a page refresh
- How to display a confirmation dialog on a control
- How to call Web Services directly from a web page
- How to access the properties of a Profile property from a Web page
- How to add drag and drop functionality to a control
- How to give users control of the information shown by a panel
* Introduction to Silverlight 1.0 and 1.1
- Animation
- Media
- Integration with ASP.NET Futures
* Deployment
- Xcopy deployment

DATE
• Time: 9am to 5pm daily
• 18th to 20th (Tue to Thur) March 2008
• Closing date for registration: 19th Feb 2008

COURSE FEES
• $1099
• To qualify for Early Bird Discount, register before 19th Jan 2008 and receive a $200 discount ($899 after discount)
• Inclusive of 1 lunch and 2 tea breaks for each day

Download the application form here.

Updates:

I am excited to announce that Developer Learning Solutions has teamed up with asp.netPRO to offer a free one-year online-only subscription to the magazine ( US$14.99 value) for all attendees of the "What is new in Visual studio 2008 & .NET 3.5" and the "ASP.NET 3.5, Ajax, and Silverlight" courses.

asp.netPRO is devoted to professional developers who use Microsoft's ASP.NET (Active Server Pages.NET) technology to build Web-enabled applications and business solutions. It is the information resource to help build, debug, deploy and run the next generation of Web applications.

Developing "Touch" UI for Windows Mobile

Unless you have been hiding in the mountains for the last couple of months, you must have heard of (and even experienced) the revolutionary "touch" interface of Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. And that leaves the rest of us wanting that feature for our phones (Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc).

While the HTC Touch fills that void by supporting a touch UI, it requires people to buy a new device, which most of us do not have the luxury of doing so. So what to do if you have a Windows Mobile 5.0/6 device and are keen to develop applications that support the "touch" UI? Well, come and join us in the upcoming Windows Mobile 6 Programming course and I will show you the techniques to develop "touch"-enabled applications that allow users to navigate your application using their fingers. And best of all, these techniques work across all Windows Mobile devices.

Check out the course details here.

Big Book of Windows Hacks

I just received my copy of the Big Book of Windows Hacks by Preston Gralla (published by O'Reilly Media). At more than 600 pages, this is literally a big book containing all the useful hacks to make your Windows XP and Vista work according to the way you want.

And I am honored that I am a contributor to this book. Check out my hacks in this book!

Tip: How to get IP address of your Windows Mobile device

Question:
How do I know if my Windows Mobile device is connected to the Internet and if so, what is its IP address?
Answer:
Use the following function to determine if you are connected. You can also use this to determine its IP address:

'---check whether you are connected to the Internet---
Private Function IsConnected() As Boolean
   Try
      Dim hostName As String = Dns.GetHostName()
      Dim currenthost As IPHostEntry = Dns.GetHostEntry(hostName)
      Return currenthost.AddressList(0).ToString() <> _
      IPAddress.Loopback.ToString()
   Catch ex As Exception
      Return False
   End Try
End Function

Crocs shoes and Apple

OK, I am going to confess that I am quite a fan of Croc shoes....and today I got my second pair of the Crocs islander. If you have never worn a pair of Crocs before, I know what you must be thinking now... "boy....that color/design is really weird....are you sure you dare to wear this out....?".

Well, wait till you try your feet on a pair of Crocs and you will know how comfortable it feels. It is virtually weightless and feels like ... er ... you are not wearing any shoes! And depending on your taste, there is always a color/design that suits you.

But wait....why am I talking about shoes in a technology blog? If you look at Crocs and Apple, both companies seem to have something in common.....underdogs in an industry where both do not have the majority market share...and yet they continue to innovate by focusing on design and quality. I have always liked to walk into a Crocs showroom and be facinated with new designs that make me think: "why didn't I think of that!" Likewise, Apple's attention to details and usability have always been their trademark.

And if you are still with me ... both companies are great inspirations for me to develop courses that are fun, informative, and most importantly, effective for you to learn new technologies in the shortest amount of time. And if you have never attended any of my classes, I would like to invite you, just like Crocs who in the early days asked customers, to give it a try and experience it themselves. Go on, pick a design (course) and see if you like it. :-)

Next run of the Windows Mobile 5.0/6 Programming Class

I have finalized the dates for the next run of the Windows Mobile 5.0/6 Programming class. Details as follows:

* Windows Mobile 6 Standard (Smartphone) Programming - 27th Feb 2008
* Windows Mobile 5.0/6 Professional and Classic Programming - 28th and 29th Feb 2008

Click on the links above to download the course brochures and application forms. See you at the class!

Geo-tag Your Photos Using ASP.NET and Google Maps: Part II - Upload, Tag, Save, and Retrieve Photos

The Google Maps API is a free mapping service that allows you to embed maps into your Web pages using JavaScript. Google Maps also provides the ability for you to insert markers at landmarks of interest. You can use this feature to associate photos with different geographical locations — a process known as geo-tagging. I conclude my two-part series by extending the project created in Part I so users can upload photos to it and geo-tag each photo.

Download the free PDF version of the Nov 2007 issue of the ASP.NET Pro magazine now.

Using the Smart Device Framework for Windows Mobile Development

The .NET Compact Framework's class libraries are sadly inadequate for developing full-featured Windows Mobile applications, sometimes forcing you to rely upon the problematic Platform Invoke. Enter Smart Device Framework (SDF), a group of extensions designed to pick up where the Compact Framework's class libraries leave off.

New Course - Visual Studio 2008 (.NET 3.5, VB 2008, C# 2008, ASP.NET 3.5, WPF, WCF)

I will be launching a new course entitled "What is new in Visual Studio 2008 and .NET 3.5" in 2008. As you are probably aware, Microsoft has recently released the RTM version of Visual Studio 2008 to MSDN subscribers (and soon to the public). Visual Studio 2008 includes many enhancements, both in the IDE as well as in the framework and languages. In this intensive 3-day course, you will learn the key enhancements in Visual Studio 2008 and .NET 3.5:

Day 1 – Languages - What is new in Visual Basic 2008 and C# 2008
• Enhancements in the Visual Studio 2008 IDE
• Visual Basic 2008
• C# 2008
• LINQ – Language Integrated Query

Day 2 – What is new in ASP.NET 3.5
• New IDE Support
• ASP.NET AJAX
• New controls
• WCF Support for RSS, JSON, POX and Partial Trust
• Silverlight 1.1

Day 3 – Windows Presentation Foundation and Windows Communication Foundation
• Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

DATE
• Time: 9am to 5pm daily
• 12th to 14th (Wed to Fri) March 2008
• Closing date for registration: 12th Feb 2008

COURSE FEES
• $1099
• To qualify for Early Bird Discount, register before 12th Jan '08 and receive a $200 discount ($899 after discount)
• Inclusive of 1 lunch and 2 tea breaks for each day

Download the course application here.

Updates:

I am excited to announce that Developer Learning Solutions has teamed up with asp.netPRO to offer a free one-year online-only subscription to the magazine ( US$14.99 value) for all attendees of the "What is new in Visual studio 2008 & .NET 3.5" and the "ASP.NET 3.5, Ajax, and Silverlight" courses.

asp.netPRO is devoted to professional developers who use Microsoft's ASP.NET (Active Server Pages.NET) technology to build Web-enabled applications and business solutions. It is the information resource to help build, debug, deploy and run the next generation of Web applications.

Windows Mobile Course - 5th to 7th Dec 2007 Thank you!

A big thank you to those of you who attended the Windows Mobile Training from 5th to 7th Dec 2007! I had a great 3-day conducting the course and it was really enjoyable to interact with each and every one of you. And not forgetting the laughters and fun we had. ;-)

For those who missed this course, come join me in the next run from 27th to 29th Feb 2008. Details coming soon! [Update: New dates are now available. Check out this link]

Here are some of the comments from you guys:

"It was a great exposure on window mobile programming on mobile computers such as the MC35 and MC70..."
Noor Jaffer, Y3 Technologies Pte Ltd, Singapore

"It was a good training with an even better trainer. The entire training was interesting and value for money. Will certainly join the other courses when I can. Thanks!"
Desmond Pek, ITE

"Excellent course. Definitely worth every penny. "
Heng Shui Ming, Singapore Epson Industrial Pte Ltd