So Dev

If you care about AJAX on ASP.Net , read this

If you are serious about writing AJAX using ASP.Net (2.0 that is), then you need to read this.

posted by Deecay @ 12:08 AM 0 comments

More printing web page

While I was cleaning up web pages for printing, I found out that absolute position like those marked the following:

style="Z-INDEX: 101; LEFT: 0px; POSITION: absolute; TOP: 0px"

can also cause the page failed to print properly.

posted by Deecay @ 2:17 PM 0 comments

Figured out why some web page printout has words chopping in the middle, Sort of

I was very puzzled by the fact that in our site there are some pages which the print out got the right size overblown. And then some pages with words chopping in the middle at the page break.

Today I finally found out that printing will not be right if I have width and height specified on table.

Well, I still need to figure out whether this is the problem only when I specify stuff in pixel, or if the problem exist no matter how I specify width and height.

At least I have some general idea about what the problem is.

posted by Deecay @ 8:04 PM 0 comments

Fustrated, but finally fixed the button focus problem

I was fustrated for a while about how to make the first WebForm button in the form to be OFF focus. The reason is that that first button is the "Logout" button, and the least I want to happen is having the user accidentally hit the return key, trigger the logout button and have all their work destoried.

However, there is no Focus method on ASP.Net 1.1, and setting TabOrder doesn't have at all. After a bunch of trial and error, I finally figured out that I can resolve the problem by user a regular HTML control and set it as server control, and then remove the original ASP.Net button control.

Kind of a messy solution. But, heck, it works.

posted by Deecay @ 6:34 PM 0 comments

Developing Mobile App on Visual studio

I just installed Visual Studio .Net Released Candidate 1 on my desktop so that I could try out developing mobile application. I then realized that in order to use my Dell X50V to debug a PocketPC app, I need to install the ActiveSync 4.0 Technology Preview. So I went to the Microsoft, downloaded the app, and it worked out fine.

posted by Deecay @ 10:26 AM 0 comments

Nice Podcast for developer

I am a fan of Dot Net Rock for a long while. But with so much commute that I have to do everyday, I need more PodCast to fill up my time. My collegue suggested me the following, which I am going to give them a try:

- this WEEK in TECH
- Secuirty Now

Thanks Griffin for the info.

posted by Deecay @ 6:37 PM 0 comments

Context is great ... as long as you are working on the same server

Remember I posted a few days ago about my collegue thinking of using Context to pass data from one WebForm to another WebForm? Well, I tried and it worked pretty well. On the source I wrote:

private void buttonGo_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
Context.Items["GameName"] = textGameName.Text;
Context.Items["GameDesc"] = textGameDesc.Text;
Server.Transfer("Dest.aspx");
}

And for the destination I wrote:

private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
TextBox1.Text = Context.Items["GameName"].ToString();
TextBox2.Text = Context.Items["GameDesc"].ToString();
}

They all worked fine. However, notice that it only works for Server.Transfer. If you use Response.Redirect("Dest.aspx") , it won't work.

I am going to try out serialization and see if I can use the same scheme to transfer object from one page to another page.

posted by Deecay @ 12:03 PM 0 comments

Oracle and Visual Studio .Net 2005 RC1

I successfully create a Data Connection for our Orcale database under VS.Net 2K5 RC1. Nothing really tricky. The most important thing is to have Orcale Client (10g in my case) installed.

posted by Deecay @ 10:46 AM 0 comments

Installing Vista Beta 2 on my desktop - 2nd Day

Installtion still going on (at least at home right now, while I myself is in the office working). I am trying to make several primary partitions and they all failed to be used for Vista installation. I am now making the final attmept to make a copy of my working partition. If still failed, I will:
- Swap out the the EIDE harddisk (plan on using it as an external Firewire harddisk)
- Swap in the SATA harddisk.
- Make a new partition the SATA drive at boot, and start installing Vista.

Action will be the experiment night >:-} .

posted by Deecay @ 10:28 AM 0 comments

Installing Vista Beta 2 on my desktop

I am still installing Microsoft Windows Vista Beta 2 on my desktop. The installation was not going too well I have to say. I first use Partition Magic to create a partition, and then try to install Vista Beta 2 at that partition. But after the installation rebooted my machine, it got stucked at a screen saying something like \Windows\system32\winload.exe is missing. The hell was that.

Fortunately I have a Partition Magic 8 boot disc created. So I booted up the CD, fired up Partition Magic, and then set up my boot partition. Now my machine is back to the original OS.

Still need to figure out what the hell is going on, though.

posted by Deecay @ 10:27 AM 0 comments

Visual Studio .Net 2005 - First Day experience

I am starting to play with Visual Studio .Net 2005 RC1 today. A few observation.

- Visual SourceSafe 2005 is a saperate installtion on the DVD. The app is the same old same old, at least that's what it looks like.

- I CANNOT find a way save my project into SourceSafe 2005 form Visual Studio IDE. Can someone help?

- I successfully write a tiny Pocket PC app on VS.Net 2005, and used the buildin emulator. Now I need to find a way to deploy the app.

- I am now installing Orcale client on machine which the VS.Net 2K5 was installed. Let's see how easy it is to access Oracle data from VS.Net 2K5.

posted by Deecay @ 7:47 PM 0 comments

Enterprise Library June 2005 release: where to download

I just realized that there's a new June 2005 Enterprise Library released. So I tried to download it, and found that the download link leaded to a DEADEND (File not found page). What is going on? Can someone tell me where to download this funky file?

Meanwhile, for those who already installed January 2005 release (like me :< ), there's a patch available for downloading (Patch 1763 for Enterprise Library). Since it's mainly for those who try to migrate to .Net Framework 2.0, I am not too concern about it (at least now).

BTW, there are a 4 parts article in MSDN magazine about using Data Access Application Block. Seems worth reading. Part 1 is here.

posted by Deecay @ 7:38 PM 1 comments

I tried to install Visual Studio .Net 2005 RC1 on a WinXP system running in VMWare. Unfortunatley the WinXP system has too many VS.Net 2K5 Express products installed. And even after I uninstalled every old beta product, I still get error during the very beginning of the installation process (something cannot install Document Explorer 2005 error crap like that).

So I turned to another Windows Server 2003 system under VMWare. This time I was told that I need to install Service Pack 1 first. And then the genuine checking. What a mess.

I eventually installed on the W2K3 Server within VMWare at workplace. All went well this time.

And along the way something went wrong with my home machine's OS. Guess it's time for me to reinstall the OS.

posted by Deecay @ 5:41 PM 1 comments

Writing Pocket PC games

I already tell myself that I need to start doing some Compact Framework development, but never have anything significant done. Well, this introduction article should give me some idea to get my engine starting.

In addition, there's is an article about how to write game using C# on Pocket PC. Seems like interesting.

posted by Deecay @ 3:50 PM 0 comments

Passing data between two ASP.Net page using Context

My collegue mentioned about the ASP.Net intrinct object called Context, and said that it may help passing data from one page to another. While I used Request and Response all the time, I never used Context to pass data between pages. Guess I will spend some time to figure out how it works.

Here's some useful link regrading to Context:
- MSDN : A matter of Context
- Submitting Web Form data from one ASP.NET page to another

posted by Deecay @ 3:50 PM 0 comments