Hello.

I've been busy with side projects lately, so the blog has been quiet. One project should be released this week. Another is a .Net 2.0/ASP.Net 2.0 hosted site for examples from this blog (and to help me learn .Net). It's behind schedule, but will eventually host controls, tutorials, etc. More info soon on the first project. And, btw, the FIELDSET tag is awesome! Read More

This post discusses the differences between using error codes and exceptions for error handling in application programming. It references an article by Damien Katz that explores the topic in detail, highlighting the challenges of proper error handling, even in critical systems. The article uses analogies and strong language to make its points. It also links to the original article and a Digg story about the topic. Read More

I'm excited to share (even though it's old news) that all Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions (Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual J#, Visual C++, and Visual Web Developer Express) are now permanently free! This is a game-changer for aspiring developers, opening up access to powerful tools for Windows and ASP.Net development. While there are some limitations (like only one project per solution), the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Check out the official announcement and some cool new tools! Read More

In this first part of my series on C# Trackback implementation, I delve into the Trackback Ping functionality, providing a comprehensive code explanation. While I remain unconvinced about the overall effectiveness of Trackbacks, exploring the implementation in C# has been an interesting coding exercise. Read More

This is the second part of my series on implementing trackback functionality using C#. I've provided the complete source code, which is free for anyone to use and adapt. This post dives deeper into the intricacies of trackbacks and how to use them within your C# applications. Click the "read more" link for the full article and source code. If you find it useful, consider giving it a digg! Read More

While ASP.NET 2.0 offers improvements and reduces code in certain areas, it's not a magic solution that eliminates all development challenges. It doesn't significantly impact the time spent on data access and business logic layers, despite the addition of new server controls. Although there are aspects I dislike, such as personalization, it's worth exploring further. Read More

The Nintendo DS is vastly outselling the Sony PSP in recent sales figures, by a ratio of nearly 7 to 1. This trend suggests a decline in the PSP's market performance. Read More

This blog post shares a method for integrating Google Calendar into a website using PHP and JavaScript, based on an article from ajax.phpmagazine.net. The author also expresses interest in syncing their Blogger blog with their calendar. Read More

Microsoft plans to upgrade the Xbox 360's CPU in early 2007. The new CPU is expected to generate less heat and consume less power. While some consumers are threatening returns, this upgrade is a standard practice in the console industry and will likely result in a cooler, quieter console rather than a faster one. Sony, for example, made similar upgrades to the PS2 after its initial release. Read More

Google's new data protocol, GData, has me wondering about the future of Blogger. Will Blogger integrate with GData? Blogger already uses Atom, so will that make integration easier? Or will Blogger's slow pace of development prevent them from adopting GData anytime soon? I'm skeptical. Read More

Code optimization is crucial, especially for critical sections of an application. Before jumping into optimization, profiling is essential to pinpoint actual bottlenecks. Relying on assumptions can lead to wasted effort on non-critical areas. While I haven't personally experienced the Java-specific examples mentioned in the linked article, the core message about profiling holds true regardless of the programming language. Read More

I've created a flexible Cache Windows service that uses Named Pipes for interprocess and inter-machine communication. This could be a useful solution for synchronizing web servers that need to access the same data but don't share state, cache, or session information. Check out the full article for more details and implementation. Read More

This blog post explores the techniques used by high-traffic websites like Digg and Zooomr to handle large numbers of simultaneous users. It delves into performance optimization strategies to improve website efficiency and prevent crashes under heavy load. Click the link to learn more. Read More

Microsoft is bringing a subset of the .NET Framework, including C# and VB.NET support, to the Mac platform via WPF/E. This goes beyond the JavaScript engine also included with WPF/E, allowing for richer and more complex applications. Read More

I've created a new tool, AJAX Tagger, to help bloggers enhance their posts. It leverages AJAX to dynamically suggest related articles, topical tags, encyclopedia definitions, and images. It even integrates with your affiliate programs to recommend relevant products. Check it out and let me know what you think! Read More

A quick explanation of associative arrays in C# .NET, clarifying that they are simply hash tables. A basic code example demonstrates adding and retrieving a key-value pair. Read More

A Visitor to my site came from google looking for "c# personal attribute to an html tag". If I understand this query correctly then the person is trying to add an attribute to an already created HTML object. However, this might not be the case, so I will include in this entry a few different ways of adding attibutes to HTML elements via C#.Firstly, I am presuming that they are using IE to view the HTML. Read More

I'm planning to dedicate more time to improving the Ajax Tagger, focusing on addressing some necessary bug fixes. Read More

The Ajax Tagger has been updated with a number of bug fixes and improvements. Key changes include using my own Tag Directory for related tags, providing Yahoo search results as RSS in OPML output, and fixing issues with menu item classes, OPML apostrophe escaping, and image selection persistence. Planned future enhancements include a Blogger interface, Kelkoo integration, addressing a cross-domain CGI request security warning, and Del.icio.us OPML integration. Read More

A big thanks to the first person who Dugg my Ajax Tagger on Digg (I think it was Zoodle)! I'd love to hear your feedback on it, good or bad. Let me know what you think! :) Read More