The Scenario goes something like this: A data visualization application There are literally tens of thousands of “data items” The data is stored remotely on a server The data items are identified by unique “tags”, which are strings I want to allow WPF designers to bind to this data by using XAML binding syntax knowing only the tags. The required data item values would be fetched as needed from the server. Only the items currently used in the UI would be fetched. After many days thinking about this...

Recently on Dot Net Rocks, Miguel Castro was interviewed by Carl and Richard to talk about the ten things that really annoy him. I can’t resist a good list, so, here they are presented again – along with some commentary. . . #10 – Business object crowd vs. Service Orientation Architecture crowd Writing “business apps”, i.e., forms over data, is nothing like designing an SOA framework. The SOA framework is sometimes exposed to clients and/or the open internet. Forms over data typically is not. Putting...

The reliability manager, introduced in Windows Vista and included in Server 2008, is a great tool. At one glance, I can see installs, windows updates, crashes, etc, all laid out on a graph by date. For example, this machine I am typing on now crashed back on April 9th, an instance of Visual Studio 2005 (devenv.exe) hung when I ran it (April 21), and various updates were installed since then. In Windows 7, the Reliability manager snap-in is gone, and does not appear in the Computer Management console...

What a nice surprise, today. I had been hearing about improvements to the Windows audio stack for Windows 7, but I did not expect them to show up in Vista Service Pack 2. (Maybe I should have?) Connecting a Bluetooth Audio Device I have a Motorola HT820 stereo Bluetooth headset. Great device. When I turn this device on and pair it with the computer, it is logical to assume that I wish it to become my primary audio output device. Right? Previously, I had to use the Bluetooth control panel, connect...

This post is not another list of security mistakes in web application development – not my cup of tea. No, this is a list of the top five programmer errors. That is, errors made by software development professionals performing their craft. No. 1 – Writing Too Much Code “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants” – Sir Isaac Newton. I recently came across this post by Chris Williams asking for help in finding a bug that resulted in “serious error in the debugger”. There...