if you ever get locked out of your own database...

if you set your default database, and then you kill that database, you might end up locked out of sql server entirely. if so, do this:

- open admin command prompt

- run this: sqlcmd –E -S YOURCOMPUTERNAME –d master

o alter login [DOMAIN\USERNAME] with default_database = master
o go

copy and paste files when remote desktop'ing

something i’ve wanted for a long time, not sure if this is new with the Vista version of RDP (6.0) but it’s very easy to setup:

- click ‘Options >>’ button after you run Remote Desktop

- go to the ‘Local Resources’ tab and click ‘More…’ button

- check one of your drives

two things will happen: you’ll see the drive you picked listed as a drive on the remote computer’s list of drives, and you’ll be able to copy files to the clipboard on the remote computer and paste them locally--

when logging exceptions, use Exception.ToString()

this will get you error type, message, and stacktrace, not only for the Exception but also for its InnerException if there is one--

josh smith's wpf binding article in this month's msdn magazine

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc700358.aspx

a couple of things new to me:

- the way he uses IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem and nested, hierarchical bindings like {Binding Path=CurrentItem.Orders.CurrentItem.OrderDetails}

- the capabilities of the .NET 3.5 validators (implementing validation logic in code using System.ComponentModel.IDataErrorInfo)

also check out how smoothly he binds an object hierarchy to a treeview, good stuff--

error adding service reference to silverlight 2 app

if you run into problems adding a service reference to a sl2b2 app, it’s likely due to a sl2b2 install bug that manifests itself if you installed with certain pre-conditions. to fix it:

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(from http://silverlight.net/forums/t/17500.aspx)

First check your Silverlight Tools for VS 2008 install size on Add/Remove Programs window. If it is 1.14 MB, then you need to do the following:

1) Uninstall your Silverlight Tools for VS 2008,

2) Remove (delete) the following dll C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\Microsoft.VisualStudio.ServicesProxy.dll

3) Re-Install Silverlight Tools for VS 2008.

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wpf/silverlight links

scott guthrie’s silverlight 2 intros are here

some silverlight references/articles i’ve found very helpful:

Silverlight Architecture

Silverlight Controls

Silverlight User Interface Controls - Silverlight

Silverlight: QuickStarts

Silverlight: QuickStarts > Building Dynamic User Interfaces with Silverlight > Creating Custom Controls

Working with Animations Programmatically (Silverlight 2)

Excellent Data Binding Overview

How ImageSource works

End to End DataCentric App <-- VERY GOOD OVERVIEW OF LOTS OF STUFF

asp.net mvc overview:

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/11/13/asp-net-mvc-framework-part-1.aspx

wpf and mvc:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/WPF/MVCtoUnitTestinWPF.aspx

some good blogs:

http://geekswithblogs.net/wynapsetechnicalmusings/Rss.aspx <---- DON’T MISS THIS ONE! it’s a compilation of others’ relevant blog posts

http://blogs.msdn.com/delay/rss.xml

http://blogs.msdn.com/brada/rss.xml

http://blogs.msdn.com/corrinab/rss.xml

http://blogs.msdn.com/silverlight_sdk/rss.xml

http://www.drwpf.com/blog/Home/tabid/36/rssid/1/Default.aspx

regarding reflector, app is here: http://www.aisto.com/roeder/dotnet/. msft also released a bunch of their source code recently, you can find the silverlight-related code here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ea93dd89-3af2-4acb-9cf4-bfe01b3f02d4&DisplayLang=en

silverlight 2 beta 2

installer is here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=50A9EC01-267B-4521-B7D7-C0DBA8866434&displaylang=en

there is no problem installing this on your normal dev machine, but note that i had to manually uninstall KB949325 (in Vista it's listed under Program and Features > Installed Updates) before i could get beta 2 installed.

a good summary of changes is here: http://adoguy.com/2008/06/06/What_s_Changed_in_Silverlight_2_Beta_2.aspx

and fuller lists of breaking changes (there are lots of them!) are here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645049(VS.95).aspx and http://blogs.msdn.com/silverlight_sdk/attachment/8574227.ashx.

the release version is expected “end of summer”, so assuming beta 2 is as solid as beta 1 was, this is the version that the classroom will first go live with--