Common confusion I have seen with Visual Studio 2010 Lab Management

With any new product there can be some confusion over the exact range and scope of features, this is just as true for VS2010 Lab Management as any other. In fact given the number of moving parts (infrastructure you need in place to get it running) it can be more confusing than average. In this post I will cover the questions I have seen most often. What does ‘Network Isolation’ really mean? ...

October 25, 2010 · 7 min · Richard Fennell

First look at Postsharp AOP framework for .NET

At the Software Craftsmanship 2010 conference I met Gael Fraiteur of Sharpcrafters, he had given a talk on Aspect Oriented Programming AOP.Since the conference I have had a chance to look at his Postsharp AOP product for .NET. I decided to do a quick spike project for a tender I have been working on, the requirement is to add a security model to an existing .NET assembly. Usually this would have entailed adding some security logic at the start of each public method to implement the security model. Using AOP I hoped I would be able to get the same effect by adding an attribute to the classes/methods, hopefully making the changes easier to read and quicker to develop. ...

October 25, 2010 · 4 min · Richard Fennell

First look at Postsharp AOP framework for .NET

At the Software Craftsmanship 2010 conference I met Gael Fraiteur of Sharpcrafters, he had given a talk on Aspect Oriented Programming AOP.Since the conference I have had a chance to look at his Postsharp AOP product for .NET. I decided to do a quick spike project for a tender I have been working on, the requirement is to add a security model to an existing .NET assembly. Usually this would have entailed adding some security logic at the start of each public method to implement the security model. Using AOP I hoped I would be able to get the same effect by adding an attribute to the classes/methods, hopefully making the changes easier to read and quicker to develop. ...

October 25, 2010 · 4 min · Richard Fennell

Typemock Isolator++ Video

I mentioned at the Developer Group meeting I was speaking at last week at the Typemock had a new C++ version of their product. They have now published the video of their webinar on this product.

October 25, 2010 · 1 min · Richard Fennell

Video interviews from Software Craftsman 2010

Gael Fraiteur of Sharpcrafters recorded some interviews at the Software Craftsmen conference a couple of weeks ago. The interviewees include Ben Hall, Jason Gorman, Sandro Mancuso, Zi Makki and myself. They are all up on Youtube

October 22, 2010 · 1 min · Richard Fennell

I am speaking at NEBytes in November on Mocking with Typemock Isolator

On the 17th of November I will be speaking in Newcastle at the NEBytes user group on the subject ‘Using Typemock Isolator to enable testing of both well designed code and nasty legacy systems’. NEBytes meetings have an interesting format of a developer and an IT Pro talk at each meeting. The IT Pro session in November is to be given by another member of Black Marble staff, Rik Hepworth, and is on Sharepoint I think. ...

October 19, 2010 · 1 min · Richard Fennell

I am speaking at NEBytes in November on Mocking with Typemock Isolator

On the 17th of November I will be speaking in Newcastle at the NEBytes user group on the subject ‘Using Typemock Isolator to enable testing of both well designed code and nasty legacy systems’. NEBytes meetings have an interesting format of a developer and an IT Pro talk at each meeting. The IT Pro session in November is to be given by another member of Black Marble staff, Rik Hepworth, and is on Sharepoint I think. ...

October 19, 2010 · 1 min · Richard Fennell

Should I buy a Kindle?

I have always read a lot of novels, and I like to have a book with me for those unexpected moments when I get a chance to read. Of late this has meant I use the Microsoft Reader on my phone. It is not too bad an experience, using Project Gutenberg I can get a book (fiddle a bit in Word) and export to the Reader format. However I would like a slicker experience and be able to read new releases, so the Kindle seems just the job. ...

October 19, 2010 · 3 min · Richard Fennell

Do you work with C++? Typemock Isolator++ webinar

I don’t work with C++, but if you do you might be interested in Typemock’s free webinar this Thursday (21st October) on Isolator++. It will cover: The basic API design principles of Isolator++ (from AAA to recursive fakes, loose fakes, sticky behaviour etc..) What can Isolator++ do that others can’t? Code examples using Google Test framework and Isolator++, to test nasty untestable C++ code And as it is being given by Roy Osherove, possibly a short song, suitable for the occasion, performed live. Also as an added incentive Typemock, in honor of the first release of Isolator++, Typemock are giving away a free Isolator++ license to all webinar attendees . ...

October 19, 2010 · 1 min · Richard Fennell

All our futures behind us?

I had a strangely thought provoking weekend, I took my son to do the tour of Concorde at Manchester Airport, and whilst in the area popped into Jodrell Bank to look at the Radio Telescope and the arboretum. Two great technological achievement, well worth a visit, but I felt both seemed to be in our past. I remember Concorde, I remember Apollo (just) and I remember sitting in a room at school to watch the first Shuttle launch, but where is the equivalent today? I started to feel that this ‘thrusting to the future’ style of project no longer exists; there seem to be few children saying ‘I want to be an engineer’ or ‘an astronaut’. I fear they are too often now saying ‘I just want to be famous’. ...

October 18, 2010 · 3 min · Richard Fennell