Archives

Archives / 2006 / January

  • Help needed - Trying to use w.Bloggar with .Text

    2 Comments

    Looking for a blog-tool that supports the metablogapi interface I turned to w.Bloggar. I'm pretty sure I set it up properly with host names, URL to the api, proxy and all the stuff, but when I click the "Finish" button it hangs for a while and returns a "timeout" error message. Could be our proxy server here, but I've not had problems with that before. The metablogapi URL is correct, and I've activated it in my config and everything, so it should work...

    Anyone else having this problem? Or can you recommend some other offline blog tool, preferably integrated with IE?

    Thanks!

    UPDATE: I tried the same thing back home on my WinXP box, and it works perfect there of course... I guess my problems at work has to do with either the Win2k platform or the proxy server. I'll have to look up some other offline blog tool then I guess.

  • File-sharing with Microsoft Max

    2 Comments

    If you haven't seen the Max demo or the video on Channel 9 yet, do it. The Max stuff is available for download on http://www.microsoft.com/max as well. As I understand it, you can only share photos so far with Max, but the technology sure lets you share all kinds of data - music, video... I love how Microsoft is making it easier for people to start sharing large data without the need for large ftp accounts :)

    What is Max? This is what the Max-webby says:

    "Microsoft® Codename Max is not like any other product. That's because it's not a product—it's your opportunity to try an exciting new user experience from Microsoft. Max is built on the next-generation WinFX Runtime Components technology that will drive the development of Windows Vista® applications. Today Max lets you make lists of your photos and turn them into beautiful slide shows to share with your family and friends. Tomorrow...who knows?"

    UPDATE: Note that Max is not supported on any of the public Vista builds, so you have to run it om WinXP SP2 it seems. Also, some useful information about Max compatibility with older and newer versions of .NET and WinFX, taken from the Max web:

    At this time, Max supports only the September CTP of the WinFX Runtime Components, which includes a Beta 2 version of the Microsoft .NET Framework.

    What if I have an older version?
    You must uninstall all previous versions of the WinFX Runtime Components and the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Beta before you install Max.

    Note: If you have WinFX Runtime Components Beta 1 installed, you must also remove "Avalon" and "Indigo" via Add and Remove Programs. You should also follow these instructions to remove Windows Workflow Components Beta 1.

    What if I have a newer version?
    At this time Max does not support newer versions of the WinFX Runtime Components or the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. Stay tuned for a Max update that will support these versions.

  • Some limitations in Outlook add-ins with VSTO

    1 Comment

    I had to code something, so a couple of nights ago I installed "the real" VS2005 and the VSTO toolkit and had a go at it. I've been trying out some Office-coding earlier but it has never been easier than what it is now with the integration with VS.

    The first thing I noticed was the limitations you have for Outlook add-ins, especially if you want to add add or modify the left hand "navigation pane", you know the one with the big buttons on it saying Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes and so on. As far as I understand it, you can't do it with the VSTO tools alone. Also, it seems pretty impossible to stick your own Windows Form into the big "information pane" where you list and read mails and such, you know where you do all the work. What you *can* do though is bring up a web page and put some HTML in there. Very limited...

    I guess we'll have to wait until someone comes up with a neat trick or wait for Office Outlook 12.

    There are loads of good code samples on the MSDN webby, and I'm currently playing with the My.Blogs DLL and the Outlook add-in for it. Very useful DLL and neat code to look at. Note that the Outlook sample does not include the DLL itself, you need to download that first and copy the DLL into the Outlook add-in solution. Also, if you're surfing through a web proxy, you will have to add this piece of proxy code to all Feed-classes where it says

    client.UseDefaultCredentials = True

    Just add this somewhere next to that statement:

    Dim host As String = "your.proxy.host"

    Dim port As Integer = 8080 'your proxy port

    Dim proxy As WebProxy = New WebProxy(host, port)

    proxy.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials

    proxy.BypassProxyOnLocal = True

    client.Proxy = proxy

    Good luck!