Fabrice's weblog

PageMethods introduction in French

If you don't know  PageMethods, you can learn more about it on the project's home page or on CodePlex. But if you prefer to read French, Améthyste has a great introduction for you.

Si vous souhaitez découvrir PageMethods, Améthyste a rédigé une excellente introduction en français !

LINQ presentation

I gave my first presentation about LINQ, C# 3 and VB 9 yesterday. During one hour and a half, we covered the basics of the new language features, LINQ to Objects, LINQ to XML and LINQ to SQL. Most of the time was spent with several code samples in Visual Studio. All the questions I got show the interest for LINQ and the language evolutions.
If you wish your team to get up-to-speed on these technologies, you can contact me and we'll prepare a presentation for your company.

Contactez-moi si vous souhaitez que j'intervienne dans votre entreprise pour présenter LINQ, C# 3, VB 9 et .NET 3.5 à vos équipes.

LINQ in Action, the book is available as an early access edition

How much do you know about LINQ? With Visual Studio "Orcas" 2008 and .NET 3.5 Beta 1 ready, and Beta 2 around the corner, it's the right time to get started with LINQ!

I have the pleasure to announce that we can help you to learn more about LINQ and start writing LINQ code today. An early access edition of the book we have been working on for several months is now available. You can learn more about LINQ in Action on Manning's website.

10 chapters are available right now. These include the introduction to the querying framework and the language enhancements, the coverage of LINQ to Objects, Steve Eichert's LINQ to XML chapters, as well as one chapter about LINQ's extensibility. Jim Wooley is preparing his chapters about LINQ to SQL, and I'm working on the last chapter.

Here is an overview of the table of contents:

Part I - Getting started
 1. Introducing LINQ - FREE
 2. C# and VB.NET language enhancements - AVAILABLE
 3. LINQ building blocks - AVAILABLE

Part II - Querying objects in memory
 4. Getting familiar with LINQ to Objects - AVAILABLE
 5. Working with LINQ and DataSets - AVAILABLE
 6. Beyond basic in-memory queries - AVAILABLE

Part III - Mapping objects to relational databases
 7. Getting started with LINQ to SQL
 8. Peeking under the covers
 9. Advanced LINQ to SQL features

Part IV - Manipulating XML
 10. Introducing LINQ to XML - AVAILABLE
 11. Querying and transforming XML - AVAILABLE
 12. Common LINQ to XML scenarios - AVAILABLE

Part V - LINQing it all together
 13. Extending LINQ - AVAILABLE
 14. LINQ in every layer

We still have work to do, but I can tell you that we do our best to ensure that this book is carefully crafted. We put the accent on quality.
As I discussed before, writing a technical book on a fresh technology like LINQ is not a walk in the park. We don't count any longer the multiple table of contents rewrites to ensure we cover the full LINQ spectrum with the right angle, the numerous edits, the continuous improvements, the internal and external reviews, the discussions, the preparation of the source code both in VB and C#, etc.

I'm sure you'll enjoy our book. If you are just discovering LINQ, you'll find all you need to get started in our 14 chapters. Even if you have a pretty good knowledge of LINQ, you should still find a lot of things to learn in LINQ in Action.

From the publisher's web site, you can choose to buy the ebook plus the softbound print, or only the ebook. The softbound print will be available this Autumn, but in the meantime feel free to read the first chapter and buy the early access ebook to start reading now! With the Manning Early Access Program (MEAP), you get access to the chapters that are ready and you will receive updates as soon as more chapters are released.

Oh, and the first chapter is freely available on the web. See by yourself what it looks like!

Cross-posted from http://LinqInAction.net

proagora.com - new community site for .NET and Java

A new website dedicated to .NET and Java is born! Here is the latest project I've been working on:

proagora.com is about jobs, but it is not yet another job board. The idea was to create a new community web site dedicated to .NET and Java, in addition to SharpToolbox.com and JavaToolbox.com. One of the goals is to create a directory of .NET and Java professionals, which includes both experts and companies. Another goal of the site is to become the reference job board specialized on .NET and Java, and so fill the relative current void in this field.

If you are interested, you'll be able to create an account on the site and join the proagora.com community.
As an expert, you can publish your profile on the site to describe your experience in .NET or Java as well as to list your contributions (such as articles, books, conferences, sites, etc.). Don't be shy. The term expert we use here means "a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; a specialist; someone possessing skill or knowledge" (in .NET and/or Java). If you are reading this blog and use .NET everyday, this is likely to apply to you.
Companies using .NET and/or Java can introduce what they do and post job offers. Posting jobs on the site is free during the site's launch phase.
Everything is completely free for experts.

We are really interested in getting your feedback on the site! What do you think about the site? about the idea?
Oh, and make sure you spread the word to your friends :-)

The site is http://proagora.com

I'm looking forward to hearing from you and seeing your profile or job offers on the site!

Acropolis is around the corner

If you are working with the CAB (Composite UI Application Block) or the SCSF (Smart Client Software Factory), you should check out Acropolis. If you are not using CAB or SCSF but you need to develop Windows applications, you should take a look at Acropolis too!

Acropolis has just been announced by Brad Abrams and others. It's supposed to be the integration of ideas and concepts from CAB and SCSF into Visual Studio.

Acropolis is an initial “experiment” at up leveling the .NET Framework application model to enable more modular application that enables developers to focus on their business logic while reaping the benefits of Xaml and WPF and of course carrying forward all of your existing Windows Forms assets.

Acropolis builds on the rich capabilities of Microsoft Windows and the .NET Framework, including Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), by providing tools and pre-built components that help developers quickly assemble applications from loosely-coupled parts and services. With Acropolis you will be able to:

• Quickly create WPF enabled user experiences for your client applications.
• Build client applications from reusable, connectable, modules that allow you to easily create complex, business-focused applications in less time.
• Integrate and host your modules in applications such as Microsoft Office, or quickly build stand-alone client interfaces.
• Change the look and feel of your application quickly using built-in themes, or custom designs using XAML.
• Add features such as workflow navigation and user-specific views with minimal coding.
• Manage, update, and deploy your application modules quickly and easily.

Acropolis requires Visual Studio 2008 (Orcas) Beta 1. The first preview can be downloaded here. Acropolis also has a home page, where you'll be able to find an introduction video.
If you are at Tech Ed in Orlando, you can also learn more about Acropolis. You can find the sessions by searching for the Acropolis keyword in the session catalog.

At first sight, Acropolis looks very different from the CAB and SCSF. I'll be experimenting with it very soon because this is most likely the way to go for some of my clients.