If you're using Windows SharePoint Services (which is installed with Team Foundation Server) or SharePoint Portal Server, you don't get to see the file icons for the files with Office 2007 extensions (i.e. docx, xlsx, pptx, etc.)

I'm not sure if they have updated it in the 2007 version of SharePoint Portal Server, WSS 3.0, or in TFS 2008.  If you happen to know, contact me and let me know and I'll update it here.

Anyhow, have you ever wondered how to add new file extensions with associated icons into SharePoint?  Check out the blog site that Alexander Groß manages and he has just how to do it!  It's something that has bothered me enough already and I'm ready to get it resolved!

How To:  http://www.therightstuff.de/2006/12/16/Office+2007+File+Icons+For+Windows+SharePoint+Services+20+And+SharePoint+Portal+Server+2003.aspx

Ed B.

I recently gave a presentation @ Microsoft on Visual Studio 2008 Team System to a crowd of about 40. The presentation was an all day event where we discussed existing and new features to Team System 2008.

Slide Deck:   Tech Briefing.rar (3.41 MB)   
Presenters:   Ed Kisinger, Sogeti  Topic: Architect/Developer 
                   Tony Mocella, Sogeti Topic: Project Management
                   Brent Lintz, Sogeti Topic: Build/Version Control

Ed K.

Are you missing your process template editor submenu underneath the "Team" menu in Visual Studio?  The new process template editor that is bundled with the TFS Power Tools requires for you already have the Domain-Specific Language Tools for Visual Studio 2005 Redistributable Components installed on your machine.

After you have installed that you should be good to go.  Be sure to uninstall the Power Tools and then install them again to get it to come up.

Ed B.

I switched from Sprint to AT&T as my cell phone carrier recently. Why? Sprint's Customer Service Sucks!... I will leave it at that. So far AT&T is awesome. I picked up the BlackJack as my new phone. This phone is really for the working professional, I got the unlimited data plan so I am able to read email, cruise the Internet, IM, Google Map, monitor my stocks and use my phone as a modem. Life is really great with this phone.

If you are looking for a great work phone, then I would recommend the BlackJack.

Ed K.

Have you ever seen this? Scratch your head for hours? What the heck is wrong, all I want to see is my Code Coverage from my tests!!!!

No worries, I get asked this question everyday. Here is how to make sure you instrument Code Coverage during your tests.

Here is what you probably see:

Go to the "Test" menu on your tool bar and "Edit your Test Run Configurations"

Click on the "Code Coverage" List Item and select the artifacts to instrument:

Now rerun your test(s) and you will have code coverage :)

Thanks,

Ed K.

I do not see the "Create Instance" or "Invoke Static Method"..... uggghh I know this happened in VS2005 but it was fixed in SP1.

If I get an answer I will post it up here as an update.

UPDATE: It magically appeared today. Wierd.

Thanks,

Ed K.

It's been a while since I last blogged something but that's because I've been hard working on our latest exemplar at Infragistics.  It's a WPF "reference application" and is released.... RIGHT NOW!  So if you want to learn some good techniques about including a WPF application in an enterprise realm, take a look at Tangerine!

It's available both as a ClickOnce deployment, or if you really want to dig in, head to the Full Source Code and documentation download.

Learn Windows Presentation Foundation and NetAdvantage for WPF

Use Tangerine, our first exemplar for WPF, to not only learn WPF and NetAdvantage for WPF but also to learn good practices for enterprise application development across the board. This solution provides a full application, including complete source code, as well as several accompanying papers to help guide you in your application development. In addition to using it as a learning tool, the solution has been architected in such a way as to make it easy for you to reuse it in your own development, either in whole or in part.

Tangerine v1.0 is a WPF-based asset browser application. It has a pluggable architecture so that you can provide any number of different back-end asset providers while reusing the same snazzy UI that's based on Infragistics NetAdvantage for WPF toolset. In our first release, we have supplied an Amazon Web Services' E-Commerce Service provider so that you can use the application to browse and search the Amazon.com catalogue. You can use the links below to both run the application (via ClickOnce deployment) now or download the solution and papers.

To learn more about the solution, check out Introducing Tangerine, which describes the tools we used to build Tangerine as well as an overview of the accompanying papers.

We've got quite a few exciting things and a number of solutions to problems solved.  We've also included 6 white papers to help you learn a little more about the project...

Delve into Tangerine

The best way to really dive into Tangerine is to go ahead and download the complete solution so that you can explore the code. However, for your convenience, you can delve into the accompanying papers online.

• Introducing Tangerine (PDF/XPS) [~1.2 MB] - The best way to get started learning about the solution.
• Story (PDF/XPS) [~800 KB] - Tells the story of the application’s development, including key decisions and problems solved along the way.
• Vision & Scope (PDF/XPS) [~410 KB] - The original, unaltered vision & scope document that started the development process that you can use as an example and to get a feel for how the application changed over time. It is an artifact of the application’s development.
• Requirements (PDF/XPS) [~650 KB] - The original, unaltered requirements document that can be used as an example of how to do scenario-based requirements w/o falling into the rut of prescribing an implementation. It is another artifact of our development.
• Architecture (PDF/XPS) [~700 KB] - An architectural overview of the solution—a good starting point before delving into the code.
• Perspectives on WPF (PDF/XPS) [~370 KB] - Discusses learning WPF from the viewpoint of different developer/designer roles.

How about some screen shots?  This is the home screen:

This is the "Glance View" which uses the xamCarouselListBox to show of browse or search results in an animated fashion:

Last but not least, this is the "List View" which uses the xamDataGrid to show off the same browse/search results but in a tabular data fashion:

Just want to say thanks to the other members on my team in the User Experience Group and to our GREAT designers in the Visual Design Group!  (They're really awesome by the way.  We've got 5 now!)

Ed B.

Grant Hinkson (our Director of Visual Design at Infragistics) and I will be doing our talk "Meeting in the Middle - Designer/Developer Interaction in WPF."  It looks like we have the first breakout session on Tuesday, October 9 at 9:00 AM.  Take a look to see what other sessions are going on:  https://admin.viewcentral.com/events/uploads/ms_events/agenda.html

Session Details

Date:  10/9/2007

Time:  9:00am – 10:15am

Title:  Meeting in the Middle - Designer/Developer Interaction in WPF

Abstract:

In this session, Ed and Grant will highlight many of the lessons they learned when developing the enterprise-level WPF reference application, Tangerine. Tangerine is an asset browser built using the data provider model to browse the Amazon online catalog. Additionally, they will discuss the Software Release Status application currently under development. This project management tool uses the power of WPF to visually represent the status of your software projects using data from your Team Foundation Server. You'll get an inside look at the interaction between development and design, and gain insight into practical solutions for common problems.

Brad Abrams, Group Product Manager for the Microsoft .NET Framework, will be the keynote speaker and will be talking about the Rising Tide of User Experience.  Pretty awesome!  You know we like UX!

Want to Save Some Money on Registration?

Well, just because I want to make sure everyone is coming... If you use the following RSVP code, RM07EXTB, it will save you $100 of your registration.

More Info

http://www.remix07boston.com

What to expect at ReMIX07 Boston …

If you’re in the web business, learn about:

• Building a better user experience to unlock new revenue opportunities
• Forging tighter, stickier customer connections
• Building innovative media experiences into your site

If you’re a web developer, build:

• Silverlight applications quickly and easily
• Sites and applications that consume Windows Live services
• Rich, interactive sites made for the next web

If you’re a web designer, learn about:

• Using Silverlight to design gorgeous and highly functional user interfaces
• How a real-world application is built and the best practices associated with it
• The suite of Expression tools that revolutionize the way designers work with developers

If you attend, regardless of your job role, check out:

• Xbox Gaming Area where you can test your skills at Halo 3 and Guitar Hero among others
• Express Yourself Design Contest where key design agencies compete to solve a real-world design problem
• Stay tuned: We may feature some cool products and demos around XNA, Popfly, Robotics Studio and Surface

It’s Happening Here

Monday-Tuesday, October 8-9, 2007

October 8:             Registration & Breakfast from 7:00-9:00 am
Keynote & Breakouts from 9:00 a.m.-5:45 pm
Welcome Reception from 6:00-9:00 pm

October 9:             Registration & Breakfast from 8:00-9:00 am

                                Keynote & Breakouts from 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Hyatt Regency Cambridge

575 Memorial Drive,
Cambridge, MA 02139

For directions click here.

Ed B.

The featured clips are pretty cool and unique, people must have a lot of time on their hands.

Gmail: A Behind the Scenes Video

Ed K.

Interesting...Great concept, especially if you have disparate teams and no TFS expertise on staff. Sure beats using VSS remotely with an expert on staff.

Off the cuff, this is way too expensive. Have a look, it might be what you are looking for.

Readify

Ed K.

Formerly known as Teamplain Web Access for Team System, Microsoft Visual Studio Team System Web Access has been released and freely available as a download to licensed customers of Visual Studio Team Foundation Server.  Microsoft recently purchased devBiz and is offering their former product for free as a Power Tool.  At some point I'm sure they will bake into the main product but for now, it's a great value-add to the TFS product line.

It's really a great tool for you to use if you don't feel like installing a lightweight version of Visual Studio for users who really don't need all of it.  It reproduces pretty much everything that you could do in Team Explorer but in a nice web application.  I'd say It's nice to have even as a developer!

Ed B.

What the heck is a Guidisan?  Here at Infragistics, we don't like HR titles...  In our group we have people that are Codemunicators, Webinaries, and of course Guidisans.  My role in the UXG is as a Guidisan which is essentially a blend between "guidance" and "artisan."  It sums it right up.  We just happen to be hiring another Guidisan so check out the unofficial posting and then the official post (under Research & Development) and let me know if you're interested!  We've got several other openings at the moment so if you happen to see something you're interested in as well, feel free to let me know.

What do guidisans do? 

• Help gather, specify, and document application vision, scope, and requirements.
• Take application requirements and create an application design that meets the requirements and follows best known practices for both Microsoft .NET and Infragistics products.
• Implement applications following requirements, best practices, and design specifications.
• Create supplemental content such as articles, white papers, screencasts, podcasts, etc. that help elucidate example code and applications.
• Research emerging technologies and create prototypes based on emerging technologies.
• Contribute to joint design sessions as well as coding and design discussions.

What do I need to qualify?

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 4+ years of full-time, professional experience designing and developing business applications.
• 2+ years designing and developing.NET applications (UI development in particular).
• Be able to create vision, scope, and requirements documents based on usage scenarios.
• Demonstrated experience with object-oriented design; familiarity with behavior-driven design, domain-driven design, and test-driven development a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices for .NET application development.
• Accept and provide constructive criticism in group situations.
• Follow design and coding guidelines.
• Clearly communicate technical concepts in writing and speaking.

Ed B.

Come check us out if you'll be in the area!  Ambrose Little and I will be giving our WPF and UX talk on Thursday, August 2 at the New Jersey Microsoft Developer's Group in Iselin, NJ.  We've got some exciting new stuff if you've already heard this talk from us!

August 2nd, 2007

Windows Presentation Foundation, Infragistics

Humanizing Software: Creating Better User Experiences with WPF Ed and Ambrose will discuss the concepts and disciplines involved in the field of user experience and show how WPF can be used to empower developers to create better user experiences through some of its built-in features.

Ed B.

Give Visual Studio 2008 a Spin

Ed K.

Read the post from his blog

Ed K

I woke up to a FAILED build report in my inbox this morning... Not the best of signs but it happens, right?

So I'm trying to figure out what in the world could have gone wrong.  What did we change since the last build that could have caused this madness?  OK, I know I'm being over-dramatic

Here's what I had in the build report:

Target ResolveKeySource: 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: The "ResolveKeySource" task failed unexpectedly. 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: System.InvalidOperationException: Showing a modal dialog box or form when the application is not running in UserInteractive mode is not a valid operation. Specify the ServiceNotification or DefaultDesktopOnly style to display a notification from a service application. 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: at System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog(IWin32Window owner) 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: at System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog() 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: at Microsoft.Build.Tasks.ResolveKeySource.ResolveManifestKey() 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: at Microsoft.Build.Tasks.ResolveKeySource.Execute() 
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets(1718,7): error MSB4018: at Microsoft.Build.BuildEngine.TaskEngine.ExecuteTask(ExecutionMode howToExecuteTask, Hashtable projectItemsAvailableToTask, BuildPropertyGroup projectPropertiesAvailableToTask, Boolean& taskClassWasFound) 
Done building target "ResolveKeySource" in project "untimyrm.tmp_proj" -- FAILED. 

I think I knew what happened... I had just set up the Click-Once settings in our app and I bet the build server doesn't have the key file we are using.  Sure enough, I happened to be write!  I found out this could also happen if you are signing your assemblies as well with a strong name.  MSDN Forums has the details.

Here's Nagaraju Palla's answer:

For password protected signing keys to work on build without prompting, they need to be exported into a key container crypto store on the build machine under the account that performs the build. Once exported, the build will not ask for a password anymore. The crypto store will do the signing and take care to keep private key safe.

One of the quicker ways to do this:

- Logon to the build machine using the build service account

- Run msbuild on any project that uses this signing key. It will prompt for the password and will export the key.

- Now start the TeamBuild full build.

Ed B.

I was  recently elected Vice President of Meetings for the Dallas BizTalk User Group. My responsibilities include managing sponsors and speakers. I am looking for speakers and sponsors for the rest of 2007 and early 2008.

We meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month @ the Microsoft Campus in Irving. The next meeting is August 8, 2007 and the speaking spot is open, so submit your topics. The speaking topics can be on BizTalk, WCF, or WF.

The current format we use for the meetings is as follows:

Each Meeting:
2 topics – 2 speakers
First speaker presents 30min beginner to intermediate level topic
Second speaker presents 1hour advance level topic

Leave a comment on this post if you are interested in presenting for the August Meeting or any future meetings and I will email you.

Meeting Location:
Microsoft Campus
7000 State Highway 161
Irving, TX 75039

Ed K

This post actually applies to many different situations in which you would automate a build on a separate server.  I just happen to be familiar with Team Build.

Because of how NetAdvantage deals with licensing each build server will need a full copy of NetAdvantage installed.  Some build engineers have only copied the NetAdvantage assemblies over to their build server and will see LicenseException errors in their build reports.  Even copying them into the GAC isn't enough...  Just to save yourself a couple of headaches, take a few minutes to install using the product installer.  There is an option in the installer to install just the assemblies and licensing components.  I'd recommend deselecting all of the options if you don't need them installed on the build server.  Be sure to also apply any hot fixes that your application may use as well.

As an aside, according to Infragistics' current licensing agreement, each build server you install NetAdvantage on must have a separate license whoever creates the build script must be licensed.  If your team has separate build engineers, each of them should be licensed if they will be working on the build script.

Happy Building!

Ed B.

This weekend we had our annual "4th of July Paintball War" at my Dad's place. This year we had about 12 people playing, we divided the teams up by age, everyone 27 and under on team 1, everyone over 27 on team 2. If your wondering....I was on team 2 with the old farts.

The reason I am posting this is because something different happened this year during the big war.... I ending up having Surgery. I fell in a cactus patch and one of the cactus needles went into my wrist down to my tendon.  I had to go to the ER and then they put me in surgery to removed the 2 inch cactus needle.

I had no idea Cactus could cause so much damage.... and be so expensive lol

3 Days after Surgery:

 

Ed K.

Is it possible for the iPhone to work without AT&T service?

Here is a hacker that claims he has done it: Jon Lech Johansen’s blog

Here is the Bloomberg post about it: Apple's IPhone Can Work Without AT&T Service, Hacker Claims

Ed K.

How is the Team Project limitation going to be addressed in Orcas? Is the problem going to be solved in Orcas or will it really be in Rosario? Read Brian Harry's blog post to learn more:  Orcas and Team Projects.

Looks like for Orcas they will be addressing the cost issue of having to purchase more servers to scale for greater number of team projects. Can you imagine what the Server and License cost is for a set up like CodePlex.... I would not like that bill. Orcas will support SQL named instances, so you can have multiple data tiers on one box. You will still have to have the app tiers on separate boxes but those are way cheaper than a beefy SQL box; you can (should) just VM the app tiers anyway's.

Ed K

What we've done with the iPhone is we've made it so that it will automatically switch to a known Wi-Fi network whenever it finds it. So you don't have to go hunting around, resetting the phone, flipping a switch or doing anything. Most of us have Wi-Fi networks around us most of the time at home and at work. There's often times a Wi-Fi network that you can join whether you're sitting in a coffee shop or even walking along the street piggybacking on somebody's home Wi-Fi network. What we found is the combination is working really well.

"Known Wi-Fi Network" please explain. I would not want my phone connecting to some wireless access point, especially if I will be purchasing products online or viewing my bank details.

"PiggyBacking on somebody's home Wi-Fi Network" .....so...... Apple thinks this is ok?

Read the whole interview "iPhone 'Surfing' On AT&T Network Isn't Fast, Jobs Concedes"

Tomorrow @ 6pm is the official launch, I sure hope my Stock soars in the morning :)

Ed K.

I have downloaded and installed Safari 3 Beta on my laptop today. I am not a Browser Guru, I just want to make sure our site looks pretty :)

Ed K. 

I've been asked so I'll just say, "Sorry, I'm not the Ed B. in today's Daily WTF."  Although very funny, it's not me.

Ed B.

Ouch! Look at this map. I need to see what is happening in some of these functoids. What is a developer to do?????

A map is just complex XSL.... So to debug the functoids we need to treat it as such. First, lets Validate our map and get the location of the XSLT.

Since it validated (no errors) we have the XSLT output location in the Output Window. Copy this location to your clip board. 

Open the file with Visual Studio:

Now, right click on your XSL working area and select properties. Here you will enter the input file that will be used for the transform:

Mark your break points, just as you would a code file, and start the debug:



Now you can step through just as if it was .Net code:

Even step into the functoid code:

Ed K.

 The next set of Team System chats with the product group will be on July 3rd. 

Join the chat on Tuesday, July 3^rd , 2007 from 10:00am - 11:00am Pacific Time. Add to Calendar | Additional Time Zones

                -and-

Join the chat on Tuesday, July 3^rd, 2007 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm Pacific Time. Add to Calendar | Additional Time Zones

Team System product group chats on July 3rd

Ed K.

So, if you didn't know I'm a huge fan of the Quality Indicators report in the MSF for Agile Software Development process template in Team Foundation Server.  Here at Infragistics, we're evaluating the Conchango Scrum Process Template for Team System and I don't get that wonderful report I love :-(  I've been stalling (because I haven't ever written a SQL Reporting Services custom report for TFS) but I finally did it today.  It really wasn't that bad.  Thank God I already had most of the report set up for me!  There are a TON of data and metrics you can get from the OLAP cube in the TFS Data Warehouse.

If you haven't read the Wrox Professional Team Foundation Server book, then it's a great avenue for learning TFS.  It also has a good section on how to creating custom reports with the Visual Studio Report Designer.

Really the only issue with just importing the original report to the Scrum team project is the fact that Bugs are actually Sprint Backlog Items with an Item Type of Bug (as opposed to the MSF Agile template that just has a separate bug work item type) and the status of an active bug is actually "In Progress."

Steps to Modify Report

1. You need to get a copy of the Quality Indictors RDL file.  Take a look at Customizing Reports to get more information on how to do this.  I happened to create a whole new Reporting Services Project in Visual Studio called TFS Scrum Reports because I may be creating some new ones later.
2. Be sure to add the two shared Data Sources to your new Visual Studio project.  You can use the settings of the existing shared data sources on your TFS SQL Reporting Services server.  (Usually found at http://[TFS Server Name]/Reports/ or you can right-click the Reports folder under your team project in the Team Explorer window and choose "Show Report Site...")
    
3. With the report open, navigate down to the section that gets the Active Bugs metric:
    
4. Notice what it grabs for the work item type and state:
   
   MEMBER [Measures].[Active Bugs] AS ([Measures].[Cumulative Count], [Work Item].[System_State].[Active], [Work Item].[System_WorkItemType].[Bug], STRTOMEMBER([Measures].[Build Date])) + 0
   
5. Now, change these values to the following:
   
   MEMBER [Measures].[Active Bugs] AS ([Measures].[Cumulative Count], [Work Item].[System_State].[In Progress], [Work Item].[Conchango_VSTS_Scrum_SprintBacklogItemType].[Bug], STRTOMEMBER([Measures].[Build Date])) + 0
   
6. All you have to do now is save the report and upload it to the SQL Reporting site in your team project's reports folder.
   
7. Last thing, you may run into a problem with the report finding the shared data sources.  If this happens, go into the properties of the report on the SRS site and choose the shared data sources that are being used by SRS.

Really, you can use this method to port this great report into just about any process template you might be using.  Pretty much any of the OLAP metrics can be changed.

What other kinds of reports should we have?  Do you have any interesting custom reports that you find useful for the major process templates that are available on the Internets and what not?

UPDATE:  I've attached a modified report if you don't want to go through all the steps of customizing.  Just download it and start at Step 6.  It's much more fun doing it yourself though!

Ed B.

P.S. We're changing up some of our tags to better organize all of our blog posts.  May take some time...

What Does the Updated Quiescing GDR Fix?

• TFS SP1 and Hotfixes fails to install on a SQL Clustered Data Tier.
• TFS SP1 and Hotfixes may fail to install due to issues connecting to the TFS databases.
• TFS Databases may be left in Single-User mode after SP1 or Hotfix installation failure.

Source: Brain Harry Blog

Patch Download

Ed K.

There's a new Scrum process template and it looks like Microsoft has developed it this time.  You can pick it up here:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=55a4bde6-10a7-4c41-9938-f388c1ed15e9&displaylang=en

Overview

eScrum is a Web-based, end-to-end project management tool for Scrum built on the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server platform. It provides multiple ways to interact with your Scrum project: eScrum Web-based UI, Team Explorer, and Excel or Project, via Team Foundation Office Integration. In addition, it provides a single place for all Scrum artifacts such as product backlog, sprint backlog, task management, retrospective, and reports with built-in context sensitive help.

We'll have to evaluate it and see where it ranks among the other Scrum process templates.  For now, check out some of the other ones:  (Did I miss any?)

• Conchango:  http://www.scrumforteamsystem.com/en/default.aspx
• CodePlex:  http://www.codeplex.com/VSTSScrum

Update:  HOLY CRAP! There is a ton of post-installation steps that you have to take and other items that you have to download.  If you don't happen to have the specific version of the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit that eScrum requires, then you are going to have to do a binding redirect.  If you download it from the ASP.NET AJAX Website, it is a later version.  See the Readme after you install. This setup and install experience is probably one of the worst I have ever done!  Even rivaling the TFS Beta 3 to Beta 3 Refresh upgrade!  That's saying a lot.

Now I'm just having problems with the reports after I've rebuilt the TFS Warehouse five time!  This process template undoubtedly deserves a Colbert Wag of the Finger.

Ed B.

Several people who had attended TechEd 2007 in Orlando, Florida last week had the opportunity to see the shuttle launch.  It's pretty awesome because they don't happen all of the time.  A group of us who had stayed for the weekend decided to head out to Cape Canaveral for the event.  We made our stakeout for about five hours and played cards but I have to tell you it was totally awesome.  It was extremely bright too!  I don't have the most awesome camera in the world but got some pretty cool shots.

Oh yeah - Congrats to Ed K on passing the TFS exam!  I guess I'll have to go take it now too

Ed B.