Hello. I am Paul Kinlan.

I'm developing a Digg-like platform called Topicala to help smaller blogs gain more visibility. I'm looking for beta testers with small blogs to try out the new features. If you're interested, please email me at paul.kinlan@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.

This post introduces a ReSharper Live Template to expedite creating default constructors in C#. The template, activated by typing "dc", automatically inserts a public default constructor for the containing class, saving developers keystrokes and time. An example demonstrates its usage.

DevWeek Day 3 wrapped up my attendance with increasingly advanced sessions. Christian Weyer's talks on SOA development using the Webservice Software Factory (and its limitations) and integrating WPF, WCF, and WF were insightful, showcasing practical applications and upcoming open-source tools. Niels Berglund's LINQ discussion, while informative, left me wanting more technical depth and raised concerns about tight database coupling. Jeff Prosise's WPF/E presentation highlighted its potential for rich web UI but also its current limitations regarding input controls and data binding. The lack of VisualBrush in WPF/E and its similarities with the upcoming Flash 9 release were noteworthy discussion points.

Day 2 of DevWeek was packed with insightful sessions. Niels Berglund's talk on ADO.NET v.Next and the Entity Framework highlighted the potential for simplifying database interactions by mapping database models to programmer-friendly models. Kelvin Henney's lecture on streamlined object-oriented analysis emphasized the importance of modeling the current system before designing solutions, using UML and Use Cases. Ingo Rammer's presentations on scalability and performance, and Windows Workflow integration, offered practical advice and cleared up some misunderstandings. I also had a chance to visit vendor booths, with Infragistics' XAML components and Dev Express's slick presentations standing out. Overall, the quality of the lectures has been excellent, but the vendor presence could be improved.

DevWeek Conference Day 1: Jeff Prosise's keynote covered the history of web programming, from CGI to ASP.NET AJAX and WPF/E. While I enjoyed his talk, I would've preferred more focus on the future. The "Attack and Defense" session was disappointing, lacking depth compared to available online resources. David Wheeler's "Practical Patterns" was a highlight, with clear explanations and code examples of design patterns. The vendor presence was smaller than expected. Infragistics showcased promising XAML controls, while TechExcel impressed with their enthusiasm and software demo. Other vendors, like NAG and the Enterprise Architect distributors, could have been more engaging.

Arrived at DevWeek 2007 last night. Looking forward to the keynote by Jeff Prosise on ASP.NET AJAX and then attending architect track sessions on securing ASP.NET 2.0 apps and practical patterns in .NET. Hoping to post summaries if internet access allows.

In a previous post, I discussed the scarcity of ReSharper plugins and sample code. I'm happy to announce that JetBrains has launched a new resource page dedicated to ReSharper Plugin Development. This page provides guides and sample code to help you create your own plugins. You'll need ReSharper 2.5 or later, which is a free upgrade for existing users.

For a while I have been thinking about how to capture the output of IE into a Bitmap or other image format. The attempts that I have done normally center around hosting an IE control on a WinForm and then render the page inside the control and then capture the output. This however seems to be pretty hairy, I could never get it to work after the initial screen capture.

This blog post is a quick fix for my Technorati claim. Click the link to verify my Technorati profile.

I initially pre-ordered a Wii from Argos but cancelled it (big mistake!). It's been impossible to find one since launch, and everyone at work has been taunting me. Finally, I managed to snag one from Asda in Aintree, along with a copy of Wii Play. The Wiimote is surprisingly accurate, and while the graphics aren't as impressive as the 360's, the gameplay is fantastic. I can't wait to explore more games, so hit me up with recommendations!