Application Settings in Windows Forms 2.0

Thanks to the new Application Settings in Windows Forms 2.0, it's a lot easier to persist both user and application settings. In this article, I will show you how.

What's New in Windows Mobile 5.0?

Microsoft recently released the latest version of the Windows Mobile platform, Windows Mobile 5.0. What's cool and new? This article gives you the rundown of the best new features.

And if you are in the market for a good Windows Mobile 5.0, the Dell Axim x51V seems like a good buy!

O'Reilly Book Covers

If you are always facinated with the animals on O'Reilly book covers, wait till you check out this list of spoof covers.

And if you are really curious about why a particular animal is chosen for a title, you got to read this: Animal Magnetism: Making O'Reilly Animals.

New language on the block - KPL (Kids Programming Language)

From TechWeb:

"Microsoft has signed on to promote a new programming language intended to replace BASIC as the first step students take towards learning how to code. The Kid's Programming Language, or KPL, was developed under the direction of Jonah Stagner, and his colleagues, ex-Microsoft program manager Jon Schwartz and former NCR engineer Walt Morrison. The three run the software consultancy Morrison-Schwartz Inc. "

You can download KPL from: http://www.kidsprogramminglanguage.com/download.htm

Here is a screenshot of the KPL IDE:

One cool feature is that you can directly translate KPL code into C# and VB.NET, making KPL a very good language for getting kids started on programming and then eventually moving into .NET programming using C# or VB.NET:

Sample projects for Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart (O'Reilly)

Some readers wrote in and asked if the code samples for my Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart is available for download. Yes, it is now available at this O'Reilly site (click on the Examples link). The two sample projects include a Windows application called LibraryApp that allows you to keep track of your libary of books. It connects to Amazon.com web service and pulls information down to your computer. Hey, if you connect a barcode scanner to your computer, this app can actually automatically build your own library system, complete with book covers and detailed book information. Way cool!

The second app shows how to build a simple shopping cart application using the new features in ASP.NET 2.0. Shows quite a number of features - Master pages, Profile services, etc.

Check them out (even if you don't have the book)!

Avalon series at DevX.com

Tim Sneath, Windows Vista Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, blogged about the series of Avalon articles that I have written for DevX.com.

Here is the list:

Be an Avalon Test Pilot and Build the Windows UIs of Tomorrow
Avalon, the nascent framework for building next-generation user interfaces in Windows Vista, is available now in beta, but you don't have to wait for Vista (a.k.a. Longhorn) to get started. We unpacked it early in order to give you a jump start on building the UIs of tomorrow.

Learn Navigation in "Avalon"—the Windows Presentation Foundation
Windows Presentation Foundation, the nascent framework for building next-generation user interfaces in Windows Vista, is available now in beta, but you don't have to wait for Vista to get started. In this second article in the series, we show you how to use the new navigation model.

Create Data-Aware Applications in "Avalon"—the Windows Presentation Foundation
In WPF you can bind UI elements to a wide variety of data sources, including XML data, Web services, as well as databases. Learn how data-binding works in the Windows Presentation Foundation with this sample project using an XML data source.

Globalize and Localize Your "Avalon" Applications Using LocBaml
You already know that internationalizing your applications can propel you into new markets. But did you know that the Windows Presentation Framework can make it easier than ever to do? Learn how to write culture-aware WPF applications using this example.

Thanks, Tim!

Globalize and Localize Your "Avalon" Applications Using LocBaml

You already know that internationalizing your applications can propel you into new markets. But did you know that the Windows Presentation Framework can make it easier than ever to do? Learn how to write culture-aware WPF applications using this example.