ZogBlog

Our leader speaks (Anders Hejlsberg). We'll look at the language extensions. LINQ Project recap: .NET Language Integrated Query (DLinq / ADO.NET) made possible by generics / anonymous types and delegates.

C# 3.0 Design Goals
• Integrate objects, relational and XML
• Build on foundation laid in C# 1 & 2
• Run on the .NET 2.0 CLR
• Don't tie language to specific APIs (languages live longer than technologies)
• Remain 100% backwards compatible

C# 3.0 Language Innovations: Query expressions (DLinq; System.Query) and XQuery-like expressions (XLinq; System.Xml.XLinq). You can extend this to do almost anything... bringing the power of strongly typed languages to queries. At one point, Anders showed how he could write a ToXml method that returned the query results as an XML tag. Total lines: 3. Wow!

Local variable type inference feature allows you to "infer" the type from the constructor. Anders says that this does not mean variant! :p

Query Expressions: Starts with from (zero or more from's or where's), optional orderby, ends with a select or group by, and optional into continuation. Queries basically translate to method invocations.

Expression Trees: Basically the CLR points to the database and reflects the structure into strong .NET types (Table<T>) and then remotes your expressions as trees back to the reflected structure via the methods (eg. where). So, basically we now have Code as Data brought by the these method generated expression trees. Finally, DLinq then takes the expression tree... and turns it into SQL.

DLinq code (the System.Query namespace) is available so we can see how they did it. Plenty of sample queries, code and documentation are available. There's even a LINQ Project Sample Query Explorer that tie it all the samples together with comparisons between XQuery and XLinq. Anders gave dev team $1 per query.

Summary: Anders and Microsoft have put a really compelling way to query databases directly from code. I'm impressed.

Tags: [PDC05]

I'm sick... I'm seeing things and now I'm cold. So cold.

Two modes in IIS7: ISAPI and Integrated. Hmm... I thought ISAPI was dead. Anyway, integrated allows you to: plug .NET modules directly into the server (and some other stuff I missed before the demo started).

IISCMD exe allows you to determine some info from the command line. [This would work well in a monad script methinks.] The whole demo is about forcing a login for images as well as pages. I didn't even know this was a problem.

Anyway, integrated mode... you need to worry about: runtime changes, performance impact with multiple transitions (selective execution, execution optimization), IHttpModule event ordering (impersonation, authenticated user), configuration (httpRuntime, httpModules, httpHandlers).

Since the runtime is changed so much... you should worry about module runtime ordering. However this has allowed for expanded ASP.NET APIs (like changing request and response headers) or new server variables. Now that ASP.NET is integrated with IIS we now have response filtering, tracing and web events right in IIS7 (through logging?).

Nice demo shows you how you can intercept response filters and replace "images/" with "layout/images". Cool

Apps are easier to manage. Server Configuration (modules, handlers, runtime settings), Features (custom errors *not new*, url authorization, output cache *fast, native*).

Compatibility: ASP.NET 1.0 not supported, worker process will ber isolated and will use a low-privilege account, integrated mode is for ASP.NET 2.0 only and unified server features (?).

Tags: [PDC05]

Well... now that I'm tripping on DayQuil, I thought I was starting to see colors. Apparently their is this orangish ball of fire that is pyramidding through the windows and messing up my vision. The apparent slow motion to everything IS the DayQuil though. Or maybe it's just the head cold.

But I have a theory... maybe it's the phenylketonurics which contain phenylalanine. Thank you pepsi for warning me. I can sleep safe tonight in this knowledge. Maybe I'll have a bananna (with potassium) and that will counter act the side-efects of phenylatranine or whatever.

Stop the press... INETA dudes just showed up with Motley-Fool hats on. There's the pretty rainbow I was looking for....

Tags: [PDC05]

I'm over by the Starbucks and I immediately noticed this girl sitting in this guy's lap along the table that lines the railing looking over the main lobby. This little blonde girl with a pink band holding a small bit of hair at the top (presumably keeping it out of her face) and an eggwhite top. The striking thing was that her jean skirt was hiked up.

Update: This girl is so small... that I completely overlooked something. She must be his little girl. No really. Don't look at me. You're the sicko. I would have pointed it out earlier to you, but that DayQuil I just took is causing the world to look really wierd right now.

Tags: [PDC05]

I've got my green bracelet that gives me and the other attendees access to the event. It goes from 7p-11p, and if you are not an attendee - you ain't allowed in. Park entrance and food... brought to you by: "Your passion. Our potential." Wait is that right?

Time to go get some Drugs for this head cold.

Tags: [PDC05]

After the IIS7 session, I wandered over to play around in the labs until the Expo was officially opened. I tried the Fundamentals 1. I blundered along in the instructions (that expected me to be a C++ eventing engineer) but had no idea what I was doing. A lot of code copy/pasting... use NMAKE... blah, blah, blah... you have a new Windows Event Source with it's own events.

Ok, I can understand having this kind of module back in 95' - but in 2005? What's the point? I've already done this in .NET... why are we taking a GIANT leap back just to do this module? Maybe it was setting you up for the "way we do it today" module - aka. Module 2. Whatever.

Moving on to the Expo I ran around snapping up the ASP.NET UI control makers demo's and marketing materials for a web project I recently joined:

• ComponentArt's Web.UI 3.0
• Telerik's r.a.d.controls suite
• Infragistics NetAdvantage 2005

Meanwhile, the Mono-ites were having their own get together at the Sheraton. I wanted to go, but I also wanted to go to the expo. Too bad really... because I'm typing this post out on a PowerBook now. I kinda feel like they are my people. You know, the .NET developers who can appreciate all of the flaws of Linux and OS X. :p

Naturally the PDC Hottie's were roaming the floor last night... but strangely not one took me up on my dance coupon. Hmm. Oh well, I had been feeling queasy all day. In fact, this morning I skipped the keynote... and will miss my first session. I'm just feeling that dog sick. You wouldn't know it from looking at me... it being a head cold and all. My throat is actually killing me...

Tags: [PDC05]