I'm currently creating a wizard engine in ASP.NET that we can reuse. The data is saved in Sql Server tables and associated with users. Creating new wizards just involves setting up some new rows in the database and any custom UI you need. A big part of this that I needed was a PlaceHolder Control that didn't lose its children between postbacks. I have a UserControl for each step in the wizard and just flip them in and out when flipping through the steps.
Luckily, Google came to the rescue as always, because I knew I had heard of someone doing something like this. Unfortunately though, it took forever to find! Maybe this post will bring it up higher in Google so people can find it easier than I did.
Dynamic Control PlaceHolder by Denis Bauer
Rod Paddock brought to the attention of the VB MVPs that the patent for the IsNot Operator has been slashdotted...interesting...
You might notice Amanda Silver and Paul Vick being on there as authors.
UPDATE: Oops, just saw that Paul already blogged about this...
This is another post just asking the question: Do any of you out there know of any server controls that are either menus or tab controls that work in all browsers? I could write them myself, but it would take a bit of time. We'd rather just purchase them if someone has made them. Post a comment if you have any recommendations...thanks! :)
I've been finding that more and more of my projects (at work and at home) need to function how Windows (MSN), AOL & Yahoo Messenger work. You know, where you have an icon in the system tray and if you have the application open and hit the minimize button, it minimizes the application just like any other application, but if you click the close button, the form is hidden off of the start bar (almost like it's minimized to the system tray instead). Then you can double click on the icon and have it come right back up. Since this is something pretty similar I could throw together quickly and I think it's a common scenario when writing an application that needs to be open a while, but doesn't need to get in the user's way, I thought I'd write it up and share.
http://www.gotdotnet.com/Community/UserSamples/Details.aspx?SampleGuid=166c5497-e441-4541-97d1-6b92567746fa
Now, unfortunately, right after uploading to GotDotNet, I noticed, I had forgotten to put a piece of code in there. If you run the app as is from GDN right now and try to shut down your computer, it won't! Good times! The reason is, I'm basically masking the ability to actually close the application and hide it instead, but when Windows tells it to close, since there's no built in way to know what's actually requesting the application to close (like there used to be in VB6 with QueryUnload, but luckily, I believe this feature is back in VS 2005), you have to add a little code to listen for that particular message. To do this, add the following code to the form:
VB
Private Const WM_QueryEndSession As Integer = &H11
Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Message)
If m.Msg = WM_QueryEndSession Then
ShouldClose = True
End If
MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub C#
private const int WM_QueryEndSession = 0x11;
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
if (m.Msg == WM_QueryEndSession)
shouldClose = true;
base.WndProc(ref m);
} I reposted the corrected code, but unfortunately it hasn't been approved and seems to be taking a lot longer to get approved than the first time! :( So if you download it and the above code isn't in there, put it in there.
I'm sure everyone reading this blog could figure out how to do all of this themselves, but with such a common, simple task like this, who wants to do it yourself when someone's already done it for you? Enjoy! :)
Hopefully the title of this entry will get through on Google and help a few people. Having troubles getting your XBox Live account to work through your router (wireless or not)? Does it say that you have to install an update to continue using XBox Live, but says the server is not responding? Disable UPnP and watch it work like magic.
Thanks to my cousin Adam for the tip! :)